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NZ Sales Manager – Issue 100

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Want to increase sales? NZ Sales Manager is the free monthly eMagazine for sales and marketing professionals, business owners and sales focused GMs and CEOs. www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz
41
NZ SALES NZ’S E-MAG FOR SALES LEADERS | WWW.NZSALESMANAGER.CO.NZ NOVEMBER | ISSUE 100 th ISSUE
Transcript
Page 1: NZ Sales Manager – Issue 100

NZSALES

NZrsquoS E-MAG FOR SALES LEADERS | WWWNZSALESMANAGERCONZ

NOVEMBER | ISSUE 100

th

ISSUE

02 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

From the EditorWelcome to issue 100 A

good way to celebrate an anniversary is to reflect

back so I have selected five articles from the past 99 issues starting with one from the first issue and one from each subsequent 20 issues It was not possible to choose the best as there are dozens of best articles Instead Irsquove chosen examples from New Zealand authors that support what we set out to do with NZ Sales Manager Provide

useful practical easy to read content that will be relevant and help New Zealand salespeople to be more successful in their chosen profession

I find that like most other countries in the world selling is not viewed as a profession or a career in New Zealand and does not have a recognised career path as many other professions do The stereotypical perception of a salesperson that still prevails is of someone who puts on the lsquohard sellrsquo is highly persuasive and manipulative and not to be trusted

However the fact is that the modern salesperson requires high-level interpersonal skills and business acumen if they are to be consistently successful in todayrsquos complex and sophisticated markets They need to be detectives to uncover opportunities and doctors who do a good diagnosis of customer issues and problems and are able to facilitate change decisions They then need to be able to prescribe optimum solutions

Unlike doctors and detectives many people begin a sales job with no relevant qualifications and many fall into sales rather than starting with a career plan Although graduates are increasingly being recruited into the more technical or complex sales jobs

The modern sales person requires high level interpersonal skills and business acumen if they are to be consistently successful in todayrsquos complex and sophisticated markets

ABOUTShort and sharp New Zealand Sales Manager is a free e-magazine delivering thought provoking and enlightening articles and industry news and information to forward-thinking sales managers business owners and sales professionals

the career ambition of many new entrants is to progress quickly into management not to be a career sales professional

There is certainly no national system in New Zealand to produce good sales people and there is no consistent benchmark to use as a measure of competency It is usually left to employers to hope that they are making a PNCONTACTSUBSCRIBEampSHARE

W wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

E paulnnzsalesmanagerconz

EDITOR Paul Newsom

ART DIRECTOR Jodi Olsson

GROUP EDITOR Richard Liew

ADDRESS NZ Sales Manager C- Espire Media PO Box 99758 Newmarket Auckland 1151 NZ

RICHARD LIEWManaging Director

021 123 456wwwespiremediacomrichardlespiremediacom

ISSN 2230-4762

CONTENT ENQUIRIES Phone Paul on 021 784 070 or email paulnnzsalesmanagerconz

ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES Phone Jennifer on 09 522 7257 or email jenniferlespiremediacom

SUBSCRIBE AT wwwnzsalesmanagerconz Itrsquos free

wwwlinkedincom

good recruitment decision and they usually have to train new recruits in how to sell

Some companies are very good at this but many struggle Salespeople who take personal responsibility for their own learning and development will be the winners

There are also the reflections from the founder of NZ Sales Manager Richard Liew and insights from five leading New Zealand sales training and development experts We hope NZ Sales Manager helps in some way with your success and that you enjoy seeing these articles again or reading them for the first time

04 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

NOVEMBERcontents

FROM THE FOUNDER6

PASSIONATE ABOUT SALES8Su Walker from ABC Business Sales

The New World of Selling10 ISSUE ONE Indecent Proposals16

ISSUE TWENTY NINE Stop for Red Flags20

ISSUE FORTY SEVEN 5 Tips for the Reluctant Salesperson24

ISSUE SEVENTY TWO Winning Sales Presentations28

ISSUE EIGHTY FIVE Nine Steps to Supercharge Your Job Hunt32

BOOK GIVEAWAY36Youre Hired The Essential Guide to Job Hunting by Tom ONeil

QUICK FIX37Itrsquos not what you sell itrsquos how you sell

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FROMTHEFOUNDER

Words by Richard Liew

100 Not Out A Letter From The Founder

In 2001 when transitioning from a career in accounting into my first sales job selling Eftpos terminals on commission only the first thing I did was to head to the bookstore to look for

New Zealandrsquos sales industry magazine I figured that as a new salesperson the best thing to do was learn as much as I could about this thing called selling so that I could get up to speed and off the bottom of the sales leader board as soon as possible

To my surprise the publication I was looking for didnrsquot exist I could not understand why one of New Zealandrsquos most important professions did not have its own magazine Oh well I thought someone will soon fix that

Fast forward to 2008 after several years at the coalface of selling sales training and recruitment it was clear to me that the common denominator amongst top salespeople and sales managers was not just a positive attitude or good work ethic but a willingness to learn and continually be assimilating new ideas testing them out tweaking and refining their approach until they get the desired results

Like professional athletes true sales professionals are constantly working on themselves and to me it is the defining feature of what it means to be a sales professional as opposed to just another salesperson Sales professionals understand that in order to keep earning they must always be learning

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 07

So we launched NZ Sales Manager all those years ago with the simple goal of helping the people we knew in sales and it now gives me great pleasure to congratulate the team and the title on its 100th issue

A huge thanks and congratulations must go to Paul Newsom who as Editor has done a fantastic job as steward not just of the publication but of the sales profession in general Well done Paul and thank you for making NZ Sales Manager something to be proud of

Similarly thank you to our talented Art Director Jodi Olsson who was able to take our vision for the publication and make it real Itrsquos great to see NZ Sales Manager continuing to evolve navigating the fine line between pleasing design and easy reading

Thank you to all of our experts who have shared their knowledge wisdom and experience throughout the pages of NZ Sales Manager over the years One can only imagine how much your insights and encouragement have contributed to the success of New Zealandrsquos salespeople the businesses they represent and the wider New Zealand economy

Lastly thanks to you our readers throughout New Zealand and around the world The role of the modern sales professional continues to change and evolve as I write this and with your support we look forward to serving you for another 100 issues at least

Irsquod like to leave you with a quote from one of my heros Jim Rohn

Richard Liew Founder NZ Sales Manager magazine

wwwespiremediacom

ldquoWork harder on yourself than you do on your job If you work hard on your job you can make a living If you work hard on yourself you can make a fortunerdquo

08 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Su Walker is National Sales Manager with ABC Business Sales New Zealandrsquos leading business sales company Su manages a sales team of 29 and shares here some insights

from her extensive international sales career in the technology

industry in the UK France and New Zealand

PASSIONATEABOUTSALES

Interview with Su Walkerof ABC Business Sales

Why did you get into sales It was by chance I was in a sales administration role at the time and my boss suggested I try it

Where did you learn to be a sales managerWhilst I was working for one of the UKrsquos top IT companies

What is the best thing about being a sales managerBeing part of the team and having the opportunity to influence empower and support the team to achieve personal and professional success

What do you look for in sales people when you are recruitingOur business is about helping people realise their dreams In addition to having strong business skills and experience I look for people that have a positive attitude are passionate have a sense of humour are able to articulate a value proposition and present themselves credibly

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 09

Su Walker is National Sales Manager with ABC Business Sales New Zealandrsquos leading business sales company

wwwbusinessesforsaleconz

What sets the top sales people apart from the restTheir ability to listen and qualify well able to articulate the business requirements and create value in the service or solution being proposed They are typically self-motivated disciplined well organised communicate well and create urgency in closing sales

Whats your worst sales momentMaking an assumption on the venue for a client presentation and turning up to the wrong location with the Managing Director

Tell us about the sales success you are most proud ofOn the successful conclusion of a large services contract I was commended by the decision maker as the reason the business selected our organisation however I attribute the success to the great team working with me

How do you motivate sales peopleBy working with them to understand support encourage and coach ndash help them to believe in themselves

Advice for someone considering a career in sales management The skill set is totally different as you go from only managing yourself to managing a whole team all with different strengths weaknesses problems goals and emotions

Sales Management is about coaching so training before the transition is integral as would be finding a suitable mentor to support you during this time bull

ldquoOur business is about helping people realise their dreams In addition to having strong business skills and experience I look for people that have a positive attitude are passionate have a sense of humour are able to articulate a value proposition and present themselves crediblyrdquo

Brought to you by 2degrees

010 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Taking the pulse of New Zealandrsquos sales profession

The New World of Selling

The world of the traditional sales professional has undergone significant change especially over the last decade It wouldnrsquot be wrong to say that 2008rsquos Global Financial Crisis as with

other major historical economic events played an integral part in the latest cycle of challenges shaking sales organisations to the core when the money dried up

While we have largely recovered from the GFC fallout New Zealand sales professionals in both business-to-consumer and business-to-business must now navigate the increasing impact of the online world including social media on lead generation and the sales cycle

Recent research by Influence Central revealed that for 90 of consumers an online review of a product or service is more important than input from a salesperson Constant connectivity coupled with increasing dependence on the all seeing all knowing Internet has changed the way people buy and thus the way sales professionals must sell

It is clear that buyers like to do their own research to get the maximum value out of every dollar they spend before they make any purchase and this has made the work of sales professionals even more challenging

We spoke to five New Zealand sales training and development experts to take the pulse of the sales profession in New Zealand and get their take on the three biggest challenges facing our sales professionals

Here are their insights

Words by Navdeep Kaur Marwah

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 011

Martin PercivalManaging Director AchieveGlobal NZ

gtPRESSURE TO DEVELOP NEW OPPORTUNITIES OR LEADSNew Zealand as a marketplace has always been finite in terms of opportunity and leads As such sales endeavours have often related to the cyclical buying requirements related to reinvestment and maintenance and then the GFC landed Wersquore still experiencing the spend rationalisation and conservative behaviour that permeated the years following the GFC In addition when we do spend we look for cheaper alternatives or drive discounts in our suppliers As a result sales organisations are putting increasing pressures and emphasis on sales team members to adopt new strategies new thought processes and skills generally without training or support to prospect and open doors in a marketplace already limited with opportunity as pre-existing relationships dry up

gtLESS EMPHASIS ON PRE-EXISTING RELATIONSHIPSHistorically the New Zealand marketplace has been heavily weighted in terms of inter-personal relationships Being able to build relationships built on trust meant long-term success and ensured that the competition couldnrsquot enter the fray In the current climate however budget holders are expected to show a positive return on investment and often find themselves in an extended procurement process with additional team members who focus on the tangible financial aspects of a transaction rather than the immeasurable service or relationship aspect In essence it has become about price and the salespersons who differentiated themselves through their relationships are struggling to maintain their position

gtLACK OF MOTIVATIONOver the past few years increased buyer expectations longer sales cycles reduced budgets and increasing price competition have all contributed towards the fact that sales has become a far more challenging profession Sales professionals now need to work twice as hard for a budget which has been slashed to the smallest permissible level Therefore sales professionals now must possess a resilience beyond that which was required in the past ndash to remain motivated and excited about the next potential opportunity

Sales professionals now must possess a resilience beyond that which was required in the past ndash to remain motivated and excited about the next potential opportunity

ldquo

ldquo

012 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Ross WilsonCEO Growing Organisations

gtMAINTAINING A HUMAN RELATIONSHIP WITH THE BUYER IN THE DIGITAL AGEOur customers time resource is stretched to breaking point Everyone is meetinged out and exhausted As a result meetings are set weeks in advance if you get one at all Often we have to resort to phone meetings instead Therefore even existing customers are harder and harder to get time with

gtKEEPING UP WITH THE RAPID TURNOVER OF STAFFContacts especially gate-keepers as well as decision-makers move on before youve been able to build trust and hence one has to start building trust and relationships with the new people all over again

gtCOMPLYING WITH MARKETING DEPARTMENTS DEMAND TO KEEP CRM (CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT) SYSTEMS CURRENT AT ALL TIMESThis requires hours of a sales persons time every week taking them away from productive sales activity Obviously this impacts their sales performance and results

Stuart EdmundsCEO New Zealand Sales Institute

gtLACK OF LASER LIKE FOCUSEvery company in every industry has their own unique sales challenges but one universal issue is the frustrated inability of sellers to focus on the most important things Salespeople fight the daily war against distractions and non-urgent activities that come up with the inevitable impact on focusing exclusively on whatrsquos most important to your pipeline

gtEMBRACING TECHNOLOGYTechnology adoption among sales professionals has been well behind marketing There is now an explosion of sales automation technologies specific to sales professionals but those same sales professionals need to take advantage of what is now in front of them There is still tremendous scope for more effective tools to play an increasingly important role in improving sales productivity and effectiveness

gtNEED FOR GREAT SALES MANAGEMENTFar too few salespeople have competent sales management who can guide coach support mentor motivate and direct their activities apart from keeping other conflicting priorities at bay and helping them in creating the best environment to ultimately drive (over-) achievement of sales

ldquo

Salespeople fight the daily war against distractions and non-urgent activities

ldquo

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 013

Joanne Hyland Director ProFormance

gtKEEPING UP WITH THE TECHNOLOGYTechnology coupled with the speed of change is inevitably going to have a widespread and highly impactful effect on sales people and our ability to sell effectively Our customers are able to access all sorts of information about ourselves our company and our products through online sources without even conversing with us Some of the information online we can control and hence is positive on the brand

But inevitably there will be information that we cannot control including friends putting inappropriate photos of us online customers publishing product reviews we donrsquot like and competitors outplaying us This puts increasing pressure on organisations and their sales teams to be constantly informed and able to respond appropriately

Moreover our sales resources have changed Our customers expect us to have smartphones tablets and to be able to immediately access sales information stock levels pricing options that help them to make their decision They are not prepared to wait in this environment where we are all time poor and want immediate solutions

gtPROVIDING CUSTOMISED SOLUTIONS Sales is a competitive industry where the dynamics change continuously With all the technology we have at our fingertips we should have live comprehensive sales data to inform educate and advise our customer on the best solution for their business No two customers should be treated the same or given the same offer In-depth analysis enables us to tailor our offer in a manner that is winwin for our customer and us The outstanding sales person should aim to be in the position whereby your customer does not want to be without himher

gtOVERCOMING OUR OWN LIMITATIONSA good salesperson needs to be aware of hisher skills and abilities as well as hisher limitations They need to source feedback and coaching to enable continuous self-improvement They need to look for opportunities to upskill to grow and develop

A good salesperson needs to be aware of hisher skills and abilities as well as hisher limitations

ldquo

ldquo

014 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

wwwespiremediacom

Paul ODonohueCEO SalesSTAR

gtGETTING IN FRONT OF THEIR TARGET MARKET The people who we need to reach have become busier than they used to be five years ago Moreover they are bombarded with 1000rsquos of marketing messages every day Getting their attention is a big challenge

gtCOMMODITISATION OF PRODUCTSERVICE It is a global world and our products and services are being commoditised

gtPROLONGED SALES CYCLESMost of the time companies only buy if they have to buy so decisions are being stalled

Knowledge is power More knowledge is more powerIt is clear the modern salesperson must be provided with a level of management support and guidance that goes far beyond simply increasing their targets for new meetings or cold calls or sales each week The pressures of rationalised sales teams and budgets increased reporting pressures and increased operational requirements can leave sales reps feeling isolated unrecognised and vulnerable There needs to be more sales management capability in NZ providing more coaching and support for sales team members

The sales professional of today must understand that more than ever in this ever changing playing field it is the survival of the fittest On the bright side the sales professional who is flexible resourceful and innovative and can add something of real value to each customer interaction will always be able to make his or her mark bull

The people who we need to reach have

become busier than they

used to be five years ago

Getting their attention is a

big challenge

ldquo

ldquo

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016 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Indecent ProposalsPaul Newsom explains how being too eager to prepare sales proposals can lead to wasted time and lost sales opportunities

Proposals have a special place in the mind of many sales people They are one of the milestones of the sales process and are often the main weapon in the sales armoury They

are the lsquomeat of the dinnerrsquo Gaining the opportunity to submit a proposal is considered by many to be a major success Hours of writing and a few candles later a proposal is proudly submitted

Excitement anticipation and anxiety reaches fever pitch while we wait for the outcome to see whether the customer will choose the beef lamb or fish from our proposal

Then guess what the request comes back to quote a vegetarian option (because a competitor has suggested this) and back to work we go developing a winning proposal for the vegetarian On a bad day the customer goes for the pork and you miss out On a good day the customer dines with you

Rather than writing your proposal as soon as the client asks what is on the menu and then spending valuable time at the proposal end of the sales cycle the place to spend your time is doing a good diagnosis and selecting the optimal solution with the client

ISSUEONE

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 017

This is the lsquomeatrsquo of developing complex sales For example you must spend time understanding how and why beef is the best option then how the client likes their beef cooked

Donrsquot let proposals become a substitute for building trust or do the selling for you whereby you are over-reliant on the proposal to win the deal Such proposals are easy to pick - they are top heavy in lsquoabout usrsquo capability information that seldom gets read

Since customers donrsquot buy proposals (they buy solutions and value) instead build trust through the strength of your diagnosis and use the proposal to simply confirm all that you have agreed Your two-page proposal will then offer only the desired option and is far more likely to be accepted Done well this has far more impact than any hefty proposal both on your customer and your sales results and the long term relationship

In complex sales the proposal is not the meat it is the gravy It is the part which brings the meal together rather than the main part of the meal

Are You Sure You Know What Yoursquore ProposingOne of the biggest challenges of complex sales is working with customers and buyers who ask you to submit a proposal before you know what you are making a proposal for Responding to a request for a proposal so that the client can consider the possible options can be a tough one to deal with

In this situation we naturally want to seize the opportunity and get our proposal in early to make an impression We wonder what the competition is doing If we do not jump when asked to jump what will the customer think Will the competition have a head start on us Well they wonrsquot they will just be wasting their time guessing what the customer wants and hoping that something will get the interest of the buyer Just the same as you will be Sure you might get lucky once in a while but to succeed in complex sales requires much more than a game of chance and numbers

The consequence of over-reliance on the proposal to sell and submitting too early is that you consume vast amounts of your time and resources preparing a proposal of options most if not all of which never happen

The cost to your organisation can be huge I recall an extreme case for a multi-million dollar project where the senior buyer asked very early on for a proposal of all the possible options to consider

Well evaluating all possible options to be able to make a proposal for them would have taken months and cost $$$rsquos Instead the next few months were valuably spent jointly figuring out the viable options

018 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Paul Newsom is the editor of NZ Sales Manager

To be honest I find this

premature request happens

when buyers donrsquot know what

they are buying or donrsquot know

what the extent of the problem

is Repeated submissions follow

as the buyer progressively gets

a better understanding of what

they are doing As buyers donrsquot

we feel safer reading proposals

in comfort to try and figure it out

ourselves rather than risk being

sold the wrong thing

(Thatrsquos why we buy so much

over the Internet now ndash isnrsquot it)

It is self-defence from the buyer

and a symptom of decades

of poor seller and poor buyer

behaviour working in conflict

If you donrsquot know exactly what

you are proposing and why

then you must ask yourself also

whether the buyer knows what

they are trying to buy or even

how they will decide

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

There are two things you have to do when asked to submit a proposal prematurely gtYOU HAVE TO STAY YOUR GROUND Be firm and say

that in order to submit a proposal upon which they can make

an informed decision you both need to first understand This

requires discipline

Advise that you can only propose viable solutions that meet

all the criteria and at this stage the criteria are not defined

Otherwise you will be wasting your time and their time and

possibly put their business at risk

Plus how do you know if you have the resources to provide a

solution that will achieve the desired outcome You could be putting

your credibility and reputation at risk too

gtMAINTAIN THE SELF-ESTEEM OF THE BUYER You

donrsquot want to appear arrogant seemingly knowing better

It will damage the trust you have built Respect the wishes

of the client but suggest an alternative approach that

will ensure you are providing accurate information upon

which they can make the best possible buying decision

Submit a proposal without prior agreement of concept and we know

what happensndash the customer does nothing decides on price alone

or you submit repeated proposals until someone figures it outbull

If you donrsquot know exactly what you are proposing and why then you must ask yourself also whether the buyer knows what they are trying to buy or even how they will decide

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 019

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020 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Sales Opportunity Qualification is one of the most valuable skills

for a professional salesperson

to develop In this turbulent

recessionary climate it is very

tempting to chase down every

deal on the prospect list Even

the ones that you know in your

heart you have very little chance

of winning However this can

actually make matters worse by

diverting sales effort away from

the better deals and reducing

your chances of winning those

Stop for Red Flags

Words by Tony Hillyard

ISSUETWENTYNINE

Three critical areas you must explore to qualify leads

Too many salespeople chase large time-consuming deals that they have very little chance of winning We do this because in a tough sales environment it naturally makes us feel better to go after every deal we come across - even when we know we shouldnrsquot

This eats up productive selling time

Salespeople can also often lose deals without knowing why

In many cases it could be that they simply failed to ask one

straightforward question that would have flushed out an objection

or a problem that could have been handled quite easily

Using a Sales Opportunity Qualification Process will enable you

to get a good perspective on where you stand with any sales

opportunity but it is particularly important for your larger deals

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 021

You must address and resolve these three most important issues

before committing a lot of resource to a sales campaign

1 Is it real for us

Although there might be a genuine sales opportunity available

- it might not be available to you or your company for a variety

of reasons

2 Do we want to win itbull What is the risk involved

bull Will it take more work and effort than itrsquos worth

bull Can we adequately resource the sale

3 Can we win itbull Do we have the right solution

bull Do we have a good relationship with the customer

bull How strong is the competition

This Qualification Process will help you answer these questions

and tell you when you have what I call lsquoRed Flagrsquo issues to resolve

Sales Opportunity Qualification is a critical and unequivocal

process You must answer Yes Dont Knowrsquo or No with

complete honesty for all the questions in each section

IF YOU HAVE RED FLAG ISSUES THEN SALES ACTIVITY IS REQUIREDWherever you have answered

No or Dont Know to a question

you have uncovered a Red Flag

issue that could potentially stop

you from winning the sale You

need to stop and think about

what sales activities and sales

calls you must undertake to

get a Yes response to those

questions and get yourself

into a winning position

If there are too many Red Flag

issues you may decide that you

just wonrsquot have enough time to

resolve all of them before the

sale is due to close In those

circumstances you might

need to consider negotiating

for more time Or you may feel

that it is just not worth chasing

because it will involve more

effort than the sale is worth to

you If so you will have saved

yourself a lot of wasted time

that you can invest in finding

a better sales opportunity

022 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Here are the 27 critical qualification questions you must answer

IS IT REAL FOR US

The Decision to Change

- Do they have a compelling reason to change

- Is there Senior Executive support for the need to change

- Have they discounted a lsquodo nothingrsquo option

The Money

- Have they explained the cost justification for this project

- Do they have an approved budget for this project

- Are our costs within their budget

The Timeframe

- Have we agreed a decision process timeline with them

- Does the decision process timeline suit us

- Have they allocated enough time to evaluate our

proposal in detail

- Can we meet their delivery and

implementation timescales

The Commercial Reality

- Have they accepted our commercial terms and conditions

- Are we compliant with all of their mandatory requirements

- Do we have our companys approval to submit a

proposal or a quotation

DO WE WANT TO WIN ITThe Risk versus the Gain

- Is the value of the sale enough

for the effort involved

- Will implementation be

straightforward

- Can we adequately resource

the sales campaign

Salespeople can also often lose deals without knowing why In many cases it could be that

they simply failed to ask one straightforward question that would have

flushed out an objection or a problem that could have

been handled quite easily

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 023

CAN WE WIN IT The Solution

- Are any of our unique features and benefits in their

decision criteria

- Do the Key Influencers favour our solution

- Have we aligned our solution to their Key Business

Drivers and Critical Success Factors

- Are we proposing a low or reasonable risk solution

The Relationship

- Do we have a good relationship track record with them

- Do we have good access to the decision-makers

- Do we have a well-placed Coach

- Are we allowed to sell to all the Key Influencers

on this project

The Competition

- Do we know which of the competitors are favoured

by the customer

- Do we know the strengths and weaknesses

of the main competitors

- Do we know the sales strategies of the main competitors

There are three parts to the Sales

Opportunity Qualification Process

1 Gaining an accurate

perspective on a sales

opportunity by answering all

of the Qualification Questions

with complete honesty

2 Developing all of the sales

activities and sales calls

that are still necessary

to get you into a winning

position for the opportunity

3 Early identification and

elimination of the deals you

canrsquot win and the ones you

donrsquot want to win

Use this Qualifying Large

Sales Opportunities Process

to dramatically improve your

chances of winning the significant

sales opportunities on your

prospect list that you choose to

go after - and stop chasing the

ones you are unlikely to win or

donrsquot want to win bull

Tony Hillyard specialises in giving sales teams around the world smart solutions to help them win more business in difficult or very competitive markets Visit Tonyrsquos website here for more information copy The Sales Academy Ltd All Rights Reserved July 2009

wwwsalesacademynetnz

1

2

3

024 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Words by Bill James

ISSUEFORTYSEVEN

Maybe you are new at sales you topped the training class ndash but just cannot make the sales stick Or you could be a veteran of many sales conquests but more recently you

simply cannot get the deals across the line

Or perhaps you spent a small fortune acquiring a franchise and it looked great on paper You have big plans high hopes and you are putting in the hours to make it happen But somehow the results are not coming and the money is not flowing Whatrsquos wrong

Unfortunately the answer could be you

Especially for franchisees there are lots of promises about fantastic marketing packages and potential clients coming through the door but the simple truth is that you are now self-employed No more sick days No one else to delegate to It is you that has to make that sale and secure your own money

5 Tips for the Reluctant Salesperson

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 025

1So here are five tips that will help get you on track if you action them

Stop thinking of yourself as a lsquoSalesmanrsquo (Or Saleswoman)Think about it The word lsquosalesmanrsquo or saleswomanrsquo does not engender confidence and is not respected even by you

Ask yourself do you like being lsquosoldrsquo Guess what ndash your clients feel the same way

There is a huge amount of negative connotation around this wording and it brings up an image of someone you may not want to be From a small child there is every chance your parents told you that salespeople were pushy and not to be trusted and now you have to become one

This obviously causes a real internal conflict and is in my opinion the number one reason why you could find yourself sabotaging your own efforts Donrsquot believe me Ask yourself these questions

bull Do you approach every sales opportunity in the belief it will be a sale

bull Are you secretly dreading lsquothatrsquo question from your client - The one you find so hard to answer

bull Do you find lots of little jobs to do that keep you so busy that you have little time for new business calls

These issues are even more acute if yoursquore very technical in nature and you like performing the task but not producing the sale

Why not rename yourself so that yoursquore comfortable in saying that word when you represent yourself to a potential client What could you call yourself that sits comfortably with you

Remember your role is to help people make the right decision ndash it is not to sell them something

Ask yourself do you like being lsquosoldrsquo Guess what ndash your clients feel the same way Remember your role is to help people make the right decision ndash it is not to sell them something

026 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3

2 Be yourselfSo many people will put on a persona they think is needed to create a successful sales outcome This is simply not the case and could in fact be what is costing you business

When you went through all the psychological and personality testing (hopefully) when you applied for the job or franchise opportunity these assessments showed the real you and indicated that you should be successful in your business So why are you hiding this real you now

Clients look for faults and are suspicious when you knock on the door because you are promoting a product If they sense falseness about you it will raise their alarms and give them good reason not to buy from you Will your natural personality be what everyone is looking for every time Probably not You will get on with some people better than others

But the reality is especially if you are less experienced you were quite possibly never going to sell to those people anyway The ones that would be attracted to your natural personality will be put off by a fake overlay so stop doing it

The reality is that you could be a complete ratbag but people still buy from complete ratbags ndash as long as they are honest about being one Can you image your reaction to someone whorsquos obviously a ratbag but is pretending to be nice and you can see through it It would make you want to run in the opposite direction wouldnrsquot it

Show some passion for your subjectAgain we put on this persona of lsquoprofessionalismrsquo which means we deliver a very dry presentation What was the passion that got you involved in the first place If it was simply that you thought yoursquod make a lot of money you may possibly have made an error ndash thatrsquos called a job

Clients enjoy your enthusiasm and passion for your product It will take you through the tough times but yoursquoll also need to show it to your clients so they know that you are passionate about what you are doing

This isnrsquot easy in cultures where showing emotion is not the norm but the old saying lsquoenthusiasm sellsrsquo is as true now as it ever was

Let your passion and enthusiasm for your subject out and yoursquoll take your potential client along with you for the ride The big problem is that if you do not show some passion and hide in facts and figures your clients will allocate an emotion and a motivation to you What do you think the chances are that it will be a positive one

None

The reality is that you could be a complete ratbag but people still buy from complete ratbags ndash as long as they are honest about being one

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 027

4

Bill James is an internationally recognised sales speaker and trainer who specialises in referral and relationship marketing To find out more visit his website above

wwwBillJamesSpeakercom

Jargon kills salesOccasionally yoursquoll find someone whorsquos really caught up in the technical aspects of what you do But usually they are initially more interested in knowing you understand and care about their needs If you are technically orientated itrsquos easy to hide in the features of your product but this will stop you truly addressing the need of the client

Often most products appear to be very similar and have similar pricing and so the difference is your ability to uncover their real concerns and needs and address those In this way yoursquoll make a connection at a very personal level which is the key to gaining that commitment from your potential client

Loading them up with jargon will simply occupy their headspace and will actually be counterproductive Talking everyday language that your client can understand and addressing their real needs will result in you making real progress

Use a low logic approach with your potential clientlsquoLow logicrsquo is language that is simple to understand It is almost like approaching your client underneath the radar

Simply approach them in a very matter of fact way (with a certain amount of emotion) and give them the option to decline your services if they want In this way you donrsquot raise any alarm bells and make them feel trapped They are much more likely to come along for the ride this way

For example ldquoMr Prospect the simple reality is businesses like yours can use this product and it has X effect For you to be interested it obviously has to meet X Y Z needs and also fit within your budget and I have to be able to show you the real benefits of working with our company If I canrsquot then itrsquos only fair that I should head for the door But if I can make all that happen then your company is definitely at an advantage Irsquod like to simply sit down with you and run through these different ideas and see where we go from there is that fair enoughrdquo

So be yourself cut the jargon and let your passion for the product speak for itself Approach other people the way you like to be approached and you might well find that your sales increase hugelybull

5

028 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Winning Sales Presentations

ISSUESEVENTYTWO

Words by Debbie Mayo-Smith

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 029

Creating a great sales presentation isnrsquot very different to crafting a great speech You want to keep attention Motivate Convince Move to action Here is a formula that I follow (learnt from the

American maestro Patricia Fripp) that should help you to vastly improve your success when putting together and delivering a sales presentation

To whom are you speakingBe prepared before you go in and know as much about your audience as possible Age attitude industry and gender will all have a bearing on how you present your points Men and women have different senses of humour Younger audiences will be more impatient than older lsquoCrsquo level executives who donrsquot need the details Your presentation style and content must fit their perspective

You are not the heroWhat is the ratio of your PowerPoint slides (or written material) devoted to your company vs the potential client It stands to reason if you are invited to pitch you have already passed the preliminary vetting The convincing is done Wow them stand out from your competition by focusing on them - not stories of you your company achievements or accolades Do you like listening to egotistical sales people Share the glory with sales teams Ensure you put the prospective company in the limelight

I-You Ratio Likewise look through your sales presentations and count how many Irsquos wersquos and usrsquos you have Make certain your slides and stories are about them not you Change the perspective at every opportunity possible

Wrong ldquoOur company is number one in rdquo

Right ldquoYou benefit from our number one standing becauserdquo

Strong openingIf yoursquore pitching a $500000 contract and have only 10 minutes then starting with ldquogood morning ladies and gentlemen thank you for having us hererdquo just cost you over $8300 by wasting 10 seconds

Open differently and strongly Paint a picture Take them into the future Describe how theyrsquore benefiting from the clever decision they made years ago working with you Decision makers want to benefit the company they also want personally to be sure they are taking the right action So highlight how theyrsquoll be remembered for doing the right thing by using your company (donrsquot make it too much of a butter up though)

Answer questions up front What do they want to know from you How can you help them If yoursquore more expensive will take longer or are the underdog ndash do not ignore the fact Theyrsquore thinking it Come straight out early into the presentation with a lsquoI know what yoursquore thinkingrsquo statement then answer their objections

030 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

PremiseBuild the sales presentation around the structure of how they will benefit from what you are asking them to do ldquoYou will save $2 million dollars by using our softwarerdquo or ldquoYou will cut maintenance expenditure by 20 per centrdquo Phrase it so they say to themselves lsquohowrsquo You then answer in a logical and structured way

Points laid out logicallyYou can help them make $2million How You enumerate and discuss the points one by one with examples Point one is cutting costs Point two is increasing revenue Point three is boosting staff productivity Highlighting points by telling a story will work infinitely better for you than simply stating it or just saying why By the way you turn masterful in your sales presentation story telling skills when you give your stories flesh and blood characters and dialogue

Seamless transitionMoving from a main point (cutting costs) to the next (increasing revenue) should have a smooth flow instead of an abrupt change Carrying on our example you could transition by saying ldquolowering costs is only one side of the equation of boosting your profit Increasing sales in a challenging environment might not seem easy let me show you how we helprdquo That places you nicely into the segment on how you increase their revenues

QuestionsDonrsquot end with questions rather take them before you review at the end so you can close on a high note

ReviewIf possible use a story again ndash outlining a client that benefited in all the ways you highlight they will benefit

Repetitive reframes sound bite statementsYou can be sure theyrsquoll remember stories Hit home with better retention by giving them little sound bites and repeating them often

Strong CloseRefer back to your opening story or bring all the elements together describing how theyrsquoll benefit If you didnrsquot use thersquo looking into the futurersquo in your opening you can use it in the closing ldquoPicture yourself in two yearsrsquo time Itrsquos the gala dinner Award night Everyone is abuzz because of the success of the new software system you approved and installed the year before Five different staff have come to you throughout the evening ndash all award winners from their significant leap in productivityrdquo bull

Debbie Mayo-Smith is one of New Zealandrsquos most in-demand speakers trainers and bestselling authors Debbie works with companies that want more effective staff For more tips and business ideas sign up for her free monthly newsletter

wwwsuccessisconz

GOT A PRODUCT SERVICE OR BUSINESS WORTH TALKING ABOUT

Want to grow brand awareness in a more effective and useful way

Get in touch with Jennifer now to discuss our options+64 9 522 7257 (NZT) | jenniferlespiremediacom | wwwespiremediacom

TALK TO ESPIRE MEDIA ABOUT OUR CONTENT MARKETING SERVICES We offer a range of ways to attract and retain customers by creating and curating relevant and valuable content to engage and add value to your audience

BENEFITSbull Expand your digital footprintbull Grow brand awarenessbull Increase traffic to your websitebull Thought leadershipbull Media exposurebull Attract new customersbull And grow SALES

Check out our blog for content marketing advice tips and ideas plus a free copy of our content marketing guide The Content Creation Cookbook

032 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Nine Steps to Supercharge Your Job Hunt

ISSUEEIGHTYFIVE

Tom ONeil shares some strategies to ensure you get a jump on your competition

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 033

1 Follow-up and use your personal networks Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is generally more trusted Therefore a person who is referred to an employer has a higher trust value and therefore a higher chance of getting employed This is especially true if there is not actually an official job vacancy and you are the only person being assessed for the role

Therefore its vital to get back in contact with your network with your good wishes as well as tell them you are now looking for new career opportunities

2 LinkedInGo through your LinkedIn profile with an objective eye making sure your profile sells you as much as possible Look at common keywords in the types of positions you are seeking and ensure these are included in your profile After you have done this ask a friend or two to have a look through as well to see if you have missed anything of importance

Check the number and quality of your recommendations on LinkedIn Social media author Linda Coles calls these your silent salespeople I recently was told a major international IT company would not select any senior level staff unless they had more than 20 recommendations I was chuffed when I read this as I am up to 45 however when I asked Linda I found that she has over 120 Therefore you can start to see the power these sound-bite type recommendations can have

Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from

word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is

generally more trusted Therefore a person who is

referred to an employer has a higher trust value and

therefore a higher chance of getting employed

034 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3 Go back over your successes in the past 12 monthsMost people tend to rush into the job hunting process only really thinking about their successes (and failures) when they are in the interview Were you awarded further authority in your role Did you exceed any sales or performance targets Did you train or mentor any new people All these things are important to an employer so make sure you take some time today to think about the positive things that shaped your career recently (and be sure to include them in your CV)

4 Plan your career not just your next jobRemember that each position is a stepping stone to the next so take some time out to think about what you want to be doing for a role in 2020 Once you have done this map out ideal positions (and study if needed) to get you there

5 Direct marketingHas there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them You would be surprised about the amount of people who because they demonstrated a strong interest in the company got a position personally crafted for them even though there appeared to be no position available The other major benefit of this direct approach is that it means a manager does not have to pay a $15000 recruitment fee as you have come to them for free

6 Check in with your verbal refereesTime and time again a candidate has missed out on a dream job because their referees were too old or not overly positive During my HR and recruitment career I have contacted the referees of candidates I have been really interested in employing and got responses like Oh no is Steve looking for ANOTHER job or Sorry I dont remember a Mike Smith Are you sure he put me as a referee

Contact your referees ensure they are aware that you are back on the job hunt and ask them if they are happy to provide a verbal reference The five-minute call you make today may well be the difference between getting your next job in October or March

Has there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 035

Tom ONeil is a leading international author career specialist and MD of CVCONZ You can contact Tom via email tomcvconz

CVCONZ

7 Follow-upBecause of the nature of the recruitment process (especially executive search and selection) the hiring process can be extremely drawn out Make sure you keep in contact with the recruiterpotential employer on a regular basis Most candidates are not keen to do this as they feel its overly aggressive However as long as you are friendly and professional in your follow-up you should be remembered positively when the time for the final decision comes

8 Take time to tailor your CV cover letter and interview to the roleA vacant position is a major headache for a company especially if that position is at a senior or executive level Therefore its vital that you tailor your entire approach as a complete solution specifically for the opportunity In most job advertisements and position descriptions there is a section entitled Personal SpecificationsCharacteristicsCompetencies etc This section is the key to the role and is what you need to target

Read through the documentation and summarise what the ideal person would look like With your skills achievements qualifications and experiences how can you meet or exceed these requirements

Finally you want to ensure that the main aspects and keywords are mirrored in everything you send to the employer and in your answers during the interview The closer you meet their brief of the ideal candidate the higher the chance of you getting that job

9 Positive state of mindAs the job hunt progresses it can become a painful process However its vital to stay as positive as you can as employers can sense frustration anxiety and antagonism all the emotions they wont want in an employee Make sure you go into each situation with a positive outlook take the best from all situations and remember every challenge is an opportunity to grow and improve your skills bull

036 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

COMPETITION

BOOK GIVEAWAYWe have two copies of the brand new job search manual Youre Hired The Essential Guide to Job Hunting and Personal Branding by Tom ONeil to give away

The book provides up-to-the-minute practical detail to choose the social media strategy best suited to your

situation and ways to promote yourself

through online networks particularly

LinkedIn as well as the importance of

lsquoofflinersquo branding Also included are sections

on reacutesumeacutes and covering letters (with

access online to templates) interviewing

tips networking direct marketing salary

negotiation and career goal-setting making

this the essential job hunting guide

There has been a huge shift over the last

three decades in the way employment

recruitment takes place and the power of

the individual to take control of their job hunt

has improved massively according to career

specialist Tom OrsquoNeil

But the strength of your lsquobrandrsquo and your

ability to sell your skills and achievements

will dictate how successful you are in your

search In this compelling new guide Tom

provides job seekers with simple exercises

and guidance to identify personal attributes and key career highlights that will assist in marketing yourself to potential employers The advice holds equally well for consultants and contractors like real estate agents and insurance brokers looking to procure new business bull

paulnnzsalesmanagerconz Email Paul before 30th November to be in to win a copy We have two copies to giveawayPublished by New Holland Publishers

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 037

QUICKFIX

Honest Apologies

lsquoDue to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control we lthave let you downgthellipAnd end like this lsquoWe apologise for any

inconvenience this may have causedrsquo

As a customer I read this and think ndash well at least they have told me they have stuffed up but they obviously donrsquot want to tell me why because they think that will make them look even worse and their apology is so canned they donrsquot mean it anyway They donrsquot really care

QUICK FIX

To show you do really care and to build a relationship built on trust cut out the canned opening and closing lines that everyone uses and use real language

bull Tell it how you would say it - which is not the canned written way

bull Tell what did happen and what you learned that will improve customer service in the future

bull Show that you understand their business - you should know what inconvenience it has caused them so apologise specifically for this

Do this and your customers will be much more understanding bull

bull

So itrsquos all gone wrong and you have let your customer down Itrsquos time to write to them with an apology How many letters start like this

038 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Ive been reading and using pieces from NZ Sales Manager magazine since Jan 2011 It has helped me immensely in gaining trust and building sales teams It gives me motivation each month to try something new and see if I can mould it to suit our team Thank you for providing this sales tool - it really has been a great source of information and motivation

Shaun Matheson

It gives me great pleasure to acknowledge all the wonderful work done by the NZ Sales Manager Magazine and all the efforts put in by the editor Mr Paul Newsom

This magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning tool With a well laid out plan this magazine has given all sales professionals including myself a great platform to focus and learn from and thus being very successful in our sales efforts in a very demanding business environment

Congratulations for coming up to your 100th issue which is indeed a great milestone and I personally wish the magazine and all those who run it every success and keep up the great work

Best WishesIvo DrsquoSilva Sales amp Customer Service Manager

THANKYOUFROMOURREADERS

ldquoThis magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning toolrdquoRegional

Manager

at

EDL

Fasteners

Ltd

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 039

Congratulations on the 100th issue of NZ Sales Manager eMag You provide valuable tips on selling and sales management and your 100th issue is great proof that you share great ideas that your readers appreciate and find usefulGraham McGregor Marketing Advisor amp Journalist

A big congrats to NZ Sales Manager on the 100th issue Thanks for your wonderful insights challenging the norm and keeping us focused on doing our best We look forward to the next 100Paul Brophy Team Leader NZ at CXC Global

ldquoThanks for your

wonderful insights

challenging the norm

and keeping us focused

on doing our bestrdquo

Sales management everywhere should be reading the NZ Sales Manager Congrats on your 100th issueJill Konrath Author of Agile Selling SNAP Selling and Selling to Big Companies

What a wonderful milestone for such a useful and inspiring magazine Congratulations to you and all your hard workLinda Coles Online Marketing Expert

Great work and contribution to Sales Managers all across NZ Thank you Ambrose Blowfield Owner The Marketing Company

To the editors and team behind NZSM well done Many growing challenges in the sales arena at an accelerating pace of change and great you have contributed so much to the profession Stuart Edmunds Founder of New Zealand Institute of Sales bull

040 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

EVENTSCALENDAR

DATE NAME PLACE COMPANY27 November Sales Management Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

1 December Negotiation Skills Wellington IMNZ

1 December Sales Seminar Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

2 December Key Account Management Christchurch IMNZ

2 December Effective Sales Prospecting Auckland PD Training

8 December Sales Basics Auckland Geewiz

9 December Advanced Serious Selling Auckland Geewiz

11 December Sales Training Auckland PD Training

15 December Cold Calling and Prospecting Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

15 December Professional Telephone Skills Training

Auckland PD Training

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 041

THECLOSE

ldquoI never ran 1000 miles I could never

have done that I ran 1 mile 1000 timesrdquo

Subscribe at wwwnzsalesmanagerconz ITrsquoS FREE

Lucian Milasan Shutterstockcom

- Stu Mittleman

Page 2: NZ Sales Manager – Issue 100

02 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

From the EditorWelcome to issue 100 A

good way to celebrate an anniversary is to reflect

back so I have selected five articles from the past 99 issues starting with one from the first issue and one from each subsequent 20 issues It was not possible to choose the best as there are dozens of best articles Instead Irsquove chosen examples from New Zealand authors that support what we set out to do with NZ Sales Manager Provide

useful practical easy to read content that will be relevant and help New Zealand salespeople to be more successful in their chosen profession

I find that like most other countries in the world selling is not viewed as a profession or a career in New Zealand and does not have a recognised career path as many other professions do The stereotypical perception of a salesperson that still prevails is of someone who puts on the lsquohard sellrsquo is highly persuasive and manipulative and not to be trusted

However the fact is that the modern salesperson requires high-level interpersonal skills and business acumen if they are to be consistently successful in todayrsquos complex and sophisticated markets They need to be detectives to uncover opportunities and doctors who do a good diagnosis of customer issues and problems and are able to facilitate change decisions They then need to be able to prescribe optimum solutions

Unlike doctors and detectives many people begin a sales job with no relevant qualifications and many fall into sales rather than starting with a career plan Although graduates are increasingly being recruited into the more technical or complex sales jobs

The modern sales person requires high level interpersonal skills and business acumen if they are to be consistently successful in todayrsquos complex and sophisticated markets

ABOUTShort and sharp New Zealand Sales Manager is a free e-magazine delivering thought provoking and enlightening articles and industry news and information to forward-thinking sales managers business owners and sales professionals

the career ambition of many new entrants is to progress quickly into management not to be a career sales professional

There is certainly no national system in New Zealand to produce good sales people and there is no consistent benchmark to use as a measure of competency It is usually left to employers to hope that they are making a PNCONTACTSUBSCRIBEampSHARE

W wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

E paulnnzsalesmanagerconz

EDITOR Paul Newsom

ART DIRECTOR Jodi Olsson

GROUP EDITOR Richard Liew

ADDRESS NZ Sales Manager C- Espire Media PO Box 99758 Newmarket Auckland 1151 NZ

RICHARD LIEWManaging Director

021 123 456wwwespiremediacomrichardlespiremediacom

ISSN 2230-4762

CONTENT ENQUIRIES Phone Paul on 021 784 070 or email paulnnzsalesmanagerconz

ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES Phone Jennifer on 09 522 7257 or email jenniferlespiremediacom

SUBSCRIBE AT wwwnzsalesmanagerconz Itrsquos free

wwwlinkedincom

good recruitment decision and they usually have to train new recruits in how to sell

Some companies are very good at this but many struggle Salespeople who take personal responsibility for their own learning and development will be the winners

There are also the reflections from the founder of NZ Sales Manager Richard Liew and insights from five leading New Zealand sales training and development experts We hope NZ Sales Manager helps in some way with your success and that you enjoy seeing these articles again or reading them for the first time

04 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

NOVEMBERcontents

FROM THE FOUNDER6

PASSIONATE ABOUT SALES8Su Walker from ABC Business Sales

The New World of Selling10 ISSUE ONE Indecent Proposals16

ISSUE TWENTY NINE Stop for Red Flags20

ISSUE FORTY SEVEN 5 Tips for the Reluctant Salesperson24

ISSUE SEVENTY TWO Winning Sales Presentations28

ISSUE EIGHTY FIVE Nine Steps to Supercharge Your Job Hunt32

BOOK GIVEAWAY36Youre Hired The Essential Guide to Job Hunting by Tom ONeil

QUICK FIX37Itrsquos not what you sell itrsquos how you sell

CALENDAR40

THE CLOSE41

$000SAVE UP TO

$377

To find out more call 0800 022 BIZ or visit 2degreesmobileconzbusiness

Switch to a 2degrees small business plan and take a 3 month bill holiday

With a $12583 Business Select Plan (excl GST) 3 months free Plan Fee only excludes out of bundle charges or overage New 2degrees customers only Offer ends 301115 See 2degreesmobileconz for full conditions

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06 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

FROMTHEFOUNDER

Words by Richard Liew

100 Not Out A Letter From The Founder

In 2001 when transitioning from a career in accounting into my first sales job selling Eftpos terminals on commission only the first thing I did was to head to the bookstore to look for

New Zealandrsquos sales industry magazine I figured that as a new salesperson the best thing to do was learn as much as I could about this thing called selling so that I could get up to speed and off the bottom of the sales leader board as soon as possible

To my surprise the publication I was looking for didnrsquot exist I could not understand why one of New Zealandrsquos most important professions did not have its own magazine Oh well I thought someone will soon fix that

Fast forward to 2008 after several years at the coalface of selling sales training and recruitment it was clear to me that the common denominator amongst top salespeople and sales managers was not just a positive attitude or good work ethic but a willingness to learn and continually be assimilating new ideas testing them out tweaking and refining their approach until they get the desired results

Like professional athletes true sales professionals are constantly working on themselves and to me it is the defining feature of what it means to be a sales professional as opposed to just another salesperson Sales professionals understand that in order to keep earning they must always be learning

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 07

So we launched NZ Sales Manager all those years ago with the simple goal of helping the people we knew in sales and it now gives me great pleasure to congratulate the team and the title on its 100th issue

A huge thanks and congratulations must go to Paul Newsom who as Editor has done a fantastic job as steward not just of the publication but of the sales profession in general Well done Paul and thank you for making NZ Sales Manager something to be proud of

Similarly thank you to our talented Art Director Jodi Olsson who was able to take our vision for the publication and make it real Itrsquos great to see NZ Sales Manager continuing to evolve navigating the fine line between pleasing design and easy reading

Thank you to all of our experts who have shared their knowledge wisdom and experience throughout the pages of NZ Sales Manager over the years One can only imagine how much your insights and encouragement have contributed to the success of New Zealandrsquos salespeople the businesses they represent and the wider New Zealand economy

Lastly thanks to you our readers throughout New Zealand and around the world The role of the modern sales professional continues to change and evolve as I write this and with your support we look forward to serving you for another 100 issues at least

Irsquod like to leave you with a quote from one of my heros Jim Rohn

Richard Liew Founder NZ Sales Manager magazine

wwwespiremediacom

ldquoWork harder on yourself than you do on your job If you work hard on your job you can make a living If you work hard on yourself you can make a fortunerdquo

08 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Su Walker is National Sales Manager with ABC Business Sales New Zealandrsquos leading business sales company Su manages a sales team of 29 and shares here some insights

from her extensive international sales career in the technology

industry in the UK France and New Zealand

PASSIONATEABOUTSALES

Interview with Su Walkerof ABC Business Sales

Why did you get into sales It was by chance I was in a sales administration role at the time and my boss suggested I try it

Where did you learn to be a sales managerWhilst I was working for one of the UKrsquos top IT companies

What is the best thing about being a sales managerBeing part of the team and having the opportunity to influence empower and support the team to achieve personal and professional success

What do you look for in sales people when you are recruitingOur business is about helping people realise their dreams In addition to having strong business skills and experience I look for people that have a positive attitude are passionate have a sense of humour are able to articulate a value proposition and present themselves credibly

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 09

Su Walker is National Sales Manager with ABC Business Sales New Zealandrsquos leading business sales company

wwwbusinessesforsaleconz

What sets the top sales people apart from the restTheir ability to listen and qualify well able to articulate the business requirements and create value in the service or solution being proposed They are typically self-motivated disciplined well organised communicate well and create urgency in closing sales

Whats your worst sales momentMaking an assumption on the venue for a client presentation and turning up to the wrong location with the Managing Director

Tell us about the sales success you are most proud ofOn the successful conclusion of a large services contract I was commended by the decision maker as the reason the business selected our organisation however I attribute the success to the great team working with me

How do you motivate sales peopleBy working with them to understand support encourage and coach ndash help them to believe in themselves

Advice for someone considering a career in sales management The skill set is totally different as you go from only managing yourself to managing a whole team all with different strengths weaknesses problems goals and emotions

Sales Management is about coaching so training before the transition is integral as would be finding a suitable mentor to support you during this time bull

ldquoOur business is about helping people realise their dreams In addition to having strong business skills and experience I look for people that have a positive attitude are passionate have a sense of humour are able to articulate a value proposition and present themselves crediblyrdquo

Brought to you by 2degrees

010 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Taking the pulse of New Zealandrsquos sales profession

The New World of Selling

The world of the traditional sales professional has undergone significant change especially over the last decade It wouldnrsquot be wrong to say that 2008rsquos Global Financial Crisis as with

other major historical economic events played an integral part in the latest cycle of challenges shaking sales organisations to the core when the money dried up

While we have largely recovered from the GFC fallout New Zealand sales professionals in both business-to-consumer and business-to-business must now navigate the increasing impact of the online world including social media on lead generation and the sales cycle

Recent research by Influence Central revealed that for 90 of consumers an online review of a product or service is more important than input from a salesperson Constant connectivity coupled with increasing dependence on the all seeing all knowing Internet has changed the way people buy and thus the way sales professionals must sell

It is clear that buyers like to do their own research to get the maximum value out of every dollar they spend before they make any purchase and this has made the work of sales professionals even more challenging

We spoke to five New Zealand sales training and development experts to take the pulse of the sales profession in New Zealand and get their take on the three biggest challenges facing our sales professionals

Here are their insights

Words by Navdeep Kaur Marwah

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 011

Martin PercivalManaging Director AchieveGlobal NZ

gtPRESSURE TO DEVELOP NEW OPPORTUNITIES OR LEADSNew Zealand as a marketplace has always been finite in terms of opportunity and leads As such sales endeavours have often related to the cyclical buying requirements related to reinvestment and maintenance and then the GFC landed Wersquore still experiencing the spend rationalisation and conservative behaviour that permeated the years following the GFC In addition when we do spend we look for cheaper alternatives or drive discounts in our suppliers As a result sales organisations are putting increasing pressures and emphasis on sales team members to adopt new strategies new thought processes and skills generally without training or support to prospect and open doors in a marketplace already limited with opportunity as pre-existing relationships dry up

gtLESS EMPHASIS ON PRE-EXISTING RELATIONSHIPSHistorically the New Zealand marketplace has been heavily weighted in terms of inter-personal relationships Being able to build relationships built on trust meant long-term success and ensured that the competition couldnrsquot enter the fray In the current climate however budget holders are expected to show a positive return on investment and often find themselves in an extended procurement process with additional team members who focus on the tangible financial aspects of a transaction rather than the immeasurable service or relationship aspect In essence it has become about price and the salespersons who differentiated themselves through their relationships are struggling to maintain their position

gtLACK OF MOTIVATIONOver the past few years increased buyer expectations longer sales cycles reduced budgets and increasing price competition have all contributed towards the fact that sales has become a far more challenging profession Sales professionals now need to work twice as hard for a budget which has been slashed to the smallest permissible level Therefore sales professionals now must possess a resilience beyond that which was required in the past ndash to remain motivated and excited about the next potential opportunity

Sales professionals now must possess a resilience beyond that which was required in the past ndash to remain motivated and excited about the next potential opportunity

ldquo

ldquo

012 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Ross WilsonCEO Growing Organisations

gtMAINTAINING A HUMAN RELATIONSHIP WITH THE BUYER IN THE DIGITAL AGEOur customers time resource is stretched to breaking point Everyone is meetinged out and exhausted As a result meetings are set weeks in advance if you get one at all Often we have to resort to phone meetings instead Therefore even existing customers are harder and harder to get time with

gtKEEPING UP WITH THE RAPID TURNOVER OF STAFFContacts especially gate-keepers as well as decision-makers move on before youve been able to build trust and hence one has to start building trust and relationships with the new people all over again

gtCOMPLYING WITH MARKETING DEPARTMENTS DEMAND TO KEEP CRM (CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT) SYSTEMS CURRENT AT ALL TIMESThis requires hours of a sales persons time every week taking them away from productive sales activity Obviously this impacts their sales performance and results

Stuart EdmundsCEO New Zealand Sales Institute

gtLACK OF LASER LIKE FOCUSEvery company in every industry has their own unique sales challenges but one universal issue is the frustrated inability of sellers to focus on the most important things Salespeople fight the daily war against distractions and non-urgent activities that come up with the inevitable impact on focusing exclusively on whatrsquos most important to your pipeline

gtEMBRACING TECHNOLOGYTechnology adoption among sales professionals has been well behind marketing There is now an explosion of sales automation technologies specific to sales professionals but those same sales professionals need to take advantage of what is now in front of them There is still tremendous scope for more effective tools to play an increasingly important role in improving sales productivity and effectiveness

gtNEED FOR GREAT SALES MANAGEMENTFar too few salespeople have competent sales management who can guide coach support mentor motivate and direct their activities apart from keeping other conflicting priorities at bay and helping them in creating the best environment to ultimately drive (over-) achievement of sales

ldquo

Salespeople fight the daily war against distractions and non-urgent activities

ldquo

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 013

Joanne Hyland Director ProFormance

gtKEEPING UP WITH THE TECHNOLOGYTechnology coupled with the speed of change is inevitably going to have a widespread and highly impactful effect on sales people and our ability to sell effectively Our customers are able to access all sorts of information about ourselves our company and our products through online sources without even conversing with us Some of the information online we can control and hence is positive on the brand

But inevitably there will be information that we cannot control including friends putting inappropriate photos of us online customers publishing product reviews we donrsquot like and competitors outplaying us This puts increasing pressure on organisations and their sales teams to be constantly informed and able to respond appropriately

Moreover our sales resources have changed Our customers expect us to have smartphones tablets and to be able to immediately access sales information stock levels pricing options that help them to make their decision They are not prepared to wait in this environment where we are all time poor and want immediate solutions

gtPROVIDING CUSTOMISED SOLUTIONS Sales is a competitive industry where the dynamics change continuously With all the technology we have at our fingertips we should have live comprehensive sales data to inform educate and advise our customer on the best solution for their business No two customers should be treated the same or given the same offer In-depth analysis enables us to tailor our offer in a manner that is winwin for our customer and us The outstanding sales person should aim to be in the position whereby your customer does not want to be without himher

gtOVERCOMING OUR OWN LIMITATIONSA good salesperson needs to be aware of hisher skills and abilities as well as hisher limitations They need to source feedback and coaching to enable continuous self-improvement They need to look for opportunities to upskill to grow and develop

A good salesperson needs to be aware of hisher skills and abilities as well as hisher limitations

ldquo

ldquo

014 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

wwwespiremediacom

Paul ODonohueCEO SalesSTAR

gtGETTING IN FRONT OF THEIR TARGET MARKET The people who we need to reach have become busier than they used to be five years ago Moreover they are bombarded with 1000rsquos of marketing messages every day Getting their attention is a big challenge

gtCOMMODITISATION OF PRODUCTSERVICE It is a global world and our products and services are being commoditised

gtPROLONGED SALES CYCLESMost of the time companies only buy if they have to buy so decisions are being stalled

Knowledge is power More knowledge is more powerIt is clear the modern salesperson must be provided with a level of management support and guidance that goes far beyond simply increasing their targets for new meetings or cold calls or sales each week The pressures of rationalised sales teams and budgets increased reporting pressures and increased operational requirements can leave sales reps feeling isolated unrecognised and vulnerable There needs to be more sales management capability in NZ providing more coaching and support for sales team members

The sales professional of today must understand that more than ever in this ever changing playing field it is the survival of the fittest On the bright side the sales professional who is flexible resourceful and innovative and can add something of real value to each customer interaction will always be able to make his or her mark bull

The people who we need to reach have

become busier than they

used to be five years ago

Getting their attention is a

big challenge

ldquo

ldquo

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016 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Indecent ProposalsPaul Newsom explains how being too eager to prepare sales proposals can lead to wasted time and lost sales opportunities

Proposals have a special place in the mind of many sales people They are one of the milestones of the sales process and are often the main weapon in the sales armoury They

are the lsquomeat of the dinnerrsquo Gaining the opportunity to submit a proposal is considered by many to be a major success Hours of writing and a few candles later a proposal is proudly submitted

Excitement anticipation and anxiety reaches fever pitch while we wait for the outcome to see whether the customer will choose the beef lamb or fish from our proposal

Then guess what the request comes back to quote a vegetarian option (because a competitor has suggested this) and back to work we go developing a winning proposal for the vegetarian On a bad day the customer goes for the pork and you miss out On a good day the customer dines with you

Rather than writing your proposal as soon as the client asks what is on the menu and then spending valuable time at the proposal end of the sales cycle the place to spend your time is doing a good diagnosis and selecting the optimal solution with the client

ISSUEONE

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 017

This is the lsquomeatrsquo of developing complex sales For example you must spend time understanding how and why beef is the best option then how the client likes their beef cooked

Donrsquot let proposals become a substitute for building trust or do the selling for you whereby you are over-reliant on the proposal to win the deal Such proposals are easy to pick - they are top heavy in lsquoabout usrsquo capability information that seldom gets read

Since customers donrsquot buy proposals (they buy solutions and value) instead build trust through the strength of your diagnosis and use the proposal to simply confirm all that you have agreed Your two-page proposal will then offer only the desired option and is far more likely to be accepted Done well this has far more impact than any hefty proposal both on your customer and your sales results and the long term relationship

In complex sales the proposal is not the meat it is the gravy It is the part which brings the meal together rather than the main part of the meal

Are You Sure You Know What Yoursquore ProposingOne of the biggest challenges of complex sales is working with customers and buyers who ask you to submit a proposal before you know what you are making a proposal for Responding to a request for a proposal so that the client can consider the possible options can be a tough one to deal with

In this situation we naturally want to seize the opportunity and get our proposal in early to make an impression We wonder what the competition is doing If we do not jump when asked to jump what will the customer think Will the competition have a head start on us Well they wonrsquot they will just be wasting their time guessing what the customer wants and hoping that something will get the interest of the buyer Just the same as you will be Sure you might get lucky once in a while but to succeed in complex sales requires much more than a game of chance and numbers

The consequence of over-reliance on the proposal to sell and submitting too early is that you consume vast amounts of your time and resources preparing a proposal of options most if not all of which never happen

The cost to your organisation can be huge I recall an extreme case for a multi-million dollar project where the senior buyer asked very early on for a proposal of all the possible options to consider

Well evaluating all possible options to be able to make a proposal for them would have taken months and cost $$$rsquos Instead the next few months were valuably spent jointly figuring out the viable options

018 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Paul Newsom is the editor of NZ Sales Manager

To be honest I find this

premature request happens

when buyers donrsquot know what

they are buying or donrsquot know

what the extent of the problem

is Repeated submissions follow

as the buyer progressively gets

a better understanding of what

they are doing As buyers donrsquot

we feel safer reading proposals

in comfort to try and figure it out

ourselves rather than risk being

sold the wrong thing

(Thatrsquos why we buy so much

over the Internet now ndash isnrsquot it)

It is self-defence from the buyer

and a symptom of decades

of poor seller and poor buyer

behaviour working in conflict

If you donrsquot know exactly what

you are proposing and why

then you must ask yourself also

whether the buyer knows what

they are trying to buy or even

how they will decide

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

There are two things you have to do when asked to submit a proposal prematurely gtYOU HAVE TO STAY YOUR GROUND Be firm and say

that in order to submit a proposal upon which they can make

an informed decision you both need to first understand This

requires discipline

Advise that you can only propose viable solutions that meet

all the criteria and at this stage the criteria are not defined

Otherwise you will be wasting your time and their time and

possibly put their business at risk

Plus how do you know if you have the resources to provide a

solution that will achieve the desired outcome You could be putting

your credibility and reputation at risk too

gtMAINTAIN THE SELF-ESTEEM OF THE BUYER You

donrsquot want to appear arrogant seemingly knowing better

It will damage the trust you have built Respect the wishes

of the client but suggest an alternative approach that

will ensure you are providing accurate information upon

which they can make the best possible buying decision

Submit a proposal without prior agreement of concept and we know

what happensndash the customer does nothing decides on price alone

or you submit repeated proposals until someone figures it outbull

If you donrsquot know exactly what you are proposing and why then you must ask yourself also whether the buyer knows what they are trying to buy or even how they will decide

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 019

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020 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Sales Opportunity Qualification is one of the most valuable skills

for a professional salesperson

to develop In this turbulent

recessionary climate it is very

tempting to chase down every

deal on the prospect list Even

the ones that you know in your

heart you have very little chance

of winning However this can

actually make matters worse by

diverting sales effort away from

the better deals and reducing

your chances of winning those

Stop for Red Flags

Words by Tony Hillyard

ISSUETWENTYNINE

Three critical areas you must explore to qualify leads

Too many salespeople chase large time-consuming deals that they have very little chance of winning We do this because in a tough sales environment it naturally makes us feel better to go after every deal we come across - even when we know we shouldnrsquot

This eats up productive selling time

Salespeople can also often lose deals without knowing why

In many cases it could be that they simply failed to ask one

straightforward question that would have flushed out an objection

or a problem that could have been handled quite easily

Using a Sales Opportunity Qualification Process will enable you

to get a good perspective on where you stand with any sales

opportunity but it is particularly important for your larger deals

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 021

You must address and resolve these three most important issues

before committing a lot of resource to a sales campaign

1 Is it real for us

Although there might be a genuine sales opportunity available

- it might not be available to you or your company for a variety

of reasons

2 Do we want to win itbull What is the risk involved

bull Will it take more work and effort than itrsquos worth

bull Can we adequately resource the sale

3 Can we win itbull Do we have the right solution

bull Do we have a good relationship with the customer

bull How strong is the competition

This Qualification Process will help you answer these questions

and tell you when you have what I call lsquoRed Flagrsquo issues to resolve

Sales Opportunity Qualification is a critical and unequivocal

process You must answer Yes Dont Knowrsquo or No with

complete honesty for all the questions in each section

IF YOU HAVE RED FLAG ISSUES THEN SALES ACTIVITY IS REQUIREDWherever you have answered

No or Dont Know to a question

you have uncovered a Red Flag

issue that could potentially stop

you from winning the sale You

need to stop and think about

what sales activities and sales

calls you must undertake to

get a Yes response to those

questions and get yourself

into a winning position

If there are too many Red Flag

issues you may decide that you

just wonrsquot have enough time to

resolve all of them before the

sale is due to close In those

circumstances you might

need to consider negotiating

for more time Or you may feel

that it is just not worth chasing

because it will involve more

effort than the sale is worth to

you If so you will have saved

yourself a lot of wasted time

that you can invest in finding

a better sales opportunity

022 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Here are the 27 critical qualification questions you must answer

IS IT REAL FOR US

The Decision to Change

- Do they have a compelling reason to change

- Is there Senior Executive support for the need to change

- Have they discounted a lsquodo nothingrsquo option

The Money

- Have they explained the cost justification for this project

- Do they have an approved budget for this project

- Are our costs within their budget

The Timeframe

- Have we agreed a decision process timeline with them

- Does the decision process timeline suit us

- Have they allocated enough time to evaluate our

proposal in detail

- Can we meet their delivery and

implementation timescales

The Commercial Reality

- Have they accepted our commercial terms and conditions

- Are we compliant with all of their mandatory requirements

- Do we have our companys approval to submit a

proposal or a quotation

DO WE WANT TO WIN ITThe Risk versus the Gain

- Is the value of the sale enough

for the effort involved

- Will implementation be

straightforward

- Can we adequately resource

the sales campaign

Salespeople can also often lose deals without knowing why In many cases it could be that

they simply failed to ask one straightforward question that would have

flushed out an objection or a problem that could have

been handled quite easily

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 023

CAN WE WIN IT The Solution

- Are any of our unique features and benefits in their

decision criteria

- Do the Key Influencers favour our solution

- Have we aligned our solution to their Key Business

Drivers and Critical Success Factors

- Are we proposing a low or reasonable risk solution

The Relationship

- Do we have a good relationship track record with them

- Do we have good access to the decision-makers

- Do we have a well-placed Coach

- Are we allowed to sell to all the Key Influencers

on this project

The Competition

- Do we know which of the competitors are favoured

by the customer

- Do we know the strengths and weaknesses

of the main competitors

- Do we know the sales strategies of the main competitors

There are three parts to the Sales

Opportunity Qualification Process

1 Gaining an accurate

perspective on a sales

opportunity by answering all

of the Qualification Questions

with complete honesty

2 Developing all of the sales

activities and sales calls

that are still necessary

to get you into a winning

position for the opportunity

3 Early identification and

elimination of the deals you

canrsquot win and the ones you

donrsquot want to win

Use this Qualifying Large

Sales Opportunities Process

to dramatically improve your

chances of winning the significant

sales opportunities on your

prospect list that you choose to

go after - and stop chasing the

ones you are unlikely to win or

donrsquot want to win bull

Tony Hillyard specialises in giving sales teams around the world smart solutions to help them win more business in difficult or very competitive markets Visit Tonyrsquos website here for more information copy The Sales Academy Ltd All Rights Reserved July 2009

wwwsalesacademynetnz

1

2

3

024 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Words by Bill James

ISSUEFORTYSEVEN

Maybe you are new at sales you topped the training class ndash but just cannot make the sales stick Or you could be a veteran of many sales conquests but more recently you

simply cannot get the deals across the line

Or perhaps you spent a small fortune acquiring a franchise and it looked great on paper You have big plans high hopes and you are putting in the hours to make it happen But somehow the results are not coming and the money is not flowing Whatrsquos wrong

Unfortunately the answer could be you

Especially for franchisees there are lots of promises about fantastic marketing packages and potential clients coming through the door but the simple truth is that you are now self-employed No more sick days No one else to delegate to It is you that has to make that sale and secure your own money

5 Tips for the Reluctant Salesperson

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 025

1So here are five tips that will help get you on track if you action them

Stop thinking of yourself as a lsquoSalesmanrsquo (Or Saleswoman)Think about it The word lsquosalesmanrsquo or saleswomanrsquo does not engender confidence and is not respected even by you

Ask yourself do you like being lsquosoldrsquo Guess what ndash your clients feel the same way

There is a huge amount of negative connotation around this wording and it brings up an image of someone you may not want to be From a small child there is every chance your parents told you that salespeople were pushy and not to be trusted and now you have to become one

This obviously causes a real internal conflict and is in my opinion the number one reason why you could find yourself sabotaging your own efforts Donrsquot believe me Ask yourself these questions

bull Do you approach every sales opportunity in the belief it will be a sale

bull Are you secretly dreading lsquothatrsquo question from your client - The one you find so hard to answer

bull Do you find lots of little jobs to do that keep you so busy that you have little time for new business calls

These issues are even more acute if yoursquore very technical in nature and you like performing the task but not producing the sale

Why not rename yourself so that yoursquore comfortable in saying that word when you represent yourself to a potential client What could you call yourself that sits comfortably with you

Remember your role is to help people make the right decision ndash it is not to sell them something

Ask yourself do you like being lsquosoldrsquo Guess what ndash your clients feel the same way Remember your role is to help people make the right decision ndash it is not to sell them something

026 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3

2 Be yourselfSo many people will put on a persona they think is needed to create a successful sales outcome This is simply not the case and could in fact be what is costing you business

When you went through all the psychological and personality testing (hopefully) when you applied for the job or franchise opportunity these assessments showed the real you and indicated that you should be successful in your business So why are you hiding this real you now

Clients look for faults and are suspicious when you knock on the door because you are promoting a product If they sense falseness about you it will raise their alarms and give them good reason not to buy from you Will your natural personality be what everyone is looking for every time Probably not You will get on with some people better than others

But the reality is especially if you are less experienced you were quite possibly never going to sell to those people anyway The ones that would be attracted to your natural personality will be put off by a fake overlay so stop doing it

The reality is that you could be a complete ratbag but people still buy from complete ratbags ndash as long as they are honest about being one Can you image your reaction to someone whorsquos obviously a ratbag but is pretending to be nice and you can see through it It would make you want to run in the opposite direction wouldnrsquot it

Show some passion for your subjectAgain we put on this persona of lsquoprofessionalismrsquo which means we deliver a very dry presentation What was the passion that got you involved in the first place If it was simply that you thought yoursquod make a lot of money you may possibly have made an error ndash thatrsquos called a job

Clients enjoy your enthusiasm and passion for your product It will take you through the tough times but yoursquoll also need to show it to your clients so they know that you are passionate about what you are doing

This isnrsquot easy in cultures where showing emotion is not the norm but the old saying lsquoenthusiasm sellsrsquo is as true now as it ever was

Let your passion and enthusiasm for your subject out and yoursquoll take your potential client along with you for the ride The big problem is that if you do not show some passion and hide in facts and figures your clients will allocate an emotion and a motivation to you What do you think the chances are that it will be a positive one

None

The reality is that you could be a complete ratbag but people still buy from complete ratbags ndash as long as they are honest about being one

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 027

4

Bill James is an internationally recognised sales speaker and trainer who specialises in referral and relationship marketing To find out more visit his website above

wwwBillJamesSpeakercom

Jargon kills salesOccasionally yoursquoll find someone whorsquos really caught up in the technical aspects of what you do But usually they are initially more interested in knowing you understand and care about their needs If you are technically orientated itrsquos easy to hide in the features of your product but this will stop you truly addressing the need of the client

Often most products appear to be very similar and have similar pricing and so the difference is your ability to uncover their real concerns and needs and address those In this way yoursquoll make a connection at a very personal level which is the key to gaining that commitment from your potential client

Loading them up with jargon will simply occupy their headspace and will actually be counterproductive Talking everyday language that your client can understand and addressing their real needs will result in you making real progress

Use a low logic approach with your potential clientlsquoLow logicrsquo is language that is simple to understand It is almost like approaching your client underneath the radar

Simply approach them in a very matter of fact way (with a certain amount of emotion) and give them the option to decline your services if they want In this way you donrsquot raise any alarm bells and make them feel trapped They are much more likely to come along for the ride this way

For example ldquoMr Prospect the simple reality is businesses like yours can use this product and it has X effect For you to be interested it obviously has to meet X Y Z needs and also fit within your budget and I have to be able to show you the real benefits of working with our company If I canrsquot then itrsquos only fair that I should head for the door But if I can make all that happen then your company is definitely at an advantage Irsquod like to simply sit down with you and run through these different ideas and see where we go from there is that fair enoughrdquo

So be yourself cut the jargon and let your passion for the product speak for itself Approach other people the way you like to be approached and you might well find that your sales increase hugelybull

5

028 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Winning Sales Presentations

ISSUESEVENTYTWO

Words by Debbie Mayo-Smith

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 029

Creating a great sales presentation isnrsquot very different to crafting a great speech You want to keep attention Motivate Convince Move to action Here is a formula that I follow (learnt from the

American maestro Patricia Fripp) that should help you to vastly improve your success when putting together and delivering a sales presentation

To whom are you speakingBe prepared before you go in and know as much about your audience as possible Age attitude industry and gender will all have a bearing on how you present your points Men and women have different senses of humour Younger audiences will be more impatient than older lsquoCrsquo level executives who donrsquot need the details Your presentation style and content must fit their perspective

You are not the heroWhat is the ratio of your PowerPoint slides (or written material) devoted to your company vs the potential client It stands to reason if you are invited to pitch you have already passed the preliminary vetting The convincing is done Wow them stand out from your competition by focusing on them - not stories of you your company achievements or accolades Do you like listening to egotistical sales people Share the glory with sales teams Ensure you put the prospective company in the limelight

I-You Ratio Likewise look through your sales presentations and count how many Irsquos wersquos and usrsquos you have Make certain your slides and stories are about them not you Change the perspective at every opportunity possible

Wrong ldquoOur company is number one in rdquo

Right ldquoYou benefit from our number one standing becauserdquo

Strong openingIf yoursquore pitching a $500000 contract and have only 10 minutes then starting with ldquogood morning ladies and gentlemen thank you for having us hererdquo just cost you over $8300 by wasting 10 seconds

Open differently and strongly Paint a picture Take them into the future Describe how theyrsquore benefiting from the clever decision they made years ago working with you Decision makers want to benefit the company they also want personally to be sure they are taking the right action So highlight how theyrsquoll be remembered for doing the right thing by using your company (donrsquot make it too much of a butter up though)

Answer questions up front What do they want to know from you How can you help them If yoursquore more expensive will take longer or are the underdog ndash do not ignore the fact Theyrsquore thinking it Come straight out early into the presentation with a lsquoI know what yoursquore thinkingrsquo statement then answer their objections

030 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

PremiseBuild the sales presentation around the structure of how they will benefit from what you are asking them to do ldquoYou will save $2 million dollars by using our softwarerdquo or ldquoYou will cut maintenance expenditure by 20 per centrdquo Phrase it so they say to themselves lsquohowrsquo You then answer in a logical and structured way

Points laid out logicallyYou can help them make $2million How You enumerate and discuss the points one by one with examples Point one is cutting costs Point two is increasing revenue Point three is boosting staff productivity Highlighting points by telling a story will work infinitely better for you than simply stating it or just saying why By the way you turn masterful in your sales presentation story telling skills when you give your stories flesh and blood characters and dialogue

Seamless transitionMoving from a main point (cutting costs) to the next (increasing revenue) should have a smooth flow instead of an abrupt change Carrying on our example you could transition by saying ldquolowering costs is only one side of the equation of boosting your profit Increasing sales in a challenging environment might not seem easy let me show you how we helprdquo That places you nicely into the segment on how you increase their revenues

QuestionsDonrsquot end with questions rather take them before you review at the end so you can close on a high note

ReviewIf possible use a story again ndash outlining a client that benefited in all the ways you highlight they will benefit

Repetitive reframes sound bite statementsYou can be sure theyrsquoll remember stories Hit home with better retention by giving them little sound bites and repeating them often

Strong CloseRefer back to your opening story or bring all the elements together describing how theyrsquoll benefit If you didnrsquot use thersquo looking into the futurersquo in your opening you can use it in the closing ldquoPicture yourself in two yearsrsquo time Itrsquos the gala dinner Award night Everyone is abuzz because of the success of the new software system you approved and installed the year before Five different staff have come to you throughout the evening ndash all award winners from their significant leap in productivityrdquo bull

Debbie Mayo-Smith is one of New Zealandrsquos most in-demand speakers trainers and bestselling authors Debbie works with companies that want more effective staff For more tips and business ideas sign up for her free monthly newsletter

wwwsuccessisconz

GOT A PRODUCT SERVICE OR BUSINESS WORTH TALKING ABOUT

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032 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Nine Steps to Supercharge Your Job Hunt

ISSUEEIGHTYFIVE

Tom ONeil shares some strategies to ensure you get a jump on your competition

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 033

1 Follow-up and use your personal networks Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is generally more trusted Therefore a person who is referred to an employer has a higher trust value and therefore a higher chance of getting employed This is especially true if there is not actually an official job vacancy and you are the only person being assessed for the role

Therefore its vital to get back in contact with your network with your good wishes as well as tell them you are now looking for new career opportunities

2 LinkedInGo through your LinkedIn profile with an objective eye making sure your profile sells you as much as possible Look at common keywords in the types of positions you are seeking and ensure these are included in your profile After you have done this ask a friend or two to have a look through as well to see if you have missed anything of importance

Check the number and quality of your recommendations on LinkedIn Social media author Linda Coles calls these your silent salespeople I recently was told a major international IT company would not select any senior level staff unless they had more than 20 recommendations I was chuffed when I read this as I am up to 45 however when I asked Linda I found that she has over 120 Therefore you can start to see the power these sound-bite type recommendations can have

Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from

word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is

generally more trusted Therefore a person who is

referred to an employer has a higher trust value and

therefore a higher chance of getting employed

034 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3 Go back over your successes in the past 12 monthsMost people tend to rush into the job hunting process only really thinking about their successes (and failures) when they are in the interview Were you awarded further authority in your role Did you exceed any sales or performance targets Did you train or mentor any new people All these things are important to an employer so make sure you take some time today to think about the positive things that shaped your career recently (and be sure to include them in your CV)

4 Plan your career not just your next jobRemember that each position is a stepping stone to the next so take some time out to think about what you want to be doing for a role in 2020 Once you have done this map out ideal positions (and study if needed) to get you there

5 Direct marketingHas there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them You would be surprised about the amount of people who because they demonstrated a strong interest in the company got a position personally crafted for them even though there appeared to be no position available The other major benefit of this direct approach is that it means a manager does not have to pay a $15000 recruitment fee as you have come to them for free

6 Check in with your verbal refereesTime and time again a candidate has missed out on a dream job because their referees were too old or not overly positive During my HR and recruitment career I have contacted the referees of candidates I have been really interested in employing and got responses like Oh no is Steve looking for ANOTHER job or Sorry I dont remember a Mike Smith Are you sure he put me as a referee

Contact your referees ensure they are aware that you are back on the job hunt and ask them if they are happy to provide a verbal reference The five-minute call you make today may well be the difference between getting your next job in October or March

Has there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 035

Tom ONeil is a leading international author career specialist and MD of CVCONZ You can contact Tom via email tomcvconz

CVCONZ

7 Follow-upBecause of the nature of the recruitment process (especially executive search and selection) the hiring process can be extremely drawn out Make sure you keep in contact with the recruiterpotential employer on a regular basis Most candidates are not keen to do this as they feel its overly aggressive However as long as you are friendly and professional in your follow-up you should be remembered positively when the time for the final decision comes

8 Take time to tailor your CV cover letter and interview to the roleA vacant position is a major headache for a company especially if that position is at a senior or executive level Therefore its vital that you tailor your entire approach as a complete solution specifically for the opportunity In most job advertisements and position descriptions there is a section entitled Personal SpecificationsCharacteristicsCompetencies etc This section is the key to the role and is what you need to target

Read through the documentation and summarise what the ideal person would look like With your skills achievements qualifications and experiences how can you meet or exceed these requirements

Finally you want to ensure that the main aspects and keywords are mirrored in everything you send to the employer and in your answers during the interview The closer you meet their brief of the ideal candidate the higher the chance of you getting that job

9 Positive state of mindAs the job hunt progresses it can become a painful process However its vital to stay as positive as you can as employers can sense frustration anxiety and antagonism all the emotions they wont want in an employee Make sure you go into each situation with a positive outlook take the best from all situations and remember every challenge is an opportunity to grow and improve your skills bull

036 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

COMPETITION

BOOK GIVEAWAYWe have two copies of the brand new job search manual Youre Hired The Essential Guide to Job Hunting and Personal Branding by Tom ONeil to give away

The book provides up-to-the-minute practical detail to choose the social media strategy best suited to your

situation and ways to promote yourself

through online networks particularly

LinkedIn as well as the importance of

lsquoofflinersquo branding Also included are sections

on reacutesumeacutes and covering letters (with

access online to templates) interviewing

tips networking direct marketing salary

negotiation and career goal-setting making

this the essential job hunting guide

There has been a huge shift over the last

three decades in the way employment

recruitment takes place and the power of

the individual to take control of their job hunt

has improved massively according to career

specialist Tom OrsquoNeil

But the strength of your lsquobrandrsquo and your

ability to sell your skills and achievements

will dictate how successful you are in your

search In this compelling new guide Tom

provides job seekers with simple exercises

and guidance to identify personal attributes and key career highlights that will assist in marketing yourself to potential employers The advice holds equally well for consultants and contractors like real estate agents and insurance brokers looking to procure new business bull

paulnnzsalesmanagerconz Email Paul before 30th November to be in to win a copy We have two copies to giveawayPublished by New Holland Publishers

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 037

QUICKFIX

Honest Apologies

lsquoDue to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control we lthave let you downgthellipAnd end like this lsquoWe apologise for any

inconvenience this may have causedrsquo

As a customer I read this and think ndash well at least they have told me they have stuffed up but they obviously donrsquot want to tell me why because they think that will make them look even worse and their apology is so canned they donrsquot mean it anyway They donrsquot really care

QUICK FIX

To show you do really care and to build a relationship built on trust cut out the canned opening and closing lines that everyone uses and use real language

bull Tell it how you would say it - which is not the canned written way

bull Tell what did happen and what you learned that will improve customer service in the future

bull Show that you understand their business - you should know what inconvenience it has caused them so apologise specifically for this

Do this and your customers will be much more understanding bull

bull

So itrsquos all gone wrong and you have let your customer down Itrsquos time to write to them with an apology How many letters start like this

038 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Ive been reading and using pieces from NZ Sales Manager magazine since Jan 2011 It has helped me immensely in gaining trust and building sales teams It gives me motivation each month to try something new and see if I can mould it to suit our team Thank you for providing this sales tool - it really has been a great source of information and motivation

Shaun Matheson

It gives me great pleasure to acknowledge all the wonderful work done by the NZ Sales Manager Magazine and all the efforts put in by the editor Mr Paul Newsom

This magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning tool With a well laid out plan this magazine has given all sales professionals including myself a great platform to focus and learn from and thus being very successful in our sales efforts in a very demanding business environment

Congratulations for coming up to your 100th issue which is indeed a great milestone and I personally wish the magazine and all those who run it every success and keep up the great work

Best WishesIvo DrsquoSilva Sales amp Customer Service Manager

THANKYOUFROMOURREADERS

ldquoThis magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning toolrdquoRegional

Manager

at

EDL

Fasteners

Ltd

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 039

Congratulations on the 100th issue of NZ Sales Manager eMag You provide valuable tips on selling and sales management and your 100th issue is great proof that you share great ideas that your readers appreciate and find usefulGraham McGregor Marketing Advisor amp Journalist

A big congrats to NZ Sales Manager on the 100th issue Thanks for your wonderful insights challenging the norm and keeping us focused on doing our best We look forward to the next 100Paul Brophy Team Leader NZ at CXC Global

ldquoThanks for your

wonderful insights

challenging the norm

and keeping us focused

on doing our bestrdquo

Sales management everywhere should be reading the NZ Sales Manager Congrats on your 100th issueJill Konrath Author of Agile Selling SNAP Selling and Selling to Big Companies

What a wonderful milestone for such a useful and inspiring magazine Congratulations to you and all your hard workLinda Coles Online Marketing Expert

Great work and contribution to Sales Managers all across NZ Thank you Ambrose Blowfield Owner The Marketing Company

To the editors and team behind NZSM well done Many growing challenges in the sales arena at an accelerating pace of change and great you have contributed so much to the profession Stuart Edmunds Founder of New Zealand Institute of Sales bull

040 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

EVENTSCALENDAR

DATE NAME PLACE COMPANY27 November Sales Management Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

1 December Negotiation Skills Wellington IMNZ

1 December Sales Seminar Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

2 December Key Account Management Christchurch IMNZ

2 December Effective Sales Prospecting Auckland PD Training

8 December Sales Basics Auckland Geewiz

9 December Advanced Serious Selling Auckland Geewiz

11 December Sales Training Auckland PD Training

15 December Cold Calling and Prospecting Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

15 December Professional Telephone Skills Training

Auckland PD Training

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 041

THECLOSE

ldquoI never ran 1000 miles I could never

have done that I ran 1 mile 1000 timesrdquo

Subscribe at wwwnzsalesmanagerconz ITrsquoS FREE

Lucian Milasan Shutterstockcom

- Stu Mittleman

Page 3: NZ Sales Manager – Issue 100

ABOUTShort and sharp New Zealand Sales Manager is a free e-magazine delivering thought provoking and enlightening articles and industry news and information to forward-thinking sales managers business owners and sales professionals

the career ambition of many new entrants is to progress quickly into management not to be a career sales professional

There is certainly no national system in New Zealand to produce good sales people and there is no consistent benchmark to use as a measure of competency It is usually left to employers to hope that they are making a PNCONTACTSUBSCRIBEampSHARE

W wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

E paulnnzsalesmanagerconz

EDITOR Paul Newsom

ART DIRECTOR Jodi Olsson

GROUP EDITOR Richard Liew

ADDRESS NZ Sales Manager C- Espire Media PO Box 99758 Newmarket Auckland 1151 NZ

RICHARD LIEWManaging Director

021 123 456wwwespiremediacomrichardlespiremediacom

ISSN 2230-4762

CONTENT ENQUIRIES Phone Paul on 021 784 070 or email paulnnzsalesmanagerconz

ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES Phone Jennifer on 09 522 7257 or email jenniferlespiremediacom

SUBSCRIBE AT wwwnzsalesmanagerconz Itrsquos free

wwwlinkedincom

good recruitment decision and they usually have to train new recruits in how to sell

Some companies are very good at this but many struggle Salespeople who take personal responsibility for their own learning and development will be the winners

There are also the reflections from the founder of NZ Sales Manager Richard Liew and insights from five leading New Zealand sales training and development experts We hope NZ Sales Manager helps in some way with your success and that you enjoy seeing these articles again or reading them for the first time

04 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

NOVEMBERcontents

FROM THE FOUNDER6

PASSIONATE ABOUT SALES8Su Walker from ABC Business Sales

The New World of Selling10 ISSUE ONE Indecent Proposals16

ISSUE TWENTY NINE Stop for Red Flags20

ISSUE FORTY SEVEN 5 Tips for the Reluctant Salesperson24

ISSUE SEVENTY TWO Winning Sales Presentations28

ISSUE EIGHTY FIVE Nine Steps to Supercharge Your Job Hunt32

BOOK GIVEAWAY36Youre Hired The Essential Guide to Job Hunting by Tom ONeil

QUICK FIX37Itrsquos not what you sell itrsquos how you sell

CALENDAR40

THE CLOSE41

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$377

To find out more call 0800 022 BIZ or visit 2degreesmobileconzbusiness

Switch to a 2degrees small business plan and take a 3 month bill holiday

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06 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

FROMTHEFOUNDER

Words by Richard Liew

100 Not Out A Letter From The Founder

In 2001 when transitioning from a career in accounting into my first sales job selling Eftpos terminals on commission only the first thing I did was to head to the bookstore to look for

New Zealandrsquos sales industry magazine I figured that as a new salesperson the best thing to do was learn as much as I could about this thing called selling so that I could get up to speed and off the bottom of the sales leader board as soon as possible

To my surprise the publication I was looking for didnrsquot exist I could not understand why one of New Zealandrsquos most important professions did not have its own magazine Oh well I thought someone will soon fix that

Fast forward to 2008 after several years at the coalface of selling sales training and recruitment it was clear to me that the common denominator amongst top salespeople and sales managers was not just a positive attitude or good work ethic but a willingness to learn and continually be assimilating new ideas testing them out tweaking and refining their approach until they get the desired results

Like professional athletes true sales professionals are constantly working on themselves and to me it is the defining feature of what it means to be a sales professional as opposed to just another salesperson Sales professionals understand that in order to keep earning they must always be learning

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 07

So we launched NZ Sales Manager all those years ago with the simple goal of helping the people we knew in sales and it now gives me great pleasure to congratulate the team and the title on its 100th issue

A huge thanks and congratulations must go to Paul Newsom who as Editor has done a fantastic job as steward not just of the publication but of the sales profession in general Well done Paul and thank you for making NZ Sales Manager something to be proud of

Similarly thank you to our talented Art Director Jodi Olsson who was able to take our vision for the publication and make it real Itrsquos great to see NZ Sales Manager continuing to evolve navigating the fine line between pleasing design and easy reading

Thank you to all of our experts who have shared their knowledge wisdom and experience throughout the pages of NZ Sales Manager over the years One can only imagine how much your insights and encouragement have contributed to the success of New Zealandrsquos salespeople the businesses they represent and the wider New Zealand economy

Lastly thanks to you our readers throughout New Zealand and around the world The role of the modern sales professional continues to change and evolve as I write this and with your support we look forward to serving you for another 100 issues at least

Irsquod like to leave you with a quote from one of my heros Jim Rohn

Richard Liew Founder NZ Sales Manager magazine

wwwespiremediacom

ldquoWork harder on yourself than you do on your job If you work hard on your job you can make a living If you work hard on yourself you can make a fortunerdquo

08 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Su Walker is National Sales Manager with ABC Business Sales New Zealandrsquos leading business sales company Su manages a sales team of 29 and shares here some insights

from her extensive international sales career in the technology

industry in the UK France and New Zealand

PASSIONATEABOUTSALES

Interview with Su Walkerof ABC Business Sales

Why did you get into sales It was by chance I was in a sales administration role at the time and my boss suggested I try it

Where did you learn to be a sales managerWhilst I was working for one of the UKrsquos top IT companies

What is the best thing about being a sales managerBeing part of the team and having the opportunity to influence empower and support the team to achieve personal and professional success

What do you look for in sales people when you are recruitingOur business is about helping people realise their dreams In addition to having strong business skills and experience I look for people that have a positive attitude are passionate have a sense of humour are able to articulate a value proposition and present themselves credibly

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 09

Su Walker is National Sales Manager with ABC Business Sales New Zealandrsquos leading business sales company

wwwbusinessesforsaleconz

What sets the top sales people apart from the restTheir ability to listen and qualify well able to articulate the business requirements and create value in the service or solution being proposed They are typically self-motivated disciplined well organised communicate well and create urgency in closing sales

Whats your worst sales momentMaking an assumption on the venue for a client presentation and turning up to the wrong location with the Managing Director

Tell us about the sales success you are most proud ofOn the successful conclusion of a large services contract I was commended by the decision maker as the reason the business selected our organisation however I attribute the success to the great team working with me

How do you motivate sales peopleBy working with them to understand support encourage and coach ndash help them to believe in themselves

Advice for someone considering a career in sales management The skill set is totally different as you go from only managing yourself to managing a whole team all with different strengths weaknesses problems goals and emotions

Sales Management is about coaching so training before the transition is integral as would be finding a suitable mentor to support you during this time bull

ldquoOur business is about helping people realise their dreams In addition to having strong business skills and experience I look for people that have a positive attitude are passionate have a sense of humour are able to articulate a value proposition and present themselves crediblyrdquo

Brought to you by 2degrees

010 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Taking the pulse of New Zealandrsquos sales profession

The New World of Selling

The world of the traditional sales professional has undergone significant change especially over the last decade It wouldnrsquot be wrong to say that 2008rsquos Global Financial Crisis as with

other major historical economic events played an integral part in the latest cycle of challenges shaking sales organisations to the core when the money dried up

While we have largely recovered from the GFC fallout New Zealand sales professionals in both business-to-consumer and business-to-business must now navigate the increasing impact of the online world including social media on lead generation and the sales cycle

Recent research by Influence Central revealed that for 90 of consumers an online review of a product or service is more important than input from a salesperson Constant connectivity coupled with increasing dependence on the all seeing all knowing Internet has changed the way people buy and thus the way sales professionals must sell

It is clear that buyers like to do their own research to get the maximum value out of every dollar they spend before they make any purchase and this has made the work of sales professionals even more challenging

We spoke to five New Zealand sales training and development experts to take the pulse of the sales profession in New Zealand and get their take on the three biggest challenges facing our sales professionals

Here are their insights

Words by Navdeep Kaur Marwah

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 011

Martin PercivalManaging Director AchieveGlobal NZ

gtPRESSURE TO DEVELOP NEW OPPORTUNITIES OR LEADSNew Zealand as a marketplace has always been finite in terms of opportunity and leads As such sales endeavours have often related to the cyclical buying requirements related to reinvestment and maintenance and then the GFC landed Wersquore still experiencing the spend rationalisation and conservative behaviour that permeated the years following the GFC In addition when we do spend we look for cheaper alternatives or drive discounts in our suppliers As a result sales organisations are putting increasing pressures and emphasis on sales team members to adopt new strategies new thought processes and skills generally without training or support to prospect and open doors in a marketplace already limited with opportunity as pre-existing relationships dry up

gtLESS EMPHASIS ON PRE-EXISTING RELATIONSHIPSHistorically the New Zealand marketplace has been heavily weighted in terms of inter-personal relationships Being able to build relationships built on trust meant long-term success and ensured that the competition couldnrsquot enter the fray In the current climate however budget holders are expected to show a positive return on investment and often find themselves in an extended procurement process with additional team members who focus on the tangible financial aspects of a transaction rather than the immeasurable service or relationship aspect In essence it has become about price and the salespersons who differentiated themselves through their relationships are struggling to maintain their position

gtLACK OF MOTIVATIONOver the past few years increased buyer expectations longer sales cycles reduced budgets and increasing price competition have all contributed towards the fact that sales has become a far more challenging profession Sales professionals now need to work twice as hard for a budget which has been slashed to the smallest permissible level Therefore sales professionals now must possess a resilience beyond that which was required in the past ndash to remain motivated and excited about the next potential opportunity

Sales professionals now must possess a resilience beyond that which was required in the past ndash to remain motivated and excited about the next potential opportunity

ldquo

ldquo

012 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Ross WilsonCEO Growing Organisations

gtMAINTAINING A HUMAN RELATIONSHIP WITH THE BUYER IN THE DIGITAL AGEOur customers time resource is stretched to breaking point Everyone is meetinged out and exhausted As a result meetings are set weeks in advance if you get one at all Often we have to resort to phone meetings instead Therefore even existing customers are harder and harder to get time with

gtKEEPING UP WITH THE RAPID TURNOVER OF STAFFContacts especially gate-keepers as well as decision-makers move on before youve been able to build trust and hence one has to start building trust and relationships with the new people all over again

gtCOMPLYING WITH MARKETING DEPARTMENTS DEMAND TO KEEP CRM (CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT) SYSTEMS CURRENT AT ALL TIMESThis requires hours of a sales persons time every week taking them away from productive sales activity Obviously this impacts their sales performance and results

Stuart EdmundsCEO New Zealand Sales Institute

gtLACK OF LASER LIKE FOCUSEvery company in every industry has their own unique sales challenges but one universal issue is the frustrated inability of sellers to focus on the most important things Salespeople fight the daily war against distractions and non-urgent activities that come up with the inevitable impact on focusing exclusively on whatrsquos most important to your pipeline

gtEMBRACING TECHNOLOGYTechnology adoption among sales professionals has been well behind marketing There is now an explosion of sales automation technologies specific to sales professionals but those same sales professionals need to take advantage of what is now in front of them There is still tremendous scope for more effective tools to play an increasingly important role in improving sales productivity and effectiveness

gtNEED FOR GREAT SALES MANAGEMENTFar too few salespeople have competent sales management who can guide coach support mentor motivate and direct their activities apart from keeping other conflicting priorities at bay and helping them in creating the best environment to ultimately drive (over-) achievement of sales

ldquo

Salespeople fight the daily war against distractions and non-urgent activities

ldquo

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 013

Joanne Hyland Director ProFormance

gtKEEPING UP WITH THE TECHNOLOGYTechnology coupled with the speed of change is inevitably going to have a widespread and highly impactful effect on sales people and our ability to sell effectively Our customers are able to access all sorts of information about ourselves our company and our products through online sources without even conversing with us Some of the information online we can control and hence is positive on the brand

But inevitably there will be information that we cannot control including friends putting inappropriate photos of us online customers publishing product reviews we donrsquot like and competitors outplaying us This puts increasing pressure on organisations and their sales teams to be constantly informed and able to respond appropriately

Moreover our sales resources have changed Our customers expect us to have smartphones tablets and to be able to immediately access sales information stock levels pricing options that help them to make their decision They are not prepared to wait in this environment where we are all time poor and want immediate solutions

gtPROVIDING CUSTOMISED SOLUTIONS Sales is a competitive industry where the dynamics change continuously With all the technology we have at our fingertips we should have live comprehensive sales data to inform educate and advise our customer on the best solution for their business No two customers should be treated the same or given the same offer In-depth analysis enables us to tailor our offer in a manner that is winwin for our customer and us The outstanding sales person should aim to be in the position whereby your customer does not want to be without himher

gtOVERCOMING OUR OWN LIMITATIONSA good salesperson needs to be aware of hisher skills and abilities as well as hisher limitations They need to source feedback and coaching to enable continuous self-improvement They need to look for opportunities to upskill to grow and develop

A good salesperson needs to be aware of hisher skills and abilities as well as hisher limitations

ldquo

ldquo

014 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

wwwespiremediacom

Paul ODonohueCEO SalesSTAR

gtGETTING IN FRONT OF THEIR TARGET MARKET The people who we need to reach have become busier than they used to be five years ago Moreover they are bombarded with 1000rsquos of marketing messages every day Getting their attention is a big challenge

gtCOMMODITISATION OF PRODUCTSERVICE It is a global world and our products and services are being commoditised

gtPROLONGED SALES CYCLESMost of the time companies only buy if they have to buy so decisions are being stalled

Knowledge is power More knowledge is more powerIt is clear the modern salesperson must be provided with a level of management support and guidance that goes far beyond simply increasing their targets for new meetings or cold calls or sales each week The pressures of rationalised sales teams and budgets increased reporting pressures and increased operational requirements can leave sales reps feeling isolated unrecognised and vulnerable There needs to be more sales management capability in NZ providing more coaching and support for sales team members

The sales professional of today must understand that more than ever in this ever changing playing field it is the survival of the fittest On the bright side the sales professional who is flexible resourceful and innovative and can add something of real value to each customer interaction will always be able to make his or her mark bull

The people who we need to reach have

become busier than they

used to be five years ago

Getting their attention is a

big challenge

ldquo

ldquo

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copy 2013 Veda Advantage Solutions Group Pty Limited

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016 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Indecent ProposalsPaul Newsom explains how being too eager to prepare sales proposals can lead to wasted time and lost sales opportunities

Proposals have a special place in the mind of many sales people They are one of the milestones of the sales process and are often the main weapon in the sales armoury They

are the lsquomeat of the dinnerrsquo Gaining the opportunity to submit a proposal is considered by many to be a major success Hours of writing and a few candles later a proposal is proudly submitted

Excitement anticipation and anxiety reaches fever pitch while we wait for the outcome to see whether the customer will choose the beef lamb or fish from our proposal

Then guess what the request comes back to quote a vegetarian option (because a competitor has suggested this) and back to work we go developing a winning proposal for the vegetarian On a bad day the customer goes for the pork and you miss out On a good day the customer dines with you

Rather than writing your proposal as soon as the client asks what is on the menu and then spending valuable time at the proposal end of the sales cycle the place to spend your time is doing a good diagnosis and selecting the optimal solution with the client

ISSUEONE

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 017

This is the lsquomeatrsquo of developing complex sales For example you must spend time understanding how and why beef is the best option then how the client likes their beef cooked

Donrsquot let proposals become a substitute for building trust or do the selling for you whereby you are over-reliant on the proposal to win the deal Such proposals are easy to pick - they are top heavy in lsquoabout usrsquo capability information that seldom gets read

Since customers donrsquot buy proposals (they buy solutions and value) instead build trust through the strength of your diagnosis and use the proposal to simply confirm all that you have agreed Your two-page proposal will then offer only the desired option and is far more likely to be accepted Done well this has far more impact than any hefty proposal both on your customer and your sales results and the long term relationship

In complex sales the proposal is not the meat it is the gravy It is the part which brings the meal together rather than the main part of the meal

Are You Sure You Know What Yoursquore ProposingOne of the biggest challenges of complex sales is working with customers and buyers who ask you to submit a proposal before you know what you are making a proposal for Responding to a request for a proposal so that the client can consider the possible options can be a tough one to deal with

In this situation we naturally want to seize the opportunity and get our proposal in early to make an impression We wonder what the competition is doing If we do not jump when asked to jump what will the customer think Will the competition have a head start on us Well they wonrsquot they will just be wasting their time guessing what the customer wants and hoping that something will get the interest of the buyer Just the same as you will be Sure you might get lucky once in a while but to succeed in complex sales requires much more than a game of chance and numbers

The consequence of over-reliance on the proposal to sell and submitting too early is that you consume vast amounts of your time and resources preparing a proposal of options most if not all of which never happen

The cost to your organisation can be huge I recall an extreme case for a multi-million dollar project where the senior buyer asked very early on for a proposal of all the possible options to consider

Well evaluating all possible options to be able to make a proposal for them would have taken months and cost $$$rsquos Instead the next few months were valuably spent jointly figuring out the viable options

018 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Paul Newsom is the editor of NZ Sales Manager

To be honest I find this

premature request happens

when buyers donrsquot know what

they are buying or donrsquot know

what the extent of the problem

is Repeated submissions follow

as the buyer progressively gets

a better understanding of what

they are doing As buyers donrsquot

we feel safer reading proposals

in comfort to try and figure it out

ourselves rather than risk being

sold the wrong thing

(Thatrsquos why we buy so much

over the Internet now ndash isnrsquot it)

It is self-defence from the buyer

and a symptom of decades

of poor seller and poor buyer

behaviour working in conflict

If you donrsquot know exactly what

you are proposing and why

then you must ask yourself also

whether the buyer knows what

they are trying to buy or even

how they will decide

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

There are two things you have to do when asked to submit a proposal prematurely gtYOU HAVE TO STAY YOUR GROUND Be firm and say

that in order to submit a proposal upon which they can make

an informed decision you both need to first understand This

requires discipline

Advise that you can only propose viable solutions that meet

all the criteria and at this stage the criteria are not defined

Otherwise you will be wasting your time and their time and

possibly put their business at risk

Plus how do you know if you have the resources to provide a

solution that will achieve the desired outcome You could be putting

your credibility and reputation at risk too

gtMAINTAIN THE SELF-ESTEEM OF THE BUYER You

donrsquot want to appear arrogant seemingly knowing better

It will damage the trust you have built Respect the wishes

of the client but suggest an alternative approach that

will ensure you are providing accurate information upon

which they can make the best possible buying decision

Submit a proposal without prior agreement of concept and we know

what happensndash the customer does nothing decides on price alone

or you submit repeated proposals until someone figures it outbull

If you donrsquot know exactly what you are proposing and why then you must ask yourself also whether the buyer knows what they are trying to buy or even how they will decide

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 019

Payroll made easyBNZ EdgePayroll is a simple and easy-to-use payroll solution that takes care of direct crediting wages PAYE filing IRD payments and KiwiSaver contributions

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020 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Sales Opportunity Qualification is one of the most valuable skills

for a professional salesperson

to develop In this turbulent

recessionary climate it is very

tempting to chase down every

deal on the prospect list Even

the ones that you know in your

heart you have very little chance

of winning However this can

actually make matters worse by

diverting sales effort away from

the better deals and reducing

your chances of winning those

Stop for Red Flags

Words by Tony Hillyard

ISSUETWENTYNINE

Three critical areas you must explore to qualify leads

Too many salespeople chase large time-consuming deals that they have very little chance of winning We do this because in a tough sales environment it naturally makes us feel better to go after every deal we come across - even when we know we shouldnrsquot

This eats up productive selling time

Salespeople can also often lose deals without knowing why

In many cases it could be that they simply failed to ask one

straightforward question that would have flushed out an objection

or a problem that could have been handled quite easily

Using a Sales Opportunity Qualification Process will enable you

to get a good perspective on where you stand with any sales

opportunity but it is particularly important for your larger deals

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 021

You must address and resolve these three most important issues

before committing a lot of resource to a sales campaign

1 Is it real for us

Although there might be a genuine sales opportunity available

- it might not be available to you or your company for a variety

of reasons

2 Do we want to win itbull What is the risk involved

bull Will it take more work and effort than itrsquos worth

bull Can we adequately resource the sale

3 Can we win itbull Do we have the right solution

bull Do we have a good relationship with the customer

bull How strong is the competition

This Qualification Process will help you answer these questions

and tell you when you have what I call lsquoRed Flagrsquo issues to resolve

Sales Opportunity Qualification is a critical and unequivocal

process You must answer Yes Dont Knowrsquo or No with

complete honesty for all the questions in each section

IF YOU HAVE RED FLAG ISSUES THEN SALES ACTIVITY IS REQUIREDWherever you have answered

No or Dont Know to a question

you have uncovered a Red Flag

issue that could potentially stop

you from winning the sale You

need to stop and think about

what sales activities and sales

calls you must undertake to

get a Yes response to those

questions and get yourself

into a winning position

If there are too many Red Flag

issues you may decide that you

just wonrsquot have enough time to

resolve all of them before the

sale is due to close In those

circumstances you might

need to consider negotiating

for more time Or you may feel

that it is just not worth chasing

because it will involve more

effort than the sale is worth to

you If so you will have saved

yourself a lot of wasted time

that you can invest in finding

a better sales opportunity

022 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Here are the 27 critical qualification questions you must answer

IS IT REAL FOR US

The Decision to Change

- Do they have a compelling reason to change

- Is there Senior Executive support for the need to change

- Have they discounted a lsquodo nothingrsquo option

The Money

- Have they explained the cost justification for this project

- Do they have an approved budget for this project

- Are our costs within their budget

The Timeframe

- Have we agreed a decision process timeline with them

- Does the decision process timeline suit us

- Have they allocated enough time to evaluate our

proposal in detail

- Can we meet their delivery and

implementation timescales

The Commercial Reality

- Have they accepted our commercial terms and conditions

- Are we compliant with all of their mandatory requirements

- Do we have our companys approval to submit a

proposal or a quotation

DO WE WANT TO WIN ITThe Risk versus the Gain

- Is the value of the sale enough

for the effort involved

- Will implementation be

straightforward

- Can we adequately resource

the sales campaign

Salespeople can also often lose deals without knowing why In many cases it could be that

they simply failed to ask one straightforward question that would have

flushed out an objection or a problem that could have

been handled quite easily

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 023

CAN WE WIN IT The Solution

- Are any of our unique features and benefits in their

decision criteria

- Do the Key Influencers favour our solution

- Have we aligned our solution to their Key Business

Drivers and Critical Success Factors

- Are we proposing a low or reasonable risk solution

The Relationship

- Do we have a good relationship track record with them

- Do we have good access to the decision-makers

- Do we have a well-placed Coach

- Are we allowed to sell to all the Key Influencers

on this project

The Competition

- Do we know which of the competitors are favoured

by the customer

- Do we know the strengths and weaknesses

of the main competitors

- Do we know the sales strategies of the main competitors

There are three parts to the Sales

Opportunity Qualification Process

1 Gaining an accurate

perspective on a sales

opportunity by answering all

of the Qualification Questions

with complete honesty

2 Developing all of the sales

activities and sales calls

that are still necessary

to get you into a winning

position for the opportunity

3 Early identification and

elimination of the deals you

canrsquot win and the ones you

donrsquot want to win

Use this Qualifying Large

Sales Opportunities Process

to dramatically improve your

chances of winning the significant

sales opportunities on your

prospect list that you choose to

go after - and stop chasing the

ones you are unlikely to win or

donrsquot want to win bull

Tony Hillyard specialises in giving sales teams around the world smart solutions to help them win more business in difficult or very competitive markets Visit Tonyrsquos website here for more information copy The Sales Academy Ltd All Rights Reserved July 2009

wwwsalesacademynetnz

1

2

3

024 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Words by Bill James

ISSUEFORTYSEVEN

Maybe you are new at sales you topped the training class ndash but just cannot make the sales stick Or you could be a veteran of many sales conquests but more recently you

simply cannot get the deals across the line

Or perhaps you spent a small fortune acquiring a franchise and it looked great on paper You have big plans high hopes and you are putting in the hours to make it happen But somehow the results are not coming and the money is not flowing Whatrsquos wrong

Unfortunately the answer could be you

Especially for franchisees there are lots of promises about fantastic marketing packages and potential clients coming through the door but the simple truth is that you are now self-employed No more sick days No one else to delegate to It is you that has to make that sale and secure your own money

5 Tips for the Reluctant Salesperson

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 025

1So here are five tips that will help get you on track if you action them

Stop thinking of yourself as a lsquoSalesmanrsquo (Or Saleswoman)Think about it The word lsquosalesmanrsquo or saleswomanrsquo does not engender confidence and is not respected even by you

Ask yourself do you like being lsquosoldrsquo Guess what ndash your clients feel the same way

There is a huge amount of negative connotation around this wording and it brings up an image of someone you may not want to be From a small child there is every chance your parents told you that salespeople were pushy and not to be trusted and now you have to become one

This obviously causes a real internal conflict and is in my opinion the number one reason why you could find yourself sabotaging your own efforts Donrsquot believe me Ask yourself these questions

bull Do you approach every sales opportunity in the belief it will be a sale

bull Are you secretly dreading lsquothatrsquo question from your client - The one you find so hard to answer

bull Do you find lots of little jobs to do that keep you so busy that you have little time for new business calls

These issues are even more acute if yoursquore very technical in nature and you like performing the task but not producing the sale

Why not rename yourself so that yoursquore comfortable in saying that word when you represent yourself to a potential client What could you call yourself that sits comfortably with you

Remember your role is to help people make the right decision ndash it is not to sell them something

Ask yourself do you like being lsquosoldrsquo Guess what ndash your clients feel the same way Remember your role is to help people make the right decision ndash it is not to sell them something

026 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3

2 Be yourselfSo many people will put on a persona they think is needed to create a successful sales outcome This is simply not the case and could in fact be what is costing you business

When you went through all the psychological and personality testing (hopefully) when you applied for the job or franchise opportunity these assessments showed the real you and indicated that you should be successful in your business So why are you hiding this real you now

Clients look for faults and are suspicious when you knock on the door because you are promoting a product If they sense falseness about you it will raise their alarms and give them good reason not to buy from you Will your natural personality be what everyone is looking for every time Probably not You will get on with some people better than others

But the reality is especially if you are less experienced you were quite possibly never going to sell to those people anyway The ones that would be attracted to your natural personality will be put off by a fake overlay so stop doing it

The reality is that you could be a complete ratbag but people still buy from complete ratbags ndash as long as they are honest about being one Can you image your reaction to someone whorsquos obviously a ratbag but is pretending to be nice and you can see through it It would make you want to run in the opposite direction wouldnrsquot it

Show some passion for your subjectAgain we put on this persona of lsquoprofessionalismrsquo which means we deliver a very dry presentation What was the passion that got you involved in the first place If it was simply that you thought yoursquod make a lot of money you may possibly have made an error ndash thatrsquos called a job

Clients enjoy your enthusiasm and passion for your product It will take you through the tough times but yoursquoll also need to show it to your clients so they know that you are passionate about what you are doing

This isnrsquot easy in cultures where showing emotion is not the norm but the old saying lsquoenthusiasm sellsrsquo is as true now as it ever was

Let your passion and enthusiasm for your subject out and yoursquoll take your potential client along with you for the ride The big problem is that if you do not show some passion and hide in facts and figures your clients will allocate an emotion and a motivation to you What do you think the chances are that it will be a positive one

None

The reality is that you could be a complete ratbag but people still buy from complete ratbags ndash as long as they are honest about being one

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 027

4

Bill James is an internationally recognised sales speaker and trainer who specialises in referral and relationship marketing To find out more visit his website above

wwwBillJamesSpeakercom

Jargon kills salesOccasionally yoursquoll find someone whorsquos really caught up in the technical aspects of what you do But usually they are initially more interested in knowing you understand and care about their needs If you are technically orientated itrsquos easy to hide in the features of your product but this will stop you truly addressing the need of the client

Often most products appear to be very similar and have similar pricing and so the difference is your ability to uncover their real concerns and needs and address those In this way yoursquoll make a connection at a very personal level which is the key to gaining that commitment from your potential client

Loading them up with jargon will simply occupy their headspace and will actually be counterproductive Talking everyday language that your client can understand and addressing their real needs will result in you making real progress

Use a low logic approach with your potential clientlsquoLow logicrsquo is language that is simple to understand It is almost like approaching your client underneath the radar

Simply approach them in a very matter of fact way (with a certain amount of emotion) and give them the option to decline your services if they want In this way you donrsquot raise any alarm bells and make them feel trapped They are much more likely to come along for the ride this way

For example ldquoMr Prospect the simple reality is businesses like yours can use this product and it has X effect For you to be interested it obviously has to meet X Y Z needs and also fit within your budget and I have to be able to show you the real benefits of working with our company If I canrsquot then itrsquos only fair that I should head for the door But if I can make all that happen then your company is definitely at an advantage Irsquod like to simply sit down with you and run through these different ideas and see where we go from there is that fair enoughrdquo

So be yourself cut the jargon and let your passion for the product speak for itself Approach other people the way you like to be approached and you might well find that your sales increase hugelybull

5

028 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Winning Sales Presentations

ISSUESEVENTYTWO

Words by Debbie Mayo-Smith

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 029

Creating a great sales presentation isnrsquot very different to crafting a great speech You want to keep attention Motivate Convince Move to action Here is a formula that I follow (learnt from the

American maestro Patricia Fripp) that should help you to vastly improve your success when putting together and delivering a sales presentation

To whom are you speakingBe prepared before you go in and know as much about your audience as possible Age attitude industry and gender will all have a bearing on how you present your points Men and women have different senses of humour Younger audiences will be more impatient than older lsquoCrsquo level executives who donrsquot need the details Your presentation style and content must fit their perspective

You are not the heroWhat is the ratio of your PowerPoint slides (or written material) devoted to your company vs the potential client It stands to reason if you are invited to pitch you have already passed the preliminary vetting The convincing is done Wow them stand out from your competition by focusing on them - not stories of you your company achievements or accolades Do you like listening to egotistical sales people Share the glory with sales teams Ensure you put the prospective company in the limelight

I-You Ratio Likewise look through your sales presentations and count how many Irsquos wersquos and usrsquos you have Make certain your slides and stories are about them not you Change the perspective at every opportunity possible

Wrong ldquoOur company is number one in rdquo

Right ldquoYou benefit from our number one standing becauserdquo

Strong openingIf yoursquore pitching a $500000 contract and have only 10 minutes then starting with ldquogood morning ladies and gentlemen thank you for having us hererdquo just cost you over $8300 by wasting 10 seconds

Open differently and strongly Paint a picture Take them into the future Describe how theyrsquore benefiting from the clever decision they made years ago working with you Decision makers want to benefit the company they also want personally to be sure they are taking the right action So highlight how theyrsquoll be remembered for doing the right thing by using your company (donrsquot make it too much of a butter up though)

Answer questions up front What do they want to know from you How can you help them If yoursquore more expensive will take longer or are the underdog ndash do not ignore the fact Theyrsquore thinking it Come straight out early into the presentation with a lsquoI know what yoursquore thinkingrsquo statement then answer their objections

030 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

PremiseBuild the sales presentation around the structure of how they will benefit from what you are asking them to do ldquoYou will save $2 million dollars by using our softwarerdquo or ldquoYou will cut maintenance expenditure by 20 per centrdquo Phrase it so they say to themselves lsquohowrsquo You then answer in a logical and structured way

Points laid out logicallyYou can help them make $2million How You enumerate and discuss the points one by one with examples Point one is cutting costs Point two is increasing revenue Point three is boosting staff productivity Highlighting points by telling a story will work infinitely better for you than simply stating it or just saying why By the way you turn masterful in your sales presentation story telling skills when you give your stories flesh and blood characters and dialogue

Seamless transitionMoving from a main point (cutting costs) to the next (increasing revenue) should have a smooth flow instead of an abrupt change Carrying on our example you could transition by saying ldquolowering costs is only one side of the equation of boosting your profit Increasing sales in a challenging environment might not seem easy let me show you how we helprdquo That places you nicely into the segment on how you increase their revenues

QuestionsDonrsquot end with questions rather take them before you review at the end so you can close on a high note

ReviewIf possible use a story again ndash outlining a client that benefited in all the ways you highlight they will benefit

Repetitive reframes sound bite statementsYou can be sure theyrsquoll remember stories Hit home with better retention by giving them little sound bites and repeating them often

Strong CloseRefer back to your opening story or bring all the elements together describing how theyrsquoll benefit If you didnrsquot use thersquo looking into the futurersquo in your opening you can use it in the closing ldquoPicture yourself in two yearsrsquo time Itrsquos the gala dinner Award night Everyone is abuzz because of the success of the new software system you approved and installed the year before Five different staff have come to you throughout the evening ndash all award winners from their significant leap in productivityrdquo bull

Debbie Mayo-Smith is one of New Zealandrsquos most in-demand speakers trainers and bestselling authors Debbie works with companies that want more effective staff For more tips and business ideas sign up for her free monthly newsletter

wwwsuccessisconz

GOT A PRODUCT SERVICE OR BUSINESS WORTH TALKING ABOUT

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Get in touch with Jennifer now to discuss our options+64 9 522 7257 (NZT) | jenniferlespiremediacom | wwwespiremediacom

TALK TO ESPIRE MEDIA ABOUT OUR CONTENT MARKETING SERVICES We offer a range of ways to attract and retain customers by creating and curating relevant and valuable content to engage and add value to your audience

BENEFITSbull Expand your digital footprintbull Grow brand awarenessbull Increase traffic to your websitebull Thought leadershipbull Media exposurebull Attract new customersbull And grow SALES

Check out our blog for content marketing advice tips and ideas plus a free copy of our content marketing guide The Content Creation Cookbook

032 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Nine Steps to Supercharge Your Job Hunt

ISSUEEIGHTYFIVE

Tom ONeil shares some strategies to ensure you get a jump on your competition

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 033

1 Follow-up and use your personal networks Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is generally more trusted Therefore a person who is referred to an employer has a higher trust value and therefore a higher chance of getting employed This is especially true if there is not actually an official job vacancy and you are the only person being assessed for the role

Therefore its vital to get back in contact with your network with your good wishes as well as tell them you are now looking for new career opportunities

2 LinkedInGo through your LinkedIn profile with an objective eye making sure your profile sells you as much as possible Look at common keywords in the types of positions you are seeking and ensure these are included in your profile After you have done this ask a friend or two to have a look through as well to see if you have missed anything of importance

Check the number and quality of your recommendations on LinkedIn Social media author Linda Coles calls these your silent salespeople I recently was told a major international IT company would not select any senior level staff unless they had more than 20 recommendations I was chuffed when I read this as I am up to 45 however when I asked Linda I found that she has over 120 Therefore you can start to see the power these sound-bite type recommendations can have

Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from

word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is

generally more trusted Therefore a person who is

referred to an employer has a higher trust value and

therefore a higher chance of getting employed

034 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3 Go back over your successes in the past 12 monthsMost people tend to rush into the job hunting process only really thinking about their successes (and failures) when they are in the interview Were you awarded further authority in your role Did you exceed any sales or performance targets Did you train or mentor any new people All these things are important to an employer so make sure you take some time today to think about the positive things that shaped your career recently (and be sure to include them in your CV)

4 Plan your career not just your next jobRemember that each position is a stepping stone to the next so take some time out to think about what you want to be doing for a role in 2020 Once you have done this map out ideal positions (and study if needed) to get you there

5 Direct marketingHas there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them You would be surprised about the amount of people who because they demonstrated a strong interest in the company got a position personally crafted for them even though there appeared to be no position available The other major benefit of this direct approach is that it means a manager does not have to pay a $15000 recruitment fee as you have come to them for free

6 Check in with your verbal refereesTime and time again a candidate has missed out on a dream job because their referees were too old or not overly positive During my HR and recruitment career I have contacted the referees of candidates I have been really interested in employing and got responses like Oh no is Steve looking for ANOTHER job or Sorry I dont remember a Mike Smith Are you sure he put me as a referee

Contact your referees ensure they are aware that you are back on the job hunt and ask them if they are happy to provide a verbal reference The five-minute call you make today may well be the difference between getting your next job in October or March

Has there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 035

Tom ONeil is a leading international author career specialist and MD of CVCONZ You can contact Tom via email tomcvconz

CVCONZ

7 Follow-upBecause of the nature of the recruitment process (especially executive search and selection) the hiring process can be extremely drawn out Make sure you keep in contact with the recruiterpotential employer on a regular basis Most candidates are not keen to do this as they feel its overly aggressive However as long as you are friendly and professional in your follow-up you should be remembered positively when the time for the final decision comes

8 Take time to tailor your CV cover letter and interview to the roleA vacant position is a major headache for a company especially if that position is at a senior or executive level Therefore its vital that you tailor your entire approach as a complete solution specifically for the opportunity In most job advertisements and position descriptions there is a section entitled Personal SpecificationsCharacteristicsCompetencies etc This section is the key to the role and is what you need to target

Read through the documentation and summarise what the ideal person would look like With your skills achievements qualifications and experiences how can you meet or exceed these requirements

Finally you want to ensure that the main aspects and keywords are mirrored in everything you send to the employer and in your answers during the interview The closer you meet their brief of the ideal candidate the higher the chance of you getting that job

9 Positive state of mindAs the job hunt progresses it can become a painful process However its vital to stay as positive as you can as employers can sense frustration anxiety and antagonism all the emotions they wont want in an employee Make sure you go into each situation with a positive outlook take the best from all situations and remember every challenge is an opportunity to grow and improve your skills bull

036 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

COMPETITION

BOOK GIVEAWAYWe have two copies of the brand new job search manual Youre Hired The Essential Guide to Job Hunting and Personal Branding by Tom ONeil to give away

The book provides up-to-the-minute practical detail to choose the social media strategy best suited to your

situation and ways to promote yourself

through online networks particularly

LinkedIn as well as the importance of

lsquoofflinersquo branding Also included are sections

on reacutesumeacutes and covering letters (with

access online to templates) interviewing

tips networking direct marketing salary

negotiation and career goal-setting making

this the essential job hunting guide

There has been a huge shift over the last

three decades in the way employment

recruitment takes place and the power of

the individual to take control of their job hunt

has improved massively according to career

specialist Tom OrsquoNeil

But the strength of your lsquobrandrsquo and your

ability to sell your skills and achievements

will dictate how successful you are in your

search In this compelling new guide Tom

provides job seekers with simple exercises

and guidance to identify personal attributes and key career highlights that will assist in marketing yourself to potential employers The advice holds equally well for consultants and contractors like real estate agents and insurance brokers looking to procure new business bull

paulnnzsalesmanagerconz Email Paul before 30th November to be in to win a copy We have two copies to giveawayPublished by New Holland Publishers

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 037

QUICKFIX

Honest Apologies

lsquoDue to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control we lthave let you downgthellipAnd end like this lsquoWe apologise for any

inconvenience this may have causedrsquo

As a customer I read this and think ndash well at least they have told me they have stuffed up but they obviously donrsquot want to tell me why because they think that will make them look even worse and their apology is so canned they donrsquot mean it anyway They donrsquot really care

QUICK FIX

To show you do really care and to build a relationship built on trust cut out the canned opening and closing lines that everyone uses and use real language

bull Tell it how you would say it - which is not the canned written way

bull Tell what did happen and what you learned that will improve customer service in the future

bull Show that you understand their business - you should know what inconvenience it has caused them so apologise specifically for this

Do this and your customers will be much more understanding bull

bull

So itrsquos all gone wrong and you have let your customer down Itrsquos time to write to them with an apology How many letters start like this

038 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Ive been reading and using pieces from NZ Sales Manager magazine since Jan 2011 It has helped me immensely in gaining trust and building sales teams It gives me motivation each month to try something new and see if I can mould it to suit our team Thank you for providing this sales tool - it really has been a great source of information and motivation

Shaun Matheson

It gives me great pleasure to acknowledge all the wonderful work done by the NZ Sales Manager Magazine and all the efforts put in by the editor Mr Paul Newsom

This magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning tool With a well laid out plan this magazine has given all sales professionals including myself a great platform to focus and learn from and thus being very successful in our sales efforts in a very demanding business environment

Congratulations for coming up to your 100th issue which is indeed a great milestone and I personally wish the magazine and all those who run it every success and keep up the great work

Best WishesIvo DrsquoSilva Sales amp Customer Service Manager

THANKYOUFROMOURREADERS

ldquoThis magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning toolrdquoRegional

Manager

at

EDL

Fasteners

Ltd

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 039

Congratulations on the 100th issue of NZ Sales Manager eMag You provide valuable tips on selling and sales management and your 100th issue is great proof that you share great ideas that your readers appreciate and find usefulGraham McGregor Marketing Advisor amp Journalist

A big congrats to NZ Sales Manager on the 100th issue Thanks for your wonderful insights challenging the norm and keeping us focused on doing our best We look forward to the next 100Paul Brophy Team Leader NZ at CXC Global

ldquoThanks for your

wonderful insights

challenging the norm

and keeping us focused

on doing our bestrdquo

Sales management everywhere should be reading the NZ Sales Manager Congrats on your 100th issueJill Konrath Author of Agile Selling SNAP Selling and Selling to Big Companies

What a wonderful milestone for such a useful and inspiring magazine Congratulations to you and all your hard workLinda Coles Online Marketing Expert

Great work and contribution to Sales Managers all across NZ Thank you Ambrose Blowfield Owner The Marketing Company

To the editors and team behind NZSM well done Many growing challenges in the sales arena at an accelerating pace of change and great you have contributed so much to the profession Stuart Edmunds Founder of New Zealand Institute of Sales bull

040 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

EVENTSCALENDAR

DATE NAME PLACE COMPANY27 November Sales Management Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

1 December Negotiation Skills Wellington IMNZ

1 December Sales Seminar Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

2 December Key Account Management Christchurch IMNZ

2 December Effective Sales Prospecting Auckland PD Training

8 December Sales Basics Auckland Geewiz

9 December Advanced Serious Selling Auckland Geewiz

11 December Sales Training Auckland PD Training

15 December Cold Calling and Prospecting Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

15 December Professional Telephone Skills Training

Auckland PD Training

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 041

THECLOSE

ldquoI never ran 1000 miles I could never

have done that I ran 1 mile 1000 timesrdquo

Subscribe at wwwnzsalesmanagerconz ITrsquoS FREE

Lucian Milasan Shutterstockcom

- Stu Mittleman

Page 4: NZ Sales Manager – Issue 100

04 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

NOVEMBERcontents

FROM THE FOUNDER6

PASSIONATE ABOUT SALES8Su Walker from ABC Business Sales

The New World of Selling10 ISSUE ONE Indecent Proposals16

ISSUE TWENTY NINE Stop for Red Flags20

ISSUE FORTY SEVEN 5 Tips for the Reluctant Salesperson24

ISSUE SEVENTY TWO Winning Sales Presentations28

ISSUE EIGHTY FIVE Nine Steps to Supercharge Your Job Hunt32

BOOK GIVEAWAY36Youre Hired The Essential Guide to Job Hunting by Tom ONeil

QUICK FIX37Itrsquos not what you sell itrsquos how you sell

CALENDAR40

THE CLOSE41

$000SAVE UP TO

$377

To find out more call 0800 022 BIZ or visit 2degreesmobileconzbusiness

Switch to a 2degrees small business plan and take a 3 month bill holiday

With a $12583 Business Select Plan (excl GST) 3 months free Plan Fee only excludes out of bundle charges or overage New 2degrees customers only Offer ends 301115 See 2degreesmobileconz for full conditions

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06 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

FROMTHEFOUNDER

Words by Richard Liew

100 Not Out A Letter From The Founder

In 2001 when transitioning from a career in accounting into my first sales job selling Eftpos terminals on commission only the first thing I did was to head to the bookstore to look for

New Zealandrsquos sales industry magazine I figured that as a new salesperson the best thing to do was learn as much as I could about this thing called selling so that I could get up to speed and off the bottom of the sales leader board as soon as possible

To my surprise the publication I was looking for didnrsquot exist I could not understand why one of New Zealandrsquos most important professions did not have its own magazine Oh well I thought someone will soon fix that

Fast forward to 2008 after several years at the coalface of selling sales training and recruitment it was clear to me that the common denominator amongst top salespeople and sales managers was not just a positive attitude or good work ethic but a willingness to learn and continually be assimilating new ideas testing them out tweaking and refining their approach until they get the desired results

Like professional athletes true sales professionals are constantly working on themselves and to me it is the defining feature of what it means to be a sales professional as opposed to just another salesperson Sales professionals understand that in order to keep earning they must always be learning

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 07

So we launched NZ Sales Manager all those years ago with the simple goal of helping the people we knew in sales and it now gives me great pleasure to congratulate the team and the title on its 100th issue

A huge thanks and congratulations must go to Paul Newsom who as Editor has done a fantastic job as steward not just of the publication but of the sales profession in general Well done Paul and thank you for making NZ Sales Manager something to be proud of

Similarly thank you to our talented Art Director Jodi Olsson who was able to take our vision for the publication and make it real Itrsquos great to see NZ Sales Manager continuing to evolve navigating the fine line between pleasing design and easy reading

Thank you to all of our experts who have shared their knowledge wisdom and experience throughout the pages of NZ Sales Manager over the years One can only imagine how much your insights and encouragement have contributed to the success of New Zealandrsquos salespeople the businesses they represent and the wider New Zealand economy

Lastly thanks to you our readers throughout New Zealand and around the world The role of the modern sales professional continues to change and evolve as I write this and with your support we look forward to serving you for another 100 issues at least

Irsquod like to leave you with a quote from one of my heros Jim Rohn

Richard Liew Founder NZ Sales Manager magazine

wwwespiremediacom

ldquoWork harder on yourself than you do on your job If you work hard on your job you can make a living If you work hard on yourself you can make a fortunerdquo

08 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Su Walker is National Sales Manager with ABC Business Sales New Zealandrsquos leading business sales company Su manages a sales team of 29 and shares here some insights

from her extensive international sales career in the technology

industry in the UK France and New Zealand

PASSIONATEABOUTSALES

Interview with Su Walkerof ABC Business Sales

Why did you get into sales It was by chance I was in a sales administration role at the time and my boss suggested I try it

Where did you learn to be a sales managerWhilst I was working for one of the UKrsquos top IT companies

What is the best thing about being a sales managerBeing part of the team and having the opportunity to influence empower and support the team to achieve personal and professional success

What do you look for in sales people when you are recruitingOur business is about helping people realise their dreams In addition to having strong business skills and experience I look for people that have a positive attitude are passionate have a sense of humour are able to articulate a value proposition and present themselves credibly

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 09

Su Walker is National Sales Manager with ABC Business Sales New Zealandrsquos leading business sales company

wwwbusinessesforsaleconz

What sets the top sales people apart from the restTheir ability to listen and qualify well able to articulate the business requirements and create value in the service or solution being proposed They are typically self-motivated disciplined well organised communicate well and create urgency in closing sales

Whats your worst sales momentMaking an assumption on the venue for a client presentation and turning up to the wrong location with the Managing Director

Tell us about the sales success you are most proud ofOn the successful conclusion of a large services contract I was commended by the decision maker as the reason the business selected our organisation however I attribute the success to the great team working with me

How do you motivate sales peopleBy working with them to understand support encourage and coach ndash help them to believe in themselves

Advice for someone considering a career in sales management The skill set is totally different as you go from only managing yourself to managing a whole team all with different strengths weaknesses problems goals and emotions

Sales Management is about coaching so training before the transition is integral as would be finding a suitable mentor to support you during this time bull

ldquoOur business is about helping people realise their dreams In addition to having strong business skills and experience I look for people that have a positive attitude are passionate have a sense of humour are able to articulate a value proposition and present themselves crediblyrdquo

Brought to you by 2degrees

010 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Taking the pulse of New Zealandrsquos sales profession

The New World of Selling

The world of the traditional sales professional has undergone significant change especially over the last decade It wouldnrsquot be wrong to say that 2008rsquos Global Financial Crisis as with

other major historical economic events played an integral part in the latest cycle of challenges shaking sales organisations to the core when the money dried up

While we have largely recovered from the GFC fallout New Zealand sales professionals in both business-to-consumer and business-to-business must now navigate the increasing impact of the online world including social media on lead generation and the sales cycle

Recent research by Influence Central revealed that for 90 of consumers an online review of a product or service is more important than input from a salesperson Constant connectivity coupled with increasing dependence on the all seeing all knowing Internet has changed the way people buy and thus the way sales professionals must sell

It is clear that buyers like to do their own research to get the maximum value out of every dollar they spend before they make any purchase and this has made the work of sales professionals even more challenging

We spoke to five New Zealand sales training and development experts to take the pulse of the sales profession in New Zealand and get their take on the three biggest challenges facing our sales professionals

Here are their insights

Words by Navdeep Kaur Marwah

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 011

Martin PercivalManaging Director AchieveGlobal NZ

gtPRESSURE TO DEVELOP NEW OPPORTUNITIES OR LEADSNew Zealand as a marketplace has always been finite in terms of opportunity and leads As such sales endeavours have often related to the cyclical buying requirements related to reinvestment and maintenance and then the GFC landed Wersquore still experiencing the spend rationalisation and conservative behaviour that permeated the years following the GFC In addition when we do spend we look for cheaper alternatives or drive discounts in our suppliers As a result sales organisations are putting increasing pressures and emphasis on sales team members to adopt new strategies new thought processes and skills generally without training or support to prospect and open doors in a marketplace already limited with opportunity as pre-existing relationships dry up

gtLESS EMPHASIS ON PRE-EXISTING RELATIONSHIPSHistorically the New Zealand marketplace has been heavily weighted in terms of inter-personal relationships Being able to build relationships built on trust meant long-term success and ensured that the competition couldnrsquot enter the fray In the current climate however budget holders are expected to show a positive return on investment and often find themselves in an extended procurement process with additional team members who focus on the tangible financial aspects of a transaction rather than the immeasurable service or relationship aspect In essence it has become about price and the salespersons who differentiated themselves through their relationships are struggling to maintain their position

gtLACK OF MOTIVATIONOver the past few years increased buyer expectations longer sales cycles reduced budgets and increasing price competition have all contributed towards the fact that sales has become a far more challenging profession Sales professionals now need to work twice as hard for a budget which has been slashed to the smallest permissible level Therefore sales professionals now must possess a resilience beyond that which was required in the past ndash to remain motivated and excited about the next potential opportunity

Sales professionals now must possess a resilience beyond that which was required in the past ndash to remain motivated and excited about the next potential opportunity

ldquo

ldquo

012 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Ross WilsonCEO Growing Organisations

gtMAINTAINING A HUMAN RELATIONSHIP WITH THE BUYER IN THE DIGITAL AGEOur customers time resource is stretched to breaking point Everyone is meetinged out and exhausted As a result meetings are set weeks in advance if you get one at all Often we have to resort to phone meetings instead Therefore even existing customers are harder and harder to get time with

gtKEEPING UP WITH THE RAPID TURNOVER OF STAFFContacts especially gate-keepers as well as decision-makers move on before youve been able to build trust and hence one has to start building trust and relationships with the new people all over again

gtCOMPLYING WITH MARKETING DEPARTMENTS DEMAND TO KEEP CRM (CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT) SYSTEMS CURRENT AT ALL TIMESThis requires hours of a sales persons time every week taking them away from productive sales activity Obviously this impacts their sales performance and results

Stuart EdmundsCEO New Zealand Sales Institute

gtLACK OF LASER LIKE FOCUSEvery company in every industry has their own unique sales challenges but one universal issue is the frustrated inability of sellers to focus on the most important things Salespeople fight the daily war against distractions and non-urgent activities that come up with the inevitable impact on focusing exclusively on whatrsquos most important to your pipeline

gtEMBRACING TECHNOLOGYTechnology adoption among sales professionals has been well behind marketing There is now an explosion of sales automation technologies specific to sales professionals but those same sales professionals need to take advantage of what is now in front of them There is still tremendous scope for more effective tools to play an increasingly important role in improving sales productivity and effectiveness

gtNEED FOR GREAT SALES MANAGEMENTFar too few salespeople have competent sales management who can guide coach support mentor motivate and direct their activities apart from keeping other conflicting priorities at bay and helping them in creating the best environment to ultimately drive (over-) achievement of sales

ldquo

Salespeople fight the daily war against distractions and non-urgent activities

ldquo

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 013

Joanne Hyland Director ProFormance

gtKEEPING UP WITH THE TECHNOLOGYTechnology coupled with the speed of change is inevitably going to have a widespread and highly impactful effect on sales people and our ability to sell effectively Our customers are able to access all sorts of information about ourselves our company and our products through online sources without even conversing with us Some of the information online we can control and hence is positive on the brand

But inevitably there will be information that we cannot control including friends putting inappropriate photos of us online customers publishing product reviews we donrsquot like and competitors outplaying us This puts increasing pressure on organisations and their sales teams to be constantly informed and able to respond appropriately

Moreover our sales resources have changed Our customers expect us to have smartphones tablets and to be able to immediately access sales information stock levels pricing options that help them to make their decision They are not prepared to wait in this environment where we are all time poor and want immediate solutions

gtPROVIDING CUSTOMISED SOLUTIONS Sales is a competitive industry where the dynamics change continuously With all the technology we have at our fingertips we should have live comprehensive sales data to inform educate and advise our customer on the best solution for their business No two customers should be treated the same or given the same offer In-depth analysis enables us to tailor our offer in a manner that is winwin for our customer and us The outstanding sales person should aim to be in the position whereby your customer does not want to be without himher

gtOVERCOMING OUR OWN LIMITATIONSA good salesperson needs to be aware of hisher skills and abilities as well as hisher limitations They need to source feedback and coaching to enable continuous self-improvement They need to look for opportunities to upskill to grow and develop

A good salesperson needs to be aware of hisher skills and abilities as well as hisher limitations

ldquo

ldquo

014 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

wwwespiremediacom

Paul ODonohueCEO SalesSTAR

gtGETTING IN FRONT OF THEIR TARGET MARKET The people who we need to reach have become busier than they used to be five years ago Moreover they are bombarded with 1000rsquos of marketing messages every day Getting their attention is a big challenge

gtCOMMODITISATION OF PRODUCTSERVICE It is a global world and our products and services are being commoditised

gtPROLONGED SALES CYCLESMost of the time companies only buy if they have to buy so decisions are being stalled

Knowledge is power More knowledge is more powerIt is clear the modern salesperson must be provided with a level of management support and guidance that goes far beyond simply increasing their targets for new meetings or cold calls or sales each week The pressures of rationalised sales teams and budgets increased reporting pressures and increased operational requirements can leave sales reps feeling isolated unrecognised and vulnerable There needs to be more sales management capability in NZ providing more coaching and support for sales team members

The sales professional of today must understand that more than ever in this ever changing playing field it is the survival of the fittest On the bright side the sales professional who is flexible resourceful and innovative and can add something of real value to each customer interaction will always be able to make his or her mark bull

The people who we need to reach have

become busier than they

used to be five years ago

Getting their attention is a

big challenge

ldquo

ldquo

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To find out more contact Inivio on 09 367 6285 or visit wwwinivioconzNext steps

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016 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Indecent ProposalsPaul Newsom explains how being too eager to prepare sales proposals can lead to wasted time and lost sales opportunities

Proposals have a special place in the mind of many sales people They are one of the milestones of the sales process and are often the main weapon in the sales armoury They

are the lsquomeat of the dinnerrsquo Gaining the opportunity to submit a proposal is considered by many to be a major success Hours of writing and a few candles later a proposal is proudly submitted

Excitement anticipation and anxiety reaches fever pitch while we wait for the outcome to see whether the customer will choose the beef lamb or fish from our proposal

Then guess what the request comes back to quote a vegetarian option (because a competitor has suggested this) and back to work we go developing a winning proposal for the vegetarian On a bad day the customer goes for the pork and you miss out On a good day the customer dines with you

Rather than writing your proposal as soon as the client asks what is on the menu and then spending valuable time at the proposal end of the sales cycle the place to spend your time is doing a good diagnosis and selecting the optimal solution with the client

ISSUEONE

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 017

This is the lsquomeatrsquo of developing complex sales For example you must spend time understanding how and why beef is the best option then how the client likes their beef cooked

Donrsquot let proposals become a substitute for building trust or do the selling for you whereby you are over-reliant on the proposal to win the deal Such proposals are easy to pick - they are top heavy in lsquoabout usrsquo capability information that seldom gets read

Since customers donrsquot buy proposals (they buy solutions and value) instead build trust through the strength of your diagnosis and use the proposal to simply confirm all that you have agreed Your two-page proposal will then offer only the desired option and is far more likely to be accepted Done well this has far more impact than any hefty proposal both on your customer and your sales results and the long term relationship

In complex sales the proposal is not the meat it is the gravy It is the part which brings the meal together rather than the main part of the meal

Are You Sure You Know What Yoursquore ProposingOne of the biggest challenges of complex sales is working with customers and buyers who ask you to submit a proposal before you know what you are making a proposal for Responding to a request for a proposal so that the client can consider the possible options can be a tough one to deal with

In this situation we naturally want to seize the opportunity and get our proposal in early to make an impression We wonder what the competition is doing If we do not jump when asked to jump what will the customer think Will the competition have a head start on us Well they wonrsquot they will just be wasting their time guessing what the customer wants and hoping that something will get the interest of the buyer Just the same as you will be Sure you might get lucky once in a while but to succeed in complex sales requires much more than a game of chance and numbers

The consequence of over-reliance on the proposal to sell and submitting too early is that you consume vast amounts of your time and resources preparing a proposal of options most if not all of which never happen

The cost to your organisation can be huge I recall an extreme case for a multi-million dollar project where the senior buyer asked very early on for a proposal of all the possible options to consider

Well evaluating all possible options to be able to make a proposal for them would have taken months and cost $$$rsquos Instead the next few months were valuably spent jointly figuring out the viable options

018 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Paul Newsom is the editor of NZ Sales Manager

To be honest I find this

premature request happens

when buyers donrsquot know what

they are buying or donrsquot know

what the extent of the problem

is Repeated submissions follow

as the buyer progressively gets

a better understanding of what

they are doing As buyers donrsquot

we feel safer reading proposals

in comfort to try and figure it out

ourselves rather than risk being

sold the wrong thing

(Thatrsquos why we buy so much

over the Internet now ndash isnrsquot it)

It is self-defence from the buyer

and a symptom of decades

of poor seller and poor buyer

behaviour working in conflict

If you donrsquot know exactly what

you are proposing and why

then you must ask yourself also

whether the buyer knows what

they are trying to buy or even

how they will decide

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

There are two things you have to do when asked to submit a proposal prematurely gtYOU HAVE TO STAY YOUR GROUND Be firm and say

that in order to submit a proposal upon which they can make

an informed decision you both need to first understand This

requires discipline

Advise that you can only propose viable solutions that meet

all the criteria and at this stage the criteria are not defined

Otherwise you will be wasting your time and their time and

possibly put their business at risk

Plus how do you know if you have the resources to provide a

solution that will achieve the desired outcome You could be putting

your credibility and reputation at risk too

gtMAINTAIN THE SELF-ESTEEM OF THE BUYER You

donrsquot want to appear arrogant seemingly knowing better

It will damage the trust you have built Respect the wishes

of the client but suggest an alternative approach that

will ensure you are providing accurate information upon

which they can make the best possible buying decision

Submit a proposal without prior agreement of concept and we know

what happensndash the customer does nothing decides on price alone

or you submit repeated proposals until someone figures it outbull

If you donrsquot know exactly what you are proposing and why then you must ask yourself also whether the buyer knows what they are trying to buy or even how they will decide

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 019

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020 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Sales Opportunity Qualification is one of the most valuable skills

for a professional salesperson

to develop In this turbulent

recessionary climate it is very

tempting to chase down every

deal on the prospect list Even

the ones that you know in your

heart you have very little chance

of winning However this can

actually make matters worse by

diverting sales effort away from

the better deals and reducing

your chances of winning those

Stop for Red Flags

Words by Tony Hillyard

ISSUETWENTYNINE

Three critical areas you must explore to qualify leads

Too many salespeople chase large time-consuming deals that they have very little chance of winning We do this because in a tough sales environment it naturally makes us feel better to go after every deal we come across - even when we know we shouldnrsquot

This eats up productive selling time

Salespeople can also often lose deals without knowing why

In many cases it could be that they simply failed to ask one

straightforward question that would have flushed out an objection

or a problem that could have been handled quite easily

Using a Sales Opportunity Qualification Process will enable you

to get a good perspective on where you stand with any sales

opportunity but it is particularly important for your larger deals

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 021

You must address and resolve these three most important issues

before committing a lot of resource to a sales campaign

1 Is it real for us

Although there might be a genuine sales opportunity available

- it might not be available to you or your company for a variety

of reasons

2 Do we want to win itbull What is the risk involved

bull Will it take more work and effort than itrsquos worth

bull Can we adequately resource the sale

3 Can we win itbull Do we have the right solution

bull Do we have a good relationship with the customer

bull How strong is the competition

This Qualification Process will help you answer these questions

and tell you when you have what I call lsquoRed Flagrsquo issues to resolve

Sales Opportunity Qualification is a critical and unequivocal

process You must answer Yes Dont Knowrsquo or No with

complete honesty for all the questions in each section

IF YOU HAVE RED FLAG ISSUES THEN SALES ACTIVITY IS REQUIREDWherever you have answered

No or Dont Know to a question

you have uncovered a Red Flag

issue that could potentially stop

you from winning the sale You

need to stop and think about

what sales activities and sales

calls you must undertake to

get a Yes response to those

questions and get yourself

into a winning position

If there are too many Red Flag

issues you may decide that you

just wonrsquot have enough time to

resolve all of them before the

sale is due to close In those

circumstances you might

need to consider negotiating

for more time Or you may feel

that it is just not worth chasing

because it will involve more

effort than the sale is worth to

you If so you will have saved

yourself a lot of wasted time

that you can invest in finding

a better sales opportunity

022 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Here are the 27 critical qualification questions you must answer

IS IT REAL FOR US

The Decision to Change

- Do they have a compelling reason to change

- Is there Senior Executive support for the need to change

- Have they discounted a lsquodo nothingrsquo option

The Money

- Have they explained the cost justification for this project

- Do they have an approved budget for this project

- Are our costs within their budget

The Timeframe

- Have we agreed a decision process timeline with them

- Does the decision process timeline suit us

- Have they allocated enough time to evaluate our

proposal in detail

- Can we meet their delivery and

implementation timescales

The Commercial Reality

- Have they accepted our commercial terms and conditions

- Are we compliant with all of their mandatory requirements

- Do we have our companys approval to submit a

proposal or a quotation

DO WE WANT TO WIN ITThe Risk versus the Gain

- Is the value of the sale enough

for the effort involved

- Will implementation be

straightforward

- Can we adequately resource

the sales campaign

Salespeople can also often lose deals without knowing why In many cases it could be that

they simply failed to ask one straightforward question that would have

flushed out an objection or a problem that could have

been handled quite easily

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 023

CAN WE WIN IT The Solution

- Are any of our unique features and benefits in their

decision criteria

- Do the Key Influencers favour our solution

- Have we aligned our solution to their Key Business

Drivers and Critical Success Factors

- Are we proposing a low or reasonable risk solution

The Relationship

- Do we have a good relationship track record with them

- Do we have good access to the decision-makers

- Do we have a well-placed Coach

- Are we allowed to sell to all the Key Influencers

on this project

The Competition

- Do we know which of the competitors are favoured

by the customer

- Do we know the strengths and weaknesses

of the main competitors

- Do we know the sales strategies of the main competitors

There are three parts to the Sales

Opportunity Qualification Process

1 Gaining an accurate

perspective on a sales

opportunity by answering all

of the Qualification Questions

with complete honesty

2 Developing all of the sales

activities and sales calls

that are still necessary

to get you into a winning

position for the opportunity

3 Early identification and

elimination of the deals you

canrsquot win and the ones you

donrsquot want to win

Use this Qualifying Large

Sales Opportunities Process

to dramatically improve your

chances of winning the significant

sales opportunities on your

prospect list that you choose to

go after - and stop chasing the

ones you are unlikely to win or

donrsquot want to win bull

Tony Hillyard specialises in giving sales teams around the world smart solutions to help them win more business in difficult or very competitive markets Visit Tonyrsquos website here for more information copy The Sales Academy Ltd All Rights Reserved July 2009

wwwsalesacademynetnz

1

2

3

024 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Words by Bill James

ISSUEFORTYSEVEN

Maybe you are new at sales you topped the training class ndash but just cannot make the sales stick Or you could be a veteran of many sales conquests but more recently you

simply cannot get the deals across the line

Or perhaps you spent a small fortune acquiring a franchise and it looked great on paper You have big plans high hopes and you are putting in the hours to make it happen But somehow the results are not coming and the money is not flowing Whatrsquos wrong

Unfortunately the answer could be you

Especially for franchisees there are lots of promises about fantastic marketing packages and potential clients coming through the door but the simple truth is that you are now self-employed No more sick days No one else to delegate to It is you that has to make that sale and secure your own money

5 Tips for the Reluctant Salesperson

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 025

1So here are five tips that will help get you on track if you action them

Stop thinking of yourself as a lsquoSalesmanrsquo (Or Saleswoman)Think about it The word lsquosalesmanrsquo or saleswomanrsquo does not engender confidence and is not respected even by you

Ask yourself do you like being lsquosoldrsquo Guess what ndash your clients feel the same way

There is a huge amount of negative connotation around this wording and it brings up an image of someone you may not want to be From a small child there is every chance your parents told you that salespeople were pushy and not to be trusted and now you have to become one

This obviously causes a real internal conflict and is in my opinion the number one reason why you could find yourself sabotaging your own efforts Donrsquot believe me Ask yourself these questions

bull Do you approach every sales opportunity in the belief it will be a sale

bull Are you secretly dreading lsquothatrsquo question from your client - The one you find so hard to answer

bull Do you find lots of little jobs to do that keep you so busy that you have little time for new business calls

These issues are even more acute if yoursquore very technical in nature and you like performing the task but not producing the sale

Why not rename yourself so that yoursquore comfortable in saying that word when you represent yourself to a potential client What could you call yourself that sits comfortably with you

Remember your role is to help people make the right decision ndash it is not to sell them something

Ask yourself do you like being lsquosoldrsquo Guess what ndash your clients feel the same way Remember your role is to help people make the right decision ndash it is not to sell them something

026 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3

2 Be yourselfSo many people will put on a persona they think is needed to create a successful sales outcome This is simply not the case and could in fact be what is costing you business

When you went through all the psychological and personality testing (hopefully) when you applied for the job or franchise opportunity these assessments showed the real you and indicated that you should be successful in your business So why are you hiding this real you now

Clients look for faults and are suspicious when you knock on the door because you are promoting a product If they sense falseness about you it will raise their alarms and give them good reason not to buy from you Will your natural personality be what everyone is looking for every time Probably not You will get on with some people better than others

But the reality is especially if you are less experienced you were quite possibly never going to sell to those people anyway The ones that would be attracted to your natural personality will be put off by a fake overlay so stop doing it

The reality is that you could be a complete ratbag but people still buy from complete ratbags ndash as long as they are honest about being one Can you image your reaction to someone whorsquos obviously a ratbag but is pretending to be nice and you can see through it It would make you want to run in the opposite direction wouldnrsquot it

Show some passion for your subjectAgain we put on this persona of lsquoprofessionalismrsquo which means we deliver a very dry presentation What was the passion that got you involved in the first place If it was simply that you thought yoursquod make a lot of money you may possibly have made an error ndash thatrsquos called a job

Clients enjoy your enthusiasm and passion for your product It will take you through the tough times but yoursquoll also need to show it to your clients so they know that you are passionate about what you are doing

This isnrsquot easy in cultures where showing emotion is not the norm but the old saying lsquoenthusiasm sellsrsquo is as true now as it ever was

Let your passion and enthusiasm for your subject out and yoursquoll take your potential client along with you for the ride The big problem is that if you do not show some passion and hide in facts and figures your clients will allocate an emotion and a motivation to you What do you think the chances are that it will be a positive one

None

The reality is that you could be a complete ratbag but people still buy from complete ratbags ndash as long as they are honest about being one

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 027

4

Bill James is an internationally recognised sales speaker and trainer who specialises in referral and relationship marketing To find out more visit his website above

wwwBillJamesSpeakercom

Jargon kills salesOccasionally yoursquoll find someone whorsquos really caught up in the technical aspects of what you do But usually they are initially more interested in knowing you understand and care about their needs If you are technically orientated itrsquos easy to hide in the features of your product but this will stop you truly addressing the need of the client

Often most products appear to be very similar and have similar pricing and so the difference is your ability to uncover their real concerns and needs and address those In this way yoursquoll make a connection at a very personal level which is the key to gaining that commitment from your potential client

Loading them up with jargon will simply occupy their headspace and will actually be counterproductive Talking everyday language that your client can understand and addressing their real needs will result in you making real progress

Use a low logic approach with your potential clientlsquoLow logicrsquo is language that is simple to understand It is almost like approaching your client underneath the radar

Simply approach them in a very matter of fact way (with a certain amount of emotion) and give them the option to decline your services if they want In this way you donrsquot raise any alarm bells and make them feel trapped They are much more likely to come along for the ride this way

For example ldquoMr Prospect the simple reality is businesses like yours can use this product and it has X effect For you to be interested it obviously has to meet X Y Z needs and also fit within your budget and I have to be able to show you the real benefits of working with our company If I canrsquot then itrsquos only fair that I should head for the door But if I can make all that happen then your company is definitely at an advantage Irsquod like to simply sit down with you and run through these different ideas and see where we go from there is that fair enoughrdquo

So be yourself cut the jargon and let your passion for the product speak for itself Approach other people the way you like to be approached and you might well find that your sales increase hugelybull

5

028 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Winning Sales Presentations

ISSUESEVENTYTWO

Words by Debbie Mayo-Smith

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 029

Creating a great sales presentation isnrsquot very different to crafting a great speech You want to keep attention Motivate Convince Move to action Here is a formula that I follow (learnt from the

American maestro Patricia Fripp) that should help you to vastly improve your success when putting together and delivering a sales presentation

To whom are you speakingBe prepared before you go in and know as much about your audience as possible Age attitude industry and gender will all have a bearing on how you present your points Men and women have different senses of humour Younger audiences will be more impatient than older lsquoCrsquo level executives who donrsquot need the details Your presentation style and content must fit their perspective

You are not the heroWhat is the ratio of your PowerPoint slides (or written material) devoted to your company vs the potential client It stands to reason if you are invited to pitch you have already passed the preliminary vetting The convincing is done Wow them stand out from your competition by focusing on them - not stories of you your company achievements or accolades Do you like listening to egotistical sales people Share the glory with sales teams Ensure you put the prospective company in the limelight

I-You Ratio Likewise look through your sales presentations and count how many Irsquos wersquos and usrsquos you have Make certain your slides and stories are about them not you Change the perspective at every opportunity possible

Wrong ldquoOur company is number one in rdquo

Right ldquoYou benefit from our number one standing becauserdquo

Strong openingIf yoursquore pitching a $500000 contract and have only 10 minutes then starting with ldquogood morning ladies and gentlemen thank you for having us hererdquo just cost you over $8300 by wasting 10 seconds

Open differently and strongly Paint a picture Take them into the future Describe how theyrsquore benefiting from the clever decision they made years ago working with you Decision makers want to benefit the company they also want personally to be sure they are taking the right action So highlight how theyrsquoll be remembered for doing the right thing by using your company (donrsquot make it too much of a butter up though)

Answer questions up front What do they want to know from you How can you help them If yoursquore more expensive will take longer or are the underdog ndash do not ignore the fact Theyrsquore thinking it Come straight out early into the presentation with a lsquoI know what yoursquore thinkingrsquo statement then answer their objections

030 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

PremiseBuild the sales presentation around the structure of how they will benefit from what you are asking them to do ldquoYou will save $2 million dollars by using our softwarerdquo or ldquoYou will cut maintenance expenditure by 20 per centrdquo Phrase it so they say to themselves lsquohowrsquo You then answer in a logical and structured way

Points laid out logicallyYou can help them make $2million How You enumerate and discuss the points one by one with examples Point one is cutting costs Point two is increasing revenue Point three is boosting staff productivity Highlighting points by telling a story will work infinitely better for you than simply stating it or just saying why By the way you turn masterful in your sales presentation story telling skills when you give your stories flesh and blood characters and dialogue

Seamless transitionMoving from a main point (cutting costs) to the next (increasing revenue) should have a smooth flow instead of an abrupt change Carrying on our example you could transition by saying ldquolowering costs is only one side of the equation of boosting your profit Increasing sales in a challenging environment might not seem easy let me show you how we helprdquo That places you nicely into the segment on how you increase their revenues

QuestionsDonrsquot end with questions rather take them before you review at the end so you can close on a high note

ReviewIf possible use a story again ndash outlining a client that benefited in all the ways you highlight they will benefit

Repetitive reframes sound bite statementsYou can be sure theyrsquoll remember stories Hit home with better retention by giving them little sound bites and repeating them often

Strong CloseRefer back to your opening story or bring all the elements together describing how theyrsquoll benefit If you didnrsquot use thersquo looking into the futurersquo in your opening you can use it in the closing ldquoPicture yourself in two yearsrsquo time Itrsquos the gala dinner Award night Everyone is abuzz because of the success of the new software system you approved and installed the year before Five different staff have come to you throughout the evening ndash all award winners from their significant leap in productivityrdquo bull

Debbie Mayo-Smith is one of New Zealandrsquos most in-demand speakers trainers and bestselling authors Debbie works with companies that want more effective staff For more tips and business ideas sign up for her free monthly newsletter

wwwsuccessisconz

GOT A PRODUCT SERVICE OR BUSINESS WORTH TALKING ABOUT

Want to grow brand awareness in a more effective and useful way

Get in touch with Jennifer now to discuss our options+64 9 522 7257 (NZT) | jenniferlespiremediacom | wwwespiremediacom

TALK TO ESPIRE MEDIA ABOUT OUR CONTENT MARKETING SERVICES We offer a range of ways to attract and retain customers by creating and curating relevant and valuable content to engage and add value to your audience

BENEFITSbull Expand your digital footprintbull Grow brand awarenessbull Increase traffic to your websitebull Thought leadershipbull Media exposurebull Attract new customersbull And grow SALES

Check out our blog for content marketing advice tips and ideas plus a free copy of our content marketing guide The Content Creation Cookbook

032 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Nine Steps to Supercharge Your Job Hunt

ISSUEEIGHTYFIVE

Tom ONeil shares some strategies to ensure you get a jump on your competition

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 033

1 Follow-up and use your personal networks Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is generally more trusted Therefore a person who is referred to an employer has a higher trust value and therefore a higher chance of getting employed This is especially true if there is not actually an official job vacancy and you are the only person being assessed for the role

Therefore its vital to get back in contact with your network with your good wishes as well as tell them you are now looking for new career opportunities

2 LinkedInGo through your LinkedIn profile with an objective eye making sure your profile sells you as much as possible Look at common keywords in the types of positions you are seeking and ensure these are included in your profile After you have done this ask a friend or two to have a look through as well to see if you have missed anything of importance

Check the number and quality of your recommendations on LinkedIn Social media author Linda Coles calls these your silent salespeople I recently was told a major international IT company would not select any senior level staff unless they had more than 20 recommendations I was chuffed when I read this as I am up to 45 however when I asked Linda I found that she has over 120 Therefore you can start to see the power these sound-bite type recommendations can have

Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from

word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is

generally more trusted Therefore a person who is

referred to an employer has a higher trust value and

therefore a higher chance of getting employed

034 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3 Go back over your successes in the past 12 monthsMost people tend to rush into the job hunting process only really thinking about their successes (and failures) when they are in the interview Were you awarded further authority in your role Did you exceed any sales or performance targets Did you train or mentor any new people All these things are important to an employer so make sure you take some time today to think about the positive things that shaped your career recently (and be sure to include them in your CV)

4 Plan your career not just your next jobRemember that each position is a stepping stone to the next so take some time out to think about what you want to be doing for a role in 2020 Once you have done this map out ideal positions (and study if needed) to get you there

5 Direct marketingHas there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them You would be surprised about the amount of people who because they demonstrated a strong interest in the company got a position personally crafted for them even though there appeared to be no position available The other major benefit of this direct approach is that it means a manager does not have to pay a $15000 recruitment fee as you have come to them for free

6 Check in with your verbal refereesTime and time again a candidate has missed out on a dream job because their referees were too old or not overly positive During my HR and recruitment career I have contacted the referees of candidates I have been really interested in employing and got responses like Oh no is Steve looking for ANOTHER job or Sorry I dont remember a Mike Smith Are you sure he put me as a referee

Contact your referees ensure they are aware that you are back on the job hunt and ask them if they are happy to provide a verbal reference The five-minute call you make today may well be the difference between getting your next job in October or March

Has there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 035

Tom ONeil is a leading international author career specialist and MD of CVCONZ You can contact Tom via email tomcvconz

CVCONZ

7 Follow-upBecause of the nature of the recruitment process (especially executive search and selection) the hiring process can be extremely drawn out Make sure you keep in contact with the recruiterpotential employer on a regular basis Most candidates are not keen to do this as they feel its overly aggressive However as long as you are friendly and professional in your follow-up you should be remembered positively when the time for the final decision comes

8 Take time to tailor your CV cover letter and interview to the roleA vacant position is a major headache for a company especially if that position is at a senior or executive level Therefore its vital that you tailor your entire approach as a complete solution specifically for the opportunity In most job advertisements and position descriptions there is a section entitled Personal SpecificationsCharacteristicsCompetencies etc This section is the key to the role and is what you need to target

Read through the documentation and summarise what the ideal person would look like With your skills achievements qualifications and experiences how can you meet or exceed these requirements

Finally you want to ensure that the main aspects and keywords are mirrored in everything you send to the employer and in your answers during the interview The closer you meet their brief of the ideal candidate the higher the chance of you getting that job

9 Positive state of mindAs the job hunt progresses it can become a painful process However its vital to stay as positive as you can as employers can sense frustration anxiety and antagonism all the emotions they wont want in an employee Make sure you go into each situation with a positive outlook take the best from all situations and remember every challenge is an opportunity to grow and improve your skills bull

036 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

COMPETITION

BOOK GIVEAWAYWe have two copies of the brand new job search manual Youre Hired The Essential Guide to Job Hunting and Personal Branding by Tom ONeil to give away

The book provides up-to-the-minute practical detail to choose the social media strategy best suited to your

situation and ways to promote yourself

through online networks particularly

LinkedIn as well as the importance of

lsquoofflinersquo branding Also included are sections

on reacutesumeacutes and covering letters (with

access online to templates) interviewing

tips networking direct marketing salary

negotiation and career goal-setting making

this the essential job hunting guide

There has been a huge shift over the last

three decades in the way employment

recruitment takes place and the power of

the individual to take control of their job hunt

has improved massively according to career

specialist Tom OrsquoNeil

But the strength of your lsquobrandrsquo and your

ability to sell your skills and achievements

will dictate how successful you are in your

search In this compelling new guide Tom

provides job seekers with simple exercises

and guidance to identify personal attributes and key career highlights that will assist in marketing yourself to potential employers The advice holds equally well for consultants and contractors like real estate agents and insurance brokers looking to procure new business bull

paulnnzsalesmanagerconz Email Paul before 30th November to be in to win a copy We have two copies to giveawayPublished by New Holland Publishers

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 037

QUICKFIX

Honest Apologies

lsquoDue to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control we lthave let you downgthellipAnd end like this lsquoWe apologise for any

inconvenience this may have causedrsquo

As a customer I read this and think ndash well at least they have told me they have stuffed up but they obviously donrsquot want to tell me why because they think that will make them look even worse and their apology is so canned they donrsquot mean it anyway They donrsquot really care

QUICK FIX

To show you do really care and to build a relationship built on trust cut out the canned opening and closing lines that everyone uses and use real language

bull Tell it how you would say it - which is not the canned written way

bull Tell what did happen and what you learned that will improve customer service in the future

bull Show that you understand their business - you should know what inconvenience it has caused them so apologise specifically for this

Do this and your customers will be much more understanding bull

bull

So itrsquos all gone wrong and you have let your customer down Itrsquos time to write to them with an apology How many letters start like this

038 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Ive been reading and using pieces from NZ Sales Manager magazine since Jan 2011 It has helped me immensely in gaining trust and building sales teams It gives me motivation each month to try something new and see if I can mould it to suit our team Thank you for providing this sales tool - it really has been a great source of information and motivation

Shaun Matheson

It gives me great pleasure to acknowledge all the wonderful work done by the NZ Sales Manager Magazine and all the efforts put in by the editor Mr Paul Newsom

This magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning tool With a well laid out plan this magazine has given all sales professionals including myself a great platform to focus and learn from and thus being very successful in our sales efforts in a very demanding business environment

Congratulations for coming up to your 100th issue which is indeed a great milestone and I personally wish the magazine and all those who run it every success and keep up the great work

Best WishesIvo DrsquoSilva Sales amp Customer Service Manager

THANKYOUFROMOURREADERS

ldquoThis magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning toolrdquoRegional

Manager

at

EDL

Fasteners

Ltd

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 039

Congratulations on the 100th issue of NZ Sales Manager eMag You provide valuable tips on selling and sales management and your 100th issue is great proof that you share great ideas that your readers appreciate and find usefulGraham McGregor Marketing Advisor amp Journalist

A big congrats to NZ Sales Manager on the 100th issue Thanks for your wonderful insights challenging the norm and keeping us focused on doing our best We look forward to the next 100Paul Brophy Team Leader NZ at CXC Global

ldquoThanks for your

wonderful insights

challenging the norm

and keeping us focused

on doing our bestrdquo

Sales management everywhere should be reading the NZ Sales Manager Congrats on your 100th issueJill Konrath Author of Agile Selling SNAP Selling and Selling to Big Companies

What a wonderful milestone for such a useful and inspiring magazine Congratulations to you and all your hard workLinda Coles Online Marketing Expert

Great work and contribution to Sales Managers all across NZ Thank you Ambrose Blowfield Owner The Marketing Company

To the editors and team behind NZSM well done Many growing challenges in the sales arena at an accelerating pace of change and great you have contributed so much to the profession Stuart Edmunds Founder of New Zealand Institute of Sales bull

040 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

EVENTSCALENDAR

DATE NAME PLACE COMPANY27 November Sales Management Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

1 December Negotiation Skills Wellington IMNZ

1 December Sales Seminar Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

2 December Key Account Management Christchurch IMNZ

2 December Effective Sales Prospecting Auckland PD Training

8 December Sales Basics Auckland Geewiz

9 December Advanced Serious Selling Auckland Geewiz

11 December Sales Training Auckland PD Training

15 December Cold Calling and Prospecting Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

15 December Professional Telephone Skills Training

Auckland PD Training

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 041

THECLOSE

ldquoI never ran 1000 miles I could never

have done that I ran 1 mile 1000 timesrdquo

Subscribe at wwwnzsalesmanagerconz ITrsquoS FREE

Lucian Milasan Shutterstockcom

- Stu Mittleman

Page 5: NZ Sales Manager – Issue 100

$000SAVE UP TO

$377

To find out more call 0800 022 BIZ or visit 2degreesmobileconzbusiness

Switch to a 2degrees small business plan and take a 3 month bill holiday

With a $12583 Business Select Plan (excl GST) 3 months free Plan Fee only excludes out of bundle charges or overage New 2degrees customers only Offer ends 301115 See 2degreesmobileconz for full conditions

MC4514A BUS 3 months offer V2indd 1 161015 223 PM

06 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

FROMTHEFOUNDER

Words by Richard Liew

100 Not Out A Letter From The Founder

In 2001 when transitioning from a career in accounting into my first sales job selling Eftpos terminals on commission only the first thing I did was to head to the bookstore to look for

New Zealandrsquos sales industry magazine I figured that as a new salesperson the best thing to do was learn as much as I could about this thing called selling so that I could get up to speed and off the bottom of the sales leader board as soon as possible

To my surprise the publication I was looking for didnrsquot exist I could not understand why one of New Zealandrsquos most important professions did not have its own magazine Oh well I thought someone will soon fix that

Fast forward to 2008 after several years at the coalface of selling sales training and recruitment it was clear to me that the common denominator amongst top salespeople and sales managers was not just a positive attitude or good work ethic but a willingness to learn and continually be assimilating new ideas testing them out tweaking and refining their approach until they get the desired results

Like professional athletes true sales professionals are constantly working on themselves and to me it is the defining feature of what it means to be a sales professional as opposed to just another salesperson Sales professionals understand that in order to keep earning they must always be learning

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 07

So we launched NZ Sales Manager all those years ago with the simple goal of helping the people we knew in sales and it now gives me great pleasure to congratulate the team and the title on its 100th issue

A huge thanks and congratulations must go to Paul Newsom who as Editor has done a fantastic job as steward not just of the publication but of the sales profession in general Well done Paul and thank you for making NZ Sales Manager something to be proud of

Similarly thank you to our talented Art Director Jodi Olsson who was able to take our vision for the publication and make it real Itrsquos great to see NZ Sales Manager continuing to evolve navigating the fine line between pleasing design and easy reading

Thank you to all of our experts who have shared their knowledge wisdom and experience throughout the pages of NZ Sales Manager over the years One can only imagine how much your insights and encouragement have contributed to the success of New Zealandrsquos salespeople the businesses they represent and the wider New Zealand economy

Lastly thanks to you our readers throughout New Zealand and around the world The role of the modern sales professional continues to change and evolve as I write this and with your support we look forward to serving you for another 100 issues at least

Irsquod like to leave you with a quote from one of my heros Jim Rohn

Richard Liew Founder NZ Sales Manager magazine

wwwespiremediacom

ldquoWork harder on yourself than you do on your job If you work hard on your job you can make a living If you work hard on yourself you can make a fortunerdquo

08 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Su Walker is National Sales Manager with ABC Business Sales New Zealandrsquos leading business sales company Su manages a sales team of 29 and shares here some insights

from her extensive international sales career in the technology

industry in the UK France and New Zealand

PASSIONATEABOUTSALES

Interview with Su Walkerof ABC Business Sales

Why did you get into sales It was by chance I was in a sales administration role at the time and my boss suggested I try it

Where did you learn to be a sales managerWhilst I was working for one of the UKrsquos top IT companies

What is the best thing about being a sales managerBeing part of the team and having the opportunity to influence empower and support the team to achieve personal and professional success

What do you look for in sales people when you are recruitingOur business is about helping people realise their dreams In addition to having strong business skills and experience I look for people that have a positive attitude are passionate have a sense of humour are able to articulate a value proposition and present themselves credibly

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 09

Su Walker is National Sales Manager with ABC Business Sales New Zealandrsquos leading business sales company

wwwbusinessesforsaleconz

What sets the top sales people apart from the restTheir ability to listen and qualify well able to articulate the business requirements and create value in the service or solution being proposed They are typically self-motivated disciplined well organised communicate well and create urgency in closing sales

Whats your worst sales momentMaking an assumption on the venue for a client presentation and turning up to the wrong location with the Managing Director

Tell us about the sales success you are most proud ofOn the successful conclusion of a large services contract I was commended by the decision maker as the reason the business selected our organisation however I attribute the success to the great team working with me

How do you motivate sales peopleBy working with them to understand support encourage and coach ndash help them to believe in themselves

Advice for someone considering a career in sales management The skill set is totally different as you go from only managing yourself to managing a whole team all with different strengths weaknesses problems goals and emotions

Sales Management is about coaching so training before the transition is integral as would be finding a suitable mentor to support you during this time bull

ldquoOur business is about helping people realise their dreams In addition to having strong business skills and experience I look for people that have a positive attitude are passionate have a sense of humour are able to articulate a value proposition and present themselves crediblyrdquo

Brought to you by 2degrees

010 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Taking the pulse of New Zealandrsquos sales profession

The New World of Selling

The world of the traditional sales professional has undergone significant change especially over the last decade It wouldnrsquot be wrong to say that 2008rsquos Global Financial Crisis as with

other major historical economic events played an integral part in the latest cycle of challenges shaking sales organisations to the core when the money dried up

While we have largely recovered from the GFC fallout New Zealand sales professionals in both business-to-consumer and business-to-business must now navigate the increasing impact of the online world including social media on lead generation and the sales cycle

Recent research by Influence Central revealed that for 90 of consumers an online review of a product or service is more important than input from a salesperson Constant connectivity coupled with increasing dependence on the all seeing all knowing Internet has changed the way people buy and thus the way sales professionals must sell

It is clear that buyers like to do their own research to get the maximum value out of every dollar they spend before they make any purchase and this has made the work of sales professionals even more challenging

We spoke to five New Zealand sales training and development experts to take the pulse of the sales profession in New Zealand and get their take on the three biggest challenges facing our sales professionals

Here are their insights

Words by Navdeep Kaur Marwah

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 011

Martin PercivalManaging Director AchieveGlobal NZ

gtPRESSURE TO DEVELOP NEW OPPORTUNITIES OR LEADSNew Zealand as a marketplace has always been finite in terms of opportunity and leads As such sales endeavours have often related to the cyclical buying requirements related to reinvestment and maintenance and then the GFC landed Wersquore still experiencing the spend rationalisation and conservative behaviour that permeated the years following the GFC In addition when we do spend we look for cheaper alternatives or drive discounts in our suppliers As a result sales organisations are putting increasing pressures and emphasis on sales team members to adopt new strategies new thought processes and skills generally without training or support to prospect and open doors in a marketplace already limited with opportunity as pre-existing relationships dry up

gtLESS EMPHASIS ON PRE-EXISTING RELATIONSHIPSHistorically the New Zealand marketplace has been heavily weighted in terms of inter-personal relationships Being able to build relationships built on trust meant long-term success and ensured that the competition couldnrsquot enter the fray In the current climate however budget holders are expected to show a positive return on investment and often find themselves in an extended procurement process with additional team members who focus on the tangible financial aspects of a transaction rather than the immeasurable service or relationship aspect In essence it has become about price and the salespersons who differentiated themselves through their relationships are struggling to maintain their position

gtLACK OF MOTIVATIONOver the past few years increased buyer expectations longer sales cycles reduced budgets and increasing price competition have all contributed towards the fact that sales has become a far more challenging profession Sales professionals now need to work twice as hard for a budget which has been slashed to the smallest permissible level Therefore sales professionals now must possess a resilience beyond that which was required in the past ndash to remain motivated and excited about the next potential opportunity

Sales professionals now must possess a resilience beyond that which was required in the past ndash to remain motivated and excited about the next potential opportunity

ldquo

ldquo

012 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Ross WilsonCEO Growing Organisations

gtMAINTAINING A HUMAN RELATIONSHIP WITH THE BUYER IN THE DIGITAL AGEOur customers time resource is stretched to breaking point Everyone is meetinged out and exhausted As a result meetings are set weeks in advance if you get one at all Often we have to resort to phone meetings instead Therefore even existing customers are harder and harder to get time with

gtKEEPING UP WITH THE RAPID TURNOVER OF STAFFContacts especially gate-keepers as well as decision-makers move on before youve been able to build trust and hence one has to start building trust and relationships with the new people all over again

gtCOMPLYING WITH MARKETING DEPARTMENTS DEMAND TO KEEP CRM (CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT) SYSTEMS CURRENT AT ALL TIMESThis requires hours of a sales persons time every week taking them away from productive sales activity Obviously this impacts their sales performance and results

Stuart EdmundsCEO New Zealand Sales Institute

gtLACK OF LASER LIKE FOCUSEvery company in every industry has their own unique sales challenges but one universal issue is the frustrated inability of sellers to focus on the most important things Salespeople fight the daily war against distractions and non-urgent activities that come up with the inevitable impact on focusing exclusively on whatrsquos most important to your pipeline

gtEMBRACING TECHNOLOGYTechnology adoption among sales professionals has been well behind marketing There is now an explosion of sales automation technologies specific to sales professionals but those same sales professionals need to take advantage of what is now in front of them There is still tremendous scope for more effective tools to play an increasingly important role in improving sales productivity and effectiveness

gtNEED FOR GREAT SALES MANAGEMENTFar too few salespeople have competent sales management who can guide coach support mentor motivate and direct their activities apart from keeping other conflicting priorities at bay and helping them in creating the best environment to ultimately drive (over-) achievement of sales

ldquo

Salespeople fight the daily war against distractions and non-urgent activities

ldquo

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 013

Joanne Hyland Director ProFormance

gtKEEPING UP WITH THE TECHNOLOGYTechnology coupled with the speed of change is inevitably going to have a widespread and highly impactful effect on sales people and our ability to sell effectively Our customers are able to access all sorts of information about ourselves our company and our products through online sources without even conversing with us Some of the information online we can control and hence is positive on the brand

But inevitably there will be information that we cannot control including friends putting inappropriate photos of us online customers publishing product reviews we donrsquot like and competitors outplaying us This puts increasing pressure on organisations and their sales teams to be constantly informed and able to respond appropriately

Moreover our sales resources have changed Our customers expect us to have smartphones tablets and to be able to immediately access sales information stock levels pricing options that help them to make their decision They are not prepared to wait in this environment where we are all time poor and want immediate solutions

gtPROVIDING CUSTOMISED SOLUTIONS Sales is a competitive industry where the dynamics change continuously With all the technology we have at our fingertips we should have live comprehensive sales data to inform educate and advise our customer on the best solution for their business No two customers should be treated the same or given the same offer In-depth analysis enables us to tailor our offer in a manner that is winwin for our customer and us The outstanding sales person should aim to be in the position whereby your customer does not want to be without himher

gtOVERCOMING OUR OWN LIMITATIONSA good salesperson needs to be aware of hisher skills and abilities as well as hisher limitations They need to source feedback and coaching to enable continuous self-improvement They need to look for opportunities to upskill to grow and develop

A good salesperson needs to be aware of hisher skills and abilities as well as hisher limitations

ldquo

ldquo

014 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

wwwespiremediacom

Paul ODonohueCEO SalesSTAR

gtGETTING IN FRONT OF THEIR TARGET MARKET The people who we need to reach have become busier than they used to be five years ago Moreover they are bombarded with 1000rsquos of marketing messages every day Getting their attention is a big challenge

gtCOMMODITISATION OF PRODUCTSERVICE It is a global world and our products and services are being commoditised

gtPROLONGED SALES CYCLESMost of the time companies only buy if they have to buy so decisions are being stalled

Knowledge is power More knowledge is more powerIt is clear the modern salesperson must be provided with a level of management support and guidance that goes far beyond simply increasing their targets for new meetings or cold calls or sales each week The pressures of rationalised sales teams and budgets increased reporting pressures and increased operational requirements can leave sales reps feeling isolated unrecognised and vulnerable There needs to be more sales management capability in NZ providing more coaching and support for sales team members

The sales professional of today must understand that more than ever in this ever changing playing field it is the survival of the fittest On the bright side the sales professional who is flexible resourceful and innovative and can add something of real value to each customer interaction will always be able to make his or her mark bull

The people who we need to reach have

become busier than they

used to be five years ago

Getting their attention is a

big challenge

ldquo

ldquo

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Inivio have teamed up with Roy Morgan Research to create Landscape powered by Helix providing a dynamic and comprehensive view of New Zealand consumers

Roy Morgan collect a myriad of data on everything from income discretionary spend response to marketing mediums and thousands of other variables that drive New Zealand consumer attitudes and buying behaviour

Landscape Powered by Helix builds upon Roy Morganrsquos Helix segmentation solution with enhancements utilising Iniviorsquos verified household level intelligence to create the most dynamic and granular segmentation solution for NZ

Landscape powered by Helix

To find out more contact Inivio on 09 367 6285 or visit wwwinivioconzNext steps

copy 2013 Veda Advantage Solutions Group Pty Limited

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016 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Indecent ProposalsPaul Newsom explains how being too eager to prepare sales proposals can lead to wasted time and lost sales opportunities

Proposals have a special place in the mind of many sales people They are one of the milestones of the sales process and are often the main weapon in the sales armoury They

are the lsquomeat of the dinnerrsquo Gaining the opportunity to submit a proposal is considered by many to be a major success Hours of writing and a few candles later a proposal is proudly submitted

Excitement anticipation and anxiety reaches fever pitch while we wait for the outcome to see whether the customer will choose the beef lamb or fish from our proposal

Then guess what the request comes back to quote a vegetarian option (because a competitor has suggested this) and back to work we go developing a winning proposal for the vegetarian On a bad day the customer goes for the pork and you miss out On a good day the customer dines with you

Rather than writing your proposal as soon as the client asks what is on the menu and then spending valuable time at the proposal end of the sales cycle the place to spend your time is doing a good diagnosis and selecting the optimal solution with the client

ISSUEONE

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 017

This is the lsquomeatrsquo of developing complex sales For example you must spend time understanding how and why beef is the best option then how the client likes their beef cooked

Donrsquot let proposals become a substitute for building trust or do the selling for you whereby you are over-reliant on the proposal to win the deal Such proposals are easy to pick - they are top heavy in lsquoabout usrsquo capability information that seldom gets read

Since customers donrsquot buy proposals (they buy solutions and value) instead build trust through the strength of your diagnosis and use the proposal to simply confirm all that you have agreed Your two-page proposal will then offer only the desired option and is far more likely to be accepted Done well this has far more impact than any hefty proposal both on your customer and your sales results and the long term relationship

In complex sales the proposal is not the meat it is the gravy It is the part which brings the meal together rather than the main part of the meal

Are You Sure You Know What Yoursquore ProposingOne of the biggest challenges of complex sales is working with customers and buyers who ask you to submit a proposal before you know what you are making a proposal for Responding to a request for a proposal so that the client can consider the possible options can be a tough one to deal with

In this situation we naturally want to seize the opportunity and get our proposal in early to make an impression We wonder what the competition is doing If we do not jump when asked to jump what will the customer think Will the competition have a head start on us Well they wonrsquot they will just be wasting their time guessing what the customer wants and hoping that something will get the interest of the buyer Just the same as you will be Sure you might get lucky once in a while but to succeed in complex sales requires much more than a game of chance and numbers

The consequence of over-reliance on the proposal to sell and submitting too early is that you consume vast amounts of your time and resources preparing a proposal of options most if not all of which never happen

The cost to your organisation can be huge I recall an extreme case for a multi-million dollar project where the senior buyer asked very early on for a proposal of all the possible options to consider

Well evaluating all possible options to be able to make a proposal for them would have taken months and cost $$$rsquos Instead the next few months were valuably spent jointly figuring out the viable options

018 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Paul Newsom is the editor of NZ Sales Manager

To be honest I find this

premature request happens

when buyers donrsquot know what

they are buying or donrsquot know

what the extent of the problem

is Repeated submissions follow

as the buyer progressively gets

a better understanding of what

they are doing As buyers donrsquot

we feel safer reading proposals

in comfort to try and figure it out

ourselves rather than risk being

sold the wrong thing

(Thatrsquos why we buy so much

over the Internet now ndash isnrsquot it)

It is self-defence from the buyer

and a symptom of decades

of poor seller and poor buyer

behaviour working in conflict

If you donrsquot know exactly what

you are proposing and why

then you must ask yourself also

whether the buyer knows what

they are trying to buy or even

how they will decide

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

There are two things you have to do when asked to submit a proposal prematurely gtYOU HAVE TO STAY YOUR GROUND Be firm and say

that in order to submit a proposal upon which they can make

an informed decision you both need to first understand This

requires discipline

Advise that you can only propose viable solutions that meet

all the criteria and at this stage the criteria are not defined

Otherwise you will be wasting your time and their time and

possibly put their business at risk

Plus how do you know if you have the resources to provide a

solution that will achieve the desired outcome You could be putting

your credibility and reputation at risk too

gtMAINTAIN THE SELF-ESTEEM OF THE BUYER You

donrsquot want to appear arrogant seemingly knowing better

It will damage the trust you have built Respect the wishes

of the client but suggest an alternative approach that

will ensure you are providing accurate information upon

which they can make the best possible buying decision

Submit a proposal without prior agreement of concept and we know

what happensndash the customer does nothing decides on price alone

or you submit repeated proposals until someone figures it outbull

If you donrsquot know exactly what you are proposing and why then you must ask yourself also whether the buyer knows what they are trying to buy or even how they will decide

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 019

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020 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Sales Opportunity Qualification is one of the most valuable skills

for a professional salesperson

to develop In this turbulent

recessionary climate it is very

tempting to chase down every

deal on the prospect list Even

the ones that you know in your

heart you have very little chance

of winning However this can

actually make matters worse by

diverting sales effort away from

the better deals and reducing

your chances of winning those

Stop for Red Flags

Words by Tony Hillyard

ISSUETWENTYNINE

Three critical areas you must explore to qualify leads

Too many salespeople chase large time-consuming deals that they have very little chance of winning We do this because in a tough sales environment it naturally makes us feel better to go after every deal we come across - even when we know we shouldnrsquot

This eats up productive selling time

Salespeople can also often lose deals without knowing why

In many cases it could be that they simply failed to ask one

straightforward question that would have flushed out an objection

or a problem that could have been handled quite easily

Using a Sales Opportunity Qualification Process will enable you

to get a good perspective on where you stand with any sales

opportunity but it is particularly important for your larger deals

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 021

You must address and resolve these three most important issues

before committing a lot of resource to a sales campaign

1 Is it real for us

Although there might be a genuine sales opportunity available

- it might not be available to you or your company for a variety

of reasons

2 Do we want to win itbull What is the risk involved

bull Will it take more work and effort than itrsquos worth

bull Can we adequately resource the sale

3 Can we win itbull Do we have the right solution

bull Do we have a good relationship with the customer

bull How strong is the competition

This Qualification Process will help you answer these questions

and tell you when you have what I call lsquoRed Flagrsquo issues to resolve

Sales Opportunity Qualification is a critical and unequivocal

process You must answer Yes Dont Knowrsquo or No with

complete honesty for all the questions in each section

IF YOU HAVE RED FLAG ISSUES THEN SALES ACTIVITY IS REQUIREDWherever you have answered

No or Dont Know to a question

you have uncovered a Red Flag

issue that could potentially stop

you from winning the sale You

need to stop and think about

what sales activities and sales

calls you must undertake to

get a Yes response to those

questions and get yourself

into a winning position

If there are too many Red Flag

issues you may decide that you

just wonrsquot have enough time to

resolve all of them before the

sale is due to close In those

circumstances you might

need to consider negotiating

for more time Or you may feel

that it is just not worth chasing

because it will involve more

effort than the sale is worth to

you If so you will have saved

yourself a lot of wasted time

that you can invest in finding

a better sales opportunity

022 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Here are the 27 critical qualification questions you must answer

IS IT REAL FOR US

The Decision to Change

- Do they have a compelling reason to change

- Is there Senior Executive support for the need to change

- Have they discounted a lsquodo nothingrsquo option

The Money

- Have they explained the cost justification for this project

- Do they have an approved budget for this project

- Are our costs within their budget

The Timeframe

- Have we agreed a decision process timeline with them

- Does the decision process timeline suit us

- Have they allocated enough time to evaluate our

proposal in detail

- Can we meet their delivery and

implementation timescales

The Commercial Reality

- Have they accepted our commercial terms and conditions

- Are we compliant with all of their mandatory requirements

- Do we have our companys approval to submit a

proposal or a quotation

DO WE WANT TO WIN ITThe Risk versus the Gain

- Is the value of the sale enough

for the effort involved

- Will implementation be

straightforward

- Can we adequately resource

the sales campaign

Salespeople can also often lose deals without knowing why In many cases it could be that

they simply failed to ask one straightforward question that would have

flushed out an objection or a problem that could have

been handled quite easily

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 023

CAN WE WIN IT The Solution

- Are any of our unique features and benefits in their

decision criteria

- Do the Key Influencers favour our solution

- Have we aligned our solution to their Key Business

Drivers and Critical Success Factors

- Are we proposing a low or reasonable risk solution

The Relationship

- Do we have a good relationship track record with them

- Do we have good access to the decision-makers

- Do we have a well-placed Coach

- Are we allowed to sell to all the Key Influencers

on this project

The Competition

- Do we know which of the competitors are favoured

by the customer

- Do we know the strengths and weaknesses

of the main competitors

- Do we know the sales strategies of the main competitors

There are three parts to the Sales

Opportunity Qualification Process

1 Gaining an accurate

perspective on a sales

opportunity by answering all

of the Qualification Questions

with complete honesty

2 Developing all of the sales

activities and sales calls

that are still necessary

to get you into a winning

position for the opportunity

3 Early identification and

elimination of the deals you

canrsquot win and the ones you

donrsquot want to win

Use this Qualifying Large

Sales Opportunities Process

to dramatically improve your

chances of winning the significant

sales opportunities on your

prospect list that you choose to

go after - and stop chasing the

ones you are unlikely to win or

donrsquot want to win bull

Tony Hillyard specialises in giving sales teams around the world smart solutions to help them win more business in difficult or very competitive markets Visit Tonyrsquos website here for more information copy The Sales Academy Ltd All Rights Reserved July 2009

wwwsalesacademynetnz

1

2

3

024 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Words by Bill James

ISSUEFORTYSEVEN

Maybe you are new at sales you topped the training class ndash but just cannot make the sales stick Or you could be a veteran of many sales conquests but more recently you

simply cannot get the deals across the line

Or perhaps you spent a small fortune acquiring a franchise and it looked great on paper You have big plans high hopes and you are putting in the hours to make it happen But somehow the results are not coming and the money is not flowing Whatrsquos wrong

Unfortunately the answer could be you

Especially for franchisees there are lots of promises about fantastic marketing packages and potential clients coming through the door but the simple truth is that you are now self-employed No more sick days No one else to delegate to It is you that has to make that sale and secure your own money

5 Tips for the Reluctant Salesperson

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 025

1So here are five tips that will help get you on track if you action them

Stop thinking of yourself as a lsquoSalesmanrsquo (Or Saleswoman)Think about it The word lsquosalesmanrsquo or saleswomanrsquo does not engender confidence and is not respected even by you

Ask yourself do you like being lsquosoldrsquo Guess what ndash your clients feel the same way

There is a huge amount of negative connotation around this wording and it brings up an image of someone you may not want to be From a small child there is every chance your parents told you that salespeople were pushy and not to be trusted and now you have to become one

This obviously causes a real internal conflict and is in my opinion the number one reason why you could find yourself sabotaging your own efforts Donrsquot believe me Ask yourself these questions

bull Do you approach every sales opportunity in the belief it will be a sale

bull Are you secretly dreading lsquothatrsquo question from your client - The one you find so hard to answer

bull Do you find lots of little jobs to do that keep you so busy that you have little time for new business calls

These issues are even more acute if yoursquore very technical in nature and you like performing the task but not producing the sale

Why not rename yourself so that yoursquore comfortable in saying that word when you represent yourself to a potential client What could you call yourself that sits comfortably with you

Remember your role is to help people make the right decision ndash it is not to sell them something

Ask yourself do you like being lsquosoldrsquo Guess what ndash your clients feel the same way Remember your role is to help people make the right decision ndash it is not to sell them something

026 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3

2 Be yourselfSo many people will put on a persona they think is needed to create a successful sales outcome This is simply not the case and could in fact be what is costing you business

When you went through all the psychological and personality testing (hopefully) when you applied for the job or franchise opportunity these assessments showed the real you and indicated that you should be successful in your business So why are you hiding this real you now

Clients look for faults and are suspicious when you knock on the door because you are promoting a product If they sense falseness about you it will raise their alarms and give them good reason not to buy from you Will your natural personality be what everyone is looking for every time Probably not You will get on with some people better than others

But the reality is especially if you are less experienced you were quite possibly never going to sell to those people anyway The ones that would be attracted to your natural personality will be put off by a fake overlay so stop doing it

The reality is that you could be a complete ratbag but people still buy from complete ratbags ndash as long as they are honest about being one Can you image your reaction to someone whorsquos obviously a ratbag but is pretending to be nice and you can see through it It would make you want to run in the opposite direction wouldnrsquot it

Show some passion for your subjectAgain we put on this persona of lsquoprofessionalismrsquo which means we deliver a very dry presentation What was the passion that got you involved in the first place If it was simply that you thought yoursquod make a lot of money you may possibly have made an error ndash thatrsquos called a job

Clients enjoy your enthusiasm and passion for your product It will take you through the tough times but yoursquoll also need to show it to your clients so they know that you are passionate about what you are doing

This isnrsquot easy in cultures where showing emotion is not the norm but the old saying lsquoenthusiasm sellsrsquo is as true now as it ever was

Let your passion and enthusiasm for your subject out and yoursquoll take your potential client along with you for the ride The big problem is that if you do not show some passion and hide in facts and figures your clients will allocate an emotion and a motivation to you What do you think the chances are that it will be a positive one

None

The reality is that you could be a complete ratbag but people still buy from complete ratbags ndash as long as they are honest about being one

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 027

4

Bill James is an internationally recognised sales speaker and trainer who specialises in referral and relationship marketing To find out more visit his website above

wwwBillJamesSpeakercom

Jargon kills salesOccasionally yoursquoll find someone whorsquos really caught up in the technical aspects of what you do But usually they are initially more interested in knowing you understand and care about their needs If you are technically orientated itrsquos easy to hide in the features of your product but this will stop you truly addressing the need of the client

Often most products appear to be very similar and have similar pricing and so the difference is your ability to uncover their real concerns and needs and address those In this way yoursquoll make a connection at a very personal level which is the key to gaining that commitment from your potential client

Loading them up with jargon will simply occupy their headspace and will actually be counterproductive Talking everyday language that your client can understand and addressing their real needs will result in you making real progress

Use a low logic approach with your potential clientlsquoLow logicrsquo is language that is simple to understand It is almost like approaching your client underneath the radar

Simply approach them in a very matter of fact way (with a certain amount of emotion) and give them the option to decline your services if they want In this way you donrsquot raise any alarm bells and make them feel trapped They are much more likely to come along for the ride this way

For example ldquoMr Prospect the simple reality is businesses like yours can use this product and it has X effect For you to be interested it obviously has to meet X Y Z needs and also fit within your budget and I have to be able to show you the real benefits of working with our company If I canrsquot then itrsquos only fair that I should head for the door But if I can make all that happen then your company is definitely at an advantage Irsquod like to simply sit down with you and run through these different ideas and see where we go from there is that fair enoughrdquo

So be yourself cut the jargon and let your passion for the product speak for itself Approach other people the way you like to be approached and you might well find that your sales increase hugelybull

5

028 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Winning Sales Presentations

ISSUESEVENTYTWO

Words by Debbie Mayo-Smith

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 029

Creating a great sales presentation isnrsquot very different to crafting a great speech You want to keep attention Motivate Convince Move to action Here is a formula that I follow (learnt from the

American maestro Patricia Fripp) that should help you to vastly improve your success when putting together and delivering a sales presentation

To whom are you speakingBe prepared before you go in and know as much about your audience as possible Age attitude industry and gender will all have a bearing on how you present your points Men and women have different senses of humour Younger audiences will be more impatient than older lsquoCrsquo level executives who donrsquot need the details Your presentation style and content must fit their perspective

You are not the heroWhat is the ratio of your PowerPoint slides (or written material) devoted to your company vs the potential client It stands to reason if you are invited to pitch you have already passed the preliminary vetting The convincing is done Wow them stand out from your competition by focusing on them - not stories of you your company achievements or accolades Do you like listening to egotistical sales people Share the glory with sales teams Ensure you put the prospective company in the limelight

I-You Ratio Likewise look through your sales presentations and count how many Irsquos wersquos and usrsquos you have Make certain your slides and stories are about them not you Change the perspective at every opportunity possible

Wrong ldquoOur company is number one in rdquo

Right ldquoYou benefit from our number one standing becauserdquo

Strong openingIf yoursquore pitching a $500000 contract and have only 10 minutes then starting with ldquogood morning ladies and gentlemen thank you for having us hererdquo just cost you over $8300 by wasting 10 seconds

Open differently and strongly Paint a picture Take them into the future Describe how theyrsquore benefiting from the clever decision they made years ago working with you Decision makers want to benefit the company they also want personally to be sure they are taking the right action So highlight how theyrsquoll be remembered for doing the right thing by using your company (donrsquot make it too much of a butter up though)

Answer questions up front What do they want to know from you How can you help them If yoursquore more expensive will take longer or are the underdog ndash do not ignore the fact Theyrsquore thinking it Come straight out early into the presentation with a lsquoI know what yoursquore thinkingrsquo statement then answer their objections

030 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

PremiseBuild the sales presentation around the structure of how they will benefit from what you are asking them to do ldquoYou will save $2 million dollars by using our softwarerdquo or ldquoYou will cut maintenance expenditure by 20 per centrdquo Phrase it so they say to themselves lsquohowrsquo You then answer in a logical and structured way

Points laid out logicallyYou can help them make $2million How You enumerate and discuss the points one by one with examples Point one is cutting costs Point two is increasing revenue Point three is boosting staff productivity Highlighting points by telling a story will work infinitely better for you than simply stating it or just saying why By the way you turn masterful in your sales presentation story telling skills when you give your stories flesh and blood characters and dialogue

Seamless transitionMoving from a main point (cutting costs) to the next (increasing revenue) should have a smooth flow instead of an abrupt change Carrying on our example you could transition by saying ldquolowering costs is only one side of the equation of boosting your profit Increasing sales in a challenging environment might not seem easy let me show you how we helprdquo That places you nicely into the segment on how you increase their revenues

QuestionsDonrsquot end with questions rather take them before you review at the end so you can close on a high note

ReviewIf possible use a story again ndash outlining a client that benefited in all the ways you highlight they will benefit

Repetitive reframes sound bite statementsYou can be sure theyrsquoll remember stories Hit home with better retention by giving them little sound bites and repeating them often

Strong CloseRefer back to your opening story or bring all the elements together describing how theyrsquoll benefit If you didnrsquot use thersquo looking into the futurersquo in your opening you can use it in the closing ldquoPicture yourself in two yearsrsquo time Itrsquos the gala dinner Award night Everyone is abuzz because of the success of the new software system you approved and installed the year before Five different staff have come to you throughout the evening ndash all award winners from their significant leap in productivityrdquo bull

Debbie Mayo-Smith is one of New Zealandrsquos most in-demand speakers trainers and bestselling authors Debbie works with companies that want more effective staff For more tips and business ideas sign up for her free monthly newsletter

wwwsuccessisconz

GOT A PRODUCT SERVICE OR BUSINESS WORTH TALKING ABOUT

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Get in touch with Jennifer now to discuss our options+64 9 522 7257 (NZT) | jenniferlespiremediacom | wwwespiremediacom

TALK TO ESPIRE MEDIA ABOUT OUR CONTENT MARKETING SERVICES We offer a range of ways to attract and retain customers by creating and curating relevant and valuable content to engage and add value to your audience

BENEFITSbull Expand your digital footprintbull Grow brand awarenessbull Increase traffic to your websitebull Thought leadershipbull Media exposurebull Attract new customersbull And grow SALES

Check out our blog for content marketing advice tips and ideas plus a free copy of our content marketing guide The Content Creation Cookbook

032 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Nine Steps to Supercharge Your Job Hunt

ISSUEEIGHTYFIVE

Tom ONeil shares some strategies to ensure you get a jump on your competition

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 033

1 Follow-up and use your personal networks Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is generally more trusted Therefore a person who is referred to an employer has a higher trust value and therefore a higher chance of getting employed This is especially true if there is not actually an official job vacancy and you are the only person being assessed for the role

Therefore its vital to get back in contact with your network with your good wishes as well as tell them you are now looking for new career opportunities

2 LinkedInGo through your LinkedIn profile with an objective eye making sure your profile sells you as much as possible Look at common keywords in the types of positions you are seeking and ensure these are included in your profile After you have done this ask a friend or two to have a look through as well to see if you have missed anything of importance

Check the number and quality of your recommendations on LinkedIn Social media author Linda Coles calls these your silent salespeople I recently was told a major international IT company would not select any senior level staff unless they had more than 20 recommendations I was chuffed when I read this as I am up to 45 however when I asked Linda I found that she has over 120 Therefore you can start to see the power these sound-bite type recommendations can have

Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from

word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is

generally more trusted Therefore a person who is

referred to an employer has a higher trust value and

therefore a higher chance of getting employed

034 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3 Go back over your successes in the past 12 monthsMost people tend to rush into the job hunting process only really thinking about their successes (and failures) when they are in the interview Were you awarded further authority in your role Did you exceed any sales or performance targets Did you train or mentor any new people All these things are important to an employer so make sure you take some time today to think about the positive things that shaped your career recently (and be sure to include them in your CV)

4 Plan your career not just your next jobRemember that each position is a stepping stone to the next so take some time out to think about what you want to be doing for a role in 2020 Once you have done this map out ideal positions (and study if needed) to get you there

5 Direct marketingHas there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them You would be surprised about the amount of people who because they demonstrated a strong interest in the company got a position personally crafted for them even though there appeared to be no position available The other major benefit of this direct approach is that it means a manager does not have to pay a $15000 recruitment fee as you have come to them for free

6 Check in with your verbal refereesTime and time again a candidate has missed out on a dream job because their referees were too old or not overly positive During my HR and recruitment career I have contacted the referees of candidates I have been really interested in employing and got responses like Oh no is Steve looking for ANOTHER job or Sorry I dont remember a Mike Smith Are you sure he put me as a referee

Contact your referees ensure they are aware that you are back on the job hunt and ask them if they are happy to provide a verbal reference The five-minute call you make today may well be the difference between getting your next job in October or March

Has there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 035

Tom ONeil is a leading international author career specialist and MD of CVCONZ You can contact Tom via email tomcvconz

CVCONZ

7 Follow-upBecause of the nature of the recruitment process (especially executive search and selection) the hiring process can be extremely drawn out Make sure you keep in contact with the recruiterpotential employer on a regular basis Most candidates are not keen to do this as they feel its overly aggressive However as long as you are friendly and professional in your follow-up you should be remembered positively when the time for the final decision comes

8 Take time to tailor your CV cover letter and interview to the roleA vacant position is a major headache for a company especially if that position is at a senior or executive level Therefore its vital that you tailor your entire approach as a complete solution specifically for the opportunity In most job advertisements and position descriptions there is a section entitled Personal SpecificationsCharacteristicsCompetencies etc This section is the key to the role and is what you need to target

Read through the documentation and summarise what the ideal person would look like With your skills achievements qualifications and experiences how can you meet or exceed these requirements

Finally you want to ensure that the main aspects and keywords are mirrored in everything you send to the employer and in your answers during the interview The closer you meet their brief of the ideal candidate the higher the chance of you getting that job

9 Positive state of mindAs the job hunt progresses it can become a painful process However its vital to stay as positive as you can as employers can sense frustration anxiety and antagonism all the emotions they wont want in an employee Make sure you go into each situation with a positive outlook take the best from all situations and remember every challenge is an opportunity to grow and improve your skills bull

036 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

COMPETITION

BOOK GIVEAWAYWe have two copies of the brand new job search manual Youre Hired The Essential Guide to Job Hunting and Personal Branding by Tom ONeil to give away

The book provides up-to-the-minute practical detail to choose the social media strategy best suited to your

situation and ways to promote yourself

through online networks particularly

LinkedIn as well as the importance of

lsquoofflinersquo branding Also included are sections

on reacutesumeacutes and covering letters (with

access online to templates) interviewing

tips networking direct marketing salary

negotiation and career goal-setting making

this the essential job hunting guide

There has been a huge shift over the last

three decades in the way employment

recruitment takes place and the power of

the individual to take control of their job hunt

has improved massively according to career

specialist Tom OrsquoNeil

But the strength of your lsquobrandrsquo and your

ability to sell your skills and achievements

will dictate how successful you are in your

search In this compelling new guide Tom

provides job seekers with simple exercises

and guidance to identify personal attributes and key career highlights that will assist in marketing yourself to potential employers The advice holds equally well for consultants and contractors like real estate agents and insurance brokers looking to procure new business bull

paulnnzsalesmanagerconz Email Paul before 30th November to be in to win a copy We have two copies to giveawayPublished by New Holland Publishers

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 037

QUICKFIX

Honest Apologies

lsquoDue to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control we lthave let you downgthellipAnd end like this lsquoWe apologise for any

inconvenience this may have causedrsquo

As a customer I read this and think ndash well at least they have told me they have stuffed up but they obviously donrsquot want to tell me why because they think that will make them look even worse and their apology is so canned they donrsquot mean it anyway They donrsquot really care

QUICK FIX

To show you do really care and to build a relationship built on trust cut out the canned opening and closing lines that everyone uses and use real language

bull Tell it how you would say it - which is not the canned written way

bull Tell what did happen and what you learned that will improve customer service in the future

bull Show that you understand their business - you should know what inconvenience it has caused them so apologise specifically for this

Do this and your customers will be much more understanding bull

bull

So itrsquos all gone wrong and you have let your customer down Itrsquos time to write to them with an apology How many letters start like this

038 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Ive been reading and using pieces from NZ Sales Manager magazine since Jan 2011 It has helped me immensely in gaining trust and building sales teams It gives me motivation each month to try something new and see if I can mould it to suit our team Thank you for providing this sales tool - it really has been a great source of information and motivation

Shaun Matheson

It gives me great pleasure to acknowledge all the wonderful work done by the NZ Sales Manager Magazine and all the efforts put in by the editor Mr Paul Newsom

This magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning tool With a well laid out plan this magazine has given all sales professionals including myself a great platform to focus and learn from and thus being very successful in our sales efforts in a very demanding business environment

Congratulations for coming up to your 100th issue which is indeed a great milestone and I personally wish the magazine and all those who run it every success and keep up the great work

Best WishesIvo DrsquoSilva Sales amp Customer Service Manager

THANKYOUFROMOURREADERS

ldquoThis magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning toolrdquoRegional

Manager

at

EDL

Fasteners

Ltd

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 039

Congratulations on the 100th issue of NZ Sales Manager eMag You provide valuable tips on selling and sales management and your 100th issue is great proof that you share great ideas that your readers appreciate and find usefulGraham McGregor Marketing Advisor amp Journalist

A big congrats to NZ Sales Manager on the 100th issue Thanks for your wonderful insights challenging the norm and keeping us focused on doing our best We look forward to the next 100Paul Brophy Team Leader NZ at CXC Global

ldquoThanks for your

wonderful insights

challenging the norm

and keeping us focused

on doing our bestrdquo

Sales management everywhere should be reading the NZ Sales Manager Congrats on your 100th issueJill Konrath Author of Agile Selling SNAP Selling and Selling to Big Companies

What a wonderful milestone for such a useful and inspiring magazine Congratulations to you and all your hard workLinda Coles Online Marketing Expert

Great work and contribution to Sales Managers all across NZ Thank you Ambrose Blowfield Owner The Marketing Company

To the editors and team behind NZSM well done Many growing challenges in the sales arena at an accelerating pace of change and great you have contributed so much to the profession Stuart Edmunds Founder of New Zealand Institute of Sales bull

040 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

EVENTSCALENDAR

DATE NAME PLACE COMPANY27 November Sales Management Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

1 December Negotiation Skills Wellington IMNZ

1 December Sales Seminar Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

2 December Key Account Management Christchurch IMNZ

2 December Effective Sales Prospecting Auckland PD Training

8 December Sales Basics Auckland Geewiz

9 December Advanced Serious Selling Auckland Geewiz

11 December Sales Training Auckland PD Training

15 December Cold Calling and Prospecting Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

15 December Professional Telephone Skills Training

Auckland PD Training

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 041

THECLOSE

ldquoI never ran 1000 miles I could never

have done that I ran 1 mile 1000 timesrdquo

Subscribe at wwwnzsalesmanagerconz ITrsquoS FREE

Lucian Milasan Shutterstockcom

- Stu Mittleman

Page 6: NZ Sales Manager – Issue 100

06 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

FROMTHEFOUNDER

Words by Richard Liew

100 Not Out A Letter From The Founder

In 2001 when transitioning from a career in accounting into my first sales job selling Eftpos terminals on commission only the first thing I did was to head to the bookstore to look for

New Zealandrsquos sales industry magazine I figured that as a new salesperson the best thing to do was learn as much as I could about this thing called selling so that I could get up to speed and off the bottom of the sales leader board as soon as possible

To my surprise the publication I was looking for didnrsquot exist I could not understand why one of New Zealandrsquos most important professions did not have its own magazine Oh well I thought someone will soon fix that

Fast forward to 2008 after several years at the coalface of selling sales training and recruitment it was clear to me that the common denominator amongst top salespeople and sales managers was not just a positive attitude or good work ethic but a willingness to learn and continually be assimilating new ideas testing them out tweaking and refining their approach until they get the desired results

Like professional athletes true sales professionals are constantly working on themselves and to me it is the defining feature of what it means to be a sales professional as opposed to just another salesperson Sales professionals understand that in order to keep earning they must always be learning

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 07

So we launched NZ Sales Manager all those years ago with the simple goal of helping the people we knew in sales and it now gives me great pleasure to congratulate the team and the title on its 100th issue

A huge thanks and congratulations must go to Paul Newsom who as Editor has done a fantastic job as steward not just of the publication but of the sales profession in general Well done Paul and thank you for making NZ Sales Manager something to be proud of

Similarly thank you to our talented Art Director Jodi Olsson who was able to take our vision for the publication and make it real Itrsquos great to see NZ Sales Manager continuing to evolve navigating the fine line between pleasing design and easy reading

Thank you to all of our experts who have shared their knowledge wisdom and experience throughout the pages of NZ Sales Manager over the years One can only imagine how much your insights and encouragement have contributed to the success of New Zealandrsquos salespeople the businesses they represent and the wider New Zealand economy

Lastly thanks to you our readers throughout New Zealand and around the world The role of the modern sales professional continues to change and evolve as I write this and with your support we look forward to serving you for another 100 issues at least

Irsquod like to leave you with a quote from one of my heros Jim Rohn

Richard Liew Founder NZ Sales Manager magazine

wwwespiremediacom

ldquoWork harder on yourself than you do on your job If you work hard on your job you can make a living If you work hard on yourself you can make a fortunerdquo

08 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Su Walker is National Sales Manager with ABC Business Sales New Zealandrsquos leading business sales company Su manages a sales team of 29 and shares here some insights

from her extensive international sales career in the technology

industry in the UK France and New Zealand

PASSIONATEABOUTSALES

Interview with Su Walkerof ABC Business Sales

Why did you get into sales It was by chance I was in a sales administration role at the time and my boss suggested I try it

Where did you learn to be a sales managerWhilst I was working for one of the UKrsquos top IT companies

What is the best thing about being a sales managerBeing part of the team and having the opportunity to influence empower and support the team to achieve personal and professional success

What do you look for in sales people when you are recruitingOur business is about helping people realise their dreams In addition to having strong business skills and experience I look for people that have a positive attitude are passionate have a sense of humour are able to articulate a value proposition and present themselves credibly

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 09

Su Walker is National Sales Manager with ABC Business Sales New Zealandrsquos leading business sales company

wwwbusinessesforsaleconz

What sets the top sales people apart from the restTheir ability to listen and qualify well able to articulate the business requirements and create value in the service or solution being proposed They are typically self-motivated disciplined well organised communicate well and create urgency in closing sales

Whats your worst sales momentMaking an assumption on the venue for a client presentation and turning up to the wrong location with the Managing Director

Tell us about the sales success you are most proud ofOn the successful conclusion of a large services contract I was commended by the decision maker as the reason the business selected our organisation however I attribute the success to the great team working with me

How do you motivate sales peopleBy working with them to understand support encourage and coach ndash help them to believe in themselves

Advice for someone considering a career in sales management The skill set is totally different as you go from only managing yourself to managing a whole team all with different strengths weaknesses problems goals and emotions

Sales Management is about coaching so training before the transition is integral as would be finding a suitable mentor to support you during this time bull

ldquoOur business is about helping people realise their dreams In addition to having strong business skills and experience I look for people that have a positive attitude are passionate have a sense of humour are able to articulate a value proposition and present themselves crediblyrdquo

Brought to you by 2degrees

010 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Taking the pulse of New Zealandrsquos sales profession

The New World of Selling

The world of the traditional sales professional has undergone significant change especially over the last decade It wouldnrsquot be wrong to say that 2008rsquos Global Financial Crisis as with

other major historical economic events played an integral part in the latest cycle of challenges shaking sales organisations to the core when the money dried up

While we have largely recovered from the GFC fallout New Zealand sales professionals in both business-to-consumer and business-to-business must now navigate the increasing impact of the online world including social media on lead generation and the sales cycle

Recent research by Influence Central revealed that for 90 of consumers an online review of a product or service is more important than input from a salesperson Constant connectivity coupled with increasing dependence on the all seeing all knowing Internet has changed the way people buy and thus the way sales professionals must sell

It is clear that buyers like to do their own research to get the maximum value out of every dollar they spend before they make any purchase and this has made the work of sales professionals even more challenging

We spoke to five New Zealand sales training and development experts to take the pulse of the sales profession in New Zealand and get their take on the three biggest challenges facing our sales professionals

Here are their insights

Words by Navdeep Kaur Marwah

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 011

Martin PercivalManaging Director AchieveGlobal NZ

gtPRESSURE TO DEVELOP NEW OPPORTUNITIES OR LEADSNew Zealand as a marketplace has always been finite in terms of opportunity and leads As such sales endeavours have often related to the cyclical buying requirements related to reinvestment and maintenance and then the GFC landed Wersquore still experiencing the spend rationalisation and conservative behaviour that permeated the years following the GFC In addition when we do spend we look for cheaper alternatives or drive discounts in our suppliers As a result sales organisations are putting increasing pressures and emphasis on sales team members to adopt new strategies new thought processes and skills generally without training or support to prospect and open doors in a marketplace already limited with opportunity as pre-existing relationships dry up

gtLESS EMPHASIS ON PRE-EXISTING RELATIONSHIPSHistorically the New Zealand marketplace has been heavily weighted in terms of inter-personal relationships Being able to build relationships built on trust meant long-term success and ensured that the competition couldnrsquot enter the fray In the current climate however budget holders are expected to show a positive return on investment and often find themselves in an extended procurement process with additional team members who focus on the tangible financial aspects of a transaction rather than the immeasurable service or relationship aspect In essence it has become about price and the salespersons who differentiated themselves through their relationships are struggling to maintain their position

gtLACK OF MOTIVATIONOver the past few years increased buyer expectations longer sales cycles reduced budgets and increasing price competition have all contributed towards the fact that sales has become a far more challenging profession Sales professionals now need to work twice as hard for a budget which has been slashed to the smallest permissible level Therefore sales professionals now must possess a resilience beyond that which was required in the past ndash to remain motivated and excited about the next potential opportunity

Sales professionals now must possess a resilience beyond that which was required in the past ndash to remain motivated and excited about the next potential opportunity

ldquo

ldquo

012 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Ross WilsonCEO Growing Organisations

gtMAINTAINING A HUMAN RELATIONSHIP WITH THE BUYER IN THE DIGITAL AGEOur customers time resource is stretched to breaking point Everyone is meetinged out and exhausted As a result meetings are set weeks in advance if you get one at all Often we have to resort to phone meetings instead Therefore even existing customers are harder and harder to get time with

gtKEEPING UP WITH THE RAPID TURNOVER OF STAFFContacts especially gate-keepers as well as decision-makers move on before youve been able to build trust and hence one has to start building trust and relationships with the new people all over again

gtCOMPLYING WITH MARKETING DEPARTMENTS DEMAND TO KEEP CRM (CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT) SYSTEMS CURRENT AT ALL TIMESThis requires hours of a sales persons time every week taking them away from productive sales activity Obviously this impacts their sales performance and results

Stuart EdmundsCEO New Zealand Sales Institute

gtLACK OF LASER LIKE FOCUSEvery company in every industry has their own unique sales challenges but one universal issue is the frustrated inability of sellers to focus on the most important things Salespeople fight the daily war against distractions and non-urgent activities that come up with the inevitable impact on focusing exclusively on whatrsquos most important to your pipeline

gtEMBRACING TECHNOLOGYTechnology adoption among sales professionals has been well behind marketing There is now an explosion of sales automation technologies specific to sales professionals but those same sales professionals need to take advantage of what is now in front of them There is still tremendous scope for more effective tools to play an increasingly important role in improving sales productivity and effectiveness

gtNEED FOR GREAT SALES MANAGEMENTFar too few salespeople have competent sales management who can guide coach support mentor motivate and direct their activities apart from keeping other conflicting priorities at bay and helping them in creating the best environment to ultimately drive (over-) achievement of sales

ldquo

Salespeople fight the daily war against distractions and non-urgent activities

ldquo

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 013

Joanne Hyland Director ProFormance

gtKEEPING UP WITH THE TECHNOLOGYTechnology coupled with the speed of change is inevitably going to have a widespread and highly impactful effect on sales people and our ability to sell effectively Our customers are able to access all sorts of information about ourselves our company and our products through online sources without even conversing with us Some of the information online we can control and hence is positive on the brand

But inevitably there will be information that we cannot control including friends putting inappropriate photos of us online customers publishing product reviews we donrsquot like and competitors outplaying us This puts increasing pressure on organisations and their sales teams to be constantly informed and able to respond appropriately

Moreover our sales resources have changed Our customers expect us to have smartphones tablets and to be able to immediately access sales information stock levels pricing options that help them to make their decision They are not prepared to wait in this environment where we are all time poor and want immediate solutions

gtPROVIDING CUSTOMISED SOLUTIONS Sales is a competitive industry where the dynamics change continuously With all the technology we have at our fingertips we should have live comprehensive sales data to inform educate and advise our customer on the best solution for their business No two customers should be treated the same or given the same offer In-depth analysis enables us to tailor our offer in a manner that is winwin for our customer and us The outstanding sales person should aim to be in the position whereby your customer does not want to be without himher

gtOVERCOMING OUR OWN LIMITATIONSA good salesperson needs to be aware of hisher skills and abilities as well as hisher limitations They need to source feedback and coaching to enable continuous self-improvement They need to look for opportunities to upskill to grow and develop

A good salesperson needs to be aware of hisher skills and abilities as well as hisher limitations

ldquo

ldquo

014 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

wwwespiremediacom

Paul ODonohueCEO SalesSTAR

gtGETTING IN FRONT OF THEIR TARGET MARKET The people who we need to reach have become busier than they used to be five years ago Moreover they are bombarded with 1000rsquos of marketing messages every day Getting their attention is a big challenge

gtCOMMODITISATION OF PRODUCTSERVICE It is a global world and our products and services are being commoditised

gtPROLONGED SALES CYCLESMost of the time companies only buy if they have to buy so decisions are being stalled

Knowledge is power More knowledge is more powerIt is clear the modern salesperson must be provided with a level of management support and guidance that goes far beyond simply increasing their targets for new meetings or cold calls or sales each week The pressures of rationalised sales teams and budgets increased reporting pressures and increased operational requirements can leave sales reps feeling isolated unrecognised and vulnerable There needs to be more sales management capability in NZ providing more coaching and support for sales team members

The sales professional of today must understand that more than ever in this ever changing playing field it is the survival of the fittest On the bright side the sales professional who is flexible resourceful and innovative and can add something of real value to each customer interaction will always be able to make his or her mark bull

The people who we need to reach have

become busier than they

used to be five years ago

Getting their attention is a

big challenge

ldquo

ldquo

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016 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Indecent ProposalsPaul Newsom explains how being too eager to prepare sales proposals can lead to wasted time and lost sales opportunities

Proposals have a special place in the mind of many sales people They are one of the milestones of the sales process and are often the main weapon in the sales armoury They

are the lsquomeat of the dinnerrsquo Gaining the opportunity to submit a proposal is considered by many to be a major success Hours of writing and a few candles later a proposal is proudly submitted

Excitement anticipation and anxiety reaches fever pitch while we wait for the outcome to see whether the customer will choose the beef lamb or fish from our proposal

Then guess what the request comes back to quote a vegetarian option (because a competitor has suggested this) and back to work we go developing a winning proposal for the vegetarian On a bad day the customer goes for the pork and you miss out On a good day the customer dines with you

Rather than writing your proposal as soon as the client asks what is on the menu and then spending valuable time at the proposal end of the sales cycle the place to spend your time is doing a good diagnosis and selecting the optimal solution with the client

ISSUEONE

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 017

This is the lsquomeatrsquo of developing complex sales For example you must spend time understanding how and why beef is the best option then how the client likes their beef cooked

Donrsquot let proposals become a substitute for building trust or do the selling for you whereby you are over-reliant on the proposal to win the deal Such proposals are easy to pick - they are top heavy in lsquoabout usrsquo capability information that seldom gets read

Since customers donrsquot buy proposals (they buy solutions and value) instead build trust through the strength of your diagnosis and use the proposal to simply confirm all that you have agreed Your two-page proposal will then offer only the desired option and is far more likely to be accepted Done well this has far more impact than any hefty proposal both on your customer and your sales results and the long term relationship

In complex sales the proposal is not the meat it is the gravy It is the part which brings the meal together rather than the main part of the meal

Are You Sure You Know What Yoursquore ProposingOne of the biggest challenges of complex sales is working with customers and buyers who ask you to submit a proposal before you know what you are making a proposal for Responding to a request for a proposal so that the client can consider the possible options can be a tough one to deal with

In this situation we naturally want to seize the opportunity and get our proposal in early to make an impression We wonder what the competition is doing If we do not jump when asked to jump what will the customer think Will the competition have a head start on us Well they wonrsquot they will just be wasting their time guessing what the customer wants and hoping that something will get the interest of the buyer Just the same as you will be Sure you might get lucky once in a while but to succeed in complex sales requires much more than a game of chance and numbers

The consequence of over-reliance on the proposal to sell and submitting too early is that you consume vast amounts of your time and resources preparing a proposal of options most if not all of which never happen

The cost to your organisation can be huge I recall an extreme case for a multi-million dollar project where the senior buyer asked very early on for a proposal of all the possible options to consider

Well evaluating all possible options to be able to make a proposal for them would have taken months and cost $$$rsquos Instead the next few months were valuably spent jointly figuring out the viable options

018 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Paul Newsom is the editor of NZ Sales Manager

To be honest I find this

premature request happens

when buyers donrsquot know what

they are buying or donrsquot know

what the extent of the problem

is Repeated submissions follow

as the buyer progressively gets

a better understanding of what

they are doing As buyers donrsquot

we feel safer reading proposals

in comfort to try and figure it out

ourselves rather than risk being

sold the wrong thing

(Thatrsquos why we buy so much

over the Internet now ndash isnrsquot it)

It is self-defence from the buyer

and a symptom of decades

of poor seller and poor buyer

behaviour working in conflict

If you donrsquot know exactly what

you are proposing and why

then you must ask yourself also

whether the buyer knows what

they are trying to buy or even

how they will decide

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

There are two things you have to do when asked to submit a proposal prematurely gtYOU HAVE TO STAY YOUR GROUND Be firm and say

that in order to submit a proposal upon which they can make

an informed decision you both need to first understand This

requires discipline

Advise that you can only propose viable solutions that meet

all the criteria and at this stage the criteria are not defined

Otherwise you will be wasting your time and their time and

possibly put their business at risk

Plus how do you know if you have the resources to provide a

solution that will achieve the desired outcome You could be putting

your credibility and reputation at risk too

gtMAINTAIN THE SELF-ESTEEM OF THE BUYER You

donrsquot want to appear arrogant seemingly knowing better

It will damage the trust you have built Respect the wishes

of the client but suggest an alternative approach that

will ensure you are providing accurate information upon

which they can make the best possible buying decision

Submit a proposal without prior agreement of concept and we know

what happensndash the customer does nothing decides on price alone

or you submit repeated proposals until someone figures it outbull

If you donrsquot know exactly what you are proposing and why then you must ask yourself also whether the buyer knows what they are trying to buy or even how they will decide

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 019

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020 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Sales Opportunity Qualification is one of the most valuable skills

for a professional salesperson

to develop In this turbulent

recessionary climate it is very

tempting to chase down every

deal on the prospect list Even

the ones that you know in your

heart you have very little chance

of winning However this can

actually make matters worse by

diverting sales effort away from

the better deals and reducing

your chances of winning those

Stop for Red Flags

Words by Tony Hillyard

ISSUETWENTYNINE

Three critical areas you must explore to qualify leads

Too many salespeople chase large time-consuming deals that they have very little chance of winning We do this because in a tough sales environment it naturally makes us feel better to go after every deal we come across - even when we know we shouldnrsquot

This eats up productive selling time

Salespeople can also often lose deals without knowing why

In many cases it could be that they simply failed to ask one

straightforward question that would have flushed out an objection

or a problem that could have been handled quite easily

Using a Sales Opportunity Qualification Process will enable you

to get a good perspective on where you stand with any sales

opportunity but it is particularly important for your larger deals

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 021

You must address and resolve these three most important issues

before committing a lot of resource to a sales campaign

1 Is it real for us

Although there might be a genuine sales opportunity available

- it might not be available to you or your company for a variety

of reasons

2 Do we want to win itbull What is the risk involved

bull Will it take more work and effort than itrsquos worth

bull Can we adequately resource the sale

3 Can we win itbull Do we have the right solution

bull Do we have a good relationship with the customer

bull How strong is the competition

This Qualification Process will help you answer these questions

and tell you when you have what I call lsquoRed Flagrsquo issues to resolve

Sales Opportunity Qualification is a critical and unequivocal

process You must answer Yes Dont Knowrsquo or No with

complete honesty for all the questions in each section

IF YOU HAVE RED FLAG ISSUES THEN SALES ACTIVITY IS REQUIREDWherever you have answered

No or Dont Know to a question

you have uncovered a Red Flag

issue that could potentially stop

you from winning the sale You

need to stop and think about

what sales activities and sales

calls you must undertake to

get a Yes response to those

questions and get yourself

into a winning position

If there are too many Red Flag

issues you may decide that you

just wonrsquot have enough time to

resolve all of them before the

sale is due to close In those

circumstances you might

need to consider negotiating

for more time Or you may feel

that it is just not worth chasing

because it will involve more

effort than the sale is worth to

you If so you will have saved

yourself a lot of wasted time

that you can invest in finding

a better sales opportunity

022 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Here are the 27 critical qualification questions you must answer

IS IT REAL FOR US

The Decision to Change

- Do they have a compelling reason to change

- Is there Senior Executive support for the need to change

- Have they discounted a lsquodo nothingrsquo option

The Money

- Have they explained the cost justification for this project

- Do they have an approved budget for this project

- Are our costs within their budget

The Timeframe

- Have we agreed a decision process timeline with them

- Does the decision process timeline suit us

- Have they allocated enough time to evaluate our

proposal in detail

- Can we meet their delivery and

implementation timescales

The Commercial Reality

- Have they accepted our commercial terms and conditions

- Are we compliant with all of their mandatory requirements

- Do we have our companys approval to submit a

proposal or a quotation

DO WE WANT TO WIN ITThe Risk versus the Gain

- Is the value of the sale enough

for the effort involved

- Will implementation be

straightforward

- Can we adequately resource

the sales campaign

Salespeople can also often lose deals without knowing why In many cases it could be that

they simply failed to ask one straightforward question that would have

flushed out an objection or a problem that could have

been handled quite easily

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 023

CAN WE WIN IT The Solution

- Are any of our unique features and benefits in their

decision criteria

- Do the Key Influencers favour our solution

- Have we aligned our solution to their Key Business

Drivers and Critical Success Factors

- Are we proposing a low or reasonable risk solution

The Relationship

- Do we have a good relationship track record with them

- Do we have good access to the decision-makers

- Do we have a well-placed Coach

- Are we allowed to sell to all the Key Influencers

on this project

The Competition

- Do we know which of the competitors are favoured

by the customer

- Do we know the strengths and weaknesses

of the main competitors

- Do we know the sales strategies of the main competitors

There are three parts to the Sales

Opportunity Qualification Process

1 Gaining an accurate

perspective on a sales

opportunity by answering all

of the Qualification Questions

with complete honesty

2 Developing all of the sales

activities and sales calls

that are still necessary

to get you into a winning

position for the opportunity

3 Early identification and

elimination of the deals you

canrsquot win and the ones you

donrsquot want to win

Use this Qualifying Large

Sales Opportunities Process

to dramatically improve your

chances of winning the significant

sales opportunities on your

prospect list that you choose to

go after - and stop chasing the

ones you are unlikely to win or

donrsquot want to win bull

Tony Hillyard specialises in giving sales teams around the world smart solutions to help them win more business in difficult or very competitive markets Visit Tonyrsquos website here for more information copy The Sales Academy Ltd All Rights Reserved July 2009

wwwsalesacademynetnz

1

2

3

024 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Words by Bill James

ISSUEFORTYSEVEN

Maybe you are new at sales you topped the training class ndash but just cannot make the sales stick Or you could be a veteran of many sales conquests but more recently you

simply cannot get the deals across the line

Or perhaps you spent a small fortune acquiring a franchise and it looked great on paper You have big plans high hopes and you are putting in the hours to make it happen But somehow the results are not coming and the money is not flowing Whatrsquos wrong

Unfortunately the answer could be you

Especially for franchisees there are lots of promises about fantastic marketing packages and potential clients coming through the door but the simple truth is that you are now self-employed No more sick days No one else to delegate to It is you that has to make that sale and secure your own money

5 Tips for the Reluctant Salesperson

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 025

1So here are five tips that will help get you on track if you action them

Stop thinking of yourself as a lsquoSalesmanrsquo (Or Saleswoman)Think about it The word lsquosalesmanrsquo or saleswomanrsquo does not engender confidence and is not respected even by you

Ask yourself do you like being lsquosoldrsquo Guess what ndash your clients feel the same way

There is a huge amount of negative connotation around this wording and it brings up an image of someone you may not want to be From a small child there is every chance your parents told you that salespeople were pushy and not to be trusted and now you have to become one

This obviously causes a real internal conflict and is in my opinion the number one reason why you could find yourself sabotaging your own efforts Donrsquot believe me Ask yourself these questions

bull Do you approach every sales opportunity in the belief it will be a sale

bull Are you secretly dreading lsquothatrsquo question from your client - The one you find so hard to answer

bull Do you find lots of little jobs to do that keep you so busy that you have little time for new business calls

These issues are even more acute if yoursquore very technical in nature and you like performing the task but not producing the sale

Why not rename yourself so that yoursquore comfortable in saying that word when you represent yourself to a potential client What could you call yourself that sits comfortably with you

Remember your role is to help people make the right decision ndash it is not to sell them something

Ask yourself do you like being lsquosoldrsquo Guess what ndash your clients feel the same way Remember your role is to help people make the right decision ndash it is not to sell them something

026 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3

2 Be yourselfSo many people will put on a persona they think is needed to create a successful sales outcome This is simply not the case and could in fact be what is costing you business

When you went through all the psychological and personality testing (hopefully) when you applied for the job or franchise opportunity these assessments showed the real you and indicated that you should be successful in your business So why are you hiding this real you now

Clients look for faults and are suspicious when you knock on the door because you are promoting a product If they sense falseness about you it will raise their alarms and give them good reason not to buy from you Will your natural personality be what everyone is looking for every time Probably not You will get on with some people better than others

But the reality is especially if you are less experienced you were quite possibly never going to sell to those people anyway The ones that would be attracted to your natural personality will be put off by a fake overlay so stop doing it

The reality is that you could be a complete ratbag but people still buy from complete ratbags ndash as long as they are honest about being one Can you image your reaction to someone whorsquos obviously a ratbag but is pretending to be nice and you can see through it It would make you want to run in the opposite direction wouldnrsquot it

Show some passion for your subjectAgain we put on this persona of lsquoprofessionalismrsquo which means we deliver a very dry presentation What was the passion that got you involved in the first place If it was simply that you thought yoursquod make a lot of money you may possibly have made an error ndash thatrsquos called a job

Clients enjoy your enthusiasm and passion for your product It will take you through the tough times but yoursquoll also need to show it to your clients so they know that you are passionate about what you are doing

This isnrsquot easy in cultures where showing emotion is not the norm but the old saying lsquoenthusiasm sellsrsquo is as true now as it ever was

Let your passion and enthusiasm for your subject out and yoursquoll take your potential client along with you for the ride The big problem is that if you do not show some passion and hide in facts and figures your clients will allocate an emotion and a motivation to you What do you think the chances are that it will be a positive one

None

The reality is that you could be a complete ratbag but people still buy from complete ratbags ndash as long as they are honest about being one

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 027

4

Bill James is an internationally recognised sales speaker and trainer who specialises in referral and relationship marketing To find out more visit his website above

wwwBillJamesSpeakercom

Jargon kills salesOccasionally yoursquoll find someone whorsquos really caught up in the technical aspects of what you do But usually they are initially more interested in knowing you understand and care about their needs If you are technically orientated itrsquos easy to hide in the features of your product but this will stop you truly addressing the need of the client

Often most products appear to be very similar and have similar pricing and so the difference is your ability to uncover their real concerns and needs and address those In this way yoursquoll make a connection at a very personal level which is the key to gaining that commitment from your potential client

Loading them up with jargon will simply occupy their headspace and will actually be counterproductive Talking everyday language that your client can understand and addressing their real needs will result in you making real progress

Use a low logic approach with your potential clientlsquoLow logicrsquo is language that is simple to understand It is almost like approaching your client underneath the radar

Simply approach them in a very matter of fact way (with a certain amount of emotion) and give them the option to decline your services if they want In this way you donrsquot raise any alarm bells and make them feel trapped They are much more likely to come along for the ride this way

For example ldquoMr Prospect the simple reality is businesses like yours can use this product and it has X effect For you to be interested it obviously has to meet X Y Z needs and also fit within your budget and I have to be able to show you the real benefits of working with our company If I canrsquot then itrsquos only fair that I should head for the door But if I can make all that happen then your company is definitely at an advantage Irsquod like to simply sit down with you and run through these different ideas and see where we go from there is that fair enoughrdquo

So be yourself cut the jargon and let your passion for the product speak for itself Approach other people the way you like to be approached and you might well find that your sales increase hugelybull

5

028 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Winning Sales Presentations

ISSUESEVENTYTWO

Words by Debbie Mayo-Smith

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 029

Creating a great sales presentation isnrsquot very different to crafting a great speech You want to keep attention Motivate Convince Move to action Here is a formula that I follow (learnt from the

American maestro Patricia Fripp) that should help you to vastly improve your success when putting together and delivering a sales presentation

To whom are you speakingBe prepared before you go in and know as much about your audience as possible Age attitude industry and gender will all have a bearing on how you present your points Men and women have different senses of humour Younger audiences will be more impatient than older lsquoCrsquo level executives who donrsquot need the details Your presentation style and content must fit their perspective

You are not the heroWhat is the ratio of your PowerPoint slides (or written material) devoted to your company vs the potential client It stands to reason if you are invited to pitch you have already passed the preliminary vetting The convincing is done Wow them stand out from your competition by focusing on them - not stories of you your company achievements or accolades Do you like listening to egotistical sales people Share the glory with sales teams Ensure you put the prospective company in the limelight

I-You Ratio Likewise look through your sales presentations and count how many Irsquos wersquos and usrsquos you have Make certain your slides and stories are about them not you Change the perspective at every opportunity possible

Wrong ldquoOur company is number one in rdquo

Right ldquoYou benefit from our number one standing becauserdquo

Strong openingIf yoursquore pitching a $500000 contract and have only 10 minutes then starting with ldquogood morning ladies and gentlemen thank you for having us hererdquo just cost you over $8300 by wasting 10 seconds

Open differently and strongly Paint a picture Take them into the future Describe how theyrsquore benefiting from the clever decision they made years ago working with you Decision makers want to benefit the company they also want personally to be sure they are taking the right action So highlight how theyrsquoll be remembered for doing the right thing by using your company (donrsquot make it too much of a butter up though)

Answer questions up front What do they want to know from you How can you help them If yoursquore more expensive will take longer or are the underdog ndash do not ignore the fact Theyrsquore thinking it Come straight out early into the presentation with a lsquoI know what yoursquore thinkingrsquo statement then answer their objections

030 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

PremiseBuild the sales presentation around the structure of how they will benefit from what you are asking them to do ldquoYou will save $2 million dollars by using our softwarerdquo or ldquoYou will cut maintenance expenditure by 20 per centrdquo Phrase it so they say to themselves lsquohowrsquo You then answer in a logical and structured way

Points laid out logicallyYou can help them make $2million How You enumerate and discuss the points one by one with examples Point one is cutting costs Point two is increasing revenue Point three is boosting staff productivity Highlighting points by telling a story will work infinitely better for you than simply stating it or just saying why By the way you turn masterful in your sales presentation story telling skills when you give your stories flesh and blood characters and dialogue

Seamless transitionMoving from a main point (cutting costs) to the next (increasing revenue) should have a smooth flow instead of an abrupt change Carrying on our example you could transition by saying ldquolowering costs is only one side of the equation of boosting your profit Increasing sales in a challenging environment might not seem easy let me show you how we helprdquo That places you nicely into the segment on how you increase their revenues

QuestionsDonrsquot end with questions rather take them before you review at the end so you can close on a high note

ReviewIf possible use a story again ndash outlining a client that benefited in all the ways you highlight they will benefit

Repetitive reframes sound bite statementsYou can be sure theyrsquoll remember stories Hit home with better retention by giving them little sound bites and repeating them often

Strong CloseRefer back to your opening story or bring all the elements together describing how theyrsquoll benefit If you didnrsquot use thersquo looking into the futurersquo in your opening you can use it in the closing ldquoPicture yourself in two yearsrsquo time Itrsquos the gala dinner Award night Everyone is abuzz because of the success of the new software system you approved and installed the year before Five different staff have come to you throughout the evening ndash all award winners from their significant leap in productivityrdquo bull

Debbie Mayo-Smith is one of New Zealandrsquos most in-demand speakers trainers and bestselling authors Debbie works with companies that want more effective staff For more tips and business ideas sign up for her free monthly newsletter

wwwsuccessisconz

GOT A PRODUCT SERVICE OR BUSINESS WORTH TALKING ABOUT

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Get in touch with Jennifer now to discuss our options+64 9 522 7257 (NZT) | jenniferlespiremediacom | wwwespiremediacom

TALK TO ESPIRE MEDIA ABOUT OUR CONTENT MARKETING SERVICES We offer a range of ways to attract and retain customers by creating and curating relevant and valuable content to engage and add value to your audience

BENEFITSbull Expand your digital footprintbull Grow brand awarenessbull Increase traffic to your websitebull Thought leadershipbull Media exposurebull Attract new customersbull And grow SALES

Check out our blog for content marketing advice tips and ideas plus a free copy of our content marketing guide The Content Creation Cookbook

032 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Nine Steps to Supercharge Your Job Hunt

ISSUEEIGHTYFIVE

Tom ONeil shares some strategies to ensure you get a jump on your competition

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 033

1 Follow-up and use your personal networks Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is generally more trusted Therefore a person who is referred to an employer has a higher trust value and therefore a higher chance of getting employed This is especially true if there is not actually an official job vacancy and you are the only person being assessed for the role

Therefore its vital to get back in contact with your network with your good wishes as well as tell them you are now looking for new career opportunities

2 LinkedInGo through your LinkedIn profile with an objective eye making sure your profile sells you as much as possible Look at common keywords in the types of positions you are seeking and ensure these are included in your profile After you have done this ask a friend or two to have a look through as well to see if you have missed anything of importance

Check the number and quality of your recommendations on LinkedIn Social media author Linda Coles calls these your silent salespeople I recently was told a major international IT company would not select any senior level staff unless they had more than 20 recommendations I was chuffed when I read this as I am up to 45 however when I asked Linda I found that she has over 120 Therefore you can start to see the power these sound-bite type recommendations can have

Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from

word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is

generally more trusted Therefore a person who is

referred to an employer has a higher trust value and

therefore a higher chance of getting employed

034 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3 Go back over your successes in the past 12 monthsMost people tend to rush into the job hunting process only really thinking about their successes (and failures) when they are in the interview Were you awarded further authority in your role Did you exceed any sales or performance targets Did you train or mentor any new people All these things are important to an employer so make sure you take some time today to think about the positive things that shaped your career recently (and be sure to include them in your CV)

4 Plan your career not just your next jobRemember that each position is a stepping stone to the next so take some time out to think about what you want to be doing for a role in 2020 Once you have done this map out ideal positions (and study if needed) to get you there

5 Direct marketingHas there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them You would be surprised about the amount of people who because they demonstrated a strong interest in the company got a position personally crafted for them even though there appeared to be no position available The other major benefit of this direct approach is that it means a manager does not have to pay a $15000 recruitment fee as you have come to them for free

6 Check in with your verbal refereesTime and time again a candidate has missed out on a dream job because their referees were too old or not overly positive During my HR and recruitment career I have contacted the referees of candidates I have been really interested in employing and got responses like Oh no is Steve looking for ANOTHER job or Sorry I dont remember a Mike Smith Are you sure he put me as a referee

Contact your referees ensure they are aware that you are back on the job hunt and ask them if they are happy to provide a verbal reference The five-minute call you make today may well be the difference between getting your next job in October or March

Has there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 035

Tom ONeil is a leading international author career specialist and MD of CVCONZ You can contact Tom via email tomcvconz

CVCONZ

7 Follow-upBecause of the nature of the recruitment process (especially executive search and selection) the hiring process can be extremely drawn out Make sure you keep in contact with the recruiterpotential employer on a regular basis Most candidates are not keen to do this as they feel its overly aggressive However as long as you are friendly and professional in your follow-up you should be remembered positively when the time for the final decision comes

8 Take time to tailor your CV cover letter and interview to the roleA vacant position is a major headache for a company especially if that position is at a senior or executive level Therefore its vital that you tailor your entire approach as a complete solution specifically for the opportunity In most job advertisements and position descriptions there is a section entitled Personal SpecificationsCharacteristicsCompetencies etc This section is the key to the role and is what you need to target

Read through the documentation and summarise what the ideal person would look like With your skills achievements qualifications and experiences how can you meet or exceed these requirements

Finally you want to ensure that the main aspects and keywords are mirrored in everything you send to the employer and in your answers during the interview The closer you meet their brief of the ideal candidate the higher the chance of you getting that job

9 Positive state of mindAs the job hunt progresses it can become a painful process However its vital to stay as positive as you can as employers can sense frustration anxiety and antagonism all the emotions they wont want in an employee Make sure you go into each situation with a positive outlook take the best from all situations and remember every challenge is an opportunity to grow and improve your skills bull

036 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

COMPETITION

BOOK GIVEAWAYWe have two copies of the brand new job search manual Youre Hired The Essential Guide to Job Hunting and Personal Branding by Tom ONeil to give away

The book provides up-to-the-minute practical detail to choose the social media strategy best suited to your

situation and ways to promote yourself

through online networks particularly

LinkedIn as well as the importance of

lsquoofflinersquo branding Also included are sections

on reacutesumeacutes and covering letters (with

access online to templates) interviewing

tips networking direct marketing salary

negotiation and career goal-setting making

this the essential job hunting guide

There has been a huge shift over the last

three decades in the way employment

recruitment takes place and the power of

the individual to take control of their job hunt

has improved massively according to career

specialist Tom OrsquoNeil

But the strength of your lsquobrandrsquo and your

ability to sell your skills and achievements

will dictate how successful you are in your

search In this compelling new guide Tom

provides job seekers with simple exercises

and guidance to identify personal attributes and key career highlights that will assist in marketing yourself to potential employers The advice holds equally well for consultants and contractors like real estate agents and insurance brokers looking to procure new business bull

paulnnzsalesmanagerconz Email Paul before 30th November to be in to win a copy We have two copies to giveawayPublished by New Holland Publishers

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 037

QUICKFIX

Honest Apologies

lsquoDue to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control we lthave let you downgthellipAnd end like this lsquoWe apologise for any

inconvenience this may have causedrsquo

As a customer I read this and think ndash well at least they have told me they have stuffed up but they obviously donrsquot want to tell me why because they think that will make them look even worse and their apology is so canned they donrsquot mean it anyway They donrsquot really care

QUICK FIX

To show you do really care and to build a relationship built on trust cut out the canned opening and closing lines that everyone uses and use real language

bull Tell it how you would say it - which is not the canned written way

bull Tell what did happen and what you learned that will improve customer service in the future

bull Show that you understand their business - you should know what inconvenience it has caused them so apologise specifically for this

Do this and your customers will be much more understanding bull

bull

So itrsquos all gone wrong and you have let your customer down Itrsquos time to write to them with an apology How many letters start like this

038 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Ive been reading and using pieces from NZ Sales Manager magazine since Jan 2011 It has helped me immensely in gaining trust and building sales teams It gives me motivation each month to try something new and see if I can mould it to suit our team Thank you for providing this sales tool - it really has been a great source of information and motivation

Shaun Matheson

It gives me great pleasure to acknowledge all the wonderful work done by the NZ Sales Manager Magazine and all the efforts put in by the editor Mr Paul Newsom

This magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning tool With a well laid out plan this magazine has given all sales professionals including myself a great platform to focus and learn from and thus being very successful in our sales efforts in a very demanding business environment

Congratulations for coming up to your 100th issue which is indeed a great milestone and I personally wish the magazine and all those who run it every success and keep up the great work

Best WishesIvo DrsquoSilva Sales amp Customer Service Manager

THANKYOUFROMOURREADERS

ldquoThis magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning toolrdquoRegional

Manager

at

EDL

Fasteners

Ltd

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 039

Congratulations on the 100th issue of NZ Sales Manager eMag You provide valuable tips on selling and sales management and your 100th issue is great proof that you share great ideas that your readers appreciate and find usefulGraham McGregor Marketing Advisor amp Journalist

A big congrats to NZ Sales Manager on the 100th issue Thanks for your wonderful insights challenging the norm and keeping us focused on doing our best We look forward to the next 100Paul Brophy Team Leader NZ at CXC Global

ldquoThanks for your

wonderful insights

challenging the norm

and keeping us focused

on doing our bestrdquo

Sales management everywhere should be reading the NZ Sales Manager Congrats on your 100th issueJill Konrath Author of Agile Selling SNAP Selling and Selling to Big Companies

What a wonderful milestone for such a useful and inspiring magazine Congratulations to you and all your hard workLinda Coles Online Marketing Expert

Great work and contribution to Sales Managers all across NZ Thank you Ambrose Blowfield Owner The Marketing Company

To the editors and team behind NZSM well done Many growing challenges in the sales arena at an accelerating pace of change and great you have contributed so much to the profession Stuart Edmunds Founder of New Zealand Institute of Sales bull

040 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

EVENTSCALENDAR

DATE NAME PLACE COMPANY27 November Sales Management Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

1 December Negotiation Skills Wellington IMNZ

1 December Sales Seminar Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

2 December Key Account Management Christchurch IMNZ

2 December Effective Sales Prospecting Auckland PD Training

8 December Sales Basics Auckland Geewiz

9 December Advanced Serious Selling Auckland Geewiz

11 December Sales Training Auckland PD Training

15 December Cold Calling and Prospecting Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

15 December Professional Telephone Skills Training

Auckland PD Training

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 041

THECLOSE

ldquoI never ran 1000 miles I could never

have done that I ran 1 mile 1000 timesrdquo

Subscribe at wwwnzsalesmanagerconz ITrsquoS FREE

Lucian Milasan Shutterstockcom

- Stu Mittleman

Page 7: NZ Sales Manager – Issue 100

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 07

So we launched NZ Sales Manager all those years ago with the simple goal of helping the people we knew in sales and it now gives me great pleasure to congratulate the team and the title on its 100th issue

A huge thanks and congratulations must go to Paul Newsom who as Editor has done a fantastic job as steward not just of the publication but of the sales profession in general Well done Paul and thank you for making NZ Sales Manager something to be proud of

Similarly thank you to our talented Art Director Jodi Olsson who was able to take our vision for the publication and make it real Itrsquos great to see NZ Sales Manager continuing to evolve navigating the fine line between pleasing design and easy reading

Thank you to all of our experts who have shared their knowledge wisdom and experience throughout the pages of NZ Sales Manager over the years One can only imagine how much your insights and encouragement have contributed to the success of New Zealandrsquos salespeople the businesses they represent and the wider New Zealand economy

Lastly thanks to you our readers throughout New Zealand and around the world The role of the modern sales professional continues to change and evolve as I write this and with your support we look forward to serving you for another 100 issues at least

Irsquod like to leave you with a quote from one of my heros Jim Rohn

Richard Liew Founder NZ Sales Manager magazine

wwwespiremediacom

ldquoWork harder on yourself than you do on your job If you work hard on your job you can make a living If you work hard on yourself you can make a fortunerdquo

08 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Su Walker is National Sales Manager with ABC Business Sales New Zealandrsquos leading business sales company Su manages a sales team of 29 and shares here some insights

from her extensive international sales career in the technology

industry in the UK France and New Zealand

PASSIONATEABOUTSALES

Interview with Su Walkerof ABC Business Sales

Why did you get into sales It was by chance I was in a sales administration role at the time and my boss suggested I try it

Where did you learn to be a sales managerWhilst I was working for one of the UKrsquos top IT companies

What is the best thing about being a sales managerBeing part of the team and having the opportunity to influence empower and support the team to achieve personal and professional success

What do you look for in sales people when you are recruitingOur business is about helping people realise their dreams In addition to having strong business skills and experience I look for people that have a positive attitude are passionate have a sense of humour are able to articulate a value proposition and present themselves credibly

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 09

Su Walker is National Sales Manager with ABC Business Sales New Zealandrsquos leading business sales company

wwwbusinessesforsaleconz

What sets the top sales people apart from the restTheir ability to listen and qualify well able to articulate the business requirements and create value in the service or solution being proposed They are typically self-motivated disciplined well organised communicate well and create urgency in closing sales

Whats your worst sales momentMaking an assumption on the venue for a client presentation and turning up to the wrong location with the Managing Director

Tell us about the sales success you are most proud ofOn the successful conclusion of a large services contract I was commended by the decision maker as the reason the business selected our organisation however I attribute the success to the great team working with me

How do you motivate sales peopleBy working with them to understand support encourage and coach ndash help them to believe in themselves

Advice for someone considering a career in sales management The skill set is totally different as you go from only managing yourself to managing a whole team all with different strengths weaknesses problems goals and emotions

Sales Management is about coaching so training before the transition is integral as would be finding a suitable mentor to support you during this time bull

ldquoOur business is about helping people realise their dreams In addition to having strong business skills and experience I look for people that have a positive attitude are passionate have a sense of humour are able to articulate a value proposition and present themselves crediblyrdquo

Brought to you by 2degrees

010 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Taking the pulse of New Zealandrsquos sales profession

The New World of Selling

The world of the traditional sales professional has undergone significant change especially over the last decade It wouldnrsquot be wrong to say that 2008rsquos Global Financial Crisis as with

other major historical economic events played an integral part in the latest cycle of challenges shaking sales organisations to the core when the money dried up

While we have largely recovered from the GFC fallout New Zealand sales professionals in both business-to-consumer and business-to-business must now navigate the increasing impact of the online world including social media on lead generation and the sales cycle

Recent research by Influence Central revealed that for 90 of consumers an online review of a product or service is more important than input from a salesperson Constant connectivity coupled with increasing dependence on the all seeing all knowing Internet has changed the way people buy and thus the way sales professionals must sell

It is clear that buyers like to do their own research to get the maximum value out of every dollar they spend before they make any purchase and this has made the work of sales professionals even more challenging

We spoke to five New Zealand sales training and development experts to take the pulse of the sales profession in New Zealand and get their take on the three biggest challenges facing our sales professionals

Here are their insights

Words by Navdeep Kaur Marwah

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 011

Martin PercivalManaging Director AchieveGlobal NZ

gtPRESSURE TO DEVELOP NEW OPPORTUNITIES OR LEADSNew Zealand as a marketplace has always been finite in terms of opportunity and leads As such sales endeavours have often related to the cyclical buying requirements related to reinvestment and maintenance and then the GFC landed Wersquore still experiencing the spend rationalisation and conservative behaviour that permeated the years following the GFC In addition when we do spend we look for cheaper alternatives or drive discounts in our suppliers As a result sales organisations are putting increasing pressures and emphasis on sales team members to adopt new strategies new thought processes and skills generally without training or support to prospect and open doors in a marketplace already limited with opportunity as pre-existing relationships dry up

gtLESS EMPHASIS ON PRE-EXISTING RELATIONSHIPSHistorically the New Zealand marketplace has been heavily weighted in terms of inter-personal relationships Being able to build relationships built on trust meant long-term success and ensured that the competition couldnrsquot enter the fray In the current climate however budget holders are expected to show a positive return on investment and often find themselves in an extended procurement process with additional team members who focus on the tangible financial aspects of a transaction rather than the immeasurable service or relationship aspect In essence it has become about price and the salespersons who differentiated themselves through their relationships are struggling to maintain their position

gtLACK OF MOTIVATIONOver the past few years increased buyer expectations longer sales cycles reduced budgets and increasing price competition have all contributed towards the fact that sales has become a far more challenging profession Sales professionals now need to work twice as hard for a budget which has been slashed to the smallest permissible level Therefore sales professionals now must possess a resilience beyond that which was required in the past ndash to remain motivated and excited about the next potential opportunity

Sales professionals now must possess a resilience beyond that which was required in the past ndash to remain motivated and excited about the next potential opportunity

ldquo

ldquo

012 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Ross WilsonCEO Growing Organisations

gtMAINTAINING A HUMAN RELATIONSHIP WITH THE BUYER IN THE DIGITAL AGEOur customers time resource is stretched to breaking point Everyone is meetinged out and exhausted As a result meetings are set weeks in advance if you get one at all Often we have to resort to phone meetings instead Therefore even existing customers are harder and harder to get time with

gtKEEPING UP WITH THE RAPID TURNOVER OF STAFFContacts especially gate-keepers as well as decision-makers move on before youve been able to build trust and hence one has to start building trust and relationships with the new people all over again

gtCOMPLYING WITH MARKETING DEPARTMENTS DEMAND TO KEEP CRM (CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT) SYSTEMS CURRENT AT ALL TIMESThis requires hours of a sales persons time every week taking them away from productive sales activity Obviously this impacts their sales performance and results

Stuart EdmundsCEO New Zealand Sales Institute

gtLACK OF LASER LIKE FOCUSEvery company in every industry has their own unique sales challenges but one universal issue is the frustrated inability of sellers to focus on the most important things Salespeople fight the daily war against distractions and non-urgent activities that come up with the inevitable impact on focusing exclusively on whatrsquos most important to your pipeline

gtEMBRACING TECHNOLOGYTechnology adoption among sales professionals has been well behind marketing There is now an explosion of sales automation technologies specific to sales professionals but those same sales professionals need to take advantage of what is now in front of them There is still tremendous scope for more effective tools to play an increasingly important role in improving sales productivity and effectiveness

gtNEED FOR GREAT SALES MANAGEMENTFar too few salespeople have competent sales management who can guide coach support mentor motivate and direct their activities apart from keeping other conflicting priorities at bay and helping them in creating the best environment to ultimately drive (over-) achievement of sales

ldquo

Salespeople fight the daily war against distractions and non-urgent activities

ldquo

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 013

Joanne Hyland Director ProFormance

gtKEEPING UP WITH THE TECHNOLOGYTechnology coupled with the speed of change is inevitably going to have a widespread and highly impactful effect on sales people and our ability to sell effectively Our customers are able to access all sorts of information about ourselves our company and our products through online sources without even conversing with us Some of the information online we can control and hence is positive on the brand

But inevitably there will be information that we cannot control including friends putting inappropriate photos of us online customers publishing product reviews we donrsquot like and competitors outplaying us This puts increasing pressure on organisations and their sales teams to be constantly informed and able to respond appropriately

Moreover our sales resources have changed Our customers expect us to have smartphones tablets and to be able to immediately access sales information stock levels pricing options that help them to make their decision They are not prepared to wait in this environment where we are all time poor and want immediate solutions

gtPROVIDING CUSTOMISED SOLUTIONS Sales is a competitive industry where the dynamics change continuously With all the technology we have at our fingertips we should have live comprehensive sales data to inform educate and advise our customer on the best solution for their business No two customers should be treated the same or given the same offer In-depth analysis enables us to tailor our offer in a manner that is winwin for our customer and us The outstanding sales person should aim to be in the position whereby your customer does not want to be without himher

gtOVERCOMING OUR OWN LIMITATIONSA good salesperson needs to be aware of hisher skills and abilities as well as hisher limitations They need to source feedback and coaching to enable continuous self-improvement They need to look for opportunities to upskill to grow and develop

A good salesperson needs to be aware of hisher skills and abilities as well as hisher limitations

ldquo

ldquo

014 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

wwwespiremediacom

Paul ODonohueCEO SalesSTAR

gtGETTING IN FRONT OF THEIR TARGET MARKET The people who we need to reach have become busier than they used to be five years ago Moreover they are bombarded with 1000rsquos of marketing messages every day Getting their attention is a big challenge

gtCOMMODITISATION OF PRODUCTSERVICE It is a global world and our products and services are being commoditised

gtPROLONGED SALES CYCLESMost of the time companies only buy if they have to buy so decisions are being stalled

Knowledge is power More knowledge is more powerIt is clear the modern salesperson must be provided with a level of management support and guidance that goes far beyond simply increasing their targets for new meetings or cold calls or sales each week The pressures of rationalised sales teams and budgets increased reporting pressures and increased operational requirements can leave sales reps feeling isolated unrecognised and vulnerable There needs to be more sales management capability in NZ providing more coaching and support for sales team members

The sales professional of today must understand that more than ever in this ever changing playing field it is the survival of the fittest On the bright side the sales professional who is flexible resourceful and innovative and can add something of real value to each customer interaction will always be able to make his or her mark bull

The people who we need to reach have

become busier than they

used to be five years ago

Getting their attention is a

big challenge

ldquo

ldquo

New Zealandrsquos most powerful and dynamic segmentation solution

Inivio introduces New Zealandrsquos first truly household level segmentation product

Inivio have teamed up with Roy Morgan Research to create Landscape powered by Helix providing a dynamic and comprehensive view of New Zealand consumers

Roy Morgan collect a myriad of data on everything from income discretionary spend response to marketing mediums and thousands of other variables that drive New Zealand consumer attitudes and buying behaviour

Landscape Powered by Helix builds upon Roy Morganrsquos Helix segmentation solution with enhancements utilising Iniviorsquos verified household level intelligence to create the most dynamic and granular segmentation solution for NZ

Landscape powered by Helix

To find out more contact Inivio on 09 367 6285 or visit wwwinivioconzNext steps

copy 2013 Veda Advantage Solutions Group Pty Limited

This document is the intellectual property of Veda Advantage Solutions Group Pty Limited The information contained in this document is confidential and may not be stored copied given lent or in any way transmitted to any other company or person without the express written consent of Veda Advantage Solutions Group Pty Limited

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Manage marketing amp risk through identifying value segments and how to attract likeminded prospects

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016 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Indecent ProposalsPaul Newsom explains how being too eager to prepare sales proposals can lead to wasted time and lost sales opportunities

Proposals have a special place in the mind of many sales people They are one of the milestones of the sales process and are often the main weapon in the sales armoury They

are the lsquomeat of the dinnerrsquo Gaining the opportunity to submit a proposal is considered by many to be a major success Hours of writing and a few candles later a proposal is proudly submitted

Excitement anticipation and anxiety reaches fever pitch while we wait for the outcome to see whether the customer will choose the beef lamb or fish from our proposal

Then guess what the request comes back to quote a vegetarian option (because a competitor has suggested this) and back to work we go developing a winning proposal for the vegetarian On a bad day the customer goes for the pork and you miss out On a good day the customer dines with you

Rather than writing your proposal as soon as the client asks what is on the menu and then spending valuable time at the proposal end of the sales cycle the place to spend your time is doing a good diagnosis and selecting the optimal solution with the client

ISSUEONE

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 017

This is the lsquomeatrsquo of developing complex sales For example you must spend time understanding how and why beef is the best option then how the client likes their beef cooked

Donrsquot let proposals become a substitute for building trust or do the selling for you whereby you are over-reliant on the proposal to win the deal Such proposals are easy to pick - they are top heavy in lsquoabout usrsquo capability information that seldom gets read

Since customers donrsquot buy proposals (they buy solutions and value) instead build trust through the strength of your diagnosis and use the proposal to simply confirm all that you have agreed Your two-page proposal will then offer only the desired option and is far more likely to be accepted Done well this has far more impact than any hefty proposal both on your customer and your sales results and the long term relationship

In complex sales the proposal is not the meat it is the gravy It is the part which brings the meal together rather than the main part of the meal

Are You Sure You Know What Yoursquore ProposingOne of the biggest challenges of complex sales is working with customers and buyers who ask you to submit a proposal before you know what you are making a proposal for Responding to a request for a proposal so that the client can consider the possible options can be a tough one to deal with

In this situation we naturally want to seize the opportunity and get our proposal in early to make an impression We wonder what the competition is doing If we do not jump when asked to jump what will the customer think Will the competition have a head start on us Well they wonrsquot they will just be wasting their time guessing what the customer wants and hoping that something will get the interest of the buyer Just the same as you will be Sure you might get lucky once in a while but to succeed in complex sales requires much more than a game of chance and numbers

The consequence of over-reliance on the proposal to sell and submitting too early is that you consume vast amounts of your time and resources preparing a proposal of options most if not all of which never happen

The cost to your organisation can be huge I recall an extreme case for a multi-million dollar project where the senior buyer asked very early on for a proposal of all the possible options to consider

Well evaluating all possible options to be able to make a proposal for them would have taken months and cost $$$rsquos Instead the next few months were valuably spent jointly figuring out the viable options

018 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Paul Newsom is the editor of NZ Sales Manager

To be honest I find this

premature request happens

when buyers donrsquot know what

they are buying or donrsquot know

what the extent of the problem

is Repeated submissions follow

as the buyer progressively gets

a better understanding of what

they are doing As buyers donrsquot

we feel safer reading proposals

in comfort to try and figure it out

ourselves rather than risk being

sold the wrong thing

(Thatrsquos why we buy so much

over the Internet now ndash isnrsquot it)

It is self-defence from the buyer

and a symptom of decades

of poor seller and poor buyer

behaviour working in conflict

If you donrsquot know exactly what

you are proposing and why

then you must ask yourself also

whether the buyer knows what

they are trying to buy or even

how they will decide

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

There are two things you have to do when asked to submit a proposal prematurely gtYOU HAVE TO STAY YOUR GROUND Be firm and say

that in order to submit a proposal upon which they can make

an informed decision you both need to first understand This

requires discipline

Advise that you can only propose viable solutions that meet

all the criteria and at this stage the criteria are not defined

Otherwise you will be wasting your time and their time and

possibly put their business at risk

Plus how do you know if you have the resources to provide a

solution that will achieve the desired outcome You could be putting

your credibility and reputation at risk too

gtMAINTAIN THE SELF-ESTEEM OF THE BUYER You

donrsquot want to appear arrogant seemingly knowing better

It will damage the trust you have built Respect the wishes

of the client but suggest an alternative approach that

will ensure you are providing accurate information upon

which they can make the best possible buying decision

Submit a proposal without prior agreement of concept and we know

what happensndash the customer does nothing decides on price alone

or you submit repeated proposals until someone figures it outbull

If you donrsquot know exactly what you are proposing and why then you must ask yourself also whether the buyer knows what they are trying to buy or even how they will decide

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 019

Payroll made easyBNZ EdgePayroll is a simple and easy-to-use payroll solution that takes care of direct crediting wages PAYE filing IRD payments and KiwiSaver contributions

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Secure cloud-based system

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020 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Sales Opportunity Qualification is one of the most valuable skills

for a professional salesperson

to develop In this turbulent

recessionary climate it is very

tempting to chase down every

deal on the prospect list Even

the ones that you know in your

heart you have very little chance

of winning However this can

actually make matters worse by

diverting sales effort away from

the better deals and reducing

your chances of winning those

Stop for Red Flags

Words by Tony Hillyard

ISSUETWENTYNINE

Three critical areas you must explore to qualify leads

Too many salespeople chase large time-consuming deals that they have very little chance of winning We do this because in a tough sales environment it naturally makes us feel better to go after every deal we come across - even when we know we shouldnrsquot

This eats up productive selling time

Salespeople can also often lose deals without knowing why

In many cases it could be that they simply failed to ask one

straightforward question that would have flushed out an objection

or a problem that could have been handled quite easily

Using a Sales Opportunity Qualification Process will enable you

to get a good perspective on where you stand with any sales

opportunity but it is particularly important for your larger deals

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 021

You must address and resolve these three most important issues

before committing a lot of resource to a sales campaign

1 Is it real for us

Although there might be a genuine sales opportunity available

- it might not be available to you or your company for a variety

of reasons

2 Do we want to win itbull What is the risk involved

bull Will it take more work and effort than itrsquos worth

bull Can we adequately resource the sale

3 Can we win itbull Do we have the right solution

bull Do we have a good relationship with the customer

bull How strong is the competition

This Qualification Process will help you answer these questions

and tell you when you have what I call lsquoRed Flagrsquo issues to resolve

Sales Opportunity Qualification is a critical and unequivocal

process You must answer Yes Dont Knowrsquo or No with

complete honesty for all the questions in each section

IF YOU HAVE RED FLAG ISSUES THEN SALES ACTIVITY IS REQUIREDWherever you have answered

No or Dont Know to a question

you have uncovered a Red Flag

issue that could potentially stop

you from winning the sale You

need to stop and think about

what sales activities and sales

calls you must undertake to

get a Yes response to those

questions and get yourself

into a winning position

If there are too many Red Flag

issues you may decide that you

just wonrsquot have enough time to

resolve all of them before the

sale is due to close In those

circumstances you might

need to consider negotiating

for more time Or you may feel

that it is just not worth chasing

because it will involve more

effort than the sale is worth to

you If so you will have saved

yourself a lot of wasted time

that you can invest in finding

a better sales opportunity

022 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Here are the 27 critical qualification questions you must answer

IS IT REAL FOR US

The Decision to Change

- Do they have a compelling reason to change

- Is there Senior Executive support for the need to change

- Have they discounted a lsquodo nothingrsquo option

The Money

- Have they explained the cost justification for this project

- Do they have an approved budget for this project

- Are our costs within their budget

The Timeframe

- Have we agreed a decision process timeline with them

- Does the decision process timeline suit us

- Have they allocated enough time to evaluate our

proposal in detail

- Can we meet their delivery and

implementation timescales

The Commercial Reality

- Have they accepted our commercial terms and conditions

- Are we compliant with all of their mandatory requirements

- Do we have our companys approval to submit a

proposal or a quotation

DO WE WANT TO WIN ITThe Risk versus the Gain

- Is the value of the sale enough

for the effort involved

- Will implementation be

straightforward

- Can we adequately resource

the sales campaign

Salespeople can also often lose deals without knowing why In many cases it could be that

they simply failed to ask one straightforward question that would have

flushed out an objection or a problem that could have

been handled quite easily

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 023

CAN WE WIN IT The Solution

- Are any of our unique features and benefits in their

decision criteria

- Do the Key Influencers favour our solution

- Have we aligned our solution to their Key Business

Drivers and Critical Success Factors

- Are we proposing a low or reasonable risk solution

The Relationship

- Do we have a good relationship track record with them

- Do we have good access to the decision-makers

- Do we have a well-placed Coach

- Are we allowed to sell to all the Key Influencers

on this project

The Competition

- Do we know which of the competitors are favoured

by the customer

- Do we know the strengths and weaknesses

of the main competitors

- Do we know the sales strategies of the main competitors

There are three parts to the Sales

Opportunity Qualification Process

1 Gaining an accurate

perspective on a sales

opportunity by answering all

of the Qualification Questions

with complete honesty

2 Developing all of the sales

activities and sales calls

that are still necessary

to get you into a winning

position for the opportunity

3 Early identification and

elimination of the deals you

canrsquot win and the ones you

donrsquot want to win

Use this Qualifying Large

Sales Opportunities Process

to dramatically improve your

chances of winning the significant

sales opportunities on your

prospect list that you choose to

go after - and stop chasing the

ones you are unlikely to win or

donrsquot want to win bull

Tony Hillyard specialises in giving sales teams around the world smart solutions to help them win more business in difficult or very competitive markets Visit Tonyrsquos website here for more information copy The Sales Academy Ltd All Rights Reserved July 2009

wwwsalesacademynetnz

1

2

3

024 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Words by Bill James

ISSUEFORTYSEVEN

Maybe you are new at sales you topped the training class ndash but just cannot make the sales stick Or you could be a veteran of many sales conquests but more recently you

simply cannot get the deals across the line

Or perhaps you spent a small fortune acquiring a franchise and it looked great on paper You have big plans high hopes and you are putting in the hours to make it happen But somehow the results are not coming and the money is not flowing Whatrsquos wrong

Unfortunately the answer could be you

Especially for franchisees there are lots of promises about fantastic marketing packages and potential clients coming through the door but the simple truth is that you are now self-employed No more sick days No one else to delegate to It is you that has to make that sale and secure your own money

5 Tips for the Reluctant Salesperson

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 025

1So here are five tips that will help get you on track if you action them

Stop thinking of yourself as a lsquoSalesmanrsquo (Or Saleswoman)Think about it The word lsquosalesmanrsquo or saleswomanrsquo does not engender confidence and is not respected even by you

Ask yourself do you like being lsquosoldrsquo Guess what ndash your clients feel the same way

There is a huge amount of negative connotation around this wording and it brings up an image of someone you may not want to be From a small child there is every chance your parents told you that salespeople were pushy and not to be trusted and now you have to become one

This obviously causes a real internal conflict and is in my opinion the number one reason why you could find yourself sabotaging your own efforts Donrsquot believe me Ask yourself these questions

bull Do you approach every sales opportunity in the belief it will be a sale

bull Are you secretly dreading lsquothatrsquo question from your client - The one you find so hard to answer

bull Do you find lots of little jobs to do that keep you so busy that you have little time for new business calls

These issues are even more acute if yoursquore very technical in nature and you like performing the task but not producing the sale

Why not rename yourself so that yoursquore comfortable in saying that word when you represent yourself to a potential client What could you call yourself that sits comfortably with you

Remember your role is to help people make the right decision ndash it is not to sell them something

Ask yourself do you like being lsquosoldrsquo Guess what ndash your clients feel the same way Remember your role is to help people make the right decision ndash it is not to sell them something

026 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3

2 Be yourselfSo many people will put on a persona they think is needed to create a successful sales outcome This is simply not the case and could in fact be what is costing you business

When you went through all the psychological and personality testing (hopefully) when you applied for the job or franchise opportunity these assessments showed the real you and indicated that you should be successful in your business So why are you hiding this real you now

Clients look for faults and are suspicious when you knock on the door because you are promoting a product If they sense falseness about you it will raise their alarms and give them good reason not to buy from you Will your natural personality be what everyone is looking for every time Probably not You will get on with some people better than others

But the reality is especially if you are less experienced you were quite possibly never going to sell to those people anyway The ones that would be attracted to your natural personality will be put off by a fake overlay so stop doing it

The reality is that you could be a complete ratbag but people still buy from complete ratbags ndash as long as they are honest about being one Can you image your reaction to someone whorsquos obviously a ratbag but is pretending to be nice and you can see through it It would make you want to run in the opposite direction wouldnrsquot it

Show some passion for your subjectAgain we put on this persona of lsquoprofessionalismrsquo which means we deliver a very dry presentation What was the passion that got you involved in the first place If it was simply that you thought yoursquod make a lot of money you may possibly have made an error ndash thatrsquos called a job

Clients enjoy your enthusiasm and passion for your product It will take you through the tough times but yoursquoll also need to show it to your clients so they know that you are passionate about what you are doing

This isnrsquot easy in cultures where showing emotion is not the norm but the old saying lsquoenthusiasm sellsrsquo is as true now as it ever was

Let your passion and enthusiasm for your subject out and yoursquoll take your potential client along with you for the ride The big problem is that if you do not show some passion and hide in facts and figures your clients will allocate an emotion and a motivation to you What do you think the chances are that it will be a positive one

None

The reality is that you could be a complete ratbag but people still buy from complete ratbags ndash as long as they are honest about being one

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 027

4

Bill James is an internationally recognised sales speaker and trainer who specialises in referral and relationship marketing To find out more visit his website above

wwwBillJamesSpeakercom

Jargon kills salesOccasionally yoursquoll find someone whorsquos really caught up in the technical aspects of what you do But usually they are initially more interested in knowing you understand and care about their needs If you are technically orientated itrsquos easy to hide in the features of your product but this will stop you truly addressing the need of the client

Often most products appear to be very similar and have similar pricing and so the difference is your ability to uncover their real concerns and needs and address those In this way yoursquoll make a connection at a very personal level which is the key to gaining that commitment from your potential client

Loading them up with jargon will simply occupy their headspace and will actually be counterproductive Talking everyday language that your client can understand and addressing their real needs will result in you making real progress

Use a low logic approach with your potential clientlsquoLow logicrsquo is language that is simple to understand It is almost like approaching your client underneath the radar

Simply approach them in a very matter of fact way (with a certain amount of emotion) and give them the option to decline your services if they want In this way you donrsquot raise any alarm bells and make them feel trapped They are much more likely to come along for the ride this way

For example ldquoMr Prospect the simple reality is businesses like yours can use this product and it has X effect For you to be interested it obviously has to meet X Y Z needs and also fit within your budget and I have to be able to show you the real benefits of working with our company If I canrsquot then itrsquos only fair that I should head for the door But if I can make all that happen then your company is definitely at an advantage Irsquod like to simply sit down with you and run through these different ideas and see where we go from there is that fair enoughrdquo

So be yourself cut the jargon and let your passion for the product speak for itself Approach other people the way you like to be approached and you might well find that your sales increase hugelybull

5

028 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Winning Sales Presentations

ISSUESEVENTYTWO

Words by Debbie Mayo-Smith

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 029

Creating a great sales presentation isnrsquot very different to crafting a great speech You want to keep attention Motivate Convince Move to action Here is a formula that I follow (learnt from the

American maestro Patricia Fripp) that should help you to vastly improve your success when putting together and delivering a sales presentation

To whom are you speakingBe prepared before you go in and know as much about your audience as possible Age attitude industry and gender will all have a bearing on how you present your points Men and women have different senses of humour Younger audiences will be more impatient than older lsquoCrsquo level executives who donrsquot need the details Your presentation style and content must fit their perspective

You are not the heroWhat is the ratio of your PowerPoint slides (or written material) devoted to your company vs the potential client It stands to reason if you are invited to pitch you have already passed the preliminary vetting The convincing is done Wow them stand out from your competition by focusing on them - not stories of you your company achievements or accolades Do you like listening to egotistical sales people Share the glory with sales teams Ensure you put the prospective company in the limelight

I-You Ratio Likewise look through your sales presentations and count how many Irsquos wersquos and usrsquos you have Make certain your slides and stories are about them not you Change the perspective at every opportunity possible

Wrong ldquoOur company is number one in rdquo

Right ldquoYou benefit from our number one standing becauserdquo

Strong openingIf yoursquore pitching a $500000 contract and have only 10 minutes then starting with ldquogood morning ladies and gentlemen thank you for having us hererdquo just cost you over $8300 by wasting 10 seconds

Open differently and strongly Paint a picture Take them into the future Describe how theyrsquore benefiting from the clever decision they made years ago working with you Decision makers want to benefit the company they also want personally to be sure they are taking the right action So highlight how theyrsquoll be remembered for doing the right thing by using your company (donrsquot make it too much of a butter up though)

Answer questions up front What do they want to know from you How can you help them If yoursquore more expensive will take longer or are the underdog ndash do not ignore the fact Theyrsquore thinking it Come straight out early into the presentation with a lsquoI know what yoursquore thinkingrsquo statement then answer their objections

030 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

PremiseBuild the sales presentation around the structure of how they will benefit from what you are asking them to do ldquoYou will save $2 million dollars by using our softwarerdquo or ldquoYou will cut maintenance expenditure by 20 per centrdquo Phrase it so they say to themselves lsquohowrsquo You then answer in a logical and structured way

Points laid out logicallyYou can help them make $2million How You enumerate and discuss the points one by one with examples Point one is cutting costs Point two is increasing revenue Point three is boosting staff productivity Highlighting points by telling a story will work infinitely better for you than simply stating it or just saying why By the way you turn masterful in your sales presentation story telling skills when you give your stories flesh and blood characters and dialogue

Seamless transitionMoving from a main point (cutting costs) to the next (increasing revenue) should have a smooth flow instead of an abrupt change Carrying on our example you could transition by saying ldquolowering costs is only one side of the equation of boosting your profit Increasing sales in a challenging environment might not seem easy let me show you how we helprdquo That places you nicely into the segment on how you increase their revenues

QuestionsDonrsquot end with questions rather take them before you review at the end so you can close on a high note

ReviewIf possible use a story again ndash outlining a client that benefited in all the ways you highlight they will benefit

Repetitive reframes sound bite statementsYou can be sure theyrsquoll remember stories Hit home with better retention by giving them little sound bites and repeating them often

Strong CloseRefer back to your opening story or bring all the elements together describing how theyrsquoll benefit If you didnrsquot use thersquo looking into the futurersquo in your opening you can use it in the closing ldquoPicture yourself in two yearsrsquo time Itrsquos the gala dinner Award night Everyone is abuzz because of the success of the new software system you approved and installed the year before Five different staff have come to you throughout the evening ndash all award winners from their significant leap in productivityrdquo bull

Debbie Mayo-Smith is one of New Zealandrsquos most in-demand speakers trainers and bestselling authors Debbie works with companies that want more effective staff For more tips and business ideas sign up for her free monthly newsletter

wwwsuccessisconz

GOT A PRODUCT SERVICE OR BUSINESS WORTH TALKING ABOUT

Want to grow brand awareness in a more effective and useful way

Get in touch with Jennifer now to discuss our options+64 9 522 7257 (NZT) | jenniferlespiremediacom | wwwespiremediacom

TALK TO ESPIRE MEDIA ABOUT OUR CONTENT MARKETING SERVICES We offer a range of ways to attract and retain customers by creating and curating relevant and valuable content to engage and add value to your audience

BENEFITSbull Expand your digital footprintbull Grow brand awarenessbull Increase traffic to your websitebull Thought leadershipbull Media exposurebull Attract new customersbull And grow SALES

Check out our blog for content marketing advice tips and ideas plus a free copy of our content marketing guide The Content Creation Cookbook

032 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Nine Steps to Supercharge Your Job Hunt

ISSUEEIGHTYFIVE

Tom ONeil shares some strategies to ensure you get a jump on your competition

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 033

1 Follow-up and use your personal networks Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is generally more trusted Therefore a person who is referred to an employer has a higher trust value and therefore a higher chance of getting employed This is especially true if there is not actually an official job vacancy and you are the only person being assessed for the role

Therefore its vital to get back in contact with your network with your good wishes as well as tell them you are now looking for new career opportunities

2 LinkedInGo through your LinkedIn profile with an objective eye making sure your profile sells you as much as possible Look at common keywords in the types of positions you are seeking and ensure these are included in your profile After you have done this ask a friend or two to have a look through as well to see if you have missed anything of importance

Check the number and quality of your recommendations on LinkedIn Social media author Linda Coles calls these your silent salespeople I recently was told a major international IT company would not select any senior level staff unless they had more than 20 recommendations I was chuffed when I read this as I am up to 45 however when I asked Linda I found that she has over 120 Therefore you can start to see the power these sound-bite type recommendations can have

Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from

word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is

generally more trusted Therefore a person who is

referred to an employer has a higher trust value and

therefore a higher chance of getting employed

034 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3 Go back over your successes in the past 12 monthsMost people tend to rush into the job hunting process only really thinking about their successes (and failures) when they are in the interview Were you awarded further authority in your role Did you exceed any sales or performance targets Did you train or mentor any new people All these things are important to an employer so make sure you take some time today to think about the positive things that shaped your career recently (and be sure to include them in your CV)

4 Plan your career not just your next jobRemember that each position is a stepping stone to the next so take some time out to think about what you want to be doing for a role in 2020 Once you have done this map out ideal positions (and study if needed) to get you there

5 Direct marketingHas there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them You would be surprised about the amount of people who because they demonstrated a strong interest in the company got a position personally crafted for them even though there appeared to be no position available The other major benefit of this direct approach is that it means a manager does not have to pay a $15000 recruitment fee as you have come to them for free

6 Check in with your verbal refereesTime and time again a candidate has missed out on a dream job because their referees were too old or not overly positive During my HR and recruitment career I have contacted the referees of candidates I have been really interested in employing and got responses like Oh no is Steve looking for ANOTHER job or Sorry I dont remember a Mike Smith Are you sure he put me as a referee

Contact your referees ensure they are aware that you are back on the job hunt and ask them if they are happy to provide a verbal reference The five-minute call you make today may well be the difference between getting your next job in October or March

Has there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 035

Tom ONeil is a leading international author career specialist and MD of CVCONZ You can contact Tom via email tomcvconz

CVCONZ

7 Follow-upBecause of the nature of the recruitment process (especially executive search and selection) the hiring process can be extremely drawn out Make sure you keep in contact with the recruiterpotential employer on a regular basis Most candidates are not keen to do this as they feel its overly aggressive However as long as you are friendly and professional in your follow-up you should be remembered positively when the time for the final decision comes

8 Take time to tailor your CV cover letter and interview to the roleA vacant position is a major headache for a company especially if that position is at a senior or executive level Therefore its vital that you tailor your entire approach as a complete solution specifically for the opportunity In most job advertisements and position descriptions there is a section entitled Personal SpecificationsCharacteristicsCompetencies etc This section is the key to the role and is what you need to target

Read through the documentation and summarise what the ideal person would look like With your skills achievements qualifications and experiences how can you meet or exceed these requirements

Finally you want to ensure that the main aspects and keywords are mirrored in everything you send to the employer and in your answers during the interview The closer you meet their brief of the ideal candidate the higher the chance of you getting that job

9 Positive state of mindAs the job hunt progresses it can become a painful process However its vital to stay as positive as you can as employers can sense frustration anxiety and antagonism all the emotions they wont want in an employee Make sure you go into each situation with a positive outlook take the best from all situations and remember every challenge is an opportunity to grow and improve your skills bull

036 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

COMPETITION

BOOK GIVEAWAYWe have two copies of the brand new job search manual Youre Hired The Essential Guide to Job Hunting and Personal Branding by Tom ONeil to give away

The book provides up-to-the-minute practical detail to choose the social media strategy best suited to your

situation and ways to promote yourself

through online networks particularly

LinkedIn as well as the importance of

lsquoofflinersquo branding Also included are sections

on reacutesumeacutes and covering letters (with

access online to templates) interviewing

tips networking direct marketing salary

negotiation and career goal-setting making

this the essential job hunting guide

There has been a huge shift over the last

three decades in the way employment

recruitment takes place and the power of

the individual to take control of their job hunt

has improved massively according to career

specialist Tom OrsquoNeil

But the strength of your lsquobrandrsquo and your

ability to sell your skills and achievements

will dictate how successful you are in your

search In this compelling new guide Tom

provides job seekers with simple exercises

and guidance to identify personal attributes and key career highlights that will assist in marketing yourself to potential employers The advice holds equally well for consultants and contractors like real estate agents and insurance brokers looking to procure new business bull

paulnnzsalesmanagerconz Email Paul before 30th November to be in to win a copy We have two copies to giveawayPublished by New Holland Publishers

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 037

QUICKFIX

Honest Apologies

lsquoDue to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control we lthave let you downgthellipAnd end like this lsquoWe apologise for any

inconvenience this may have causedrsquo

As a customer I read this and think ndash well at least they have told me they have stuffed up but they obviously donrsquot want to tell me why because they think that will make them look even worse and their apology is so canned they donrsquot mean it anyway They donrsquot really care

QUICK FIX

To show you do really care and to build a relationship built on trust cut out the canned opening and closing lines that everyone uses and use real language

bull Tell it how you would say it - which is not the canned written way

bull Tell what did happen and what you learned that will improve customer service in the future

bull Show that you understand their business - you should know what inconvenience it has caused them so apologise specifically for this

Do this and your customers will be much more understanding bull

bull

So itrsquos all gone wrong and you have let your customer down Itrsquos time to write to them with an apology How many letters start like this

038 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Ive been reading and using pieces from NZ Sales Manager magazine since Jan 2011 It has helped me immensely in gaining trust and building sales teams It gives me motivation each month to try something new and see if I can mould it to suit our team Thank you for providing this sales tool - it really has been a great source of information and motivation

Shaun Matheson

It gives me great pleasure to acknowledge all the wonderful work done by the NZ Sales Manager Magazine and all the efforts put in by the editor Mr Paul Newsom

This magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning tool With a well laid out plan this magazine has given all sales professionals including myself a great platform to focus and learn from and thus being very successful in our sales efforts in a very demanding business environment

Congratulations for coming up to your 100th issue which is indeed a great milestone and I personally wish the magazine and all those who run it every success and keep up the great work

Best WishesIvo DrsquoSilva Sales amp Customer Service Manager

THANKYOUFROMOURREADERS

ldquoThis magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning toolrdquoRegional

Manager

at

EDL

Fasteners

Ltd

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 039

Congratulations on the 100th issue of NZ Sales Manager eMag You provide valuable tips on selling and sales management and your 100th issue is great proof that you share great ideas that your readers appreciate and find usefulGraham McGregor Marketing Advisor amp Journalist

A big congrats to NZ Sales Manager on the 100th issue Thanks for your wonderful insights challenging the norm and keeping us focused on doing our best We look forward to the next 100Paul Brophy Team Leader NZ at CXC Global

ldquoThanks for your

wonderful insights

challenging the norm

and keeping us focused

on doing our bestrdquo

Sales management everywhere should be reading the NZ Sales Manager Congrats on your 100th issueJill Konrath Author of Agile Selling SNAP Selling and Selling to Big Companies

What a wonderful milestone for such a useful and inspiring magazine Congratulations to you and all your hard workLinda Coles Online Marketing Expert

Great work and contribution to Sales Managers all across NZ Thank you Ambrose Blowfield Owner The Marketing Company

To the editors and team behind NZSM well done Many growing challenges in the sales arena at an accelerating pace of change and great you have contributed so much to the profession Stuart Edmunds Founder of New Zealand Institute of Sales bull

040 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

EVENTSCALENDAR

DATE NAME PLACE COMPANY27 November Sales Management Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

1 December Negotiation Skills Wellington IMNZ

1 December Sales Seminar Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

2 December Key Account Management Christchurch IMNZ

2 December Effective Sales Prospecting Auckland PD Training

8 December Sales Basics Auckland Geewiz

9 December Advanced Serious Selling Auckland Geewiz

11 December Sales Training Auckland PD Training

15 December Cold Calling and Prospecting Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

15 December Professional Telephone Skills Training

Auckland PD Training

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 041

THECLOSE

ldquoI never ran 1000 miles I could never

have done that I ran 1 mile 1000 timesrdquo

Subscribe at wwwnzsalesmanagerconz ITrsquoS FREE

Lucian Milasan Shutterstockcom

- Stu Mittleman

Page 8: NZ Sales Manager – Issue 100

08 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Su Walker is National Sales Manager with ABC Business Sales New Zealandrsquos leading business sales company Su manages a sales team of 29 and shares here some insights

from her extensive international sales career in the technology

industry in the UK France and New Zealand

PASSIONATEABOUTSALES

Interview with Su Walkerof ABC Business Sales

Why did you get into sales It was by chance I was in a sales administration role at the time and my boss suggested I try it

Where did you learn to be a sales managerWhilst I was working for one of the UKrsquos top IT companies

What is the best thing about being a sales managerBeing part of the team and having the opportunity to influence empower and support the team to achieve personal and professional success

What do you look for in sales people when you are recruitingOur business is about helping people realise their dreams In addition to having strong business skills and experience I look for people that have a positive attitude are passionate have a sense of humour are able to articulate a value proposition and present themselves credibly

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 09

Su Walker is National Sales Manager with ABC Business Sales New Zealandrsquos leading business sales company

wwwbusinessesforsaleconz

What sets the top sales people apart from the restTheir ability to listen and qualify well able to articulate the business requirements and create value in the service or solution being proposed They are typically self-motivated disciplined well organised communicate well and create urgency in closing sales

Whats your worst sales momentMaking an assumption on the venue for a client presentation and turning up to the wrong location with the Managing Director

Tell us about the sales success you are most proud ofOn the successful conclusion of a large services contract I was commended by the decision maker as the reason the business selected our organisation however I attribute the success to the great team working with me

How do you motivate sales peopleBy working with them to understand support encourage and coach ndash help them to believe in themselves

Advice for someone considering a career in sales management The skill set is totally different as you go from only managing yourself to managing a whole team all with different strengths weaknesses problems goals and emotions

Sales Management is about coaching so training before the transition is integral as would be finding a suitable mentor to support you during this time bull

ldquoOur business is about helping people realise their dreams In addition to having strong business skills and experience I look for people that have a positive attitude are passionate have a sense of humour are able to articulate a value proposition and present themselves crediblyrdquo

Brought to you by 2degrees

010 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Taking the pulse of New Zealandrsquos sales profession

The New World of Selling

The world of the traditional sales professional has undergone significant change especially over the last decade It wouldnrsquot be wrong to say that 2008rsquos Global Financial Crisis as with

other major historical economic events played an integral part in the latest cycle of challenges shaking sales organisations to the core when the money dried up

While we have largely recovered from the GFC fallout New Zealand sales professionals in both business-to-consumer and business-to-business must now navigate the increasing impact of the online world including social media on lead generation and the sales cycle

Recent research by Influence Central revealed that for 90 of consumers an online review of a product or service is more important than input from a salesperson Constant connectivity coupled with increasing dependence on the all seeing all knowing Internet has changed the way people buy and thus the way sales professionals must sell

It is clear that buyers like to do their own research to get the maximum value out of every dollar they spend before they make any purchase and this has made the work of sales professionals even more challenging

We spoke to five New Zealand sales training and development experts to take the pulse of the sales profession in New Zealand and get their take on the three biggest challenges facing our sales professionals

Here are their insights

Words by Navdeep Kaur Marwah

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 011

Martin PercivalManaging Director AchieveGlobal NZ

gtPRESSURE TO DEVELOP NEW OPPORTUNITIES OR LEADSNew Zealand as a marketplace has always been finite in terms of opportunity and leads As such sales endeavours have often related to the cyclical buying requirements related to reinvestment and maintenance and then the GFC landed Wersquore still experiencing the spend rationalisation and conservative behaviour that permeated the years following the GFC In addition when we do spend we look for cheaper alternatives or drive discounts in our suppliers As a result sales organisations are putting increasing pressures and emphasis on sales team members to adopt new strategies new thought processes and skills generally without training or support to prospect and open doors in a marketplace already limited with opportunity as pre-existing relationships dry up

gtLESS EMPHASIS ON PRE-EXISTING RELATIONSHIPSHistorically the New Zealand marketplace has been heavily weighted in terms of inter-personal relationships Being able to build relationships built on trust meant long-term success and ensured that the competition couldnrsquot enter the fray In the current climate however budget holders are expected to show a positive return on investment and often find themselves in an extended procurement process with additional team members who focus on the tangible financial aspects of a transaction rather than the immeasurable service or relationship aspect In essence it has become about price and the salespersons who differentiated themselves through their relationships are struggling to maintain their position

gtLACK OF MOTIVATIONOver the past few years increased buyer expectations longer sales cycles reduced budgets and increasing price competition have all contributed towards the fact that sales has become a far more challenging profession Sales professionals now need to work twice as hard for a budget which has been slashed to the smallest permissible level Therefore sales professionals now must possess a resilience beyond that which was required in the past ndash to remain motivated and excited about the next potential opportunity

Sales professionals now must possess a resilience beyond that which was required in the past ndash to remain motivated and excited about the next potential opportunity

ldquo

ldquo

012 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Ross WilsonCEO Growing Organisations

gtMAINTAINING A HUMAN RELATIONSHIP WITH THE BUYER IN THE DIGITAL AGEOur customers time resource is stretched to breaking point Everyone is meetinged out and exhausted As a result meetings are set weeks in advance if you get one at all Often we have to resort to phone meetings instead Therefore even existing customers are harder and harder to get time with

gtKEEPING UP WITH THE RAPID TURNOVER OF STAFFContacts especially gate-keepers as well as decision-makers move on before youve been able to build trust and hence one has to start building trust and relationships with the new people all over again

gtCOMPLYING WITH MARKETING DEPARTMENTS DEMAND TO KEEP CRM (CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT) SYSTEMS CURRENT AT ALL TIMESThis requires hours of a sales persons time every week taking them away from productive sales activity Obviously this impacts their sales performance and results

Stuart EdmundsCEO New Zealand Sales Institute

gtLACK OF LASER LIKE FOCUSEvery company in every industry has their own unique sales challenges but one universal issue is the frustrated inability of sellers to focus on the most important things Salespeople fight the daily war against distractions and non-urgent activities that come up with the inevitable impact on focusing exclusively on whatrsquos most important to your pipeline

gtEMBRACING TECHNOLOGYTechnology adoption among sales professionals has been well behind marketing There is now an explosion of sales automation technologies specific to sales professionals but those same sales professionals need to take advantage of what is now in front of them There is still tremendous scope for more effective tools to play an increasingly important role in improving sales productivity and effectiveness

gtNEED FOR GREAT SALES MANAGEMENTFar too few salespeople have competent sales management who can guide coach support mentor motivate and direct their activities apart from keeping other conflicting priorities at bay and helping them in creating the best environment to ultimately drive (over-) achievement of sales

ldquo

Salespeople fight the daily war against distractions and non-urgent activities

ldquo

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 013

Joanne Hyland Director ProFormance

gtKEEPING UP WITH THE TECHNOLOGYTechnology coupled with the speed of change is inevitably going to have a widespread and highly impactful effect on sales people and our ability to sell effectively Our customers are able to access all sorts of information about ourselves our company and our products through online sources without even conversing with us Some of the information online we can control and hence is positive on the brand

But inevitably there will be information that we cannot control including friends putting inappropriate photos of us online customers publishing product reviews we donrsquot like and competitors outplaying us This puts increasing pressure on organisations and their sales teams to be constantly informed and able to respond appropriately

Moreover our sales resources have changed Our customers expect us to have smartphones tablets and to be able to immediately access sales information stock levels pricing options that help them to make their decision They are not prepared to wait in this environment where we are all time poor and want immediate solutions

gtPROVIDING CUSTOMISED SOLUTIONS Sales is a competitive industry where the dynamics change continuously With all the technology we have at our fingertips we should have live comprehensive sales data to inform educate and advise our customer on the best solution for their business No two customers should be treated the same or given the same offer In-depth analysis enables us to tailor our offer in a manner that is winwin for our customer and us The outstanding sales person should aim to be in the position whereby your customer does not want to be without himher

gtOVERCOMING OUR OWN LIMITATIONSA good salesperson needs to be aware of hisher skills and abilities as well as hisher limitations They need to source feedback and coaching to enable continuous self-improvement They need to look for opportunities to upskill to grow and develop

A good salesperson needs to be aware of hisher skills and abilities as well as hisher limitations

ldquo

ldquo

014 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

wwwespiremediacom

Paul ODonohueCEO SalesSTAR

gtGETTING IN FRONT OF THEIR TARGET MARKET The people who we need to reach have become busier than they used to be five years ago Moreover they are bombarded with 1000rsquos of marketing messages every day Getting their attention is a big challenge

gtCOMMODITISATION OF PRODUCTSERVICE It is a global world and our products and services are being commoditised

gtPROLONGED SALES CYCLESMost of the time companies only buy if they have to buy so decisions are being stalled

Knowledge is power More knowledge is more powerIt is clear the modern salesperson must be provided with a level of management support and guidance that goes far beyond simply increasing their targets for new meetings or cold calls or sales each week The pressures of rationalised sales teams and budgets increased reporting pressures and increased operational requirements can leave sales reps feeling isolated unrecognised and vulnerable There needs to be more sales management capability in NZ providing more coaching and support for sales team members

The sales professional of today must understand that more than ever in this ever changing playing field it is the survival of the fittest On the bright side the sales professional who is flexible resourceful and innovative and can add something of real value to each customer interaction will always be able to make his or her mark bull

The people who we need to reach have

become busier than they

used to be five years ago

Getting their attention is a

big challenge

ldquo

ldquo

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016 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Indecent ProposalsPaul Newsom explains how being too eager to prepare sales proposals can lead to wasted time and lost sales opportunities

Proposals have a special place in the mind of many sales people They are one of the milestones of the sales process and are often the main weapon in the sales armoury They

are the lsquomeat of the dinnerrsquo Gaining the opportunity to submit a proposal is considered by many to be a major success Hours of writing and a few candles later a proposal is proudly submitted

Excitement anticipation and anxiety reaches fever pitch while we wait for the outcome to see whether the customer will choose the beef lamb or fish from our proposal

Then guess what the request comes back to quote a vegetarian option (because a competitor has suggested this) and back to work we go developing a winning proposal for the vegetarian On a bad day the customer goes for the pork and you miss out On a good day the customer dines with you

Rather than writing your proposal as soon as the client asks what is on the menu and then spending valuable time at the proposal end of the sales cycle the place to spend your time is doing a good diagnosis and selecting the optimal solution with the client

ISSUEONE

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 017

This is the lsquomeatrsquo of developing complex sales For example you must spend time understanding how and why beef is the best option then how the client likes their beef cooked

Donrsquot let proposals become a substitute for building trust or do the selling for you whereby you are over-reliant on the proposal to win the deal Such proposals are easy to pick - they are top heavy in lsquoabout usrsquo capability information that seldom gets read

Since customers donrsquot buy proposals (they buy solutions and value) instead build trust through the strength of your diagnosis and use the proposal to simply confirm all that you have agreed Your two-page proposal will then offer only the desired option and is far more likely to be accepted Done well this has far more impact than any hefty proposal both on your customer and your sales results and the long term relationship

In complex sales the proposal is not the meat it is the gravy It is the part which brings the meal together rather than the main part of the meal

Are You Sure You Know What Yoursquore ProposingOne of the biggest challenges of complex sales is working with customers and buyers who ask you to submit a proposal before you know what you are making a proposal for Responding to a request for a proposal so that the client can consider the possible options can be a tough one to deal with

In this situation we naturally want to seize the opportunity and get our proposal in early to make an impression We wonder what the competition is doing If we do not jump when asked to jump what will the customer think Will the competition have a head start on us Well they wonrsquot they will just be wasting their time guessing what the customer wants and hoping that something will get the interest of the buyer Just the same as you will be Sure you might get lucky once in a while but to succeed in complex sales requires much more than a game of chance and numbers

The consequence of over-reliance on the proposal to sell and submitting too early is that you consume vast amounts of your time and resources preparing a proposal of options most if not all of which never happen

The cost to your organisation can be huge I recall an extreme case for a multi-million dollar project where the senior buyer asked very early on for a proposal of all the possible options to consider

Well evaluating all possible options to be able to make a proposal for them would have taken months and cost $$$rsquos Instead the next few months were valuably spent jointly figuring out the viable options

018 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Paul Newsom is the editor of NZ Sales Manager

To be honest I find this

premature request happens

when buyers donrsquot know what

they are buying or donrsquot know

what the extent of the problem

is Repeated submissions follow

as the buyer progressively gets

a better understanding of what

they are doing As buyers donrsquot

we feel safer reading proposals

in comfort to try and figure it out

ourselves rather than risk being

sold the wrong thing

(Thatrsquos why we buy so much

over the Internet now ndash isnrsquot it)

It is self-defence from the buyer

and a symptom of decades

of poor seller and poor buyer

behaviour working in conflict

If you donrsquot know exactly what

you are proposing and why

then you must ask yourself also

whether the buyer knows what

they are trying to buy or even

how they will decide

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

There are two things you have to do when asked to submit a proposal prematurely gtYOU HAVE TO STAY YOUR GROUND Be firm and say

that in order to submit a proposal upon which they can make

an informed decision you both need to first understand This

requires discipline

Advise that you can only propose viable solutions that meet

all the criteria and at this stage the criteria are not defined

Otherwise you will be wasting your time and their time and

possibly put their business at risk

Plus how do you know if you have the resources to provide a

solution that will achieve the desired outcome You could be putting

your credibility and reputation at risk too

gtMAINTAIN THE SELF-ESTEEM OF THE BUYER You

donrsquot want to appear arrogant seemingly knowing better

It will damage the trust you have built Respect the wishes

of the client but suggest an alternative approach that

will ensure you are providing accurate information upon

which they can make the best possible buying decision

Submit a proposal without prior agreement of concept and we know

what happensndash the customer does nothing decides on price alone

or you submit repeated proposals until someone figures it outbull

If you donrsquot know exactly what you are proposing and why then you must ask yourself also whether the buyer knows what they are trying to buy or even how they will decide

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 019

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020 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Sales Opportunity Qualification is one of the most valuable skills

for a professional salesperson

to develop In this turbulent

recessionary climate it is very

tempting to chase down every

deal on the prospect list Even

the ones that you know in your

heart you have very little chance

of winning However this can

actually make matters worse by

diverting sales effort away from

the better deals and reducing

your chances of winning those

Stop for Red Flags

Words by Tony Hillyard

ISSUETWENTYNINE

Three critical areas you must explore to qualify leads

Too many salespeople chase large time-consuming deals that they have very little chance of winning We do this because in a tough sales environment it naturally makes us feel better to go after every deal we come across - even when we know we shouldnrsquot

This eats up productive selling time

Salespeople can also often lose deals without knowing why

In many cases it could be that they simply failed to ask one

straightforward question that would have flushed out an objection

or a problem that could have been handled quite easily

Using a Sales Opportunity Qualification Process will enable you

to get a good perspective on where you stand with any sales

opportunity but it is particularly important for your larger deals

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 021

You must address and resolve these three most important issues

before committing a lot of resource to a sales campaign

1 Is it real for us

Although there might be a genuine sales opportunity available

- it might not be available to you or your company for a variety

of reasons

2 Do we want to win itbull What is the risk involved

bull Will it take more work and effort than itrsquos worth

bull Can we adequately resource the sale

3 Can we win itbull Do we have the right solution

bull Do we have a good relationship with the customer

bull How strong is the competition

This Qualification Process will help you answer these questions

and tell you when you have what I call lsquoRed Flagrsquo issues to resolve

Sales Opportunity Qualification is a critical and unequivocal

process You must answer Yes Dont Knowrsquo or No with

complete honesty for all the questions in each section

IF YOU HAVE RED FLAG ISSUES THEN SALES ACTIVITY IS REQUIREDWherever you have answered

No or Dont Know to a question

you have uncovered a Red Flag

issue that could potentially stop

you from winning the sale You

need to stop and think about

what sales activities and sales

calls you must undertake to

get a Yes response to those

questions and get yourself

into a winning position

If there are too many Red Flag

issues you may decide that you

just wonrsquot have enough time to

resolve all of them before the

sale is due to close In those

circumstances you might

need to consider negotiating

for more time Or you may feel

that it is just not worth chasing

because it will involve more

effort than the sale is worth to

you If so you will have saved

yourself a lot of wasted time

that you can invest in finding

a better sales opportunity

022 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Here are the 27 critical qualification questions you must answer

IS IT REAL FOR US

The Decision to Change

- Do they have a compelling reason to change

- Is there Senior Executive support for the need to change

- Have they discounted a lsquodo nothingrsquo option

The Money

- Have they explained the cost justification for this project

- Do they have an approved budget for this project

- Are our costs within their budget

The Timeframe

- Have we agreed a decision process timeline with them

- Does the decision process timeline suit us

- Have they allocated enough time to evaluate our

proposal in detail

- Can we meet their delivery and

implementation timescales

The Commercial Reality

- Have they accepted our commercial terms and conditions

- Are we compliant with all of their mandatory requirements

- Do we have our companys approval to submit a

proposal or a quotation

DO WE WANT TO WIN ITThe Risk versus the Gain

- Is the value of the sale enough

for the effort involved

- Will implementation be

straightforward

- Can we adequately resource

the sales campaign

Salespeople can also often lose deals without knowing why In many cases it could be that

they simply failed to ask one straightforward question that would have

flushed out an objection or a problem that could have

been handled quite easily

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 023

CAN WE WIN IT The Solution

- Are any of our unique features and benefits in their

decision criteria

- Do the Key Influencers favour our solution

- Have we aligned our solution to their Key Business

Drivers and Critical Success Factors

- Are we proposing a low or reasonable risk solution

The Relationship

- Do we have a good relationship track record with them

- Do we have good access to the decision-makers

- Do we have a well-placed Coach

- Are we allowed to sell to all the Key Influencers

on this project

The Competition

- Do we know which of the competitors are favoured

by the customer

- Do we know the strengths and weaknesses

of the main competitors

- Do we know the sales strategies of the main competitors

There are three parts to the Sales

Opportunity Qualification Process

1 Gaining an accurate

perspective on a sales

opportunity by answering all

of the Qualification Questions

with complete honesty

2 Developing all of the sales

activities and sales calls

that are still necessary

to get you into a winning

position for the opportunity

3 Early identification and

elimination of the deals you

canrsquot win and the ones you

donrsquot want to win

Use this Qualifying Large

Sales Opportunities Process

to dramatically improve your

chances of winning the significant

sales opportunities on your

prospect list that you choose to

go after - and stop chasing the

ones you are unlikely to win or

donrsquot want to win bull

Tony Hillyard specialises in giving sales teams around the world smart solutions to help them win more business in difficult or very competitive markets Visit Tonyrsquos website here for more information copy The Sales Academy Ltd All Rights Reserved July 2009

wwwsalesacademynetnz

1

2

3

024 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Words by Bill James

ISSUEFORTYSEVEN

Maybe you are new at sales you topped the training class ndash but just cannot make the sales stick Or you could be a veteran of many sales conquests but more recently you

simply cannot get the deals across the line

Or perhaps you spent a small fortune acquiring a franchise and it looked great on paper You have big plans high hopes and you are putting in the hours to make it happen But somehow the results are not coming and the money is not flowing Whatrsquos wrong

Unfortunately the answer could be you

Especially for franchisees there are lots of promises about fantastic marketing packages and potential clients coming through the door but the simple truth is that you are now self-employed No more sick days No one else to delegate to It is you that has to make that sale and secure your own money

5 Tips for the Reluctant Salesperson

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 025

1So here are five tips that will help get you on track if you action them

Stop thinking of yourself as a lsquoSalesmanrsquo (Or Saleswoman)Think about it The word lsquosalesmanrsquo or saleswomanrsquo does not engender confidence and is not respected even by you

Ask yourself do you like being lsquosoldrsquo Guess what ndash your clients feel the same way

There is a huge amount of negative connotation around this wording and it brings up an image of someone you may not want to be From a small child there is every chance your parents told you that salespeople were pushy and not to be trusted and now you have to become one

This obviously causes a real internal conflict and is in my opinion the number one reason why you could find yourself sabotaging your own efforts Donrsquot believe me Ask yourself these questions

bull Do you approach every sales opportunity in the belief it will be a sale

bull Are you secretly dreading lsquothatrsquo question from your client - The one you find so hard to answer

bull Do you find lots of little jobs to do that keep you so busy that you have little time for new business calls

These issues are even more acute if yoursquore very technical in nature and you like performing the task but not producing the sale

Why not rename yourself so that yoursquore comfortable in saying that word when you represent yourself to a potential client What could you call yourself that sits comfortably with you

Remember your role is to help people make the right decision ndash it is not to sell them something

Ask yourself do you like being lsquosoldrsquo Guess what ndash your clients feel the same way Remember your role is to help people make the right decision ndash it is not to sell them something

026 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3

2 Be yourselfSo many people will put on a persona they think is needed to create a successful sales outcome This is simply not the case and could in fact be what is costing you business

When you went through all the psychological and personality testing (hopefully) when you applied for the job or franchise opportunity these assessments showed the real you and indicated that you should be successful in your business So why are you hiding this real you now

Clients look for faults and are suspicious when you knock on the door because you are promoting a product If they sense falseness about you it will raise their alarms and give them good reason not to buy from you Will your natural personality be what everyone is looking for every time Probably not You will get on with some people better than others

But the reality is especially if you are less experienced you were quite possibly never going to sell to those people anyway The ones that would be attracted to your natural personality will be put off by a fake overlay so stop doing it

The reality is that you could be a complete ratbag but people still buy from complete ratbags ndash as long as they are honest about being one Can you image your reaction to someone whorsquos obviously a ratbag but is pretending to be nice and you can see through it It would make you want to run in the opposite direction wouldnrsquot it

Show some passion for your subjectAgain we put on this persona of lsquoprofessionalismrsquo which means we deliver a very dry presentation What was the passion that got you involved in the first place If it was simply that you thought yoursquod make a lot of money you may possibly have made an error ndash thatrsquos called a job

Clients enjoy your enthusiasm and passion for your product It will take you through the tough times but yoursquoll also need to show it to your clients so they know that you are passionate about what you are doing

This isnrsquot easy in cultures where showing emotion is not the norm but the old saying lsquoenthusiasm sellsrsquo is as true now as it ever was

Let your passion and enthusiasm for your subject out and yoursquoll take your potential client along with you for the ride The big problem is that if you do not show some passion and hide in facts and figures your clients will allocate an emotion and a motivation to you What do you think the chances are that it will be a positive one

None

The reality is that you could be a complete ratbag but people still buy from complete ratbags ndash as long as they are honest about being one

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 027

4

Bill James is an internationally recognised sales speaker and trainer who specialises in referral and relationship marketing To find out more visit his website above

wwwBillJamesSpeakercom

Jargon kills salesOccasionally yoursquoll find someone whorsquos really caught up in the technical aspects of what you do But usually they are initially more interested in knowing you understand and care about their needs If you are technically orientated itrsquos easy to hide in the features of your product but this will stop you truly addressing the need of the client

Often most products appear to be very similar and have similar pricing and so the difference is your ability to uncover their real concerns and needs and address those In this way yoursquoll make a connection at a very personal level which is the key to gaining that commitment from your potential client

Loading them up with jargon will simply occupy their headspace and will actually be counterproductive Talking everyday language that your client can understand and addressing their real needs will result in you making real progress

Use a low logic approach with your potential clientlsquoLow logicrsquo is language that is simple to understand It is almost like approaching your client underneath the radar

Simply approach them in a very matter of fact way (with a certain amount of emotion) and give them the option to decline your services if they want In this way you donrsquot raise any alarm bells and make them feel trapped They are much more likely to come along for the ride this way

For example ldquoMr Prospect the simple reality is businesses like yours can use this product and it has X effect For you to be interested it obviously has to meet X Y Z needs and also fit within your budget and I have to be able to show you the real benefits of working with our company If I canrsquot then itrsquos only fair that I should head for the door But if I can make all that happen then your company is definitely at an advantage Irsquod like to simply sit down with you and run through these different ideas and see where we go from there is that fair enoughrdquo

So be yourself cut the jargon and let your passion for the product speak for itself Approach other people the way you like to be approached and you might well find that your sales increase hugelybull

5

028 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Winning Sales Presentations

ISSUESEVENTYTWO

Words by Debbie Mayo-Smith

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 029

Creating a great sales presentation isnrsquot very different to crafting a great speech You want to keep attention Motivate Convince Move to action Here is a formula that I follow (learnt from the

American maestro Patricia Fripp) that should help you to vastly improve your success when putting together and delivering a sales presentation

To whom are you speakingBe prepared before you go in and know as much about your audience as possible Age attitude industry and gender will all have a bearing on how you present your points Men and women have different senses of humour Younger audiences will be more impatient than older lsquoCrsquo level executives who donrsquot need the details Your presentation style and content must fit their perspective

You are not the heroWhat is the ratio of your PowerPoint slides (or written material) devoted to your company vs the potential client It stands to reason if you are invited to pitch you have already passed the preliminary vetting The convincing is done Wow them stand out from your competition by focusing on them - not stories of you your company achievements or accolades Do you like listening to egotistical sales people Share the glory with sales teams Ensure you put the prospective company in the limelight

I-You Ratio Likewise look through your sales presentations and count how many Irsquos wersquos and usrsquos you have Make certain your slides and stories are about them not you Change the perspective at every opportunity possible

Wrong ldquoOur company is number one in rdquo

Right ldquoYou benefit from our number one standing becauserdquo

Strong openingIf yoursquore pitching a $500000 contract and have only 10 minutes then starting with ldquogood morning ladies and gentlemen thank you for having us hererdquo just cost you over $8300 by wasting 10 seconds

Open differently and strongly Paint a picture Take them into the future Describe how theyrsquore benefiting from the clever decision they made years ago working with you Decision makers want to benefit the company they also want personally to be sure they are taking the right action So highlight how theyrsquoll be remembered for doing the right thing by using your company (donrsquot make it too much of a butter up though)

Answer questions up front What do they want to know from you How can you help them If yoursquore more expensive will take longer or are the underdog ndash do not ignore the fact Theyrsquore thinking it Come straight out early into the presentation with a lsquoI know what yoursquore thinkingrsquo statement then answer their objections

030 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

PremiseBuild the sales presentation around the structure of how they will benefit from what you are asking them to do ldquoYou will save $2 million dollars by using our softwarerdquo or ldquoYou will cut maintenance expenditure by 20 per centrdquo Phrase it so they say to themselves lsquohowrsquo You then answer in a logical and structured way

Points laid out logicallyYou can help them make $2million How You enumerate and discuss the points one by one with examples Point one is cutting costs Point two is increasing revenue Point three is boosting staff productivity Highlighting points by telling a story will work infinitely better for you than simply stating it or just saying why By the way you turn masterful in your sales presentation story telling skills when you give your stories flesh and blood characters and dialogue

Seamless transitionMoving from a main point (cutting costs) to the next (increasing revenue) should have a smooth flow instead of an abrupt change Carrying on our example you could transition by saying ldquolowering costs is only one side of the equation of boosting your profit Increasing sales in a challenging environment might not seem easy let me show you how we helprdquo That places you nicely into the segment on how you increase their revenues

QuestionsDonrsquot end with questions rather take them before you review at the end so you can close on a high note

ReviewIf possible use a story again ndash outlining a client that benefited in all the ways you highlight they will benefit

Repetitive reframes sound bite statementsYou can be sure theyrsquoll remember stories Hit home with better retention by giving them little sound bites and repeating them often

Strong CloseRefer back to your opening story or bring all the elements together describing how theyrsquoll benefit If you didnrsquot use thersquo looking into the futurersquo in your opening you can use it in the closing ldquoPicture yourself in two yearsrsquo time Itrsquos the gala dinner Award night Everyone is abuzz because of the success of the new software system you approved and installed the year before Five different staff have come to you throughout the evening ndash all award winners from their significant leap in productivityrdquo bull

Debbie Mayo-Smith is one of New Zealandrsquos most in-demand speakers trainers and bestselling authors Debbie works with companies that want more effective staff For more tips and business ideas sign up for her free monthly newsletter

wwwsuccessisconz

GOT A PRODUCT SERVICE OR BUSINESS WORTH TALKING ABOUT

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Get in touch with Jennifer now to discuss our options+64 9 522 7257 (NZT) | jenniferlespiremediacom | wwwespiremediacom

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032 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Nine Steps to Supercharge Your Job Hunt

ISSUEEIGHTYFIVE

Tom ONeil shares some strategies to ensure you get a jump on your competition

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 033

1 Follow-up and use your personal networks Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is generally more trusted Therefore a person who is referred to an employer has a higher trust value and therefore a higher chance of getting employed This is especially true if there is not actually an official job vacancy and you are the only person being assessed for the role

Therefore its vital to get back in contact with your network with your good wishes as well as tell them you are now looking for new career opportunities

2 LinkedInGo through your LinkedIn profile with an objective eye making sure your profile sells you as much as possible Look at common keywords in the types of positions you are seeking and ensure these are included in your profile After you have done this ask a friend or two to have a look through as well to see if you have missed anything of importance

Check the number and quality of your recommendations on LinkedIn Social media author Linda Coles calls these your silent salespeople I recently was told a major international IT company would not select any senior level staff unless they had more than 20 recommendations I was chuffed when I read this as I am up to 45 however when I asked Linda I found that she has over 120 Therefore you can start to see the power these sound-bite type recommendations can have

Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from

word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is

generally more trusted Therefore a person who is

referred to an employer has a higher trust value and

therefore a higher chance of getting employed

034 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3 Go back over your successes in the past 12 monthsMost people tend to rush into the job hunting process only really thinking about their successes (and failures) when they are in the interview Were you awarded further authority in your role Did you exceed any sales or performance targets Did you train or mentor any new people All these things are important to an employer so make sure you take some time today to think about the positive things that shaped your career recently (and be sure to include them in your CV)

4 Plan your career not just your next jobRemember that each position is a stepping stone to the next so take some time out to think about what you want to be doing for a role in 2020 Once you have done this map out ideal positions (and study if needed) to get you there

5 Direct marketingHas there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them You would be surprised about the amount of people who because they demonstrated a strong interest in the company got a position personally crafted for them even though there appeared to be no position available The other major benefit of this direct approach is that it means a manager does not have to pay a $15000 recruitment fee as you have come to them for free

6 Check in with your verbal refereesTime and time again a candidate has missed out on a dream job because their referees were too old or not overly positive During my HR and recruitment career I have contacted the referees of candidates I have been really interested in employing and got responses like Oh no is Steve looking for ANOTHER job or Sorry I dont remember a Mike Smith Are you sure he put me as a referee

Contact your referees ensure they are aware that you are back on the job hunt and ask them if they are happy to provide a verbal reference The five-minute call you make today may well be the difference between getting your next job in October or March

Has there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 035

Tom ONeil is a leading international author career specialist and MD of CVCONZ You can contact Tom via email tomcvconz

CVCONZ

7 Follow-upBecause of the nature of the recruitment process (especially executive search and selection) the hiring process can be extremely drawn out Make sure you keep in contact with the recruiterpotential employer on a regular basis Most candidates are not keen to do this as they feel its overly aggressive However as long as you are friendly and professional in your follow-up you should be remembered positively when the time for the final decision comes

8 Take time to tailor your CV cover letter and interview to the roleA vacant position is a major headache for a company especially if that position is at a senior or executive level Therefore its vital that you tailor your entire approach as a complete solution specifically for the opportunity In most job advertisements and position descriptions there is a section entitled Personal SpecificationsCharacteristicsCompetencies etc This section is the key to the role and is what you need to target

Read through the documentation and summarise what the ideal person would look like With your skills achievements qualifications and experiences how can you meet or exceed these requirements

Finally you want to ensure that the main aspects and keywords are mirrored in everything you send to the employer and in your answers during the interview The closer you meet their brief of the ideal candidate the higher the chance of you getting that job

9 Positive state of mindAs the job hunt progresses it can become a painful process However its vital to stay as positive as you can as employers can sense frustration anxiety and antagonism all the emotions they wont want in an employee Make sure you go into each situation with a positive outlook take the best from all situations and remember every challenge is an opportunity to grow and improve your skills bull

036 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

COMPETITION

BOOK GIVEAWAYWe have two copies of the brand new job search manual Youre Hired The Essential Guide to Job Hunting and Personal Branding by Tom ONeil to give away

The book provides up-to-the-minute practical detail to choose the social media strategy best suited to your

situation and ways to promote yourself

through online networks particularly

LinkedIn as well as the importance of

lsquoofflinersquo branding Also included are sections

on reacutesumeacutes and covering letters (with

access online to templates) interviewing

tips networking direct marketing salary

negotiation and career goal-setting making

this the essential job hunting guide

There has been a huge shift over the last

three decades in the way employment

recruitment takes place and the power of

the individual to take control of their job hunt

has improved massively according to career

specialist Tom OrsquoNeil

But the strength of your lsquobrandrsquo and your

ability to sell your skills and achievements

will dictate how successful you are in your

search In this compelling new guide Tom

provides job seekers with simple exercises

and guidance to identify personal attributes and key career highlights that will assist in marketing yourself to potential employers The advice holds equally well for consultants and contractors like real estate agents and insurance brokers looking to procure new business bull

paulnnzsalesmanagerconz Email Paul before 30th November to be in to win a copy We have two copies to giveawayPublished by New Holland Publishers

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 037

QUICKFIX

Honest Apologies

lsquoDue to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control we lthave let you downgthellipAnd end like this lsquoWe apologise for any

inconvenience this may have causedrsquo

As a customer I read this and think ndash well at least they have told me they have stuffed up but they obviously donrsquot want to tell me why because they think that will make them look even worse and their apology is so canned they donrsquot mean it anyway They donrsquot really care

QUICK FIX

To show you do really care and to build a relationship built on trust cut out the canned opening and closing lines that everyone uses and use real language

bull Tell it how you would say it - which is not the canned written way

bull Tell what did happen and what you learned that will improve customer service in the future

bull Show that you understand their business - you should know what inconvenience it has caused them so apologise specifically for this

Do this and your customers will be much more understanding bull

bull

So itrsquos all gone wrong and you have let your customer down Itrsquos time to write to them with an apology How many letters start like this

038 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Ive been reading and using pieces from NZ Sales Manager magazine since Jan 2011 It has helped me immensely in gaining trust and building sales teams It gives me motivation each month to try something new and see if I can mould it to suit our team Thank you for providing this sales tool - it really has been a great source of information and motivation

Shaun Matheson

It gives me great pleasure to acknowledge all the wonderful work done by the NZ Sales Manager Magazine and all the efforts put in by the editor Mr Paul Newsom

This magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning tool With a well laid out plan this magazine has given all sales professionals including myself a great platform to focus and learn from and thus being very successful in our sales efforts in a very demanding business environment

Congratulations for coming up to your 100th issue which is indeed a great milestone and I personally wish the magazine and all those who run it every success and keep up the great work

Best WishesIvo DrsquoSilva Sales amp Customer Service Manager

THANKYOUFROMOURREADERS

ldquoThis magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning toolrdquoRegional

Manager

at

EDL

Fasteners

Ltd

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 039

Congratulations on the 100th issue of NZ Sales Manager eMag You provide valuable tips on selling and sales management and your 100th issue is great proof that you share great ideas that your readers appreciate and find usefulGraham McGregor Marketing Advisor amp Journalist

A big congrats to NZ Sales Manager on the 100th issue Thanks for your wonderful insights challenging the norm and keeping us focused on doing our best We look forward to the next 100Paul Brophy Team Leader NZ at CXC Global

ldquoThanks for your

wonderful insights

challenging the norm

and keeping us focused

on doing our bestrdquo

Sales management everywhere should be reading the NZ Sales Manager Congrats on your 100th issueJill Konrath Author of Agile Selling SNAP Selling and Selling to Big Companies

What a wonderful milestone for such a useful and inspiring magazine Congratulations to you and all your hard workLinda Coles Online Marketing Expert

Great work and contribution to Sales Managers all across NZ Thank you Ambrose Blowfield Owner The Marketing Company

To the editors and team behind NZSM well done Many growing challenges in the sales arena at an accelerating pace of change and great you have contributed so much to the profession Stuart Edmunds Founder of New Zealand Institute of Sales bull

040 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

EVENTSCALENDAR

DATE NAME PLACE COMPANY27 November Sales Management Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

1 December Negotiation Skills Wellington IMNZ

1 December Sales Seminar Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

2 December Key Account Management Christchurch IMNZ

2 December Effective Sales Prospecting Auckland PD Training

8 December Sales Basics Auckland Geewiz

9 December Advanced Serious Selling Auckland Geewiz

11 December Sales Training Auckland PD Training

15 December Cold Calling and Prospecting Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

15 December Professional Telephone Skills Training

Auckland PD Training

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 041

THECLOSE

ldquoI never ran 1000 miles I could never

have done that I ran 1 mile 1000 timesrdquo

Subscribe at wwwnzsalesmanagerconz ITrsquoS FREE

Lucian Milasan Shutterstockcom

- Stu Mittleman

Page 9: NZ Sales Manager – Issue 100

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 09

Su Walker is National Sales Manager with ABC Business Sales New Zealandrsquos leading business sales company

wwwbusinessesforsaleconz

What sets the top sales people apart from the restTheir ability to listen and qualify well able to articulate the business requirements and create value in the service or solution being proposed They are typically self-motivated disciplined well organised communicate well and create urgency in closing sales

Whats your worst sales momentMaking an assumption on the venue for a client presentation and turning up to the wrong location with the Managing Director

Tell us about the sales success you are most proud ofOn the successful conclusion of a large services contract I was commended by the decision maker as the reason the business selected our organisation however I attribute the success to the great team working with me

How do you motivate sales peopleBy working with them to understand support encourage and coach ndash help them to believe in themselves

Advice for someone considering a career in sales management The skill set is totally different as you go from only managing yourself to managing a whole team all with different strengths weaknesses problems goals and emotions

Sales Management is about coaching so training before the transition is integral as would be finding a suitable mentor to support you during this time bull

ldquoOur business is about helping people realise their dreams In addition to having strong business skills and experience I look for people that have a positive attitude are passionate have a sense of humour are able to articulate a value proposition and present themselves crediblyrdquo

Brought to you by 2degrees

010 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Taking the pulse of New Zealandrsquos sales profession

The New World of Selling

The world of the traditional sales professional has undergone significant change especially over the last decade It wouldnrsquot be wrong to say that 2008rsquos Global Financial Crisis as with

other major historical economic events played an integral part in the latest cycle of challenges shaking sales organisations to the core when the money dried up

While we have largely recovered from the GFC fallout New Zealand sales professionals in both business-to-consumer and business-to-business must now navigate the increasing impact of the online world including social media on lead generation and the sales cycle

Recent research by Influence Central revealed that for 90 of consumers an online review of a product or service is more important than input from a salesperson Constant connectivity coupled with increasing dependence on the all seeing all knowing Internet has changed the way people buy and thus the way sales professionals must sell

It is clear that buyers like to do their own research to get the maximum value out of every dollar they spend before they make any purchase and this has made the work of sales professionals even more challenging

We spoke to five New Zealand sales training and development experts to take the pulse of the sales profession in New Zealand and get their take on the three biggest challenges facing our sales professionals

Here are their insights

Words by Navdeep Kaur Marwah

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 011

Martin PercivalManaging Director AchieveGlobal NZ

gtPRESSURE TO DEVELOP NEW OPPORTUNITIES OR LEADSNew Zealand as a marketplace has always been finite in terms of opportunity and leads As such sales endeavours have often related to the cyclical buying requirements related to reinvestment and maintenance and then the GFC landed Wersquore still experiencing the spend rationalisation and conservative behaviour that permeated the years following the GFC In addition when we do spend we look for cheaper alternatives or drive discounts in our suppliers As a result sales organisations are putting increasing pressures and emphasis on sales team members to adopt new strategies new thought processes and skills generally without training or support to prospect and open doors in a marketplace already limited with opportunity as pre-existing relationships dry up

gtLESS EMPHASIS ON PRE-EXISTING RELATIONSHIPSHistorically the New Zealand marketplace has been heavily weighted in terms of inter-personal relationships Being able to build relationships built on trust meant long-term success and ensured that the competition couldnrsquot enter the fray In the current climate however budget holders are expected to show a positive return on investment and often find themselves in an extended procurement process with additional team members who focus on the tangible financial aspects of a transaction rather than the immeasurable service or relationship aspect In essence it has become about price and the salespersons who differentiated themselves through their relationships are struggling to maintain their position

gtLACK OF MOTIVATIONOver the past few years increased buyer expectations longer sales cycles reduced budgets and increasing price competition have all contributed towards the fact that sales has become a far more challenging profession Sales professionals now need to work twice as hard for a budget which has been slashed to the smallest permissible level Therefore sales professionals now must possess a resilience beyond that which was required in the past ndash to remain motivated and excited about the next potential opportunity

Sales professionals now must possess a resilience beyond that which was required in the past ndash to remain motivated and excited about the next potential opportunity

ldquo

ldquo

012 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Ross WilsonCEO Growing Organisations

gtMAINTAINING A HUMAN RELATIONSHIP WITH THE BUYER IN THE DIGITAL AGEOur customers time resource is stretched to breaking point Everyone is meetinged out and exhausted As a result meetings are set weeks in advance if you get one at all Often we have to resort to phone meetings instead Therefore even existing customers are harder and harder to get time with

gtKEEPING UP WITH THE RAPID TURNOVER OF STAFFContacts especially gate-keepers as well as decision-makers move on before youve been able to build trust and hence one has to start building trust and relationships with the new people all over again

gtCOMPLYING WITH MARKETING DEPARTMENTS DEMAND TO KEEP CRM (CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT) SYSTEMS CURRENT AT ALL TIMESThis requires hours of a sales persons time every week taking them away from productive sales activity Obviously this impacts their sales performance and results

Stuart EdmundsCEO New Zealand Sales Institute

gtLACK OF LASER LIKE FOCUSEvery company in every industry has their own unique sales challenges but one universal issue is the frustrated inability of sellers to focus on the most important things Salespeople fight the daily war against distractions and non-urgent activities that come up with the inevitable impact on focusing exclusively on whatrsquos most important to your pipeline

gtEMBRACING TECHNOLOGYTechnology adoption among sales professionals has been well behind marketing There is now an explosion of sales automation technologies specific to sales professionals but those same sales professionals need to take advantage of what is now in front of them There is still tremendous scope for more effective tools to play an increasingly important role in improving sales productivity and effectiveness

gtNEED FOR GREAT SALES MANAGEMENTFar too few salespeople have competent sales management who can guide coach support mentor motivate and direct their activities apart from keeping other conflicting priorities at bay and helping them in creating the best environment to ultimately drive (over-) achievement of sales

ldquo

Salespeople fight the daily war against distractions and non-urgent activities

ldquo

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 013

Joanne Hyland Director ProFormance

gtKEEPING UP WITH THE TECHNOLOGYTechnology coupled with the speed of change is inevitably going to have a widespread and highly impactful effect on sales people and our ability to sell effectively Our customers are able to access all sorts of information about ourselves our company and our products through online sources without even conversing with us Some of the information online we can control and hence is positive on the brand

But inevitably there will be information that we cannot control including friends putting inappropriate photos of us online customers publishing product reviews we donrsquot like and competitors outplaying us This puts increasing pressure on organisations and their sales teams to be constantly informed and able to respond appropriately

Moreover our sales resources have changed Our customers expect us to have smartphones tablets and to be able to immediately access sales information stock levels pricing options that help them to make their decision They are not prepared to wait in this environment where we are all time poor and want immediate solutions

gtPROVIDING CUSTOMISED SOLUTIONS Sales is a competitive industry where the dynamics change continuously With all the technology we have at our fingertips we should have live comprehensive sales data to inform educate and advise our customer on the best solution for their business No two customers should be treated the same or given the same offer In-depth analysis enables us to tailor our offer in a manner that is winwin for our customer and us The outstanding sales person should aim to be in the position whereby your customer does not want to be without himher

gtOVERCOMING OUR OWN LIMITATIONSA good salesperson needs to be aware of hisher skills and abilities as well as hisher limitations They need to source feedback and coaching to enable continuous self-improvement They need to look for opportunities to upskill to grow and develop

A good salesperson needs to be aware of hisher skills and abilities as well as hisher limitations

ldquo

ldquo

014 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

wwwespiremediacom

Paul ODonohueCEO SalesSTAR

gtGETTING IN FRONT OF THEIR TARGET MARKET The people who we need to reach have become busier than they used to be five years ago Moreover they are bombarded with 1000rsquos of marketing messages every day Getting their attention is a big challenge

gtCOMMODITISATION OF PRODUCTSERVICE It is a global world and our products and services are being commoditised

gtPROLONGED SALES CYCLESMost of the time companies only buy if they have to buy so decisions are being stalled

Knowledge is power More knowledge is more powerIt is clear the modern salesperson must be provided with a level of management support and guidance that goes far beyond simply increasing their targets for new meetings or cold calls or sales each week The pressures of rationalised sales teams and budgets increased reporting pressures and increased operational requirements can leave sales reps feeling isolated unrecognised and vulnerable There needs to be more sales management capability in NZ providing more coaching and support for sales team members

The sales professional of today must understand that more than ever in this ever changing playing field it is the survival of the fittest On the bright side the sales professional who is flexible resourceful and innovative and can add something of real value to each customer interaction will always be able to make his or her mark bull

The people who we need to reach have

become busier than they

used to be five years ago

Getting their attention is a

big challenge

ldquo

ldquo

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Roy Morgan collect a myriad of data on everything from income discretionary spend response to marketing mediums and thousands of other variables that drive New Zealand consumer attitudes and buying behaviour

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copy 2013 Veda Advantage Solutions Group Pty Limited

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Manage marketing amp risk through identifying value segments and how to attract likeminded prospects

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016 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Indecent ProposalsPaul Newsom explains how being too eager to prepare sales proposals can lead to wasted time and lost sales opportunities

Proposals have a special place in the mind of many sales people They are one of the milestones of the sales process and are often the main weapon in the sales armoury They

are the lsquomeat of the dinnerrsquo Gaining the opportunity to submit a proposal is considered by many to be a major success Hours of writing and a few candles later a proposal is proudly submitted

Excitement anticipation and anxiety reaches fever pitch while we wait for the outcome to see whether the customer will choose the beef lamb or fish from our proposal

Then guess what the request comes back to quote a vegetarian option (because a competitor has suggested this) and back to work we go developing a winning proposal for the vegetarian On a bad day the customer goes for the pork and you miss out On a good day the customer dines with you

Rather than writing your proposal as soon as the client asks what is on the menu and then spending valuable time at the proposal end of the sales cycle the place to spend your time is doing a good diagnosis and selecting the optimal solution with the client

ISSUEONE

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 017

This is the lsquomeatrsquo of developing complex sales For example you must spend time understanding how and why beef is the best option then how the client likes their beef cooked

Donrsquot let proposals become a substitute for building trust or do the selling for you whereby you are over-reliant on the proposal to win the deal Such proposals are easy to pick - they are top heavy in lsquoabout usrsquo capability information that seldom gets read

Since customers donrsquot buy proposals (they buy solutions and value) instead build trust through the strength of your diagnosis and use the proposal to simply confirm all that you have agreed Your two-page proposal will then offer only the desired option and is far more likely to be accepted Done well this has far more impact than any hefty proposal both on your customer and your sales results and the long term relationship

In complex sales the proposal is not the meat it is the gravy It is the part which brings the meal together rather than the main part of the meal

Are You Sure You Know What Yoursquore ProposingOne of the biggest challenges of complex sales is working with customers and buyers who ask you to submit a proposal before you know what you are making a proposal for Responding to a request for a proposal so that the client can consider the possible options can be a tough one to deal with

In this situation we naturally want to seize the opportunity and get our proposal in early to make an impression We wonder what the competition is doing If we do not jump when asked to jump what will the customer think Will the competition have a head start on us Well they wonrsquot they will just be wasting their time guessing what the customer wants and hoping that something will get the interest of the buyer Just the same as you will be Sure you might get lucky once in a while but to succeed in complex sales requires much more than a game of chance and numbers

The consequence of over-reliance on the proposal to sell and submitting too early is that you consume vast amounts of your time and resources preparing a proposal of options most if not all of which never happen

The cost to your organisation can be huge I recall an extreme case for a multi-million dollar project where the senior buyer asked very early on for a proposal of all the possible options to consider

Well evaluating all possible options to be able to make a proposal for them would have taken months and cost $$$rsquos Instead the next few months were valuably spent jointly figuring out the viable options

018 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Paul Newsom is the editor of NZ Sales Manager

To be honest I find this

premature request happens

when buyers donrsquot know what

they are buying or donrsquot know

what the extent of the problem

is Repeated submissions follow

as the buyer progressively gets

a better understanding of what

they are doing As buyers donrsquot

we feel safer reading proposals

in comfort to try and figure it out

ourselves rather than risk being

sold the wrong thing

(Thatrsquos why we buy so much

over the Internet now ndash isnrsquot it)

It is self-defence from the buyer

and a symptom of decades

of poor seller and poor buyer

behaviour working in conflict

If you donrsquot know exactly what

you are proposing and why

then you must ask yourself also

whether the buyer knows what

they are trying to buy or even

how they will decide

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

There are two things you have to do when asked to submit a proposal prematurely gtYOU HAVE TO STAY YOUR GROUND Be firm and say

that in order to submit a proposal upon which they can make

an informed decision you both need to first understand This

requires discipline

Advise that you can only propose viable solutions that meet

all the criteria and at this stage the criteria are not defined

Otherwise you will be wasting your time and their time and

possibly put their business at risk

Plus how do you know if you have the resources to provide a

solution that will achieve the desired outcome You could be putting

your credibility and reputation at risk too

gtMAINTAIN THE SELF-ESTEEM OF THE BUYER You

donrsquot want to appear arrogant seemingly knowing better

It will damage the trust you have built Respect the wishes

of the client but suggest an alternative approach that

will ensure you are providing accurate information upon

which they can make the best possible buying decision

Submit a proposal without prior agreement of concept and we know

what happensndash the customer does nothing decides on price alone

or you submit repeated proposals until someone figures it outbull

If you donrsquot know exactly what you are proposing and why then you must ask yourself also whether the buyer knows what they are trying to buy or even how they will decide

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 019

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020 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Sales Opportunity Qualification is one of the most valuable skills

for a professional salesperson

to develop In this turbulent

recessionary climate it is very

tempting to chase down every

deal on the prospect list Even

the ones that you know in your

heart you have very little chance

of winning However this can

actually make matters worse by

diverting sales effort away from

the better deals and reducing

your chances of winning those

Stop for Red Flags

Words by Tony Hillyard

ISSUETWENTYNINE

Three critical areas you must explore to qualify leads

Too many salespeople chase large time-consuming deals that they have very little chance of winning We do this because in a tough sales environment it naturally makes us feel better to go after every deal we come across - even when we know we shouldnrsquot

This eats up productive selling time

Salespeople can also often lose deals without knowing why

In many cases it could be that they simply failed to ask one

straightforward question that would have flushed out an objection

or a problem that could have been handled quite easily

Using a Sales Opportunity Qualification Process will enable you

to get a good perspective on where you stand with any sales

opportunity but it is particularly important for your larger deals

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 021

You must address and resolve these three most important issues

before committing a lot of resource to a sales campaign

1 Is it real for us

Although there might be a genuine sales opportunity available

- it might not be available to you or your company for a variety

of reasons

2 Do we want to win itbull What is the risk involved

bull Will it take more work and effort than itrsquos worth

bull Can we adequately resource the sale

3 Can we win itbull Do we have the right solution

bull Do we have a good relationship with the customer

bull How strong is the competition

This Qualification Process will help you answer these questions

and tell you when you have what I call lsquoRed Flagrsquo issues to resolve

Sales Opportunity Qualification is a critical and unequivocal

process You must answer Yes Dont Knowrsquo or No with

complete honesty for all the questions in each section

IF YOU HAVE RED FLAG ISSUES THEN SALES ACTIVITY IS REQUIREDWherever you have answered

No or Dont Know to a question

you have uncovered a Red Flag

issue that could potentially stop

you from winning the sale You

need to stop and think about

what sales activities and sales

calls you must undertake to

get a Yes response to those

questions and get yourself

into a winning position

If there are too many Red Flag

issues you may decide that you

just wonrsquot have enough time to

resolve all of them before the

sale is due to close In those

circumstances you might

need to consider negotiating

for more time Or you may feel

that it is just not worth chasing

because it will involve more

effort than the sale is worth to

you If so you will have saved

yourself a lot of wasted time

that you can invest in finding

a better sales opportunity

022 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Here are the 27 critical qualification questions you must answer

IS IT REAL FOR US

The Decision to Change

- Do they have a compelling reason to change

- Is there Senior Executive support for the need to change

- Have they discounted a lsquodo nothingrsquo option

The Money

- Have they explained the cost justification for this project

- Do they have an approved budget for this project

- Are our costs within their budget

The Timeframe

- Have we agreed a decision process timeline with them

- Does the decision process timeline suit us

- Have they allocated enough time to evaluate our

proposal in detail

- Can we meet their delivery and

implementation timescales

The Commercial Reality

- Have they accepted our commercial terms and conditions

- Are we compliant with all of their mandatory requirements

- Do we have our companys approval to submit a

proposal or a quotation

DO WE WANT TO WIN ITThe Risk versus the Gain

- Is the value of the sale enough

for the effort involved

- Will implementation be

straightforward

- Can we adequately resource

the sales campaign

Salespeople can also often lose deals without knowing why In many cases it could be that

they simply failed to ask one straightforward question that would have

flushed out an objection or a problem that could have

been handled quite easily

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 023

CAN WE WIN IT The Solution

- Are any of our unique features and benefits in their

decision criteria

- Do the Key Influencers favour our solution

- Have we aligned our solution to their Key Business

Drivers and Critical Success Factors

- Are we proposing a low or reasonable risk solution

The Relationship

- Do we have a good relationship track record with them

- Do we have good access to the decision-makers

- Do we have a well-placed Coach

- Are we allowed to sell to all the Key Influencers

on this project

The Competition

- Do we know which of the competitors are favoured

by the customer

- Do we know the strengths and weaknesses

of the main competitors

- Do we know the sales strategies of the main competitors

There are three parts to the Sales

Opportunity Qualification Process

1 Gaining an accurate

perspective on a sales

opportunity by answering all

of the Qualification Questions

with complete honesty

2 Developing all of the sales

activities and sales calls

that are still necessary

to get you into a winning

position for the opportunity

3 Early identification and

elimination of the deals you

canrsquot win and the ones you

donrsquot want to win

Use this Qualifying Large

Sales Opportunities Process

to dramatically improve your

chances of winning the significant

sales opportunities on your

prospect list that you choose to

go after - and stop chasing the

ones you are unlikely to win or

donrsquot want to win bull

Tony Hillyard specialises in giving sales teams around the world smart solutions to help them win more business in difficult or very competitive markets Visit Tonyrsquos website here for more information copy The Sales Academy Ltd All Rights Reserved July 2009

wwwsalesacademynetnz

1

2

3

024 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Words by Bill James

ISSUEFORTYSEVEN

Maybe you are new at sales you topped the training class ndash but just cannot make the sales stick Or you could be a veteran of many sales conquests but more recently you

simply cannot get the deals across the line

Or perhaps you spent a small fortune acquiring a franchise and it looked great on paper You have big plans high hopes and you are putting in the hours to make it happen But somehow the results are not coming and the money is not flowing Whatrsquos wrong

Unfortunately the answer could be you

Especially for franchisees there are lots of promises about fantastic marketing packages and potential clients coming through the door but the simple truth is that you are now self-employed No more sick days No one else to delegate to It is you that has to make that sale and secure your own money

5 Tips for the Reluctant Salesperson

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 025

1So here are five tips that will help get you on track if you action them

Stop thinking of yourself as a lsquoSalesmanrsquo (Or Saleswoman)Think about it The word lsquosalesmanrsquo or saleswomanrsquo does not engender confidence and is not respected even by you

Ask yourself do you like being lsquosoldrsquo Guess what ndash your clients feel the same way

There is a huge amount of negative connotation around this wording and it brings up an image of someone you may not want to be From a small child there is every chance your parents told you that salespeople were pushy and not to be trusted and now you have to become one

This obviously causes a real internal conflict and is in my opinion the number one reason why you could find yourself sabotaging your own efforts Donrsquot believe me Ask yourself these questions

bull Do you approach every sales opportunity in the belief it will be a sale

bull Are you secretly dreading lsquothatrsquo question from your client - The one you find so hard to answer

bull Do you find lots of little jobs to do that keep you so busy that you have little time for new business calls

These issues are even more acute if yoursquore very technical in nature and you like performing the task but not producing the sale

Why not rename yourself so that yoursquore comfortable in saying that word when you represent yourself to a potential client What could you call yourself that sits comfortably with you

Remember your role is to help people make the right decision ndash it is not to sell them something

Ask yourself do you like being lsquosoldrsquo Guess what ndash your clients feel the same way Remember your role is to help people make the right decision ndash it is not to sell them something

026 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3

2 Be yourselfSo many people will put on a persona they think is needed to create a successful sales outcome This is simply not the case and could in fact be what is costing you business

When you went through all the psychological and personality testing (hopefully) when you applied for the job or franchise opportunity these assessments showed the real you and indicated that you should be successful in your business So why are you hiding this real you now

Clients look for faults and are suspicious when you knock on the door because you are promoting a product If they sense falseness about you it will raise their alarms and give them good reason not to buy from you Will your natural personality be what everyone is looking for every time Probably not You will get on with some people better than others

But the reality is especially if you are less experienced you were quite possibly never going to sell to those people anyway The ones that would be attracted to your natural personality will be put off by a fake overlay so stop doing it

The reality is that you could be a complete ratbag but people still buy from complete ratbags ndash as long as they are honest about being one Can you image your reaction to someone whorsquos obviously a ratbag but is pretending to be nice and you can see through it It would make you want to run in the opposite direction wouldnrsquot it

Show some passion for your subjectAgain we put on this persona of lsquoprofessionalismrsquo which means we deliver a very dry presentation What was the passion that got you involved in the first place If it was simply that you thought yoursquod make a lot of money you may possibly have made an error ndash thatrsquos called a job

Clients enjoy your enthusiasm and passion for your product It will take you through the tough times but yoursquoll also need to show it to your clients so they know that you are passionate about what you are doing

This isnrsquot easy in cultures where showing emotion is not the norm but the old saying lsquoenthusiasm sellsrsquo is as true now as it ever was

Let your passion and enthusiasm for your subject out and yoursquoll take your potential client along with you for the ride The big problem is that if you do not show some passion and hide in facts and figures your clients will allocate an emotion and a motivation to you What do you think the chances are that it will be a positive one

None

The reality is that you could be a complete ratbag but people still buy from complete ratbags ndash as long as they are honest about being one

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 027

4

Bill James is an internationally recognised sales speaker and trainer who specialises in referral and relationship marketing To find out more visit his website above

wwwBillJamesSpeakercom

Jargon kills salesOccasionally yoursquoll find someone whorsquos really caught up in the technical aspects of what you do But usually they are initially more interested in knowing you understand and care about their needs If you are technically orientated itrsquos easy to hide in the features of your product but this will stop you truly addressing the need of the client

Often most products appear to be very similar and have similar pricing and so the difference is your ability to uncover their real concerns and needs and address those In this way yoursquoll make a connection at a very personal level which is the key to gaining that commitment from your potential client

Loading them up with jargon will simply occupy their headspace and will actually be counterproductive Talking everyday language that your client can understand and addressing their real needs will result in you making real progress

Use a low logic approach with your potential clientlsquoLow logicrsquo is language that is simple to understand It is almost like approaching your client underneath the radar

Simply approach them in a very matter of fact way (with a certain amount of emotion) and give them the option to decline your services if they want In this way you donrsquot raise any alarm bells and make them feel trapped They are much more likely to come along for the ride this way

For example ldquoMr Prospect the simple reality is businesses like yours can use this product and it has X effect For you to be interested it obviously has to meet X Y Z needs and also fit within your budget and I have to be able to show you the real benefits of working with our company If I canrsquot then itrsquos only fair that I should head for the door But if I can make all that happen then your company is definitely at an advantage Irsquod like to simply sit down with you and run through these different ideas and see where we go from there is that fair enoughrdquo

So be yourself cut the jargon and let your passion for the product speak for itself Approach other people the way you like to be approached and you might well find that your sales increase hugelybull

5

028 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Winning Sales Presentations

ISSUESEVENTYTWO

Words by Debbie Mayo-Smith

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 029

Creating a great sales presentation isnrsquot very different to crafting a great speech You want to keep attention Motivate Convince Move to action Here is a formula that I follow (learnt from the

American maestro Patricia Fripp) that should help you to vastly improve your success when putting together and delivering a sales presentation

To whom are you speakingBe prepared before you go in and know as much about your audience as possible Age attitude industry and gender will all have a bearing on how you present your points Men and women have different senses of humour Younger audiences will be more impatient than older lsquoCrsquo level executives who donrsquot need the details Your presentation style and content must fit their perspective

You are not the heroWhat is the ratio of your PowerPoint slides (or written material) devoted to your company vs the potential client It stands to reason if you are invited to pitch you have already passed the preliminary vetting The convincing is done Wow them stand out from your competition by focusing on them - not stories of you your company achievements or accolades Do you like listening to egotistical sales people Share the glory with sales teams Ensure you put the prospective company in the limelight

I-You Ratio Likewise look through your sales presentations and count how many Irsquos wersquos and usrsquos you have Make certain your slides and stories are about them not you Change the perspective at every opportunity possible

Wrong ldquoOur company is number one in rdquo

Right ldquoYou benefit from our number one standing becauserdquo

Strong openingIf yoursquore pitching a $500000 contract and have only 10 minutes then starting with ldquogood morning ladies and gentlemen thank you for having us hererdquo just cost you over $8300 by wasting 10 seconds

Open differently and strongly Paint a picture Take them into the future Describe how theyrsquore benefiting from the clever decision they made years ago working with you Decision makers want to benefit the company they also want personally to be sure they are taking the right action So highlight how theyrsquoll be remembered for doing the right thing by using your company (donrsquot make it too much of a butter up though)

Answer questions up front What do they want to know from you How can you help them If yoursquore more expensive will take longer or are the underdog ndash do not ignore the fact Theyrsquore thinking it Come straight out early into the presentation with a lsquoI know what yoursquore thinkingrsquo statement then answer their objections

030 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

PremiseBuild the sales presentation around the structure of how they will benefit from what you are asking them to do ldquoYou will save $2 million dollars by using our softwarerdquo or ldquoYou will cut maintenance expenditure by 20 per centrdquo Phrase it so they say to themselves lsquohowrsquo You then answer in a logical and structured way

Points laid out logicallyYou can help them make $2million How You enumerate and discuss the points one by one with examples Point one is cutting costs Point two is increasing revenue Point three is boosting staff productivity Highlighting points by telling a story will work infinitely better for you than simply stating it or just saying why By the way you turn masterful in your sales presentation story telling skills when you give your stories flesh and blood characters and dialogue

Seamless transitionMoving from a main point (cutting costs) to the next (increasing revenue) should have a smooth flow instead of an abrupt change Carrying on our example you could transition by saying ldquolowering costs is only one side of the equation of boosting your profit Increasing sales in a challenging environment might not seem easy let me show you how we helprdquo That places you nicely into the segment on how you increase their revenues

QuestionsDonrsquot end with questions rather take them before you review at the end so you can close on a high note

ReviewIf possible use a story again ndash outlining a client that benefited in all the ways you highlight they will benefit

Repetitive reframes sound bite statementsYou can be sure theyrsquoll remember stories Hit home with better retention by giving them little sound bites and repeating them often

Strong CloseRefer back to your opening story or bring all the elements together describing how theyrsquoll benefit If you didnrsquot use thersquo looking into the futurersquo in your opening you can use it in the closing ldquoPicture yourself in two yearsrsquo time Itrsquos the gala dinner Award night Everyone is abuzz because of the success of the new software system you approved and installed the year before Five different staff have come to you throughout the evening ndash all award winners from their significant leap in productivityrdquo bull

Debbie Mayo-Smith is one of New Zealandrsquos most in-demand speakers trainers and bestselling authors Debbie works with companies that want more effective staff For more tips and business ideas sign up for her free monthly newsletter

wwwsuccessisconz

GOT A PRODUCT SERVICE OR BUSINESS WORTH TALKING ABOUT

Want to grow brand awareness in a more effective and useful way

Get in touch with Jennifer now to discuss our options+64 9 522 7257 (NZT) | jenniferlespiremediacom | wwwespiremediacom

TALK TO ESPIRE MEDIA ABOUT OUR CONTENT MARKETING SERVICES We offer a range of ways to attract and retain customers by creating and curating relevant and valuable content to engage and add value to your audience

BENEFITSbull Expand your digital footprintbull Grow brand awarenessbull Increase traffic to your websitebull Thought leadershipbull Media exposurebull Attract new customersbull And grow SALES

Check out our blog for content marketing advice tips and ideas plus a free copy of our content marketing guide The Content Creation Cookbook

032 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Nine Steps to Supercharge Your Job Hunt

ISSUEEIGHTYFIVE

Tom ONeil shares some strategies to ensure you get a jump on your competition

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 033

1 Follow-up and use your personal networks Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is generally more trusted Therefore a person who is referred to an employer has a higher trust value and therefore a higher chance of getting employed This is especially true if there is not actually an official job vacancy and you are the only person being assessed for the role

Therefore its vital to get back in contact with your network with your good wishes as well as tell them you are now looking for new career opportunities

2 LinkedInGo through your LinkedIn profile with an objective eye making sure your profile sells you as much as possible Look at common keywords in the types of positions you are seeking and ensure these are included in your profile After you have done this ask a friend or two to have a look through as well to see if you have missed anything of importance

Check the number and quality of your recommendations on LinkedIn Social media author Linda Coles calls these your silent salespeople I recently was told a major international IT company would not select any senior level staff unless they had more than 20 recommendations I was chuffed when I read this as I am up to 45 however when I asked Linda I found that she has over 120 Therefore you can start to see the power these sound-bite type recommendations can have

Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from

word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is

generally more trusted Therefore a person who is

referred to an employer has a higher trust value and

therefore a higher chance of getting employed

034 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3 Go back over your successes in the past 12 monthsMost people tend to rush into the job hunting process only really thinking about their successes (and failures) when they are in the interview Were you awarded further authority in your role Did you exceed any sales or performance targets Did you train or mentor any new people All these things are important to an employer so make sure you take some time today to think about the positive things that shaped your career recently (and be sure to include them in your CV)

4 Plan your career not just your next jobRemember that each position is a stepping stone to the next so take some time out to think about what you want to be doing for a role in 2020 Once you have done this map out ideal positions (and study if needed) to get you there

5 Direct marketingHas there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them You would be surprised about the amount of people who because they demonstrated a strong interest in the company got a position personally crafted for them even though there appeared to be no position available The other major benefit of this direct approach is that it means a manager does not have to pay a $15000 recruitment fee as you have come to them for free

6 Check in with your verbal refereesTime and time again a candidate has missed out on a dream job because their referees were too old or not overly positive During my HR and recruitment career I have contacted the referees of candidates I have been really interested in employing and got responses like Oh no is Steve looking for ANOTHER job or Sorry I dont remember a Mike Smith Are you sure he put me as a referee

Contact your referees ensure they are aware that you are back on the job hunt and ask them if they are happy to provide a verbal reference The five-minute call you make today may well be the difference between getting your next job in October or March

Has there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 035

Tom ONeil is a leading international author career specialist and MD of CVCONZ You can contact Tom via email tomcvconz

CVCONZ

7 Follow-upBecause of the nature of the recruitment process (especially executive search and selection) the hiring process can be extremely drawn out Make sure you keep in contact with the recruiterpotential employer on a regular basis Most candidates are not keen to do this as they feel its overly aggressive However as long as you are friendly and professional in your follow-up you should be remembered positively when the time for the final decision comes

8 Take time to tailor your CV cover letter and interview to the roleA vacant position is a major headache for a company especially if that position is at a senior or executive level Therefore its vital that you tailor your entire approach as a complete solution specifically for the opportunity In most job advertisements and position descriptions there is a section entitled Personal SpecificationsCharacteristicsCompetencies etc This section is the key to the role and is what you need to target

Read through the documentation and summarise what the ideal person would look like With your skills achievements qualifications and experiences how can you meet or exceed these requirements

Finally you want to ensure that the main aspects and keywords are mirrored in everything you send to the employer and in your answers during the interview The closer you meet their brief of the ideal candidate the higher the chance of you getting that job

9 Positive state of mindAs the job hunt progresses it can become a painful process However its vital to stay as positive as you can as employers can sense frustration anxiety and antagonism all the emotions they wont want in an employee Make sure you go into each situation with a positive outlook take the best from all situations and remember every challenge is an opportunity to grow and improve your skills bull

036 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

COMPETITION

BOOK GIVEAWAYWe have two copies of the brand new job search manual Youre Hired The Essential Guide to Job Hunting and Personal Branding by Tom ONeil to give away

The book provides up-to-the-minute practical detail to choose the social media strategy best suited to your

situation and ways to promote yourself

through online networks particularly

LinkedIn as well as the importance of

lsquoofflinersquo branding Also included are sections

on reacutesumeacutes and covering letters (with

access online to templates) interviewing

tips networking direct marketing salary

negotiation and career goal-setting making

this the essential job hunting guide

There has been a huge shift over the last

three decades in the way employment

recruitment takes place and the power of

the individual to take control of their job hunt

has improved massively according to career

specialist Tom OrsquoNeil

But the strength of your lsquobrandrsquo and your

ability to sell your skills and achievements

will dictate how successful you are in your

search In this compelling new guide Tom

provides job seekers with simple exercises

and guidance to identify personal attributes and key career highlights that will assist in marketing yourself to potential employers The advice holds equally well for consultants and contractors like real estate agents and insurance brokers looking to procure new business bull

paulnnzsalesmanagerconz Email Paul before 30th November to be in to win a copy We have two copies to giveawayPublished by New Holland Publishers

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 037

QUICKFIX

Honest Apologies

lsquoDue to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control we lthave let you downgthellipAnd end like this lsquoWe apologise for any

inconvenience this may have causedrsquo

As a customer I read this and think ndash well at least they have told me they have stuffed up but they obviously donrsquot want to tell me why because they think that will make them look even worse and their apology is so canned they donrsquot mean it anyway They donrsquot really care

QUICK FIX

To show you do really care and to build a relationship built on trust cut out the canned opening and closing lines that everyone uses and use real language

bull Tell it how you would say it - which is not the canned written way

bull Tell what did happen and what you learned that will improve customer service in the future

bull Show that you understand their business - you should know what inconvenience it has caused them so apologise specifically for this

Do this and your customers will be much more understanding bull

bull

So itrsquos all gone wrong and you have let your customer down Itrsquos time to write to them with an apology How many letters start like this

038 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Ive been reading and using pieces from NZ Sales Manager magazine since Jan 2011 It has helped me immensely in gaining trust and building sales teams It gives me motivation each month to try something new and see if I can mould it to suit our team Thank you for providing this sales tool - it really has been a great source of information and motivation

Shaun Matheson

It gives me great pleasure to acknowledge all the wonderful work done by the NZ Sales Manager Magazine and all the efforts put in by the editor Mr Paul Newsom

This magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning tool With a well laid out plan this magazine has given all sales professionals including myself a great platform to focus and learn from and thus being very successful in our sales efforts in a very demanding business environment

Congratulations for coming up to your 100th issue which is indeed a great milestone and I personally wish the magazine and all those who run it every success and keep up the great work

Best WishesIvo DrsquoSilva Sales amp Customer Service Manager

THANKYOUFROMOURREADERS

ldquoThis magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning toolrdquoRegional

Manager

at

EDL

Fasteners

Ltd

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 039

Congratulations on the 100th issue of NZ Sales Manager eMag You provide valuable tips on selling and sales management and your 100th issue is great proof that you share great ideas that your readers appreciate and find usefulGraham McGregor Marketing Advisor amp Journalist

A big congrats to NZ Sales Manager on the 100th issue Thanks for your wonderful insights challenging the norm and keeping us focused on doing our best We look forward to the next 100Paul Brophy Team Leader NZ at CXC Global

ldquoThanks for your

wonderful insights

challenging the norm

and keeping us focused

on doing our bestrdquo

Sales management everywhere should be reading the NZ Sales Manager Congrats on your 100th issueJill Konrath Author of Agile Selling SNAP Selling and Selling to Big Companies

What a wonderful milestone for such a useful and inspiring magazine Congratulations to you and all your hard workLinda Coles Online Marketing Expert

Great work and contribution to Sales Managers all across NZ Thank you Ambrose Blowfield Owner The Marketing Company

To the editors and team behind NZSM well done Many growing challenges in the sales arena at an accelerating pace of change and great you have contributed so much to the profession Stuart Edmunds Founder of New Zealand Institute of Sales bull

040 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

EVENTSCALENDAR

DATE NAME PLACE COMPANY27 November Sales Management Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

1 December Negotiation Skills Wellington IMNZ

1 December Sales Seminar Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

2 December Key Account Management Christchurch IMNZ

2 December Effective Sales Prospecting Auckland PD Training

8 December Sales Basics Auckland Geewiz

9 December Advanced Serious Selling Auckland Geewiz

11 December Sales Training Auckland PD Training

15 December Cold Calling and Prospecting Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

15 December Professional Telephone Skills Training

Auckland PD Training

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 041

THECLOSE

ldquoI never ran 1000 miles I could never

have done that I ran 1 mile 1000 timesrdquo

Subscribe at wwwnzsalesmanagerconz ITrsquoS FREE

Lucian Milasan Shutterstockcom

- Stu Mittleman

Page 10: NZ Sales Manager – Issue 100

010 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Taking the pulse of New Zealandrsquos sales profession

The New World of Selling

The world of the traditional sales professional has undergone significant change especially over the last decade It wouldnrsquot be wrong to say that 2008rsquos Global Financial Crisis as with

other major historical economic events played an integral part in the latest cycle of challenges shaking sales organisations to the core when the money dried up

While we have largely recovered from the GFC fallout New Zealand sales professionals in both business-to-consumer and business-to-business must now navigate the increasing impact of the online world including social media on lead generation and the sales cycle

Recent research by Influence Central revealed that for 90 of consumers an online review of a product or service is more important than input from a salesperson Constant connectivity coupled with increasing dependence on the all seeing all knowing Internet has changed the way people buy and thus the way sales professionals must sell

It is clear that buyers like to do their own research to get the maximum value out of every dollar they spend before they make any purchase and this has made the work of sales professionals even more challenging

We spoke to five New Zealand sales training and development experts to take the pulse of the sales profession in New Zealand and get their take on the three biggest challenges facing our sales professionals

Here are their insights

Words by Navdeep Kaur Marwah

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 011

Martin PercivalManaging Director AchieveGlobal NZ

gtPRESSURE TO DEVELOP NEW OPPORTUNITIES OR LEADSNew Zealand as a marketplace has always been finite in terms of opportunity and leads As such sales endeavours have often related to the cyclical buying requirements related to reinvestment and maintenance and then the GFC landed Wersquore still experiencing the spend rationalisation and conservative behaviour that permeated the years following the GFC In addition when we do spend we look for cheaper alternatives or drive discounts in our suppliers As a result sales organisations are putting increasing pressures and emphasis on sales team members to adopt new strategies new thought processes and skills generally without training or support to prospect and open doors in a marketplace already limited with opportunity as pre-existing relationships dry up

gtLESS EMPHASIS ON PRE-EXISTING RELATIONSHIPSHistorically the New Zealand marketplace has been heavily weighted in terms of inter-personal relationships Being able to build relationships built on trust meant long-term success and ensured that the competition couldnrsquot enter the fray In the current climate however budget holders are expected to show a positive return on investment and often find themselves in an extended procurement process with additional team members who focus on the tangible financial aspects of a transaction rather than the immeasurable service or relationship aspect In essence it has become about price and the salespersons who differentiated themselves through their relationships are struggling to maintain their position

gtLACK OF MOTIVATIONOver the past few years increased buyer expectations longer sales cycles reduced budgets and increasing price competition have all contributed towards the fact that sales has become a far more challenging profession Sales professionals now need to work twice as hard for a budget which has been slashed to the smallest permissible level Therefore sales professionals now must possess a resilience beyond that which was required in the past ndash to remain motivated and excited about the next potential opportunity

Sales professionals now must possess a resilience beyond that which was required in the past ndash to remain motivated and excited about the next potential opportunity

ldquo

ldquo

012 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Ross WilsonCEO Growing Organisations

gtMAINTAINING A HUMAN RELATIONSHIP WITH THE BUYER IN THE DIGITAL AGEOur customers time resource is stretched to breaking point Everyone is meetinged out and exhausted As a result meetings are set weeks in advance if you get one at all Often we have to resort to phone meetings instead Therefore even existing customers are harder and harder to get time with

gtKEEPING UP WITH THE RAPID TURNOVER OF STAFFContacts especially gate-keepers as well as decision-makers move on before youve been able to build trust and hence one has to start building trust and relationships with the new people all over again

gtCOMPLYING WITH MARKETING DEPARTMENTS DEMAND TO KEEP CRM (CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT) SYSTEMS CURRENT AT ALL TIMESThis requires hours of a sales persons time every week taking them away from productive sales activity Obviously this impacts their sales performance and results

Stuart EdmundsCEO New Zealand Sales Institute

gtLACK OF LASER LIKE FOCUSEvery company in every industry has their own unique sales challenges but one universal issue is the frustrated inability of sellers to focus on the most important things Salespeople fight the daily war against distractions and non-urgent activities that come up with the inevitable impact on focusing exclusively on whatrsquos most important to your pipeline

gtEMBRACING TECHNOLOGYTechnology adoption among sales professionals has been well behind marketing There is now an explosion of sales automation technologies specific to sales professionals but those same sales professionals need to take advantage of what is now in front of them There is still tremendous scope for more effective tools to play an increasingly important role in improving sales productivity and effectiveness

gtNEED FOR GREAT SALES MANAGEMENTFar too few salespeople have competent sales management who can guide coach support mentor motivate and direct their activities apart from keeping other conflicting priorities at bay and helping them in creating the best environment to ultimately drive (over-) achievement of sales

ldquo

Salespeople fight the daily war against distractions and non-urgent activities

ldquo

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 013

Joanne Hyland Director ProFormance

gtKEEPING UP WITH THE TECHNOLOGYTechnology coupled with the speed of change is inevitably going to have a widespread and highly impactful effect on sales people and our ability to sell effectively Our customers are able to access all sorts of information about ourselves our company and our products through online sources without even conversing with us Some of the information online we can control and hence is positive on the brand

But inevitably there will be information that we cannot control including friends putting inappropriate photos of us online customers publishing product reviews we donrsquot like and competitors outplaying us This puts increasing pressure on organisations and their sales teams to be constantly informed and able to respond appropriately

Moreover our sales resources have changed Our customers expect us to have smartphones tablets and to be able to immediately access sales information stock levels pricing options that help them to make their decision They are not prepared to wait in this environment where we are all time poor and want immediate solutions

gtPROVIDING CUSTOMISED SOLUTIONS Sales is a competitive industry where the dynamics change continuously With all the technology we have at our fingertips we should have live comprehensive sales data to inform educate and advise our customer on the best solution for their business No two customers should be treated the same or given the same offer In-depth analysis enables us to tailor our offer in a manner that is winwin for our customer and us The outstanding sales person should aim to be in the position whereby your customer does not want to be without himher

gtOVERCOMING OUR OWN LIMITATIONSA good salesperson needs to be aware of hisher skills and abilities as well as hisher limitations They need to source feedback and coaching to enable continuous self-improvement They need to look for opportunities to upskill to grow and develop

A good salesperson needs to be aware of hisher skills and abilities as well as hisher limitations

ldquo

ldquo

014 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

wwwespiremediacom

Paul ODonohueCEO SalesSTAR

gtGETTING IN FRONT OF THEIR TARGET MARKET The people who we need to reach have become busier than they used to be five years ago Moreover they are bombarded with 1000rsquos of marketing messages every day Getting their attention is a big challenge

gtCOMMODITISATION OF PRODUCTSERVICE It is a global world and our products and services are being commoditised

gtPROLONGED SALES CYCLESMost of the time companies only buy if they have to buy so decisions are being stalled

Knowledge is power More knowledge is more powerIt is clear the modern salesperson must be provided with a level of management support and guidance that goes far beyond simply increasing their targets for new meetings or cold calls or sales each week The pressures of rationalised sales teams and budgets increased reporting pressures and increased operational requirements can leave sales reps feeling isolated unrecognised and vulnerable There needs to be more sales management capability in NZ providing more coaching and support for sales team members

The sales professional of today must understand that more than ever in this ever changing playing field it is the survival of the fittest On the bright side the sales professional who is flexible resourceful and innovative and can add something of real value to each customer interaction will always be able to make his or her mark bull

The people who we need to reach have

become busier than they

used to be five years ago

Getting their attention is a

big challenge

ldquo

ldquo

New Zealandrsquos most powerful and dynamic segmentation solution

Inivio introduces New Zealandrsquos first truly household level segmentation product

Inivio have teamed up with Roy Morgan Research to create Landscape powered by Helix providing a dynamic and comprehensive view of New Zealand consumers

Roy Morgan collect a myriad of data on everything from income discretionary spend response to marketing mediums and thousands of other variables that drive New Zealand consumer attitudes and buying behaviour

Landscape Powered by Helix builds upon Roy Morganrsquos Helix segmentation solution with enhancements utilising Iniviorsquos verified household level intelligence to create the most dynamic and granular segmentation solution for NZ

Landscape powered by Helix

To find out more contact Inivio on 09 367 6285 or visit wwwinivioconzNext steps

copy 2013 Veda Advantage Solutions Group Pty Limited

This document is the intellectual property of Veda Advantage Solutions Group Pty Limited The information contained in this document is confidential and may not be stored copied given lent or in any way transmitted to any other company or person without the express written consent of Veda Advantage Solutions Group Pty Limited

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Manage marketing amp risk through identifying value segments and how to attract likeminded prospects

Focus media buying based on value prospect behaviour

With Landscape powered by Hel x you will

016 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Indecent ProposalsPaul Newsom explains how being too eager to prepare sales proposals can lead to wasted time and lost sales opportunities

Proposals have a special place in the mind of many sales people They are one of the milestones of the sales process and are often the main weapon in the sales armoury They

are the lsquomeat of the dinnerrsquo Gaining the opportunity to submit a proposal is considered by many to be a major success Hours of writing and a few candles later a proposal is proudly submitted

Excitement anticipation and anxiety reaches fever pitch while we wait for the outcome to see whether the customer will choose the beef lamb or fish from our proposal

Then guess what the request comes back to quote a vegetarian option (because a competitor has suggested this) and back to work we go developing a winning proposal for the vegetarian On a bad day the customer goes for the pork and you miss out On a good day the customer dines with you

Rather than writing your proposal as soon as the client asks what is on the menu and then spending valuable time at the proposal end of the sales cycle the place to spend your time is doing a good diagnosis and selecting the optimal solution with the client

ISSUEONE

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 017

This is the lsquomeatrsquo of developing complex sales For example you must spend time understanding how and why beef is the best option then how the client likes their beef cooked

Donrsquot let proposals become a substitute for building trust or do the selling for you whereby you are over-reliant on the proposal to win the deal Such proposals are easy to pick - they are top heavy in lsquoabout usrsquo capability information that seldom gets read

Since customers donrsquot buy proposals (they buy solutions and value) instead build trust through the strength of your diagnosis and use the proposal to simply confirm all that you have agreed Your two-page proposal will then offer only the desired option and is far more likely to be accepted Done well this has far more impact than any hefty proposal both on your customer and your sales results and the long term relationship

In complex sales the proposal is not the meat it is the gravy It is the part which brings the meal together rather than the main part of the meal

Are You Sure You Know What Yoursquore ProposingOne of the biggest challenges of complex sales is working with customers and buyers who ask you to submit a proposal before you know what you are making a proposal for Responding to a request for a proposal so that the client can consider the possible options can be a tough one to deal with

In this situation we naturally want to seize the opportunity and get our proposal in early to make an impression We wonder what the competition is doing If we do not jump when asked to jump what will the customer think Will the competition have a head start on us Well they wonrsquot they will just be wasting their time guessing what the customer wants and hoping that something will get the interest of the buyer Just the same as you will be Sure you might get lucky once in a while but to succeed in complex sales requires much more than a game of chance and numbers

The consequence of over-reliance on the proposal to sell and submitting too early is that you consume vast amounts of your time and resources preparing a proposal of options most if not all of which never happen

The cost to your organisation can be huge I recall an extreme case for a multi-million dollar project where the senior buyer asked very early on for a proposal of all the possible options to consider

Well evaluating all possible options to be able to make a proposal for them would have taken months and cost $$$rsquos Instead the next few months were valuably spent jointly figuring out the viable options

018 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Paul Newsom is the editor of NZ Sales Manager

To be honest I find this

premature request happens

when buyers donrsquot know what

they are buying or donrsquot know

what the extent of the problem

is Repeated submissions follow

as the buyer progressively gets

a better understanding of what

they are doing As buyers donrsquot

we feel safer reading proposals

in comfort to try and figure it out

ourselves rather than risk being

sold the wrong thing

(Thatrsquos why we buy so much

over the Internet now ndash isnrsquot it)

It is self-defence from the buyer

and a symptom of decades

of poor seller and poor buyer

behaviour working in conflict

If you donrsquot know exactly what

you are proposing and why

then you must ask yourself also

whether the buyer knows what

they are trying to buy or even

how they will decide

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

There are two things you have to do when asked to submit a proposal prematurely gtYOU HAVE TO STAY YOUR GROUND Be firm and say

that in order to submit a proposal upon which they can make

an informed decision you both need to first understand This

requires discipline

Advise that you can only propose viable solutions that meet

all the criteria and at this stage the criteria are not defined

Otherwise you will be wasting your time and their time and

possibly put their business at risk

Plus how do you know if you have the resources to provide a

solution that will achieve the desired outcome You could be putting

your credibility and reputation at risk too

gtMAINTAIN THE SELF-ESTEEM OF THE BUYER You

donrsquot want to appear arrogant seemingly knowing better

It will damage the trust you have built Respect the wishes

of the client but suggest an alternative approach that

will ensure you are providing accurate information upon

which they can make the best possible buying decision

Submit a proposal without prior agreement of concept and we know

what happensndash the customer does nothing decides on price alone

or you submit repeated proposals until someone figures it outbull

If you donrsquot know exactly what you are proposing and why then you must ask yourself also whether the buyer knows what they are trying to buy or even how they will decide

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 019

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020 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Sales Opportunity Qualification is one of the most valuable skills

for a professional salesperson

to develop In this turbulent

recessionary climate it is very

tempting to chase down every

deal on the prospect list Even

the ones that you know in your

heart you have very little chance

of winning However this can

actually make matters worse by

diverting sales effort away from

the better deals and reducing

your chances of winning those

Stop for Red Flags

Words by Tony Hillyard

ISSUETWENTYNINE

Three critical areas you must explore to qualify leads

Too many salespeople chase large time-consuming deals that they have very little chance of winning We do this because in a tough sales environment it naturally makes us feel better to go after every deal we come across - even when we know we shouldnrsquot

This eats up productive selling time

Salespeople can also often lose deals without knowing why

In many cases it could be that they simply failed to ask one

straightforward question that would have flushed out an objection

or a problem that could have been handled quite easily

Using a Sales Opportunity Qualification Process will enable you

to get a good perspective on where you stand with any sales

opportunity but it is particularly important for your larger deals

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 021

You must address and resolve these three most important issues

before committing a lot of resource to a sales campaign

1 Is it real for us

Although there might be a genuine sales opportunity available

- it might not be available to you or your company for a variety

of reasons

2 Do we want to win itbull What is the risk involved

bull Will it take more work and effort than itrsquos worth

bull Can we adequately resource the sale

3 Can we win itbull Do we have the right solution

bull Do we have a good relationship with the customer

bull How strong is the competition

This Qualification Process will help you answer these questions

and tell you when you have what I call lsquoRed Flagrsquo issues to resolve

Sales Opportunity Qualification is a critical and unequivocal

process You must answer Yes Dont Knowrsquo or No with

complete honesty for all the questions in each section

IF YOU HAVE RED FLAG ISSUES THEN SALES ACTIVITY IS REQUIREDWherever you have answered

No or Dont Know to a question

you have uncovered a Red Flag

issue that could potentially stop

you from winning the sale You

need to stop and think about

what sales activities and sales

calls you must undertake to

get a Yes response to those

questions and get yourself

into a winning position

If there are too many Red Flag

issues you may decide that you

just wonrsquot have enough time to

resolve all of them before the

sale is due to close In those

circumstances you might

need to consider negotiating

for more time Or you may feel

that it is just not worth chasing

because it will involve more

effort than the sale is worth to

you If so you will have saved

yourself a lot of wasted time

that you can invest in finding

a better sales opportunity

022 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Here are the 27 critical qualification questions you must answer

IS IT REAL FOR US

The Decision to Change

- Do they have a compelling reason to change

- Is there Senior Executive support for the need to change

- Have they discounted a lsquodo nothingrsquo option

The Money

- Have they explained the cost justification for this project

- Do they have an approved budget for this project

- Are our costs within their budget

The Timeframe

- Have we agreed a decision process timeline with them

- Does the decision process timeline suit us

- Have they allocated enough time to evaluate our

proposal in detail

- Can we meet their delivery and

implementation timescales

The Commercial Reality

- Have they accepted our commercial terms and conditions

- Are we compliant with all of their mandatory requirements

- Do we have our companys approval to submit a

proposal or a quotation

DO WE WANT TO WIN ITThe Risk versus the Gain

- Is the value of the sale enough

for the effort involved

- Will implementation be

straightforward

- Can we adequately resource

the sales campaign

Salespeople can also often lose deals without knowing why In many cases it could be that

they simply failed to ask one straightforward question that would have

flushed out an objection or a problem that could have

been handled quite easily

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 023

CAN WE WIN IT The Solution

- Are any of our unique features and benefits in their

decision criteria

- Do the Key Influencers favour our solution

- Have we aligned our solution to their Key Business

Drivers and Critical Success Factors

- Are we proposing a low or reasonable risk solution

The Relationship

- Do we have a good relationship track record with them

- Do we have good access to the decision-makers

- Do we have a well-placed Coach

- Are we allowed to sell to all the Key Influencers

on this project

The Competition

- Do we know which of the competitors are favoured

by the customer

- Do we know the strengths and weaknesses

of the main competitors

- Do we know the sales strategies of the main competitors

There are three parts to the Sales

Opportunity Qualification Process

1 Gaining an accurate

perspective on a sales

opportunity by answering all

of the Qualification Questions

with complete honesty

2 Developing all of the sales

activities and sales calls

that are still necessary

to get you into a winning

position for the opportunity

3 Early identification and

elimination of the deals you

canrsquot win and the ones you

donrsquot want to win

Use this Qualifying Large

Sales Opportunities Process

to dramatically improve your

chances of winning the significant

sales opportunities on your

prospect list that you choose to

go after - and stop chasing the

ones you are unlikely to win or

donrsquot want to win bull

Tony Hillyard specialises in giving sales teams around the world smart solutions to help them win more business in difficult or very competitive markets Visit Tonyrsquos website here for more information copy The Sales Academy Ltd All Rights Reserved July 2009

wwwsalesacademynetnz

1

2

3

024 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Words by Bill James

ISSUEFORTYSEVEN

Maybe you are new at sales you topped the training class ndash but just cannot make the sales stick Or you could be a veteran of many sales conquests but more recently you

simply cannot get the deals across the line

Or perhaps you spent a small fortune acquiring a franchise and it looked great on paper You have big plans high hopes and you are putting in the hours to make it happen But somehow the results are not coming and the money is not flowing Whatrsquos wrong

Unfortunately the answer could be you

Especially for franchisees there are lots of promises about fantastic marketing packages and potential clients coming through the door but the simple truth is that you are now self-employed No more sick days No one else to delegate to It is you that has to make that sale and secure your own money

5 Tips for the Reluctant Salesperson

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 025

1So here are five tips that will help get you on track if you action them

Stop thinking of yourself as a lsquoSalesmanrsquo (Or Saleswoman)Think about it The word lsquosalesmanrsquo or saleswomanrsquo does not engender confidence and is not respected even by you

Ask yourself do you like being lsquosoldrsquo Guess what ndash your clients feel the same way

There is a huge amount of negative connotation around this wording and it brings up an image of someone you may not want to be From a small child there is every chance your parents told you that salespeople were pushy and not to be trusted and now you have to become one

This obviously causes a real internal conflict and is in my opinion the number one reason why you could find yourself sabotaging your own efforts Donrsquot believe me Ask yourself these questions

bull Do you approach every sales opportunity in the belief it will be a sale

bull Are you secretly dreading lsquothatrsquo question from your client - The one you find so hard to answer

bull Do you find lots of little jobs to do that keep you so busy that you have little time for new business calls

These issues are even more acute if yoursquore very technical in nature and you like performing the task but not producing the sale

Why not rename yourself so that yoursquore comfortable in saying that word when you represent yourself to a potential client What could you call yourself that sits comfortably with you

Remember your role is to help people make the right decision ndash it is not to sell them something

Ask yourself do you like being lsquosoldrsquo Guess what ndash your clients feel the same way Remember your role is to help people make the right decision ndash it is not to sell them something

026 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3

2 Be yourselfSo many people will put on a persona they think is needed to create a successful sales outcome This is simply not the case and could in fact be what is costing you business

When you went through all the psychological and personality testing (hopefully) when you applied for the job or franchise opportunity these assessments showed the real you and indicated that you should be successful in your business So why are you hiding this real you now

Clients look for faults and are suspicious when you knock on the door because you are promoting a product If they sense falseness about you it will raise their alarms and give them good reason not to buy from you Will your natural personality be what everyone is looking for every time Probably not You will get on with some people better than others

But the reality is especially if you are less experienced you were quite possibly never going to sell to those people anyway The ones that would be attracted to your natural personality will be put off by a fake overlay so stop doing it

The reality is that you could be a complete ratbag but people still buy from complete ratbags ndash as long as they are honest about being one Can you image your reaction to someone whorsquos obviously a ratbag but is pretending to be nice and you can see through it It would make you want to run in the opposite direction wouldnrsquot it

Show some passion for your subjectAgain we put on this persona of lsquoprofessionalismrsquo which means we deliver a very dry presentation What was the passion that got you involved in the first place If it was simply that you thought yoursquod make a lot of money you may possibly have made an error ndash thatrsquos called a job

Clients enjoy your enthusiasm and passion for your product It will take you through the tough times but yoursquoll also need to show it to your clients so they know that you are passionate about what you are doing

This isnrsquot easy in cultures where showing emotion is not the norm but the old saying lsquoenthusiasm sellsrsquo is as true now as it ever was

Let your passion and enthusiasm for your subject out and yoursquoll take your potential client along with you for the ride The big problem is that if you do not show some passion and hide in facts and figures your clients will allocate an emotion and a motivation to you What do you think the chances are that it will be a positive one

None

The reality is that you could be a complete ratbag but people still buy from complete ratbags ndash as long as they are honest about being one

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 027

4

Bill James is an internationally recognised sales speaker and trainer who specialises in referral and relationship marketing To find out more visit his website above

wwwBillJamesSpeakercom

Jargon kills salesOccasionally yoursquoll find someone whorsquos really caught up in the technical aspects of what you do But usually they are initially more interested in knowing you understand and care about their needs If you are technically orientated itrsquos easy to hide in the features of your product but this will stop you truly addressing the need of the client

Often most products appear to be very similar and have similar pricing and so the difference is your ability to uncover their real concerns and needs and address those In this way yoursquoll make a connection at a very personal level which is the key to gaining that commitment from your potential client

Loading them up with jargon will simply occupy their headspace and will actually be counterproductive Talking everyday language that your client can understand and addressing their real needs will result in you making real progress

Use a low logic approach with your potential clientlsquoLow logicrsquo is language that is simple to understand It is almost like approaching your client underneath the radar

Simply approach them in a very matter of fact way (with a certain amount of emotion) and give them the option to decline your services if they want In this way you donrsquot raise any alarm bells and make them feel trapped They are much more likely to come along for the ride this way

For example ldquoMr Prospect the simple reality is businesses like yours can use this product and it has X effect For you to be interested it obviously has to meet X Y Z needs and also fit within your budget and I have to be able to show you the real benefits of working with our company If I canrsquot then itrsquos only fair that I should head for the door But if I can make all that happen then your company is definitely at an advantage Irsquod like to simply sit down with you and run through these different ideas and see where we go from there is that fair enoughrdquo

So be yourself cut the jargon and let your passion for the product speak for itself Approach other people the way you like to be approached and you might well find that your sales increase hugelybull

5

028 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Winning Sales Presentations

ISSUESEVENTYTWO

Words by Debbie Mayo-Smith

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 029

Creating a great sales presentation isnrsquot very different to crafting a great speech You want to keep attention Motivate Convince Move to action Here is a formula that I follow (learnt from the

American maestro Patricia Fripp) that should help you to vastly improve your success when putting together and delivering a sales presentation

To whom are you speakingBe prepared before you go in and know as much about your audience as possible Age attitude industry and gender will all have a bearing on how you present your points Men and women have different senses of humour Younger audiences will be more impatient than older lsquoCrsquo level executives who donrsquot need the details Your presentation style and content must fit their perspective

You are not the heroWhat is the ratio of your PowerPoint slides (or written material) devoted to your company vs the potential client It stands to reason if you are invited to pitch you have already passed the preliminary vetting The convincing is done Wow them stand out from your competition by focusing on them - not stories of you your company achievements or accolades Do you like listening to egotistical sales people Share the glory with sales teams Ensure you put the prospective company in the limelight

I-You Ratio Likewise look through your sales presentations and count how many Irsquos wersquos and usrsquos you have Make certain your slides and stories are about them not you Change the perspective at every opportunity possible

Wrong ldquoOur company is number one in rdquo

Right ldquoYou benefit from our number one standing becauserdquo

Strong openingIf yoursquore pitching a $500000 contract and have only 10 minutes then starting with ldquogood morning ladies and gentlemen thank you for having us hererdquo just cost you over $8300 by wasting 10 seconds

Open differently and strongly Paint a picture Take them into the future Describe how theyrsquore benefiting from the clever decision they made years ago working with you Decision makers want to benefit the company they also want personally to be sure they are taking the right action So highlight how theyrsquoll be remembered for doing the right thing by using your company (donrsquot make it too much of a butter up though)

Answer questions up front What do they want to know from you How can you help them If yoursquore more expensive will take longer or are the underdog ndash do not ignore the fact Theyrsquore thinking it Come straight out early into the presentation with a lsquoI know what yoursquore thinkingrsquo statement then answer their objections

030 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

PremiseBuild the sales presentation around the structure of how they will benefit from what you are asking them to do ldquoYou will save $2 million dollars by using our softwarerdquo or ldquoYou will cut maintenance expenditure by 20 per centrdquo Phrase it so they say to themselves lsquohowrsquo You then answer in a logical and structured way

Points laid out logicallyYou can help them make $2million How You enumerate and discuss the points one by one with examples Point one is cutting costs Point two is increasing revenue Point three is boosting staff productivity Highlighting points by telling a story will work infinitely better for you than simply stating it or just saying why By the way you turn masterful in your sales presentation story telling skills when you give your stories flesh and blood characters and dialogue

Seamless transitionMoving from a main point (cutting costs) to the next (increasing revenue) should have a smooth flow instead of an abrupt change Carrying on our example you could transition by saying ldquolowering costs is only one side of the equation of boosting your profit Increasing sales in a challenging environment might not seem easy let me show you how we helprdquo That places you nicely into the segment on how you increase their revenues

QuestionsDonrsquot end with questions rather take them before you review at the end so you can close on a high note

ReviewIf possible use a story again ndash outlining a client that benefited in all the ways you highlight they will benefit

Repetitive reframes sound bite statementsYou can be sure theyrsquoll remember stories Hit home with better retention by giving them little sound bites and repeating them often

Strong CloseRefer back to your opening story or bring all the elements together describing how theyrsquoll benefit If you didnrsquot use thersquo looking into the futurersquo in your opening you can use it in the closing ldquoPicture yourself in two yearsrsquo time Itrsquos the gala dinner Award night Everyone is abuzz because of the success of the new software system you approved and installed the year before Five different staff have come to you throughout the evening ndash all award winners from their significant leap in productivityrdquo bull

Debbie Mayo-Smith is one of New Zealandrsquos most in-demand speakers trainers and bestselling authors Debbie works with companies that want more effective staff For more tips and business ideas sign up for her free monthly newsletter

wwwsuccessisconz

GOT A PRODUCT SERVICE OR BUSINESS WORTH TALKING ABOUT

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Get in touch with Jennifer now to discuss our options+64 9 522 7257 (NZT) | jenniferlespiremediacom | wwwespiremediacom

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Check out our blog for content marketing advice tips and ideas plus a free copy of our content marketing guide The Content Creation Cookbook

032 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Nine Steps to Supercharge Your Job Hunt

ISSUEEIGHTYFIVE

Tom ONeil shares some strategies to ensure you get a jump on your competition

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 033

1 Follow-up and use your personal networks Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is generally more trusted Therefore a person who is referred to an employer has a higher trust value and therefore a higher chance of getting employed This is especially true if there is not actually an official job vacancy and you are the only person being assessed for the role

Therefore its vital to get back in contact with your network with your good wishes as well as tell them you are now looking for new career opportunities

2 LinkedInGo through your LinkedIn profile with an objective eye making sure your profile sells you as much as possible Look at common keywords in the types of positions you are seeking and ensure these are included in your profile After you have done this ask a friend or two to have a look through as well to see if you have missed anything of importance

Check the number and quality of your recommendations on LinkedIn Social media author Linda Coles calls these your silent salespeople I recently was told a major international IT company would not select any senior level staff unless they had more than 20 recommendations I was chuffed when I read this as I am up to 45 however when I asked Linda I found that she has over 120 Therefore you can start to see the power these sound-bite type recommendations can have

Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from

word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is

generally more trusted Therefore a person who is

referred to an employer has a higher trust value and

therefore a higher chance of getting employed

034 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3 Go back over your successes in the past 12 monthsMost people tend to rush into the job hunting process only really thinking about their successes (and failures) when they are in the interview Were you awarded further authority in your role Did you exceed any sales or performance targets Did you train or mentor any new people All these things are important to an employer so make sure you take some time today to think about the positive things that shaped your career recently (and be sure to include them in your CV)

4 Plan your career not just your next jobRemember that each position is a stepping stone to the next so take some time out to think about what you want to be doing for a role in 2020 Once you have done this map out ideal positions (and study if needed) to get you there

5 Direct marketingHas there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them You would be surprised about the amount of people who because they demonstrated a strong interest in the company got a position personally crafted for them even though there appeared to be no position available The other major benefit of this direct approach is that it means a manager does not have to pay a $15000 recruitment fee as you have come to them for free

6 Check in with your verbal refereesTime and time again a candidate has missed out on a dream job because their referees were too old or not overly positive During my HR and recruitment career I have contacted the referees of candidates I have been really interested in employing and got responses like Oh no is Steve looking for ANOTHER job or Sorry I dont remember a Mike Smith Are you sure he put me as a referee

Contact your referees ensure they are aware that you are back on the job hunt and ask them if they are happy to provide a verbal reference The five-minute call you make today may well be the difference between getting your next job in October or March

Has there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 035

Tom ONeil is a leading international author career specialist and MD of CVCONZ You can contact Tom via email tomcvconz

CVCONZ

7 Follow-upBecause of the nature of the recruitment process (especially executive search and selection) the hiring process can be extremely drawn out Make sure you keep in contact with the recruiterpotential employer on a regular basis Most candidates are not keen to do this as they feel its overly aggressive However as long as you are friendly and professional in your follow-up you should be remembered positively when the time for the final decision comes

8 Take time to tailor your CV cover letter and interview to the roleA vacant position is a major headache for a company especially if that position is at a senior or executive level Therefore its vital that you tailor your entire approach as a complete solution specifically for the opportunity In most job advertisements and position descriptions there is a section entitled Personal SpecificationsCharacteristicsCompetencies etc This section is the key to the role and is what you need to target

Read through the documentation and summarise what the ideal person would look like With your skills achievements qualifications and experiences how can you meet or exceed these requirements

Finally you want to ensure that the main aspects and keywords are mirrored in everything you send to the employer and in your answers during the interview The closer you meet their brief of the ideal candidate the higher the chance of you getting that job

9 Positive state of mindAs the job hunt progresses it can become a painful process However its vital to stay as positive as you can as employers can sense frustration anxiety and antagonism all the emotions they wont want in an employee Make sure you go into each situation with a positive outlook take the best from all situations and remember every challenge is an opportunity to grow and improve your skills bull

036 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

COMPETITION

BOOK GIVEAWAYWe have two copies of the brand new job search manual Youre Hired The Essential Guide to Job Hunting and Personal Branding by Tom ONeil to give away

The book provides up-to-the-minute practical detail to choose the social media strategy best suited to your

situation and ways to promote yourself

through online networks particularly

LinkedIn as well as the importance of

lsquoofflinersquo branding Also included are sections

on reacutesumeacutes and covering letters (with

access online to templates) interviewing

tips networking direct marketing salary

negotiation and career goal-setting making

this the essential job hunting guide

There has been a huge shift over the last

three decades in the way employment

recruitment takes place and the power of

the individual to take control of their job hunt

has improved massively according to career

specialist Tom OrsquoNeil

But the strength of your lsquobrandrsquo and your

ability to sell your skills and achievements

will dictate how successful you are in your

search In this compelling new guide Tom

provides job seekers with simple exercises

and guidance to identify personal attributes and key career highlights that will assist in marketing yourself to potential employers The advice holds equally well for consultants and contractors like real estate agents and insurance brokers looking to procure new business bull

paulnnzsalesmanagerconz Email Paul before 30th November to be in to win a copy We have two copies to giveawayPublished by New Holland Publishers

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 037

QUICKFIX

Honest Apologies

lsquoDue to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control we lthave let you downgthellipAnd end like this lsquoWe apologise for any

inconvenience this may have causedrsquo

As a customer I read this and think ndash well at least they have told me they have stuffed up but they obviously donrsquot want to tell me why because they think that will make them look even worse and their apology is so canned they donrsquot mean it anyway They donrsquot really care

QUICK FIX

To show you do really care and to build a relationship built on trust cut out the canned opening and closing lines that everyone uses and use real language

bull Tell it how you would say it - which is not the canned written way

bull Tell what did happen and what you learned that will improve customer service in the future

bull Show that you understand their business - you should know what inconvenience it has caused them so apologise specifically for this

Do this and your customers will be much more understanding bull

bull

So itrsquos all gone wrong and you have let your customer down Itrsquos time to write to them with an apology How many letters start like this

038 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Ive been reading and using pieces from NZ Sales Manager magazine since Jan 2011 It has helped me immensely in gaining trust and building sales teams It gives me motivation each month to try something new and see if I can mould it to suit our team Thank you for providing this sales tool - it really has been a great source of information and motivation

Shaun Matheson

It gives me great pleasure to acknowledge all the wonderful work done by the NZ Sales Manager Magazine and all the efforts put in by the editor Mr Paul Newsom

This magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning tool With a well laid out plan this magazine has given all sales professionals including myself a great platform to focus and learn from and thus being very successful in our sales efforts in a very demanding business environment

Congratulations for coming up to your 100th issue which is indeed a great milestone and I personally wish the magazine and all those who run it every success and keep up the great work

Best WishesIvo DrsquoSilva Sales amp Customer Service Manager

THANKYOUFROMOURREADERS

ldquoThis magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning toolrdquoRegional

Manager

at

EDL

Fasteners

Ltd

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 039

Congratulations on the 100th issue of NZ Sales Manager eMag You provide valuable tips on selling and sales management and your 100th issue is great proof that you share great ideas that your readers appreciate and find usefulGraham McGregor Marketing Advisor amp Journalist

A big congrats to NZ Sales Manager on the 100th issue Thanks for your wonderful insights challenging the norm and keeping us focused on doing our best We look forward to the next 100Paul Brophy Team Leader NZ at CXC Global

ldquoThanks for your

wonderful insights

challenging the norm

and keeping us focused

on doing our bestrdquo

Sales management everywhere should be reading the NZ Sales Manager Congrats on your 100th issueJill Konrath Author of Agile Selling SNAP Selling and Selling to Big Companies

What a wonderful milestone for such a useful and inspiring magazine Congratulations to you and all your hard workLinda Coles Online Marketing Expert

Great work and contribution to Sales Managers all across NZ Thank you Ambrose Blowfield Owner The Marketing Company

To the editors and team behind NZSM well done Many growing challenges in the sales arena at an accelerating pace of change and great you have contributed so much to the profession Stuart Edmunds Founder of New Zealand Institute of Sales bull

040 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

EVENTSCALENDAR

DATE NAME PLACE COMPANY27 November Sales Management Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

1 December Negotiation Skills Wellington IMNZ

1 December Sales Seminar Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

2 December Key Account Management Christchurch IMNZ

2 December Effective Sales Prospecting Auckland PD Training

8 December Sales Basics Auckland Geewiz

9 December Advanced Serious Selling Auckland Geewiz

11 December Sales Training Auckland PD Training

15 December Cold Calling and Prospecting Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

15 December Professional Telephone Skills Training

Auckland PD Training

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 041

THECLOSE

ldquoI never ran 1000 miles I could never

have done that I ran 1 mile 1000 timesrdquo

Subscribe at wwwnzsalesmanagerconz ITrsquoS FREE

Lucian Milasan Shutterstockcom

- Stu Mittleman

Page 11: NZ Sales Manager – Issue 100

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 011

Martin PercivalManaging Director AchieveGlobal NZ

gtPRESSURE TO DEVELOP NEW OPPORTUNITIES OR LEADSNew Zealand as a marketplace has always been finite in terms of opportunity and leads As such sales endeavours have often related to the cyclical buying requirements related to reinvestment and maintenance and then the GFC landed Wersquore still experiencing the spend rationalisation and conservative behaviour that permeated the years following the GFC In addition when we do spend we look for cheaper alternatives or drive discounts in our suppliers As a result sales organisations are putting increasing pressures and emphasis on sales team members to adopt new strategies new thought processes and skills generally without training or support to prospect and open doors in a marketplace already limited with opportunity as pre-existing relationships dry up

gtLESS EMPHASIS ON PRE-EXISTING RELATIONSHIPSHistorically the New Zealand marketplace has been heavily weighted in terms of inter-personal relationships Being able to build relationships built on trust meant long-term success and ensured that the competition couldnrsquot enter the fray In the current climate however budget holders are expected to show a positive return on investment and often find themselves in an extended procurement process with additional team members who focus on the tangible financial aspects of a transaction rather than the immeasurable service or relationship aspect In essence it has become about price and the salespersons who differentiated themselves through their relationships are struggling to maintain their position

gtLACK OF MOTIVATIONOver the past few years increased buyer expectations longer sales cycles reduced budgets and increasing price competition have all contributed towards the fact that sales has become a far more challenging profession Sales professionals now need to work twice as hard for a budget which has been slashed to the smallest permissible level Therefore sales professionals now must possess a resilience beyond that which was required in the past ndash to remain motivated and excited about the next potential opportunity

Sales professionals now must possess a resilience beyond that which was required in the past ndash to remain motivated and excited about the next potential opportunity

ldquo

ldquo

012 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Ross WilsonCEO Growing Organisations

gtMAINTAINING A HUMAN RELATIONSHIP WITH THE BUYER IN THE DIGITAL AGEOur customers time resource is stretched to breaking point Everyone is meetinged out and exhausted As a result meetings are set weeks in advance if you get one at all Often we have to resort to phone meetings instead Therefore even existing customers are harder and harder to get time with

gtKEEPING UP WITH THE RAPID TURNOVER OF STAFFContacts especially gate-keepers as well as decision-makers move on before youve been able to build trust and hence one has to start building trust and relationships with the new people all over again

gtCOMPLYING WITH MARKETING DEPARTMENTS DEMAND TO KEEP CRM (CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT) SYSTEMS CURRENT AT ALL TIMESThis requires hours of a sales persons time every week taking them away from productive sales activity Obviously this impacts their sales performance and results

Stuart EdmundsCEO New Zealand Sales Institute

gtLACK OF LASER LIKE FOCUSEvery company in every industry has their own unique sales challenges but one universal issue is the frustrated inability of sellers to focus on the most important things Salespeople fight the daily war against distractions and non-urgent activities that come up with the inevitable impact on focusing exclusively on whatrsquos most important to your pipeline

gtEMBRACING TECHNOLOGYTechnology adoption among sales professionals has been well behind marketing There is now an explosion of sales automation technologies specific to sales professionals but those same sales professionals need to take advantage of what is now in front of them There is still tremendous scope for more effective tools to play an increasingly important role in improving sales productivity and effectiveness

gtNEED FOR GREAT SALES MANAGEMENTFar too few salespeople have competent sales management who can guide coach support mentor motivate and direct their activities apart from keeping other conflicting priorities at bay and helping them in creating the best environment to ultimately drive (over-) achievement of sales

ldquo

Salespeople fight the daily war against distractions and non-urgent activities

ldquo

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 013

Joanne Hyland Director ProFormance

gtKEEPING UP WITH THE TECHNOLOGYTechnology coupled with the speed of change is inevitably going to have a widespread and highly impactful effect on sales people and our ability to sell effectively Our customers are able to access all sorts of information about ourselves our company and our products through online sources without even conversing with us Some of the information online we can control and hence is positive on the brand

But inevitably there will be information that we cannot control including friends putting inappropriate photos of us online customers publishing product reviews we donrsquot like and competitors outplaying us This puts increasing pressure on organisations and their sales teams to be constantly informed and able to respond appropriately

Moreover our sales resources have changed Our customers expect us to have smartphones tablets and to be able to immediately access sales information stock levels pricing options that help them to make their decision They are not prepared to wait in this environment where we are all time poor and want immediate solutions

gtPROVIDING CUSTOMISED SOLUTIONS Sales is a competitive industry where the dynamics change continuously With all the technology we have at our fingertips we should have live comprehensive sales data to inform educate and advise our customer on the best solution for their business No two customers should be treated the same or given the same offer In-depth analysis enables us to tailor our offer in a manner that is winwin for our customer and us The outstanding sales person should aim to be in the position whereby your customer does not want to be without himher

gtOVERCOMING OUR OWN LIMITATIONSA good salesperson needs to be aware of hisher skills and abilities as well as hisher limitations They need to source feedback and coaching to enable continuous self-improvement They need to look for opportunities to upskill to grow and develop

A good salesperson needs to be aware of hisher skills and abilities as well as hisher limitations

ldquo

ldquo

014 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

wwwespiremediacom

Paul ODonohueCEO SalesSTAR

gtGETTING IN FRONT OF THEIR TARGET MARKET The people who we need to reach have become busier than they used to be five years ago Moreover they are bombarded with 1000rsquos of marketing messages every day Getting their attention is a big challenge

gtCOMMODITISATION OF PRODUCTSERVICE It is a global world and our products and services are being commoditised

gtPROLONGED SALES CYCLESMost of the time companies only buy if they have to buy so decisions are being stalled

Knowledge is power More knowledge is more powerIt is clear the modern salesperson must be provided with a level of management support and guidance that goes far beyond simply increasing their targets for new meetings or cold calls or sales each week The pressures of rationalised sales teams and budgets increased reporting pressures and increased operational requirements can leave sales reps feeling isolated unrecognised and vulnerable There needs to be more sales management capability in NZ providing more coaching and support for sales team members

The sales professional of today must understand that more than ever in this ever changing playing field it is the survival of the fittest On the bright side the sales professional who is flexible resourceful and innovative and can add something of real value to each customer interaction will always be able to make his or her mark bull

The people who we need to reach have

become busier than they

used to be five years ago

Getting their attention is a

big challenge

ldquo

ldquo

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016 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Indecent ProposalsPaul Newsom explains how being too eager to prepare sales proposals can lead to wasted time and lost sales opportunities

Proposals have a special place in the mind of many sales people They are one of the milestones of the sales process and are often the main weapon in the sales armoury They

are the lsquomeat of the dinnerrsquo Gaining the opportunity to submit a proposal is considered by many to be a major success Hours of writing and a few candles later a proposal is proudly submitted

Excitement anticipation and anxiety reaches fever pitch while we wait for the outcome to see whether the customer will choose the beef lamb or fish from our proposal

Then guess what the request comes back to quote a vegetarian option (because a competitor has suggested this) and back to work we go developing a winning proposal for the vegetarian On a bad day the customer goes for the pork and you miss out On a good day the customer dines with you

Rather than writing your proposal as soon as the client asks what is on the menu and then spending valuable time at the proposal end of the sales cycle the place to spend your time is doing a good diagnosis and selecting the optimal solution with the client

ISSUEONE

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 017

This is the lsquomeatrsquo of developing complex sales For example you must spend time understanding how and why beef is the best option then how the client likes their beef cooked

Donrsquot let proposals become a substitute for building trust or do the selling for you whereby you are over-reliant on the proposal to win the deal Such proposals are easy to pick - they are top heavy in lsquoabout usrsquo capability information that seldom gets read

Since customers donrsquot buy proposals (they buy solutions and value) instead build trust through the strength of your diagnosis and use the proposal to simply confirm all that you have agreed Your two-page proposal will then offer only the desired option and is far more likely to be accepted Done well this has far more impact than any hefty proposal both on your customer and your sales results and the long term relationship

In complex sales the proposal is not the meat it is the gravy It is the part which brings the meal together rather than the main part of the meal

Are You Sure You Know What Yoursquore ProposingOne of the biggest challenges of complex sales is working with customers and buyers who ask you to submit a proposal before you know what you are making a proposal for Responding to a request for a proposal so that the client can consider the possible options can be a tough one to deal with

In this situation we naturally want to seize the opportunity and get our proposal in early to make an impression We wonder what the competition is doing If we do not jump when asked to jump what will the customer think Will the competition have a head start on us Well they wonrsquot they will just be wasting their time guessing what the customer wants and hoping that something will get the interest of the buyer Just the same as you will be Sure you might get lucky once in a while but to succeed in complex sales requires much more than a game of chance and numbers

The consequence of over-reliance on the proposal to sell and submitting too early is that you consume vast amounts of your time and resources preparing a proposal of options most if not all of which never happen

The cost to your organisation can be huge I recall an extreme case for a multi-million dollar project where the senior buyer asked very early on for a proposal of all the possible options to consider

Well evaluating all possible options to be able to make a proposal for them would have taken months and cost $$$rsquos Instead the next few months were valuably spent jointly figuring out the viable options

018 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Paul Newsom is the editor of NZ Sales Manager

To be honest I find this

premature request happens

when buyers donrsquot know what

they are buying or donrsquot know

what the extent of the problem

is Repeated submissions follow

as the buyer progressively gets

a better understanding of what

they are doing As buyers donrsquot

we feel safer reading proposals

in comfort to try and figure it out

ourselves rather than risk being

sold the wrong thing

(Thatrsquos why we buy so much

over the Internet now ndash isnrsquot it)

It is self-defence from the buyer

and a symptom of decades

of poor seller and poor buyer

behaviour working in conflict

If you donrsquot know exactly what

you are proposing and why

then you must ask yourself also

whether the buyer knows what

they are trying to buy or even

how they will decide

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

There are two things you have to do when asked to submit a proposal prematurely gtYOU HAVE TO STAY YOUR GROUND Be firm and say

that in order to submit a proposal upon which they can make

an informed decision you both need to first understand This

requires discipline

Advise that you can only propose viable solutions that meet

all the criteria and at this stage the criteria are not defined

Otherwise you will be wasting your time and their time and

possibly put their business at risk

Plus how do you know if you have the resources to provide a

solution that will achieve the desired outcome You could be putting

your credibility and reputation at risk too

gtMAINTAIN THE SELF-ESTEEM OF THE BUYER You

donrsquot want to appear arrogant seemingly knowing better

It will damage the trust you have built Respect the wishes

of the client but suggest an alternative approach that

will ensure you are providing accurate information upon

which they can make the best possible buying decision

Submit a proposal without prior agreement of concept and we know

what happensndash the customer does nothing decides on price alone

or you submit repeated proposals until someone figures it outbull

If you donrsquot know exactly what you are proposing and why then you must ask yourself also whether the buyer knows what they are trying to buy or even how they will decide

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 019

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020 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Sales Opportunity Qualification is one of the most valuable skills

for a professional salesperson

to develop In this turbulent

recessionary climate it is very

tempting to chase down every

deal on the prospect list Even

the ones that you know in your

heart you have very little chance

of winning However this can

actually make matters worse by

diverting sales effort away from

the better deals and reducing

your chances of winning those

Stop for Red Flags

Words by Tony Hillyard

ISSUETWENTYNINE

Three critical areas you must explore to qualify leads

Too many salespeople chase large time-consuming deals that they have very little chance of winning We do this because in a tough sales environment it naturally makes us feel better to go after every deal we come across - even when we know we shouldnrsquot

This eats up productive selling time

Salespeople can also often lose deals without knowing why

In many cases it could be that they simply failed to ask one

straightforward question that would have flushed out an objection

or a problem that could have been handled quite easily

Using a Sales Opportunity Qualification Process will enable you

to get a good perspective on where you stand with any sales

opportunity but it is particularly important for your larger deals

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 021

You must address and resolve these three most important issues

before committing a lot of resource to a sales campaign

1 Is it real for us

Although there might be a genuine sales opportunity available

- it might not be available to you or your company for a variety

of reasons

2 Do we want to win itbull What is the risk involved

bull Will it take more work and effort than itrsquos worth

bull Can we adequately resource the sale

3 Can we win itbull Do we have the right solution

bull Do we have a good relationship with the customer

bull How strong is the competition

This Qualification Process will help you answer these questions

and tell you when you have what I call lsquoRed Flagrsquo issues to resolve

Sales Opportunity Qualification is a critical and unequivocal

process You must answer Yes Dont Knowrsquo or No with

complete honesty for all the questions in each section

IF YOU HAVE RED FLAG ISSUES THEN SALES ACTIVITY IS REQUIREDWherever you have answered

No or Dont Know to a question

you have uncovered a Red Flag

issue that could potentially stop

you from winning the sale You

need to stop and think about

what sales activities and sales

calls you must undertake to

get a Yes response to those

questions and get yourself

into a winning position

If there are too many Red Flag

issues you may decide that you

just wonrsquot have enough time to

resolve all of them before the

sale is due to close In those

circumstances you might

need to consider negotiating

for more time Or you may feel

that it is just not worth chasing

because it will involve more

effort than the sale is worth to

you If so you will have saved

yourself a lot of wasted time

that you can invest in finding

a better sales opportunity

022 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Here are the 27 critical qualification questions you must answer

IS IT REAL FOR US

The Decision to Change

- Do they have a compelling reason to change

- Is there Senior Executive support for the need to change

- Have they discounted a lsquodo nothingrsquo option

The Money

- Have they explained the cost justification for this project

- Do they have an approved budget for this project

- Are our costs within their budget

The Timeframe

- Have we agreed a decision process timeline with them

- Does the decision process timeline suit us

- Have they allocated enough time to evaluate our

proposal in detail

- Can we meet their delivery and

implementation timescales

The Commercial Reality

- Have they accepted our commercial terms and conditions

- Are we compliant with all of their mandatory requirements

- Do we have our companys approval to submit a

proposal or a quotation

DO WE WANT TO WIN ITThe Risk versus the Gain

- Is the value of the sale enough

for the effort involved

- Will implementation be

straightforward

- Can we adequately resource

the sales campaign

Salespeople can also often lose deals without knowing why In many cases it could be that

they simply failed to ask one straightforward question that would have

flushed out an objection or a problem that could have

been handled quite easily

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 023

CAN WE WIN IT The Solution

- Are any of our unique features and benefits in their

decision criteria

- Do the Key Influencers favour our solution

- Have we aligned our solution to their Key Business

Drivers and Critical Success Factors

- Are we proposing a low or reasonable risk solution

The Relationship

- Do we have a good relationship track record with them

- Do we have good access to the decision-makers

- Do we have a well-placed Coach

- Are we allowed to sell to all the Key Influencers

on this project

The Competition

- Do we know which of the competitors are favoured

by the customer

- Do we know the strengths and weaknesses

of the main competitors

- Do we know the sales strategies of the main competitors

There are three parts to the Sales

Opportunity Qualification Process

1 Gaining an accurate

perspective on a sales

opportunity by answering all

of the Qualification Questions

with complete honesty

2 Developing all of the sales

activities and sales calls

that are still necessary

to get you into a winning

position for the opportunity

3 Early identification and

elimination of the deals you

canrsquot win and the ones you

donrsquot want to win

Use this Qualifying Large

Sales Opportunities Process

to dramatically improve your

chances of winning the significant

sales opportunities on your

prospect list that you choose to

go after - and stop chasing the

ones you are unlikely to win or

donrsquot want to win bull

Tony Hillyard specialises in giving sales teams around the world smart solutions to help them win more business in difficult or very competitive markets Visit Tonyrsquos website here for more information copy The Sales Academy Ltd All Rights Reserved July 2009

wwwsalesacademynetnz

1

2

3

024 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Words by Bill James

ISSUEFORTYSEVEN

Maybe you are new at sales you topped the training class ndash but just cannot make the sales stick Or you could be a veteran of many sales conquests but more recently you

simply cannot get the deals across the line

Or perhaps you spent a small fortune acquiring a franchise and it looked great on paper You have big plans high hopes and you are putting in the hours to make it happen But somehow the results are not coming and the money is not flowing Whatrsquos wrong

Unfortunately the answer could be you

Especially for franchisees there are lots of promises about fantastic marketing packages and potential clients coming through the door but the simple truth is that you are now self-employed No more sick days No one else to delegate to It is you that has to make that sale and secure your own money

5 Tips for the Reluctant Salesperson

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 025

1So here are five tips that will help get you on track if you action them

Stop thinking of yourself as a lsquoSalesmanrsquo (Or Saleswoman)Think about it The word lsquosalesmanrsquo or saleswomanrsquo does not engender confidence and is not respected even by you

Ask yourself do you like being lsquosoldrsquo Guess what ndash your clients feel the same way

There is a huge amount of negative connotation around this wording and it brings up an image of someone you may not want to be From a small child there is every chance your parents told you that salespeople were pushy and not to be trusted and now you have to become one

This obviously causes a real internal conflict and is in my opinion the number one reason why you could find yourself sabotaging your own efforts Donrsquot believe me Ask yourself these questions

bull Do you approach every sales opportunity in the belief it will be a sale

bull Are you secretly dreading lsquothatrsquo question from your client - The one you find so hard to answer

bull Do you find lots of little jobs to do that keep you so busy that you have little time for new business calls

These issues are even more acute if yoursquore very technical in nature and you like performing the task but not producing the sale

Why not rename yourself so that yoursquore comfortable in saying that word when you represent yourself to a potential client What could you call yourself that sits comfortably with you

Remember your role is to help people make the right decision ndash it is not to sell them something

Ask yourself do you like being lsquosoldrsquo Guess what ndash your clients feel the same way Remember your role is to help people make the right decision ndash it is not to sell them something

026 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3

2 Be yourselfSo many people will put on a persona they think is needed to create a successful sales outcome This is simply not the case and could in fact be what is costing you business

When you went through all the psychological and personality testing (hopefully) when you applied for the job or franchise opportunity these assessments showed the real you and indicated that you should be successful in your business So why are you hiding this real you now

Clients look for faults and are suspicious when you knock on the door because you are promoting a product If they sense falseness about you it will raise their alarms and give them good reason not to buy from you Will your natural personality be what everyone is looking for every time Probably not You will get on with some people better than others

But the reality is especially if you are less experienced you were quite possibly never going to sell to those people anyway The ones that would be attracted to your natural personality will be put off by a fake overlay so stop doing it

The reality is that you could be a complete ratbag but people still buy from complete ratbags ndash as long as they are honest about being one Can you image your reaction to someone whorsquos obviously a ratbag but is pretending to be nice and you can see through it It would make you want to run in the opposite direction wouldnrsquot it

Show some passion for your subjectAgain we put on this persona of lsquoprofessionalismrsquo which means we deliver a very dry presentation What was the passion that got you involved in the first place If it was simply that you thought yoursquod make a lot of money you may possibly have made an error ndash thatrsquos called a job

Clients enjoy your enthusiasm and passion for your product It will take you through the tough times but yoursquoll also need to show it to your clients so they know that you are passionate about what you are doing

This isnrsquot easy in cultures where showing emotion is not the norm but the old saying lsquoenthusiasm sellsrsquo is as true now as it ever was

Let your passion and enthusiasm for your subject out and yoursquoll take your potential client along with you for the ride The big problem is that if you do not show some passion and hide in facts and figures your clients will allocate an emotion and a motivation to you What do you think the chances are that it will be a positive one

None

The reality is that you could be a complete ratbag but people still buy from complete ratbags ndash as long as they are honest about being one

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 027

4

Bill James is an internationally recognised sales speaker and trainer who specialises in referral and relationship marketing To find out more visit his website above

wwwBillJamesSpeakercom

Jargon kills salesOccasionally yoursquoll find someone whorsquos really caught up in the technical aspects of what you do But usually they are initially more interested in knowing you understand and care about their needs If you are technically orientated itrsquos easy to hide in the features of your product but this will stop you truly addressing the need of the client

Often most products appear to be very similar and have similar pricing and so the difference is your ability to uncover their real concerns and needs and address those In this way yoursquoll make a connection at a very personal level which is the key to gaining that commitment from your potential client

Loading them up with jargon will simply occupy their headspace and will actually be counterproductive Talking everyday language that your client can understand and addressing their real needs will result in you making real progress

Use a low logic approach with your potential clientlsquoLow logicrsquo is language that is simple to understand It is almost like approaching your client underneath the radar

Simply approach them in a very matter of fact way (with a certain amount of emotion) and give them the option to decline your services if they want In this way you donrsquot raise any alarm bells and make them feel trapped They are much more likely to come along for the ride this way

For example ldquoMr Prospect the simple reality is businesses like yours can use this product and it has X effect For you to be interested it obviously has to meet X Y Z needs and also fit within your budget and I have to be able to show you the real benefits of working with our company If I canrsquot then itrsquos only fair that I should head for the door But if I can make all that happen then your company is definitely at an advantage Irsquod like to simply sit down with you and run through these different ideas and see where we go from there is that fair enoughrdquo

So be yourself cut the jargon and let your passion for the product speak for itself Approach other people the way you like to be approached and you might well find that your sales increase hugelybull

5

028 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Winning Sales Presentations

ISSUESEVENTYTWO

Words by Debbie Mayo-Smith

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 029

Creating a great sales presentation isnrsquot very different to crafting a great speech You want to keep attention Motivate Convince Move to action Here is a formula that I follow (learnt from the

American maestro Patricia Fripp) that should help you to vastly improve your success when putting together and delivering a sales presentation

To whom are you speakingBe prepared before you go in and know as much about your audience as possible Age attitude industry and gender will all have a bearing on how you present your points Men and women have different senses of humour Younger audiences will be more impatient than older lsquoCrsquo level executives who donrsquot need the details Your presentation style and content must fit their perspective

You are not the heroWhat is the ratio of your PowerPoint slides (or written material) devoted to your company vs the potential client It stands to reason if you are invited to pitch you have already passed the preliminary vetting The convincing is done Wow them stand out from your competition by focusing on them - not stories of you your company achievements or accolades Do you like listening to egotistical sales people Share the glory with sales teams Ensure you put the prospective company in the limelight

I-You Ratio Likewise look through your sales presentations and count how many Irsquos wersquos and usrsquos you have Make certain your slides and stories are about them not you Change the perspective at every opportunity possible

Wrong ldquoOur company is number one in rdquo

Right ldquoYou benefit from our number one standing becauserdquo

Strong openingIf yoursquore pitching a $500000 contract and have only 10 minutes then starting with ldquogood morning ladies and gentlemen thank you for having us hererdquo just cost you over $8300 by wasting 10 seconds

Open differently and strongly Paint a picture Take them into the future Describe how theyrsquore benefiting from the clever decision they made years ago working with you Decision makers want to benefit the company they also want personally to be sure they are taking the right action So highlight how theyrsquoll be remembered for doing the right thing by using your company (donrsquot make it too much of a butter up though)

Answer questions up front What do they want to know from you How can you help them If yoursquore more expensive will take longer or are the underdog ndash do not ignore the fact Theyrsquore thinking it Come straight out early into the presentation with a lsquoI know what yoursquore thinkingrsquo statement then answer their objections

030 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

PremiseBuild the sales presentation around the structure of how they will benefit from what you are asking them to do ldquoYou will save $2 million dollars by using our softwarerdquo or ldquoYou will cut maintenance expenditure by 20 per centrdquo Phrase it so they say to themselves lsquohowrsquo You then answer in a logical and structured way

Points laid out logicallyYou can help them make $2million How You enumerate and discuss the points one by one with examples Point one is cutting costs Point two is increasing revenue Point three is boosting staff productivity Highlighting points by telling a story will work infinitely better for you than simply stating it or just saying why By the way you turn masterful in your sales presentation story telling skills when you give your stories flesh and blood characters and dialogue

Seamless transitionMoving from a main point (cutting costs) to the next (increasing revenue) should have a smooth flow instead of an abrupt change Carrying on our example you could transition by saying ldquolowering costs is only one side of the equation of boosting your profit Increasing sales in a challenging environment might not seem easy let me show you how we helprdquo That places you nicely into the segment on how you increase their revenues

QuestionsDonrsquot end with questions rather take them before you review at the end so you can close on a high note

ReviewIf possible use a story again ndash outlining a client that benefited in all the ways you highlight they will benefit

Repetitive reframes sound bite statementsYou can be sure theyrsquoll remember stories Hit home with better retention by giving them little sound bites and repeating them often

Strong CloseRefer back to your opening story or bring all the elements together describing how theyrsquoll benefit If you didnrsquot use thersquo looking into the futurersquo in your opening you can use it in the closing ldquoPicture yourself in two yearsrsquo time Itrsquos the gala dinner Award night Everyone is abuzz because of the success of the new software system you approved and installed the year before Five different staff have come to you throughout the evening ndash all award winners from their significant leap in productivityrdquo bull

Debbie Mayo-Smith is one of New Zealandrsquos most in-demand speakers trainers and bestselling authors Debbie works with companies that want more effective staff For more tips and business ideas sign up for her free monthly newsletter

wwwsuccessisconz

GOT A PRODUCT SERVICE OR BUSINESS WORTH TALKING ABOUT

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032 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Nine Steps to Supercharge Your Job Hunt

ISSUEEIGHTYFIVE

Tom ONeil shares some strategies to ensure you get a jump on your competition

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 033

1 Follow-up and use your personal networks Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is generally more trusted Therefore a person who is referred to an employer has a higher trust value and therefore a higher chance of getting employed This is especially true if there is not actually an official job vacancy and you are the only person being assessed for the role

Therefore its vital to get back in contact with your network with your good wishes as well as tell them you are now looking for new career opportunities

2 LinkedInGo through your LinkedIn profile with an objective eye making sure your profile sells you as much as possible Look at common keywords in the types of positions you are seeking and ensure these are included in your profile After you have done this ask a friend or two to have a look through as well to see if you have missed anything of importance

Check the number and quality of your recommendations on LinkedIn Social media author Linda Coles calls these your silent salespeople I recently was told a major international IT company would not select any senior level staff unless they had more than 20 recommendations I was chuffed when I read this as I am up to 45 however when I asked Linda I found that she has over 120 Therefore you can start to see the power these sound-bite type recommendations can have

Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from

word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is

generally more trusted Therefore a person who is

referred to an employer has a higher trust value and

therefore a higher chance of getting employed

034 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3 Go back over your successes in the past 12 monthsMost people tend to rush into the job hunting process only really thinking about their successes (and failures) when they are in the interview Were you awarded further authority in your role Did you exceed any sales or performance targets Did you train or mentor any new people All these things are important to an employer so make sure you take some time today to think about the positive things that shaped your career recently (and be sure to include them in your CV)

4 Plan your career not just your next jobRemember that each position is a stepping stone to the next so take some time out to think about what you want to be doing for a role in 2020 Once you have done this map out ideal positions (and study if needed) to get you there

5 Direct marketingHas there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them You would be surprised about the amount of people who because they demonstrated a strong interest in the company got a position personally crafted for them even though there appeared to be no position available The other major benefit of this direct approach is that it means a manager does not have to pay a $15000 recruitment fee as you have come to them for free

6 Check in with your verbal refereesTime and time again a candidate has missed out on a dream job because their referees were too old or not overly positive During my HR and recruitment career I have contacted the referees of candidates I have been really interested in employing and got responses like Oh no is Steve looking for ANOTHER job or Sorry I dont remember a Mike Smith Are you sure he put me as a referee

Contact your referees ensure they are aware that you are back on the job hunt and ask them if they are happy to provide a verbal reference The five-minute call you make today may well be the difference between getting your next job in October or March

Has there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 035

Tom ONeil is a leading international author career specialist and MD of CVCONZ You can contact Tom via email tomcvconz

CVCONZ

7 Follow-upBecause of the nature of the recruitment process (especially executive search and selection) the hiring process can be extremely drawn out Make sure you keep in contact with the recruiterpotential employer on a regular basis Most candidates are not keen to do this as they feel its overly aggressive However as long as you are friendly and professional in your follow-up you should be remembered positively when the time for the final decision comes

8 Take time to tailor your CV cover letter and interview to the roleA vacant position is a major headache for a company especially if that position is at a senior or executive level Therefore its vital that you tailor your entire approach as a complete solution specifically for the opportunity In most job advertisements and position descriptions there is a section entitled Personal SpecificationsCharacteristicsCompetencies etc This section is the key to the role and is what you need to target

Read through the documentation and summarise what the ideal person would look like With your skills achievements qualifications and experiences how can you meet or exceed these requirements

Finally you want to ensure that the main aspects and keywords are mirrored in everything you send to the employer and in your answers during the interview The closer you meet their brief of the ideal candidate the higher the chance of you getting that job

9 Positive state of mindAs the job hunt progresses it can become a painful process However its vital to stay as positive as you can as employers can sense frustration anxiety and antagonism all the emotions they wont want in an employee Make sure you go into each situation with a positive outlook take the best from all situations and remember every challenge is an opportunity to grow and improve your skills bull

036 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

COMPETITION

BOOK GIVEAWAYWe have two copies of the brand new job search manual Youre Hired The Essential Guide to Job Hunting and Personal Branding by Tom ONeil to give away

The book provides up-to-the-minute practical detail to choose the social media strategy best suited to your

situation and ways to promote yourself

through online networks particularly

LinkedIn as well as the importance of

lsquoofflinersquo branding Also included are sections

on reacutesumeacutes and covering letters (with

access online to templates) interviewing

tips networking direct marketing salary

negotiation and career goal-setting making

this the essential job hunting guide

There has been a huge shift over the last

three decades in the way employment

recruitment takes place and the power of

the individual to take control of their job hunt

has improved massively according to career

specialist Tom OrsquoNeil

But the strength of your lsquobrandrsquo and your

ability to sell your skills and achievements

will dictate how successful you are in your

search In this compelling new guide Tom

provides job seekers with simple exercises

and guidance to identify personal attributes and key career highlights that will assist in marketing yourself to potential employers The advice holds equally well for consultants and contractors like real estate agents and insurance brokers looking to procure new business bull

paulnnzsalesmanagerconz Email Paul before 30th November to be in to win a copy We have two copies to giveawayPublished by New Holland Publishers

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 037

QUICKFIX

Honest Apologies

lsquoDue to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control we lthave let you downgthellipAnd end like this lsquoWe apologise for any

inconvenience this may have causedrsquo

As a customer I read this and think ndash well at least they have told me they have stuffed up but they obviously donrsquot want to tell me why because they think that will make them look even worse and their apology is so canned they donrsquot mean it anyway They donrsquot really care

QUICK FIX

To show you do really care and to build a relationship built on trust cut out the canned opening and closing lines that everyone uses and use real language

bull Tell it how you would say it - which is not the canned written way

bull Tell what did happen and what you learned that will improve customer service in the future

bull Show that you understand their business - you should know what inconvenience it has caused them so apologise specifically for this

Do this and your customers will be much more understanding bull

bull

So itrsquos all gone wrong and you have let your customer down Itrsquos time to write to them with an apology How many letters start like this

038 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Ive been reading and using pieces from NZ Sales Manager magazine since Jan 2011 It has helped me immensely in gaining trust and building sales teams It gives me motivation each month to try something new and see if I can mould it to suit our team Thank you for providing this sales tool - it really has been a great source of information and motivation

Shaun Matheson

It gives me great pleasure to acknowledge all the wonderful work done by the NZ Sales Manager Magazine and all the efforts put in by the editor Mr Paul Newsom

This magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning tool With a well laid out plan this magazine has given all sales professionals including myself a great platform to focus and learn from and thus being very successful in our sales efforts in a very demanding business environment

Congratulations for coming up to your 100th issue which is indeed a great milestone and I personally wish the magazine and all those who run it every success and keep up the great work

Best WishesIvo DrsquoSilva Sales amp Customer Service Manager

THANKYOUFROMOURREADERS

ldquoThis magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning toolrdquoRegional

Manager

at

EDL

Fasteners

Ltd

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 039

Congratulations on the 100th issue of NZ Sales Manager eMag You provide valuable tips on selling and sales management and your 100th issue is great proof that you share great ideas that your readers appreciate and find usefulGraham McGregor Marketing Advisor amp Journalist

A big congrats to NZ Sales Manager on the 100th issue Thanks for your wonderful insights challenging the norm and keeping us focused on doing our best We look forward to the next 100Paul Brophy Team Leader NZ at CXC Global

ldquoThanks for your

wonderful insights

challenging the norm

and keeping us focused

on doing our bestrdquo

Sales management everywhere should be reading the NZ Sales Manager Congrats on your 100th issueJill Konrath Author of Agile Selling SNAP Selling and Selling to Big Companies

What a wonderful milestone for such a useful and inspiring magazine Congratulations to you and all your hard workLinda Coles Online Marketing Expert

Great work and contribution to Sales Managers all across NZ Thank you Ambrose Blowfield Owner The Marketing Company

To the editors and team behind NZSM well done Many growing challenges in the sales arena at an accelerating pace of change and great you have contributed so much to the profession Stuart Edmunds Founder of New Zealand Institute of Sales bull

040 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

EVENTSCALENDAR

DATE NAME PLACE COMPANY27 November Sales Management Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

1 December Negotiation Skills Wellington IMNZ

1 December Sales Seminar Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

2 December Key Account Management Christchurch IMNZ

2 December Effective Sales Prospecting Auckland PD Training

8 December Sales Basics Auckland Geewiz

9 December Advanced Serious Selling Auckland Geewiz

11 December Sales Training Auckland PD Training

15 December Cold Calling and Prospecting Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

15 December Professional Telephone Skills Training

Auckland PD Training

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 041

THECLOSE

ldquoI never ran 1000 miles I could never

have done that I ran 1 mile 1000 timesrdquo

Subscribe at wwwnzsalesmanagerconz ITrsquoS FREE

Lucian Milasan Shutterstockcom

- Stu Mittleman

Page 12: NZ Sales Manager – Issue 100

012 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Ross WilsonCEO Growing Organisations

gtMAINTAINING A HUMAN RELATIONSHIP WITH THE BUYER IN THE DIGITAL AGEOur customers time resource is stretched to breaking point Everyone is meetinged out and exhausted As a result meetings are set weeks in advance if you get one at all Often we have to resort to phone meetings instead Therefore even existing customers are harder and harder to get time with

gtKEEPING UP WITH THE RAPID TURNOVER OF STAFFContacts especially gate-keepers as well as decision-makers move on before youve been able to build trust and hence one has to start building trust and relationships with the new people all over again

gtCOMPLYING WITH MARKETING DEPARTMENTS DEMAND TO KEEP CRM (CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT) SYSTEMS CURRENT AT ALL TIMESThis requires hours of a sales persons time every week taking them away from productive sales activity Obviously this impacts their sales performance and results

Stuart EdmundsCEO New Zealand Sales Institute

gtLACK OF LASER LIKE FOCUSEvery company in every industry has their own unique sales challenges but one universal issue is the frustrated inability of sellers to focus on the most important things Salespeople fight the daily war against distractions and non-urgent activities that come up with the inevitable impact on focusing exclusively on whatrsquos most important to your pipeline

gtEMBRACING TECHNOLOGYTechnology adoption among sales professionals has been well behind marketing There is now an explosion of sales automation technologies specific to sales professionals but those same sales professionals need to take advantage of what is now in front of them There is still tremendous scope for more effective tools to play an increasingly important role in improving sales productivity and effectiveness

gtNEED FOR GREAT SALES MANAGEMENTFar too few salespeople have competent sales management who can guide coach support mentor motivate and direct their activities apart from keeping other conflicting priorities at bay and helping them in creating the best environment to ultimately drive (over-) achievement of sales

ldquo

Salespeople fight the daily war against distractions and non-urgent activities

ldquo

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 013

Joanne Hyland Director ProFormance

gtKEEPING UP WITH THE TECHNOLOGYTechnology coupled with the speed of change is inevitably going to have a widespread and highly impactful effect on sales people and our ability to sell effectively Our customers are able to access all sorts of information about ourselves our company and our products through online sources without even conversing with us Some of the information online we can control and hence is positive on the brand

But inevitably there will be information that we cannot control including friends putting inappropriate photos of us online customers publishing product reviews we donrsquot like and competitors outplaying us This puts increasing pressure on organisations and their sales teams to be constantly informed and able to respond appropriately

Moreover our sales resources have changed Our customers expect us to have smartphones tablets and to be able to immediately access sales information stock levels pricing options that help them to make their decision They are not prepared to wait in this environment where we are all time poor and want immediate solutions

gtPROVIDING CUSTOMISED SOLUTIONS Sales is a competitive industry where the dynamics change continuously With all the technology we have at our fingertips we should have live comprehensive sales data to inform educate and advise our customer on the best solution for their business No two customers should be treated the same or given the same offer In-depth analysis enables us to tailor our offer in a manner that is winwin for our customer and us The outstanding sales person should aim to be in the position whereby your customer does not want to be without himher

gtOVERCOMING OUR OWN LIMITATIONSA good salesperson needs to be aware of hisher skills and abilities as well as hisher limitations They need to source feedback and coaching to enable continuous self-improvement They need to look for opportunities to upskill to grow and develop

A good salesperson needs to be aware of hisher skills and abilities as well as hisher limitations

ldquo

ldquo

014 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

wwwespiremediacom

Paul ODonohueCEO SalesSTAR

gtGETTING IN FRONT OF THEIR TARGET MARKET The people who we need to reach have become busier than they used to be five years ago Moreover they are bombarded with 1000rsquos of marketing messages every day Getting their attention is a big challenge

gtCOMMODITISATION OF PRODUCTSERVICE It is a global world and our products and services are being commoditised

gtPROLONGED SALES CYCLESMost of the time companies only buy if they have to buy so decisions are being stalled

Knowledge is power More knowledge is more powerIt is clear the modern salesperson must be provided with a level of management support and guidance that goes far beyond simply increasing their targets for new meetings or cold calls or sales each week The pressures of rationalised sales teams and budgets increased reporting pressures and increased operational requirements can leave sales reps feeling isolated unrecognised and vulnerable There needs to be more sales management capability in NZ providing more coaching and support for sales team members

The sales professional of today must understand that more than ever in this ever changing playing field it is the survival of the fittest On the bright side the sales professional who is flexible resourceful and innovative and can add something of real value to each customer interaction will always be able to make his or her mark bull

The people who we need to reach have

become busier than they

used to be five years ago

Getting their attention is a

big challenge

ldquo

ldquo

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copy 2013 Veda Advantage Solutions Group Pty Limited

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016 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Indecent ProposalsPaul Newsom explains how being too eager to prepare sales proposals can lead to wasted time and lost sales opportunities

Proposals have a special place in the mind of many sales people They are one of the milestones of the sales process and are often the main weapon in the sales armoury They

are the lsquomeat of the dinnerrsquo Gaining the opportunity to submit a proposal is considered by many to be a major success Hours of writing and a few candles later a proposal is proudly submitted

Excitement anticipation and anxiety reaches fever pitch while we wait for the outcome to see whether the customer will choose the beef lamb or fish from our proposal

Then guess what the request comes back to quote a vegetarian option (because a competitor has suggested this) and back to work we go developing a winning proposal for the vegetarian On a bad day the customer goes for the pork and you miss out On a good day the customer dines with you

Rather than writing your proposal as soon as the client asks what is on the menu and then spending valuable time at the proposal end of the sales cycle the place to spend your time is doing a good diagnosis and selecting the optimal solution with the client

ISSUEONE

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 017

This is the lsquomeatrsquo of developing complex sales For example you must spend time understanding how and why beef is the best option then how the client likes their beef cooked

Donrsquot let proposals become a substitute for building trust or do the selling for you whereby you are over-reliant on the proposal to win the deal Such proposals are easy to pick - they are top heavy in lsquoabout usrsquo capability information that seldom gets read

Since customers donrsquot buy proposals (they buy solutions and value) instead build trust through the strength of your diagnosis and use the proposal to simply confirm all that you have agreed Your two-page proposal will then offer only the desired option and is far more likely to be accepted Done well this has far more impact than any hefty proposal both on your customer and your sales results and the long term relationship

In complex sales the proposal is not the meat it is the gravy It is the part which brings the meal together rather than the main part of the meal

Are You Sure You Know What Yoursquore ProposingOne of the biggest challenges of complex sales is working with customers and buyers who ask you to submit a proposal before you know what you are making a proposal for Responding to a request for a proposal so that the client can consider the possible options can be a tough one to deal with

In this situation we naturally want to seize the opportunity and get our proposal in early to make an impression We wonder what the competition is doing If we do not jump when asked to jump what will the customer think Will the competition have a head start on us Well they wonrsquot they will just be wasting their time guessing what the customer wants and hoping that something will get the interest of the buyer Just the same as you will be Sure you might get lucky once in a while but to succeed in complex sales requires much more than a game of chance and numbers

The consequence of over-reliance on the proposal to sell and submitting too early is that you consume vast amounts of your time and resources preparing a proposal of options most if not all of which never happen

The cost to your organisation can be huge I recall an extreme case for a multi-million dollar project where the senior buyer asked very early on for a proposal of all the possible options to consider

Well evaluating all possible options to be able to make a proposal for them would have taken months and cost $$$rsquos Instead the next few months were valuably spent jointly figuring out the viable options

018 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Paul Newsom is the editor of NZ Sales Manager

To be honest I find this

premature request happens

when buyers donrsquot know what

they are buying or donrsquot know

what the extent of the problem

is Repeated submissions follow

as the buyer progressively gets

a better understanding of what

they are doing As buyers donrsquot

we feel safer reading proposals

in comfort to try and figure it out

ourselves rather than risk being

sold the wrong thing

(Thatrsquos why we buy so much

over the Internet now ndash isnrsquot it)

It is self-defence from the buyer

and a symptom of decades

of poor seller and poor buyer

behaviour working in conflict

If you donrsquot know exactly what

you are proposing and why

then you must ask yourself also

whether the buyer knows what

they are trying to buy or even

how they will decide

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

There are two things you have to do when asked to submit a proposal prematurely gtYOU HAVE TO STAY YOUR GROUND Be firm and say

that in order to submit a proposal upon which they can make

an informed decision you both need to first understand This

requires discipline

Advise that you can only propose viable solutions that meet

all the criteria and at this stage the criteria are not defined

Otherwise you will be wasting your time and their time and

possibly put their business at risk

Plus how do you know if you have the resources to provide a

solution that will achieve the desired outcome You could be putting

your credibility and reputation at risk too

gtMAINTAIN THE SELF-ESTEEM OF THE BUYER You

donrsquot want to appear arrogant seemingly knowing better

It will damage the trust you have built Respect the wishes

of the client but suggest an alternative approach that

will ensure you are providing accurate information upon

which they can make the best possible buying decision

Submit a proposal without prior agreement of concept and we know

what happensndash the customer does nothing decides on price alone

or you submit repeated proposals until someone figures it outbull

If you donrsquot know exactly what you are proposing and why then you must ask yourself also whether the buyer knows what they are trying to buy or even how they will decide

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 019

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020 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Sales Opportunity Qualification is one of the most valuable skills

for a professional salesperson

to develop In this turbulent

recessionary climate it is very

tempting to chase down every

deal on the prospect list Even

the ones that you know in your

heart you have very little chance

of winning However this can

actually make matters worse by

diverting sales effort away from

the better deals and reducing

your chances of winning those

Stop for Red Flags

Words by Tony Hillyard

ISSUETWENTYNINE

Three critical areas you must explore to qualify leads

Too many salespeople chase large time-consuming deals that they have very little chance of winning We do this because in a tough sales environment it naturally makes us feel better to go after every deal we come across - even when we know we shouldnrsquot

This eats up productive selling time

Salespeople can also often lose deals without knowing why

In many cases it could be that they simply failed to ask one

straightforward question that would have flushed out an objection

or a problem that could have been handled quite easily

Using a Sales Opportunity Qualification Process will enable you

to get a good perspective on where you stand with any sales

opportunity but it is particularly important for your larger deals

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 021

You must address and resolve these three most important issues

before committing a lot of resource to a sales campaign

1 Is it real for us

Although there might be a genuine sales opportunity available

- it might not be available to you or your company for a variety

of reasons

2 Do we want to win itbull What is the risk involved

bull Will it take more work and effort than itrsquos worth

bull Can we adequately resource the sale

3 Can we win itbull Do we have the right solution

bull Do we have a good relationship with the customer

bull How strong is the competition

This Qualification Process will help you answer these questions

and tell you when you have what I call lsquoRed Flagrsquo issues to resolve

Sales Opportunity Qualification is a critical and unequivocal

process You must answer Yes Dont Knowrsquo or No with

complete honesty for all the questions in each section

IF YOU HAVE RED FLAG ISSUES THEN SALES ACTIVITY IS REQUIREDWherever you have answered

No or Dont Know to a question

you have uncovered a Red Flag

issue that could potentially stop

you from winning the sale You

need to stop and think about

what sales activities and sales

calls you must undertake to

get a Yes response to those

questions and get yourself

into a winning position

If there are too many Red Flag

issues you may decide that you

just wonrsquot have enough time to

resolve all of them before the

sale is due to close In those

circumstances you might

need to consider negotiating

for more time Or you may feel

that it is just not worth chasing

because it will involve more

effort than the sale is worth to

you If so you will have saved

yourself a lot of wasted time

that you can invest in finding

a better sales opportunity

022 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Here are the 27 critical qualification questions you must answer

IS IT REAL FOR US

The Decision to Change

- Do they have a compelling reason to change

- Is there Senior Executive support for the need to change

- Have they discounted a lsquodo nothingrsquo option

The Money

- Have they explained the cost justification for this project

- Do they have an approved budget for this project

- Are our costs within their budget

The Timeframe

- Have we agreed a decision process timeline with them

- Does the decision process timeline suit us

- Have they allocated enough time to evaluate our

proposal in detail

- Can we meet their delivery and

implementation timescales

The Commercial Reality

- Have they accepted our commercial terms and conditions

- Are we compliant with all of their mandatory requirements

- Do we have our companys approval to submit a

proposal or a quotation

DO WE WANT TO WIN ITThe Risk versus the Gain

- Is the value of the sale enough

for the effort involved

- Will implementation be

straightforward

- Can we adequately resource

the sales campaign

Salespeople can also often lose deals without knowing why In many cases it could be that

they simply failed to ask one straightforward question that would have

flushed out an objection or a problem that could have

been handled quite easily

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 023

CAN WE WIN IT The Solution

- Are any of our unique features and benefits in their

decision criteria

- Do the Key Influencers favour our solution

- Have we aligned our solution to their Key Business

Drivers and Critical Success Factors

- Are we proposing a low or reasonable risk solution

The Relationship

- Do we have a good relationship track record with them

- Do we have good access to the decision-makers

- Do we have a well-placed Coach

- Are we allowed to sell to all the Key Influencers

on this project

The Competition

- Do we know which of the competitors are favoured

by the customer

- Do we know the strengths and weaknesses

of the main competitors

- Do we know the sales strategies of the main competitors

There are three parts to the Sales

Opportunity Qualification Process

1 Gaining an accurate

perspective on a sales

opportunity by answering all

of the Qualification Questions

with complete honesty

2 Developing all of the sales

activities and sales calls

that are still necessary

to get you into a winning

position for the opportunity

3 Early identification and

elimination of the deals you

canrsquot win and the ones you

donrsquot want to win

Use this Qualifying Large

Sales Opportunities Process

to dramatically improve your

chances of winning the significant

sales opportunities on your

prospect list that you choose to

go after - and stop chasing the

ones you are unlikely to win or

donrsquot want to win bull

Tony Hillyard specialises in giving sales teams around the world smart solutions to help them win more business in difficult or very competitive markets Visit Tonyrsquos website here for more information copy The Sales Academy Ltd All Rights Reserved July 2009

wwwsalesacademynetnz

1

2

3

024 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Words by Bill James

ISSUEFORTYSEVEN

Maybe you are new at sales you topped the training class ndash but just cannot make the sales stick Or you could be a veteran of many sales conquests but more recently you

simply cannot get the deals across the line

Or perhaps you spent a small fortune acquiring a franchise and it looked great on paper You have big plans high hopes and you are putting in the hours to make it happen But somehow the results are not coming and the money is not flowing Whatrsquos wrong

Unfortunately the answer could be you

Especially for franchisees there are lots of promises about fantastic marketing packages and potential clients coming through the door but the simple truth is that you are now self-employed No more sick days No one else to delegate to It is you that has to make that sale and secure your own money

5 Tips for the Reluctant Salesperson

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 025

1So here are five tips that will help get you on track if you action them

Stop thinking of yourself as a lsquoSalesmanrsquo (Or Saleswoman)Think about it The word lsquosalesmanrsquo or saleswomanrsquo does not engender confidence and is not respected even by you

Ask yourself do you like being lsquosoldrsquo Guess what ndash your clients feel the same way

There is a huge amount of negative connotation around this wording and it brings up an image of someone you may not want to be From a small child there is every chance your parents told you that salespeople were pushy and not to be trusted and now you have to become one

This obviously causes a real internal conflict and is in my opinion the number one reason why you could find yourself sabotaging your own efforts Donrsquot believe me Ask yourself these questions

bull Do you approach every sales opportunity in the belief it will be a sale

bull Are you secretly dreading lsquothatrsquo question from your client - The one you find so hard to answer

bull Do you find lots of little jobs to do that keep you so busy that you have little time for new business calls

These issues are even more acute if yoursquore very technical in nature and you like performing the task but not producing the sale

Why not rename yourself so that yoursquore comfortable in saying that word when you represent yourself to a potential client What could you call yourself that sits comfortably with you

Remember your role is to help people make the right decision ndash it is not to sell them something

Ask yourself do you like being lsquosoldrsquo Guess what ndash your clients feel the same way Remember your role is to help people make the right decision ndash it is not to sell them something

026 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3

2 Be yourselfSo many people will put on a persona they think is needed to create a successful sales outcome This is simply not the case and could in fact be what is costing you business

When you went through all the psychological and personality testing (hopefully) when you applied for the job or franchise opportunity these assessments showed the real you and indicated that you should be successful in your business So why are you hiding this real you now

Clients look for faults and are suspicious when you knock on the door because you are promoting a product If they sense falseness about you it will raise their alarms and give them good reason not to buy from you Will your natural personality be what everyone is looking for every time Probably not You will get on with some people better than others

But the reality is especially if you are less experienced you were quite possibly never going to sell to those people anyway The ones that would be attracted to your natural personality will be put off by a fake overlay so stop doing it

The reality is that you could be a complete ratbag but people still buy from complete ratbags ndash as long as they are honest about being one Can you image your reaction to someone whorsquos obviously a ratbag but is pretending to be nice and you can see through it It would make you want to run in the opposite direction wouldnrsquot it

Show some passion for your subjectAgain we put on this persona of lsquoprofessionalismrsquo which means we deliver a very dry presentation What was the passion that got you involved in the first place If it was simply that you thought yoursquod make a lot of money you may possibly have made an error ndash thatrsquos called a job

Clients enjoy your enthusiasm and passion for your product It will take you through the tough times but yoursquoll also need to show it to your clients so they know that you are passionate about what you are doing

This isnrsquot easy in cultures where showing emotion is not the norm but the old saying lsquoenthusiasm sellsrsquo is as true now as it ever was

Let your passion and enthusiasm for your subject out and yoursquoll take your potential client along with you for the ride The big problem is that if you do not show some passion and hide in facts and figures your clients will allocate an emotion and a motivation to you What do you think the chances are that it will be a positive one

None

The reality is that you could be a complete ratbag but people still buy from complete ratbags ndash as long as they are honest about being one

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 027

4

Bill James is an internationally recognised sales speaker and trainer who specialises in referral and relationship marketing To find out more visit his website above

wwwBillJamesSpeakercom

Jargon kills salesOccasionally yoursquoll find someone whorsquos really caught up in the technical aspects of what you do But usually they are initially more interested in knowing you understand and care about their needs If you are technically orientated itrsquos easy to hide in the features of your product but this will stop you truly addressing the need of the client

Often most products appear to be very similar and have similar pricing and so the difference is your ability to uncover their real concerns and needs and address those In this way yoursquoll make a connection at a very personal level which is the key to gaining that commitment from your potential client

Loading them up with jargon will simply occupy their headspace and will actually be counterproductive Talking everyday language that your client can understand and addressing their real needs will result in you making real progress

Use a low logic approach with your potential clientlsquoLow logicrsquo is language that is simple to understand It is almost like approaching your client underneath the radar

Simply approach them in a very matter of fact way (with a certain amount of emotion) and give them the option to decline your services if they want In this way you donrsquot raise any alarm bells and make them feel trapped They are much more likely to come along for the ride this way

For example ldquoMr Prospect the simple reality is businesses like yours can use this product and it has X effect For you to be interested it obviously has to meet X Y Z needs and also fit within your budget and I have to be able to show you the real benefits of working with our company If I canrsquot then itrsquos only fair that I should head for the door But if I can make all that happen then your company is definitely at an advantage Irsquod like to simply sit down with you and run through these different ideas and see where we go from there is that fair enoughrdquo

So be yourself cut the jargon and let your passion for the product speak for itself Approach other people the way you like to be approached and you might well find that your sales increase hugelybull

5

028 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Winning Sales Presentations

ISSUESEVENTYTWO

Words by Debbie Mayo-Smith

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 029

Creating a great sales presentation isnrsquot very different to crafting a great speech You want to keep attention Motivate Convince Move to action Here is a formula that I follow (learnt from the

American maestro Patricia Fripp) that should help you to vastly improve your success when putting together and delivering a sales presentation

To whom are you speakingBe prepared before you go in and know as much about your audience as possible Age attitude industry and gender will all have a bearing on how you present your points Men and women have different senses of humour Younger audiences will be more impatient than older lsquoCrsquo level executives who donrsquot need the details Your presentation style and content must fit their perspective

You are not the heroWhat is the ratio of your PowerPoint slides (or written material) devoted to your company vs the potential client It stands to reason if you are invited to pitch you have already passed the preliminary vetting The convincing is done Wow them stand out from your competition by focusing on them - not stories of you your company achievements or accolades Do you like listening to egotistical sales people Share the glory with sales teams Ensure you put the prospective company in the limelight

I-You Ratio Likewise look through your sales presentations and count how many Irsquos wersquos and usrsquos you have Make certain your slides and stories are about them not you Change the perspective at every opportunity possible

Wrong ldquoOur company is number one in rdquo

Right ldquoYou benefit from our number one standing becauserdquo

Strong openingIf yoursquore pitching a $500000 contract and have only 10 minutes then starting with ldquogood morning ladies and gentlemen thank you for having us hererdquo just cost you over $8300 by wasting 10 seconds

Open differently and strongly Paint a picture Take them into the future Describe how theyrsquore benefiting from the clever decision they made years ago working with you Decision makers want to benefit the company they also want personally to be sure they are taking the right action So highlight how theyrsquoll be remembered for doing the right thing by using your company (donrsquot make it too much of a butter up though)

Answer questions up front What do they want to know from you How can you help them If yoursquore more expensive will take longer or are the underdog ndash do not ignore the fact Theyrsquore thinking it Come straight out early into the presentation with a lsquoI know what yoursquore thinkingrsquo statement then answer their objections

030 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

PremiseBuild the sales presentation around the structure of how they will benefit from what you are asking them to do ldquoYou will save $2 million dollars by using our softwarerdquo or ldquoYou will cut maintenance expenditure by 20 per centrdquo Phrase it so they say to themselves lsquohowrsquo You then answer in a logical and structured way

Points laid out logicallyYou can help them make $2million How You enumerate and discuss the points one by one with examples Point one is cutting costs Point two is increasing revenue Point three is boosting staff productivity Highlighting points by telling a story will work infinitely better for you than simply stating it or just saying why By the way you turn masterful in your sales presentation story telling skills when you give your stories flesh and blood characters and dialogue

Seamless transitionMoving from a main point (cutting costs) to the next (increasing revenue) should have a smooth flow instead of an abrupt change Carrying on our example you could transition by saying ldquolowering costs is only one side of the equation of boosting your profit Increasing sales in a challenging environment might not seem easy let me show you how we helprdquo That places you nicely into the segment on how you increase their revenues

QuestionsDonrsquot end with questions rather take them before you review at the end so you can close on a high note

ReviewIf possible use a story again ndash outlining a client that benefited in all the ways you highlight they will benefit

Repetitive reframes sound bite statementsYou can be sure theyrsquoll remember stories Hit home with better retention by giving them little sound bites and repeating them often

Strong CloseRefer back to your opening story or bring all the elements together describing how theyrsquoll benefit If you didnrsquot use thersquo looking into the futurersquo in your opening you can use it in the closing ldquoPicture yourself in two yearsrsquo time Itrsquos the gala dinner Award night Everyone is abuzz because of the success of the new software system you approved and installed the year before Five different staff have come to you throughout the evening ndash all award winners from their significant leap in productivityrdquo bull

Debbie Mayo-Smith is one of New Zealandrsquos most in-demand speakers trainers and bestselling authors Debbie works with companies that want more effective staff For more tips and business ideas sign up for her free monthly newsletter

wwwsuccessisconz

GOT A PRODUCT SERVICE OR BUSINESS WORTH TALKING ABOUT

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Check out our blog for content marketing advice tips and ideas plus a free copy of our content marketing guide The Content Creation Cookbook

032 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Nine Steps to Supercharge Your Job Hunt

ISSUEEIGHTYFIVE

Tom ONeil shares some strategies to ensure you get a jump on your competition

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 033

1 Follow-up and use your personal networks Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is generally more trusted Therefore a person who is referred to an employer has a higher trust value and therefore a higher chance of getting employed This is especially true if there is not actually an official job vacancy and you are the only person being assessed for the role

Therefore its vital to get back in contact with your network with your good wishes as well as tell them you are now looking for new career opportunities

2 LinkedInGo through your LinkedIn profile with an objective eye making sure your profile sells you as much as possible Look at common keywords in the types of positions you are seeking and ensure these are included in your profile After you have done this ask a friend or two to have a look through as well to see if you have missed anything of importance

Check the number and quality of your recommendations on LinkedIn Social media author Linda Coles calls these your silent salespeople I recently was told a major international IT company would not select any senior level staff unless they had more than 20 recommendations I was chuffed when I read this as I am up to 45 however when I asked Linda I found that she has over 120 Therefore you can start to see the power these sound-bite type recommendations can have

Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from

word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is

generally more trusted Therefore a person who is

referred to an employer has a higher trust value and

therefore a higher chance of getting employed

034 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3 Go back over your successes in the past 12 monthsMost people tend to rush into the job hunting process only really thinking about their successes (and failures) when they are in the interview Were you awarded further authority in your role Did you exceed any sales or performance targets Did you train or mentor any new people All these things are important to an employer so make sure you take some time today to think about the positive things that shaped your career recently (and be sure to include them in your CV)

4 Plan your career not just your next jobRemember that each position is a stepping stone to the next so take some time out to think about what you want to be doing for a role in 2020 Once you have done this map out ideal positions (and study if needed) to get you there

5 Direct marketingHas there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them You would be surprised about the amount of people who because they demonstrated a strong interest in the company got a position personally crafted for them even though there appeared to be no position available The other major benefit of this direct approach is that it means a manager does not have to pay a $15000 recruitment fee as you have come to them for free

6 Check in with your verbal refereesTime and time again a candidate has missed out on a dream job because their referees were too old or not overly positive During my HR and recruitment career I have contacted the referees of candidates I have been really interested in employing and got responses like Oh no is Steve looking for ANOTHER job or Sorry I dont remember a Mike Smith Are you sure he put me as a referee

Contact your referees ensure they are aware that you are back on the job hunt and ask them if they are happy to provide a verbal reference The five-minute call you make today may well be the difference between getting your next job in October or March

Has there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 035

Tom ONeil is a leading international author career specialist and MD of CVCONZ You can contact Tom via email tomcvconz

CVCONZ

7 Follow-upBecause of the nature of the recruitment process (especially executive search and selection) the hiring process can be extremely drawn out Make sure you keep in contact with the recruiterpotential employer on a regular basis Most candidates are not keen to do this as they feel its overly aggressive However as long as you are friendly and professional in your follow-up you should be remembered positively when the time for the final decision comes

8 Take time to tailor your CV cover letter and interview to the roleA vacant position is a major headache for a company especially if that position is at a senior or executive level Therefore its vital that you tailor your entire approach as a complete solution specifically for the opportunity In most job advertisements and position descriptions there is a section entitled Personal SpecificationsCharacteristicsCompetencies etc This section is the key to the role and is what you need to target

Read through the documentation and summarise what the ideal person would look like With your skills achievements qualifications and experiences how can you meet or exceed these requirements

Finally you want to ensure that the main aspects and keywords are mirrored in everything you send to the employer and in your answers during the interview The closer you meet their brief of the ideal candidate the higher the chance of you getting that job

9 Positive state of mindAs the job hunt progresses it can become a painful process However its vital to stay as positive as you can as employers can sense frustration anxiety and antagonism all the emotions they wont want in an employee Make sure you go into each situation with a positive outlook take the best from all situations and remember every challenge is an opportunity to grow and improve your skills bull

036 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

COMPETITION

BOOK GIVEAWAYWe have two copies of the brand new job search manual Youre Hired The Essential Guide to Job Hunting and Personal Branding by Tom ONeil to give away

The book provides up-to-the-minute practical detail to choose the social media strategy best suited to your

situation and ways to promote yourself

through online networks particularly

LinkedIn as well as the importance of

lsquoofflinersquo branding Also included are sections

on reacutesumeacutes and covering letters (with

access online to templates) interviewing

tips networking direct marketing salary

negotiation and career goal-setting making

this the essential job hunting guide

There has been a huge shift over the last

three decades in the way employment

recruitment takes place and the power of

the individual to take control of their job hunt

has improved massively according to career

specialist Tom OrsquoNeil

But the strength of your lsquobrandrsquo and your

ability to sell your skills and achievements

will dictate how successful you are in your

search In this compelling new guide Tom

provides job seekers with simple exercises

and guidance to identify personal attributes and key career highlights that will assist in marketing yourself to potential employers The advice holds equally well for consultants and contractors like real estate agents and insurance brokers looking to procure new business bull

paulnnzsalesmanagerconz Email Paul before 30th November to be in to win a copy We have two copies to giveawayPublished by New Holland Publishers

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 037

QUICKFIX

Honest Apologies

lsquoDue to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control we lthave let you downgthellipAnd end like this lsquoWe apologise for any

inconvenience this may have causedrsquo

As a customer I read this and think ndash well at least they have told me they have stuffed up but they obviously donrsquot want to tell me why because they think that will make them look even worse and their apology is so canned they donrsquot mean it anyway They donrsquot really care

QUICK FIX

To show you do really care and to build a relationship built on trust cut out the canned opening and closing lines that everyone uses and use real language

bull Tell it how you would say it - which is not the canned written way

bull Tell what did happen and what you learned that will improve customer service in the future

bull Show that you understand their business - you should know what inconvenience it has caused them so apologise specifically for this

Do this and your customers will be much more understanding bull

bull

So itrsquos all gone wrong and you have let your customer down Itrsquos time to write to them with an apology How many letters start like this

038 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Ive been reading and using pieces from NZ Sales Manager magazine since Jan 2011 It has helped me immensely in gaining trust and building sales teams It gives me motivation each month to try something new and see if I can mould it to suit our team Thank you for providing this sales tool - it really has been a great source of information and motivation

Shaun Matheson

It gives me great pleasure to acknowledge all the wonderful work done by the NZ Sales Manager Magazine and all the efforts put in by the editor Mr Paul Newsom

This magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning tool With a well laid out plan this magazine has given all sales professionals including myself a great platform to focus and learn from and thus being very successful in our sales efforts in a very demanding business environment

Congratulations for coming up to your 100th issue which is indeed a great milestone and I personally wish the magazine and all those who run it every success and keep up the great work

Best WishesIvo DrsquoSilva Sales amp Customer Service Manager

THANKYOUFROMOURREADERS

ldquoThis magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning toolrdquoRegional

Manager

at

EDL

Fasteners

Ltd

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 039

Congratulations on the 100th issue of NZ Sales Manager eMag You provide valuable tips on selling and sales management and your 100th issue is great proof that you share great ideas that your readers appreciate and find usefulGraham McGregor Marketing Advisor amp Journalist

A big congrats to NZ Sales Manager on the 100th issue Thanks for your wonderful insights challenging the norm and keeping us focused on doing our best We look forward to the next 100Paul Brophy Team Leader NZ at CXC Global

ldquoThanks for your

wonderful insights

challenging the norm

and keeping us focused

on doing our bestrdquo

Sales management everywhere should be reading the NZ Sales Manager Congrats on your 100th issueJill Konrath Author of Agile Selling SNAP Selling and Selling to Big Companies

What a wonderful milestone for such a useful and inspiring magazine Congratulations to you and all your hard workLinda Coles Online Marketing Expert

Great work and contribution to Sales Managers all across NZ Thank you Ambrose Blowfield Owner The Marketing Company

To the editors and team behind NZSM well done Many growing challenges in the sales arena at an accelerating pace of change and great you have contributed so much to the profession Stuart Edmunds Founder of New Zealand Institute of Sales bull

040 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

EVENTSCALENDAR

DATE NAME PLACE COMPANY27 November Sales Management Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

1 December Negotiation Skills Wellington IMNZ

1 December Sales Seminar Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

2 December Key Account Management Christchurch IMNZ

2 December Effective Sales Prospecting Auckland PD Training

8 December Sales Basics Auckland Geewiz

9 December Advanced Serious Selling Auckland Geewiz

11 December Sales Training Auckland PD Training

15 December Cold Calling and Prospecting Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

15 December Professional Telephone Skills Training

Auckland PD Training

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 041

THECLOSE

ldquoI never ran 1000 miles I could never

have done that I ran 1 mile 1000 timesrdquo

Subscribe at wwwnzsalesmanagerconz ITrsquoS FREE

Lucian Milasan Shutterstockcom

- Stu Mittleman

Page 13: NZ Sales Manager – Issue 100

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 013

Joanne Hyland Director ProFormance

gtKEEPING UP WITH THE TECHNOLOGYTechnology coupled with the speed of change is inevitably going to have a widespread and highly impactful effect on sales people and our ability to sell effectively Our customers are able to access all sorts of information about ourselves our company and our products through online sources without even conversing with us Some of the information online we can control and hence is positive on the brand

But inevitably there will be information that we cannot control including friends putting inappropriate photos of us online customers publishing product reviews we donrsquot like and competitors outplaying us This puts increasing pressure on organisations and their sales teams to be constantly informed and able to respond appropriately

Moreover our sales resources have changed Our customers expect us to have smartphones tablets and to be able to immediately access sales information stock levels pricing options that help them to make their decision They are not prepared to wait in this environment where we are all time poor and want immediate solutions

gtPROVIDING CUSTOMISED SOLUTIONS Sales is a competitive industry where the dynamics change continuously With all the technology we have at our fingertips we should have live comprehensive sales data to inform educate and advise our customer on the best solution for their business No two customers should be treated the same or given the same offer In-depth analysis enables us to tailor our offer in a manner that is winwin for our customer and us The outstanding sales person should aim to be in the position whereby your customer does not want to be without himher

gtOVERCOMING OUR OWN LIMITATIONSA good salesperson needs to be aware of hisher skills and abilities as well as hisher limitations They need to source feedback and coaching to enable continuous self-improvement They need to look for opportunities to upskill to grow and develop

A good salesperson needs to be aware of hisher skills and abilities as well as hisher limitations

ldquo

ldquo

014 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

wwwespiremediacom

Paul ODonohueCEO SalesSTAR

gtGETTING IN FRONT OF THEIR TARGET MARKET The people who we need to reach have become busier than they used to be five years ago Moreover they are bombarded with 1000rsquos of marketing messages every day Getting their attention is a big challenge

gtCOMMODITISATION OF PRODUCTSERVICE It is a global world and our products and services are being commoditised

gtPROLONGED SALES CYCLESMost of the time companies only buy if they have to buy so decisions are being stalled

Knowledge is power More knowledge is more powerIt is clear the modern salesperson must be provided with a level of management support and guidance that goes far beyond simply increasing their targets for new meetings or cold calls or sales each week The pressures of rationalised sales teams and budgets increased reporting pressures and increased operational requirements can leave sales reps feeling isolated unrecognised and vulnerable There needs to be more sales management capability in NZ providing more coaching and support for sales team members

The sales professional of today must understand that more than ever in this ever changing playing field it is the survival of the fittest On the bright side the sales professional who is flexible resourceful and innovative and can add something of real value to each customer interaction will always be able to make his or her mark bull

The people who we need to reach have

become busier than they

used to be five years ago

Getting their attention is a

big challenge

ldquo

ldquo

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016 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Indecent ProposalsPaul Newsom explains how being too eager to prepare sales proposals can lead to wasted time and lost sales opportunities

Proposals have a special place in the mind of many sales people They are one of the milestones of the sales process and are often the main weapon in the sales armoury They

are the lsquomeat of the dinnerrsquo Gaining the opportunity to submit a proposal is considered by many to be a major success Hours of writing and a few candles later a proposal is proudly submitted

Excitement anticipation and anxiety reaches fever pitch while we wait for the outcome to see whether the customer will choose the beef lamb or fish from our proposal

Then guess what the request comes back to quote a vegetarian option (because a competitor has suggested this) and back to work we go developing a winning proposal for the vegetarian On a bad day the customer goes for the pork and you miss out On a good day the customer dines with you

Rather than writing your proposal as soon as the client asks what is on the menu and then spending valuable time at the proposal end of the sales cycle the place to spend your time is doing a good diagnosis and selecting the optimal solution with the client

ISSUEONE

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 017

This is the lsquomeatrsquo of developing complex sales For example you must spend time understanding how and why beef is the best option then how the client likes their beef cooked

Donrsquot let proposals become a substitute for building trust or do the selling for you whereby you are over-reliant on the proposal to win the deal Such proposals are easy to pick - they are top heavy in lsquoabout usrsquo capability information that seldom gets read

Since customers donrsquot buy proposals (they buy solutions and value) instead build trust through the strength of your diagnosis and use the proposal to simply confirm all that you have agreed Your two-page proposal will then offer only the desired option and is far more likely to be accepted Done well this has far more impact than any hefty proposal both on your customer and your sales results and the long term relationship

In complex sales the proposal is not the meat it is the gravy It is the part which brings the meal together rather than the main part of the meal

Are You Sure You Know What Yoursquore ProposingOne of the biggest challenges of complex sales is working with customers and buyers who ask you to submit a proposal before you know what you are making a proposal for Responding to a request for a proposal so that the client can consider the possible options can be a tough one to deal with

In this situation we naturally want to seize the opportunity and get our proposal in early to make an impression We wonder what the competition is doing If we do not jump when asked to jump what will the customer think Will the competition have a head start on us Well they wonrsquot they will just be wasting their time guessing what the customer wants and hoping that something will get the interest of the buyer Just the same as you will be Sure you might get lucky once in a while but to succeed in complex sales requires much more than a game of chance and numbers

The consequence of over-reliance on the proposal to sell and submitting too early is that you consume vast amounts of your time and resources preparing a proposal of options most if not all of which never happen

The cost to your organisation can be huge I recall an extreme case for a multi-million dollar project where the senior buyer asked very early on for a proposal of all the possible options to consider

Well evaluating all possible options to be able to make a proposal for them would have taken months and cost $$$rsquos Instead the next few months were valuably spent jointly figuring out the viable options

018 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Paul Newsom is the editor of NZ Sales Manager

To be honest I find this

premature request happens

when buyers donrsquot know what

they are buying or donrsquot know

what the extent of the problem

is Repeated submissions follow

as the buyer progressively gets

a better understanding of what

they are doing As buyers donrsquot

we feel safer reading proposals

in comfort to try and figure it out

ourselves rather than risk being

sold the wrong thing

(Thatrsquos why we buy so much

over the Internet now ndash isnrsquot it)

It is self-defence from the buyer

and a symptom of decades

of poor seller and poor buyer

behaviour working in conflict

If you donrsquot know exactly what

you are proposing and why

then you must ask yourself also

whether the buyer knows what

they are trying to buy or even

how they will decide

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

There are two things you have to do when asked to submit a proposal prematurely gtYOU HAVE TO STAY YOUR GROUND Be firm and say

that in order to submit a proposal upon which they can make

an informed decision you both need to first understand This

requires discipline

Advise that you can only propose viable solutions that meet

all the criteria and at this stage the criteria are not defined

Otherwise you will be wasting your time and their time and

possibly put their business at risk

Plus how do you know if you have the resources to provide a

solution that will achieve the desired outcome You could be putting

your credibility and reputation at risk too

gtMAINTAIN THE SELF-ESTEEM OF THE BUYER You

donrsquot want to appear arrogant seemingly knowing better

It will damage the trust you have built Respect the wishes

of the client but suggest an alternative approach that

will ensure you are providing accurate information upon

which they can make the best possible buying decision

Submit a proposal without prior agreement of concept and we know

what happensndash the customer does nothing decides on price alone

or you submit repeated proposals until someone figures it outbull

If you donrsquot know exactly what you are proposing and why then you must ask yourself also whether the buyer knows what they are trying to buy or even how they will decide

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 019

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BNZ business transaction account required 1 $25 per month fee is GST exclusive and covers payroll services for one to five employees Other one-off set up fees will apply 2 EdgePayroll is provided by Datacom Employer Services Limited (Datacom) for BNZ customers BNZ will receive a commission from Datacom for referring you

020 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Sales Opportunity Qualification is one of the most valuable skills

for a professional salesperson

to develop In this turbulent

recessionary climate it is very

tempting to chase down every

deal on the prospect list Even

the ones that you know in your

heart you have very little chance

of winning However this can

actually make matters worse by

diverting sales effort away from

the better deals and reducing

your chances of winning those

Stop for Red Flags

Words by Tony Hillyard

ISSUETWENTYNINE

Three critical areas you must explore to qualify leads

Too many salespeople chase large time-consuming deals that they have very little chance of winning We do this because in a tough sales environment it naturally makes us feel better to go after every deal we come across - even when we know we shouldnrsquot

This eats up productive selling time

Salespeople can also often lose deals without knowing why

In many cases it could be that they simply failed to ask one

straightforward question that would have flushed out an objection

or a problem that could have been handled quite easily

Using a Sales Opportunity Qualification Process will enable you

to get a good perspective on where you stand with any sales

opportunity but it is particularly important for your larger deals

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 021

You must address and resolve these three most important issues

before committing a lot of resource to a sales campaign

1 Is it real for us

Although there might be a genuine sales opportunity available

- it might not be available to you or your company for a variety

of reasons

2 Do we want to win itbull What is the risk involved

bull Will it take more work and effort than itrsquos worth

bull Can we adequately resource the sale

3 Can we win itbull Do we have the right solution

bull Do we have a good relationship with the customer

bull How strong is the competition

This Qualification Process will help you answer these questions

and tell you when you have what I call lsquoRed Flagrsquo issues to resolve

Sales Opportunity Qualification is a critical and unequivocal

process You must answer Yes Dont Knowrsquo or No with

complete honesty for all the questions in each section

IF YOU HAVE RED FLAG ISSUES THEN SALES ACTIVITY IS REQUIREDWherever you have answered

No or Dont Know to a question

you have uncovered a Red Flag

issue that could potentially stop

you from winning the sale You

need to stop and think about

what sales activities and sales

calls you must undertake to

get a Yes response to those

questions and get yourself

into a winning position

If there are too many Red Flag

issues you may decide that you

just wonrsquot have enough time to

resolve all of them before the

sale is due to close In those

circumstances you might

need to consider negotiating

for more time Or you may feel

that it is just not worth chasing

because it will involve more

effort than the sale is worth to

you If so you will have saved

yourself a lot of wasted time

that you can invest in finding

a better sales opportunity

022 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Here are the 27 critical qualification questions you must answer

IS IT REAL FOR US

The Decision to Change

- Do they have a compelling reason to change

- Is there Senior Executive support for the need to change

- Have they discounted a lsquodo nothingrsquo option

The Money

- Have they explained the cost justification for this project

- Do they have an approved budget for this project

- Are our costs within their budget

The Timeframe

- Have we agreed a decision process timeline with them

- Does the decision process timeline suit us

- Have they allocated enough time to evaluate our

proposal in detail

- Can we meet their delivery and

implementation timescales

The Commercial Reality

- Have they accepted our commercial terms and conditions

- Are we compliant with all of their mandatory requirements

- Do we have our companys approval to submit a

proposal or a quotation

DO WE WANT TO WIN ITThe Risk versus the Gain

- Is the value of the sale enough

for the effort involved

- Will implementation be

straightforward

- Can we adequately resource

the sales campaign

Salespeople can also often lose deals without knowing why In many cases it could be that

they simply failed to ask one straightforward question that would have

flushed out an objection or a problem that could have

been handled quite easily

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 023

CAN WE WIN IT The Solution

- Are any of our unique features and benefits in their

decision criteria

- Do the Key Influencers favour our solution

- Have we aligned our solution to their Key Business

Drivers and Critical Success Factors

- Are we proposing a low or reasonable risk solution

The Relationship

- Do we have a good relationship track record with them

- Do we have good access to the decision-makers

- Do we have a well-placed Coach

- Are we allowed to sell to all the Key Influencers

on this project

The Competition

- Do we know which of the competitors are favoured

by the customer

- Do we know the strengths and weaknesses

of the main competitors

- Do we know the sales strategies of the main competitors

There are three parts to the Sales

Opportunity Qualification Process

1 Gaining an accurate

perspective on a sales

opportunity by answering all

of the Qualification Questions

with complete honesty

2 Developing all of the sales

activities and sales calls

that are still necessary

to get you into a winning

position for the opportunity

3 Early identification and

elimination of the deals you

canrsquot win and the ones you

donrsquot want to win

Use this Qualifying Large

Sales Opportunities Process

to dramatically improve your

chances of winning the significant

sales opportunities on your

prospect list that you choose to

go after - and stop chasing the

ones you are unlikely to win or

donrsquot want to win bull

Tony Hillyard specialises in giving sales teams around the world smart solutions to help them win more business in difficult or very competitive markets Visit Tonyrsquos website here for more information copy The Sales Academy Ltd All Rights Reserved July 2009

wwwsalesacademynetnz

1

2

3

024 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Words by Bill James

ISSUEFORTYSEVEN

Maybe you are new at sales you topped the training class ndash but just cannot make the sales stick Or you could be a veteran of many sales conquests but more recently you

simply cannot get the deals across the line

Or perhaps you spent a small fortune acquiring a franchise and it looked great on paper You have big plans high hopes and you are putting in the hours to make it happen But somehow the results are not coming and the money is not flowing Whatrsquos wrong

Unfortunately the answer could be you

Especially for franchisees there are lots of promises about fantastic marketing packages and potential clients coming through the door but the simple truth is that you are now self-employed No more sick days No one else to delegate to It is you that has to make that sale and secure your own money

5 Tips for the Reluctant Salesperson

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 025

1So here are five tips that will help get you on track if you action them

Stop thinking of yourself as a lsquoSalesmanrsquo (Or Saleswoman)Think about it The word lsquosalesmanrsquo or saleswomanrsquo does not engender confidence and is not respected even by you

Ask yourself do you like being lsquosoldrsquo Guess what ndash your clients feel the same way

There is a huge amount of negative connotation around this wording and it brings up an image of someone you may not want to be From a small child there is every chance your parents told you that salespeople were pushy and not to be trusted and now you have to become one

This obviously causes a real internal conflict and is in my opinion the number one reason why you could find yourself sabotaging your own efforts Donrsquot believe me Ask yourself these questions

bull Do you approach every sales opportunity in the belief it will be a sale

bull Are you secretly dreading lsquothatrsquo question from your client - The one you find so hard to answer

bull Do you find lots of little jobs to do that keep you so busy that you have little time for new business calls

These issues are even more acute if yoursquore very technical in nature and you like performing the task but not producing the sale

Why not rename yourself so that yoursquore comfortable in saying that word when you represent yourself to a potential client What could you call yourself that sits comfortably with you

Remember your role is to help people make the right decision ndash it is not to sell them something

Ask yourself do you like being lsquosoldrsquo Guess what ndash your clients feel the same way Remember your role is to help people make the right decision ndash it is not to sell them something

026 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3

2 Be yourselfSo many people will put on a persona they think is needed to create a successful sales outcome This is simply not the case and could in fact be what is costing you business

When you went through all the psychological and personality testing (hopefully) when you applied for the job or franchise opportunity these assessments showed the real you and indicated that you should be successful in your business So why are you hiding this real you now

Clients look for faults and are suspicious when you knock on the door because you are promoting a product If they sense falseness about you it will raise their alarms and give them good reason not to buy from you Will your natural personality be what everyone is looking for every time Probably not You will get on with some people better than others

But the reality is especially if you are less experienced you were quite possibly never going to sell to those people anyway The ones that would be attracted to your natural personality will be put off by a fake overlay so stop doing it

The reality is that you could be a complete ratbag but people still buy from complete ratbags ndash as long as they are honest about being one Can you image your reaction to someone whorsquos obviously a ratbag but is pretending to be nice and you can see through it It would make you want to run in the opposite direction wouldnrsquot it

Show some passion for your subjectAgain we put on this persona of lsquoprofessionalismrsquo which means we deliver a very dry presentation What was the passion that got you involved in the first place If it was simply that you thought yoursquod make a lot of money you may possibly have made an error ndash thatrsquos called a job

Clients enjoy your enthusiasm and passion for your product It will take you through the tough times but yoursquoll also need to show it to your clients so they know that you are passionate about what you are doing

This isnrsquot easy in cultures where showing emotion is not the norm but the old saying lsquoenthusiasm sellsrsquo is as true now as it ever was

Let your passion and enthusiasm for your subject out and yoursquoll take your potential client along with you for the ride The big problem is that if you do not show some passion and hide in facts and figures your clients will allocate an emotion and a motivation to you What do you think the chances are that it will be a positive one

None

The reality is that you could be a complete ratbag but people still buy from complete ratbags ndash as long as they are honest about being one

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 027

4

Bill James is an internationally recognised sales speaker and trainer who specialises in referral and relationship marketing To find out more visit his website above

wwwBillJamesSpeakercom

Jargon kills salesOccasionally yoursquoll find someone whorsquos really caught up in the technical aspects of what you do But usually they are initially more interested in knowing you understand and care about their needs If you are technically orientated itrsquos easy to hide in the features of your product but this will stop you truly addressing the need of the client

Often most products appear to be very similar and have similar pricing and so the difference is your ability to uncover their real concerns and needs and address those In this way yoursquoll make a connection at a very personal level which is the key to gaining that commitment from your potential client

Loading them up with jargon will simply occupy their headspace and will actually be counterproductive Talking everyday language that your client can understand and addressing their real needs will result in you making real progress

Use a low logic approach with your potential clientlsquoLow logicrsquo is language that is simple to understand It is almost like approaching your client underneath the radar

Simply approach them in a very matter of fact way (with a certain amount of emotion) and give them the option to decline your services if they want In this way you donrsquot raise any alarm bells and make them feel trapped They are much more likely to come along for the ride this way

For example ldquoMr Prospect the simple reality is businesses like yours can use this product and it has X effect For you to be interested it obviously has to meet X Y Z needs and also fit within your budget and I have to be able to show you the real benefits of working with our company If I canrsquot then itrsquos only fair that I should head for the door But if I can make all that happen then your company is definitely at an advantage Irsquod like to simply sit down with you and run through these different ideas and see where we go from there is that fair enoughrdquo

So be yourself cut the jargon and let your passion for the product speak for itself Approach other people the way you like to be approached and you might well find that your sales increase hugelybull

5

028 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Winning Sales Presentations

ISSUESEVENTYTWO

Words by Debbie Mayo-Smith

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 029

Creating a great sales presentation isnrsquot very different to crafting a great speech You want to keep attention Motivate Convince Move to action Here is a formula that I follow (learnt from the

American maestro Patricia Fripp) that should help you to vastly improve your success when putting together and delivering a sales presentation

To whom are you speakingBe prepared before you go in and know as much about your audience as possible Age attitude industry and gender will all have a bearing on how you present your points Men and women have different senses of humour Younger audiences will be more impatient than older lsquoCrsquo level executives who donrsquot need the details Your presentation style and content must fit their perspective

You are not the heroWhat is the ratio of your PowerPoint slides (or written material) devoted to your company vs the potential client It stands to reason if you are invited to pitch you have already passed the preliminary vetting The convincing is done Wow them stand out from your competition by focusing on them - not stories of you your company achievements or accolades Do you like listening to egotistical sales people Share the glory with sales teams Ensure you put the prospective company in the limelight

I-You Ratio Likewise look through your sales presentations and count how many Irsquos wersquos and usrsquos you have Make certain your slides and stories are about them not you Change the perspective at every opportunity possible

Wrong ldquoOur company is number one in rdquo

Right ldquoYou benefit from our number one standing becauserdquo

Strong openingIf yoursquore pitching a $500000 contract and have only 10 minutes then starting with ldquogood morning ladies and gentlemen thank you for having us hererdquo just cost you over $8300 by wasting 10 seconds

Open differently and strongly Paint a picture Take them into the future Describe how theyrsquore benefiting from the clever decision they made years ago working with you Decision makers want to benefit the company they also want personally to be sure they are taking the right action So highlight how theyrsquoll be remembered for doing the right thing by using your company (donrsquot make it too much of a butter up though)

Answer questions up front What do they want to know from you How can you help them If yoursquore more expensive will take longer or are the underdog ndash do not ignore the fact Theyrsquore thinking it Come straight out early into the presentation with a lsquoI know what yoursquore thinkingrsquo statement then answer their objections

030 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

PremiseBuild the sales presentation around the structure of how they will benefit from what you are asking them to do ldquoYou will save $2 million dollars by using our softwarerdquo or ldquoYou will cut maintenance expenditure by 20 per centrdquo Phrase it so they say to themselves lsquohowrsquo You then answer in a logical and structured way

Points laid out logicallyYou can help them make $2million How You enumerate and discuss the points one by one with examples Point one is cutting costs Point two is increasing revenue Point three is boosting staff productivity Highlighting points by telling a story will work infinitely better for you than simply stating it or just saying why By the way you turn masterful in your sales presentation story telling skills when you give your stories flesh and blood characters and dialogue

Seamless transitionMoving from a main point (cutting costs) to the next (increasing revenue) should have a smooth flow instead of an abrupt change Carrying on our example you could transition by saying ldquolowering costs is only one side of the equation of boosting your profit Increasing sales in a challenging environment might not seem easy let me show you how we helprdquo That places you nicely into the segment on how you increase their revenues

QuestionsDonrsquot end with questions rather take them before you review at the end so you can close on a high note

ReviewIf possible use a story again ndash outlining a client that benefited in all the ways you highlight they will benefit

Repetitive reframes sound bite statementsYou can be sure theyrsquoll remember stories Hit home with better retention by giving them little sound bites and repeating them often

Strong CloseRefer back to your opening story or bring all the elements together describing how theyrsquoll benefit If you didnrsquot use thersquo looking into the futurersquo in your opening you can use it in the closing ldquoPicture yourself in two yearsrsquo time Itrsquos the gala dinner Award night Everyone is abuzz because of the success of the new software system you approved and installed the year before Five different staff have come to you throughout the evening ndash all award winners from their significant leap in productivityrdquo bull

Debbie Mayo-Smith is one of New Zealandrsquos most in-demand speakers trainers and bestselling authors Debbie works with companies that want more effective staff For more tips and business ideas sign up for her free monthly newsletter

wwwsuccessisconz

GOT A PRODUCT SERVICE OR BUSINESS WORTH TALKING ABOUT

Want to grow brand awareness in a more effective and useful way

Get in touch with Jennifer now to discuss our options+64 9 522 7257 (NZT) | jenniferlespiremediacom | wwwespiremediacom

TALK TO ESPIRE MEDIA ABOUT OUR CONTENT MARKETING SERVICES We offer a range of ways to attract and retain customers by creating and curating relevant and valuable content to engage and add value to your audience

BENEFITSbull Expand your digital footprintbull Grow brand awarenessbull Increase traffic to your websitebull Thought leadershipbull Media exposurebull Attract new customersbull And grow SALES

Check out our blog for content marketing advice tips and ideas plus a free copy of our content marketing guide The Content Creation Cookbook

032 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Nine Steps to Supercharge Your Job Hunt

ISSUEEIGHTYFIVE

Tom ONeil shares some strategies to ensure you get a jump on your competition

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 033

1 Follow-up and use your personal networks Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is generally more trusted Therefore a person who is referred to an employer has a higher trust value and therefore a higher chance of getting employed This is especially true if there is not actually an official job vacancy and you are the only person being assessed for the role

Therefore its vital to get back in contact with your network with your good wishes as well as tell them you are now looking for new career opportunities

2 LinkedInGo through your LinkedIn profile with an objective eye making sure your profile sells you as much as possible Look at common keywords in the types of positions you are seeking and ensure these are included in your profile After you have done this ask a friend or two to have a look through as well to see if you have missed anything of importance

Check the number and quality of your recommendations on LinkedIn Social media author Linda Coles calls these your silent salespeople I recently was told a major international IT company would not select any senior level staff unless they had more than 20 recommendations I was chuffed when I read this as I am up to 45 however when I asked Linda I found that she has over 120 Therefore you can start to see the power these sound-bite type recommendations can have

Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from

word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is

generally more trusted Therefore a person who is

referred to an employer has a higher trust value and

therefore a higher chance of getting employed

034 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3 Go back over your successes in the past 12 monthsMost people tend to rush into the job hunting process only really thinking about their successes (and failures) when they are in the interview Were you awarded further authority in your role Did you exceed any sales or performance targets Did you train or mentor any new people All these things are important to an employer so make sure you take some time today to think about the positive things that shaped your career recently (and be sure to include them in your CV)

4 Plan your career not just your next jobRemember that each position is a stepping stone to the next so take some time out to think about what you want to be doing for a role in 2020 Once you have done this map out ideal positions (and study if needed) to get you there

5 Direct marketingHas there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them You would be surprised about the amount of people who because they demonstrated a strong interest in the company got a position personally crafted for them even though there appeared to be no position available The other major benefit of this direct approach is that it means a manager does not have to pay a $15000 recruitment fee as you have come to them for free

6 Check in with your verbal refereesTime and time again a candidate has missed out on a dream job because their referees were too old or not overly positive During my HR and recruitment career I have contacted the referees of candidates I have been really interested in employing and got responses like Oh no is Steve looking for ANOTHER job or Sorry I dont remember a Mike Smith Are you sure he put me as a referee

Contact your referees ensure they are aware that you are back on the job hunt and ask them if they are happy to provide a verbal reference The five-minute call you make today may well be the difference between getting your next job in October or March

Has there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 035

Tom ONeil is a leading international author career specialist and MD of CVCONZ You can contact Tom via email tomcvconz

CVCONZ

7 Follow-upBecause of the nature of the recruitment process (especially executive search and selection) the hiring process can be extremely drawn out Make sure you keep in contact with the recruiterpotential employer on a regular basis Most candidates are not keen to do this as they feel its overly aggressive However as long as you are friendly and professional in your follow-up you should be remembered positively when the time for the final decision comes

8 Take time to tailor your CV cover letter and interview to the roleA vacant position is a major headache for a company especially if that position is at a senior or executive level Therefore its vital that you tailor your entire approach as a complete solution specifically for the opportunity In most job advertisements and position descriptions there is a section entitled Personal SpecificationsCharacteristicsCompetencies etc This section is the key to the role and is what you need to target

Read through the documentation and summarise what the ideal person would look like With your skills achievements qualifications and experiences how can you meet or exceed these requirements

Finally you want to ensure that the main aspects and keywords are mirrored in everything you send to the employer and in your answers during the interview The closer you meet their brief of the ideal candidate the higher the chance of you getting that job

9 Positive state of mindAs the job hunt progresses it can become a painful process However its vital to stay as positive as you can as employers can sense frustration anxiety and antagonism all the emotions they wont want in an employee Make sure you go into each situation with a positive outlook take the best from all situations and remember every challenge is an opportunity to grow and improve your skills bull

036 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

COMPETITION

BOOK GIVEAWAYWe have two copies of the brand new job search manual Youre Hired The Essential Guide to Job Hunting and Personal Branding by Tom ONeil to give away

The book provides up-to-the-minute practical detail to choose the social media strategy best suited to your

situation and ways to promote yourself

through online networks particularly

LinkedIn as well as the importance of

lsquoofflinersquo branding Also included are sections

on reacutesumeacutes and covering letters (with

access online to templates) interviewing

tips networking direct marketing salary

negotiation and career goal-setting making

this the essential job hunting guide

There has been a huge shift over the last

three decades in the way employment

recruitment takes place and the power of

the individual to take control of their job hunt

has improved massively according to career

specialist Tom OrsquoNeil

But the strength of your lsquobrandrsquo and your

ability to sell your skills and achievements

will dictate how successful you are in your

search In this compelling new guide Tom

provides job seekers with simple exercises

and guidance to identify personal attributes and key career highlights that will assist in marketing yourself to potential employers The advice holds equally well for consultants and contractors like real estate agents and insurance brokers looking to procure new business bull

paulnnzsalesmanagerconz Email Paul before 30th November to be in to win a copy We have two copies to giveawayPublished by New Holland Publishers

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 037

QUICKFIX

Honest Apologies

lsquoDue to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control we lthave let you downgthellipAnd end like this lsquoWe apologise for any

inconvenience this may have causedrsquo

As a customer I read this and think ndash well at least they have told me they have stuffed up but they obviously donrsquot want to tell me why because they think that will make them look even worse and their apology is so canned they donrsquot mean it anyway They donrsquot really care

QUICK FIX

To show you do really care and to build a relationship built on trust cut out the canned opening and closing lines that everyone uses and use real language

bull Tell it how you would say it - which is not the canned written way

bull Tell what did happen and what you learned that will improve customer service in the future

bull Show that you understand their business - you should know what inconvenience it has caused them so apologise specifically for this

Do this and your customers will be much more understanding bull

bull

So itrsquos all gone wrong and you have let your customer down Itrsquos time to write to them with an apology How many letters start like this

038 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Ive been reading and using pieces from NZ Sales Manager magazine since Jan 2011 It has helped me immensely in gaining trust and building sales teams It gives me motivation each month to try something new and see if I can mould it to suit our team Thank you for providing this sales tool - it really has been a great source of information and motivation

Shaun Matheson

It gives me great pleasure to acknowledge all the wonderful work done by the NZ Sales Manager Magazine and all the efforts put in by the editor Mr Paul Newsom

This magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning tool With a well laid out plan this magazine has given all sales professionals including myself a great platform to focus and learn from and thus being very successful in our sales efforts in a very demanding business environment

Congratulations for coming up to your 100th issue which is indeed a great milestone and I personally wish the magazine and all those who run it every success and keep up the great work

Best WishesIvo DrsquoSilva Sales amp Customer Service Manager

THANKYOUFROMOURREADERS

ldquoThis magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning toolrdquoRegional

Manager

at

EDL

Fasteners

Ltd

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 039

Congratulations on the 100th issue of NZ Sales Manager eMag You provide valuable tips on selling and sales management and your 100th issue is great proof that you share great ideas that your readers appreciate and find usefulGraham McGregor Marketing Advisor amp Journalist

A big congrats to NZ Sales Manager on the 100th issue Thanks for your wonderful insights challenging the norm and keeping us focused on doing our best We look forward to the next 100Paul Brophy Team Leader NZ at CXC Global

ldquoThanks for your

wonderful insights

challenging the norm

and keeping us focused

on doing our bestrdquo

Sales management everywhere should be reading the NZ Sales Manager Congrats on your 100th issueJill Konrath Author of Agile Selling SNAP Selling and Selling to Big Companies

What a wonderful milestone for such a useful and inspiring magazine Congratulations to you and all your hard workLinda Coles Online Marketing Expert

Great work and contribution to Sales Managers all across NZ Thank you Ambrose Blowfield Owner The Marketing Company

To the editors and team behind NZSM well done Many growing challenges in the sales arena at an accelerating pace of change and great you have contributed so much to the profession Stuart Edmunds Founder of New Zealand Institute of Sales bull

040 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

EVENTSCALENDAR

DATE NAME PLACE COMPANY27 November Sales Management Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

1 December Negotiation Skills Wellington IMNZ

1 December Sales Seminar Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

2 December Key Account Management Christchurch IMNZ

2 December Effective Sales Prospecting Auckland PD Training

8 December Sales Basics Auckland Geewiz

9 December Advanced Serious Selling Auckland Geewiz

11 December Sales Training Auckland PD Training

15 December Cold Calling and Prospecting Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

15 December Professional Telephone Skills Training

Auckland PD Training

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 041

THECLOSE

ldquoI never ran 1000 miles I could never

have done that I ran 1 mile 1000 timesrdquo

Subscribe at wwwnzsalesmanagerconz ITrsquoS FREE

Lucian Milasan Shutterstockcom

- Stu Mittleman

Page 14: NZ Sales Manager – Issue 100

014 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

wwwespiremediacom

Paul ODonohueCEO SalesSTAR

gtGETTING IN FRONT OF THEIR TARGET MARKET The people who we need to reach have become busier than they used to be five years ago Moreover they are bombarded with 1000rsquos of marketing messages every day Getting their attention is a big challenge

gtCOMMODITISATION OF PRODUCTSERVICE It is a global world and our products and services are being commoditised

gtPROLONGED SALES CYCLESMost of the time companies only buy if they have to buy so decisions are being stalled

Knowledge is power More knowledge is more powerIt is clear the modern salesperson must be provided with a level of management support and guidance that goes far beyond simply increasing their targets for new meetings or cold calls or sales each week The pressures of rationalised sales teams and budgets increased reporting pressures and increased operational requirements can leave sales reps feeling isolated unrecognised and vulnerable There needs to be more sales management capability in NZ providing more coaching and support for sales team members

The sales professional of today must understand that more than ever in this ever changing playing field it is the survival of the fittest On the bright side the sales professional who is flexible resourceful and innovative and can add something of real value to each customer interaction will always be able to make his or her mark bull

The people who we need to reach have

become busier than they

used to be five years ago

Getting their attention is a

big challenge

ldquo

ldquo

New Zealandrsquos most powerful and dynamic segmentation solution

Inivio introduces New Zealandrsquos first truly household level segmentation product

Inivio have teamed up with Roy Morgan Research to create Landscape powered by Helix providing a dynamic and comprehensive view of New Zealand consumers

Roy Morgan collect a myriad of data on everything from income discretionary spend response to marketing mediums and thousands of other variables that drive New Zealand consumer attitudes and buying behaviour

Landscape Powered by Helix builds upon Roy Morganrsquos Helix segmentation solution with enhancements utilising Iniviorsquos verified household level intelligence to create the most dynamic and granular segmentation solution for NZ

Landscape powered by Helix

To find out more contact Inivio on 09 367 6285 or visit wwwinivioconzNext steps

copy 2013 Veda Advantage Solutions Group Pty Limited

This document is the intellectual property of Veda Advantage Solutions Group Pty Limited The information contained in this document is confidential and may not be stored copied given lent or in any way transmitted to any other company or person without the express written consent of Veda Advantage Solutions Group Pty Limited

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Manage marketing amp risk through identifying value segments and how to attract likeminded prospects

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With Landscape powered by Hel x you will

016 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Indecent ProposalsPaul Newsom explains how being too eager to prepare sales proposals can lead to wasted time and lost sales opportunities

Proposals have a special place in the mind of many sales people They are one of the milestones of the sales process and are often the main weapon in the sales armoury They

are the lsquomeat of the dinnerrsquo Gaining the opportunity to submit a proposal is considered by many to be a major success Hours of writing and a few candles later a proposal is proudly submitted

Excitement anticipation and anxiety reaches fever pitch while we wait for the outcome to see whether the customer will choose the beef lamb or fish from our proposal

Then guess what the request comes back to quote a vegetarian option (because a competitor has suggested this) and back to work we go developing a winning proposal for the vegetarian On a bad day the customer goes for the pork and you miss out On a good day the customer dines with you

Rather than writing your proposal as soon as the client asks what is on the menu and then spending valuable time at the proposal end of the sales cycle the place to spend your time is doing a good diagnosis and selecting the optimal solution with the client

ISSUEONE

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 017

This is the lsquomeatrsquo of developing complex sales For example you must spend time understanding how and why beef is the best option then how the client likes their beef cooked

Donrsquot let proposals become a substitute for building trust or do the selling for you whereby you are over-reliant on the proposal to win the deal Such proposals are easy to pick - they are top heavy in lsquoabout usrsquo capability information that seldom gets read

Since customers donrsquot buy proposals (they buy solutions and value) instead build trust through the strength of your diagnosis and use the proposal to simply confirm all that you have agreed Your two-page proposal will then offer only the desired option and is far more likely to be accepted Done well this has far more impact than any hefty proposal both on your customer and your sales results and the long term relationship

In complex sales the proposal is not the meat it is the gravy It is the part which brings the meal together rather than the main part of the meal

Are You Sure You Know What Yoursquore ProposingOne of the biggest challenges of complex sales is working with customers and buyers who ask you to submit a proposal before you know what you are making a proposal for Responding to a request for a proposal so that the client can consider the possible options can be a tough one to deal with

In this situation we naturally want to seize the opportunity and get our proposal in early to make an impression We wonder what the competition is doing If we do not jump when asked to jump what will the customer think Will the competition have a head start on us Well they wonrsquot they will just be wasting their time guessing what the customer wants and hoping that something will get the interest of the buyer Just the same as you will be Sure you might get lucky once in a while but to succeed in complex sales requires much more than a game of chance and numbers

The consequence of over-reliance on the proposal to sell and submitting too early is that you consume vast amounts of your time and resources preparing a proposal of options most if not all of which never happen

The cost to your organisation can be huge I recall an extreme case for a multi-million dollar project where the senior buyer asked very early on for a proposal of all the possible options to consider

Well evaluating all possible options to be able to make a proposal for them would have taken months and cost $$$rsquos Instead the next few months were valuably spent jointly figuring out the viable options

018 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Paul Newsom is the editor of NZ Sales Manager

To be honest I find this

premature request happens

when buyers donrsquot know what

they are buying or donrsquot know

what the extent of the problem

is Repeated submissions follow

as the buyer progressively gets

a better understanding of what

they are doing As buyers donrsquot

we feel safer reading proposals

in comfort to try and figure it out

ourselves rather than risk being

sold the wrong thing

(Thatrsquos why we buy so much

over the Internet now ndash isnrsquot it)

It is self-defence from the buyer

and a symptom of decades

of poor seller and poor buyer

behaviour working in conflict

If you donrsquot know exactly what

you are proposing and why

then you must ask yourself also

whether the buyer knows what

they are trying to buy or even

how they will decide

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

There are two things you have to do when asked to submit a proposal prematurely gtYOU HAVE TO STAY YOUR GROUND Be firm and say

that in order to submit a proposal upon which they can make

an informed decision you both need to first understand This

requires discipline

Advise that you can only propose viable solutions that meet

all the criteria and at this stage the criteria are not defined

Otherwise you will be wasting your time and their time and

possibly put their business at risk

Plus how do you know if you have the resources to provide a

solution that will achieve the desired outcome You could be putting

your credibility and reputation at risk too

gtMAINTAIN THE SELF-ESTEEM OF THE BUYER You

donrsquot want to appear arrogant seemingly knowing better

It will damage the trust you have built Respect the wishes

of the client but suggest an alternative approach that

will ensure you are providing accurate information upon

which they can make the best possible buying decision

Submit a proposal without prior agreement of concept and we know

what happensndash the customer does nothing decides on price alone

or you submit repeated proposals until someone figures it outbull

If you donrsquot know exactly what you are proposing and why then you must ask yourself also whether the buyer knows what they are trying to buy or even how they will decide

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 019

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020 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Sales Opportunity Qualification is one of the most valuable skills

for a professional salesperson

to develop In this turbulent

recessionary climate it is very

tempting to chase down every

deal on the prospect list Even

the ones that you know in your

heart you have very little chance

of winning However this can

actually make matters worse by

diverting sales effort away from

the better deals and reducing

your chances of winning those

Stop for Red Flags

Words by Tony Hillyard

ISSUETWENTYNINE

Three critical areas you must explore to qualify leads

Too many salespeople chase large time-consuming deals that they have very little chance of winning We do this because in a tough sales environment it naturally makes us feel better to go after every deal we come across - even when we know we shouldnrsquot

This eats up productive selling time

Salespeople can also often lose deals without knowing why

In many cases it could be that they simply failed to ask one

straightforward question that would have flushed out an objection

or a problem that could have been handled quite easily

Using a Sales Opportunity Qualification Process will enable you

to get a good perspective on where you stand with any sales

opportunity but it is particularly important for your larger deals

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 021

You must address and resolve these three most important issues

before committing a lot of resource to a sales campaign

1 Is it real for us

Although there might be a genuine sales opportunity available

- it might not be available to you or your company for a variety

of reasons

2 Do we want to win itbull What is the risk involved

bull Will it take more work and effort than itrsquos worth

bull Can we adequately resource the sale

3 Can we win itbull Do we have the right solution

bull Do we have a good relationship with the customer

bull How strong is the competition

This Qualification Process will help you answer these questions

and tell you when you have what I call lsquoRed Flagrsquo issues to resolve

Sales Opportunity Qualification is a critical and unequivocal

process You must answer Yes Dont Knowrsquo or No with

complete honesty for all the questions in each section

IF YOU HAVE RED FLAG ISSUES THEN SALES ACTIVITY IS REQUIREDWherever you have answered

No or Dont Know to a question

you have uncovered a Red Flag

issue that could potentially stop

you from winning the sale You

need to stop and think about

what sales activities and sales

calls you must undertake to

get a Yes response to those

questions and get yourself

into a winning position

If there are too many Red Flag

issues you may decide that you

just wonrsquot have enough time to

resolve all of them before the

sale is due to close In those

circumstances you might

need to consider negotiating

for more time Or you may feel

that it is just not worth chasing

because it will involve more

effort than the sale is worth to

you If so you will have saved

yourself a lot of wasted time

that you can invest in finding

a better sales opportunity

022 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Here are the 27 critical qualification questions you must answer

IS IT REAL FOR US

The Decision to Change

- Do they have a compelling reason to change

- Is there Senior Executive support for the need to change

- Have they discounted a lsquodo nothingrsquo option

The Money

- Have they explained the cost justification for this project

- Do they have an approved budget for this project

- Are our costs within their budget

The Timeframe

- Have we agreed a decision process timeline with them

- Does the decision process timeline suit us

- Have they allocated enough time to evaluate our

proposal in detail

- Can we meet their delivery and

implementation timescales

The Commercial Reality

- Have they accepted our commercial terms and conditions

- Are we compliant with all of their mandatory requirements

- Do we have our companys approval to submit a

proposal or a quotation

DO WE WANT TO WIN ITThe Risk versus the Gain

- Is the value of the sale enough

for the effort involved

- Will implementation be

straightforward

- Can we adequately resource

the sales campaign

Salespeople can also often lose deals without knowing why In many cases it could be that

they simply failed to ask one straightforward question that would have

flushed out an objection or a problem that could have

been handled quite easily

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 023

CAN WE WIN IT The Solution

- Are any of our unique features and benefits in their

decision criteria

- Do the Key Influencers favour our solution

- Have we aligned our solution to their Key Business

Drivers and Critical Success Factors

- Are we proposing a low or reasonable risk solution

The Relationship

- Do we have a good relationship track record with them

- Do we have good access to the decision-makers

- Do we have a well-placed Coach

- Are we allowed to sell to all the Key Influencers

on this project

The Competition

- Do we know which of the competitors are favoured

by the customer

- Do we know the strengths and weaknesses

of the main competitors

- Do we know the sales strategies of the main competitors

There are three parts to the Sales

Opportunity Qualification Process

1 Gaining an accurate

perspective on a sales

opportunity by answering all

of the Qualification Questions

with complete honesty

2 Developing all of the sales

activities and sales calls

that are still necessary

to get you into a winning

position for the opportunity

3 Early identification and

elimination of the deals you

canrsquot win and the ones you

donrsquot want to win

Use this Qualifying Large

Sales Opportunities Process

to dramatically improve your

chances of winning the significant

sales opportunities on your

prospect list that you choose to

go after - and stop chasing the

ones you are unlikely to win or

donrsquot want to win bull

Tony Hillyard specialises in giving sales teams around the world smart solutions to help them win more business in difficult or very competitive markets Visit Tonyrsquos website here for more information copy The Sales Academy Ltd All Rights Reserved July 2009

wwwsalesacademynetnz

1

2

3

024 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Words by Bill James

ISSUEFORTYSEVEN

Maybe you are new at sales you topped the training class ndash but just cannot make the sales stick Or you could be a veteran of many sales conquests but more recently you

simply cannot get the deals across the line

Or perhaps you spent a small fortune acquiring a franchise and it looked great on paper You have big plans high hopes and you are putting in the hours to make it happen But somehow the results are not coming and the money is not flowing Whatrsquos wrong

Unfortunately the answer could be you

Especially for franchisees there are lots of promises about fantastic marketing packages and potential clients coming through the door but the simple truth is that you are now self-employed No more sick days No one else to delegate to It is you that has to make that sale and secure your own money

5 Tips for the Reluctant Salesperson

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 025

1So here are five tips that will help get you on track if you action them

Stop thinking of yourself as a lsquoSalesmanrsquo (Or Saleswoman)Think about it The word lsquosalesmanrsquo or saleswomanrsquo does not engender confidence and is not respected even by you

Ask yourself do you like being lsquosoldrsquo Guess what ndash your clients feel the same way

There is a huge amount of negative connotation around this wording and it brings up an image of someone you may not want to be From a small child there is every chance your parents told you that salespeople were pushy and not to be trusted and now you have to become one

This obviously causes a real internal conflict and is in my opinion the number one reason why you could find yourself sabotaging your own efforts Donrsquot believe me Ask yourself these questions

bull Do you approach every sales opportunity in the belief it will be a sale

bull Are you secretly dreading lsquothatrsquo question from your client - The one you find so hard to answer

bull Do you find lots of little jobs to do that keep you so busy that you have little time for new business calls

These issues are even more acute if yoursquore very technical in nature and you like performing the task but not producing the sale

Why not rename yourself so that yoursquore comfortable in saying that word when you represent yourself to a potential client What could you call yourself that sits comfortably with you

Remember your role is to help people make the right decision ndash it is not to sell them something

Ask yourself do you like being lsquosoldrsquo Guess what ndash your clients feel the same way Remember your role is to help people make the right decision ndash it is not to sell them something

026 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3

2 Be yourselfSo many people will put on a persona they think is needed to create a successful sales outcome This is simply not the case and could in fact be what is costing you business

When you went through all the psychological and personality testing (hopefully) when you applied for the job or franchise opportunity these assessments showed the real you and indicated that you should be successful in your business So why are you hiding this real you now

Clients look for faults and are suspicious when you knock on the door because you are promoting a product If they sense falseness about you it will raise their alarms and give them good reason not to buy from you Will your natural personality be what everyone is looking for every time Probably not You will get on with some people better than others

But the reality is especially if you are less experienced you were quite possibly never going to sell to those people anyway The ones that would be attracted to your natural personality will be put off by a fake overlay so stop doing it

The reality is that you could be a complete ratbag but people still buy from complete ratbags ndash as long as they are honest about being one Can you image your reaction to someone whorsquos obviously a ratbag but is pretending to be nice and you can see through it It would make you want to run in the opposite direction wouldnrsquot it

Show some passion for your subjectAgain we put on this persona of lsquoprofessionalismrsquo which means we deliver a very dry presentation What was the passion that got you involved in the first place If it was simply that you thought yoursquod make a lot of money you may possibly have made an error ndash thatrsquos called a job

Clients enjoy your enthusiasm and passion for your product It will take you through the tough times but yoursquoll also need to show it to your clients so they know that you are passionate about what you are doing

This isnrsquot easy in cultures where showing emotion is not the norm but the old saying lsquoenthusiasm sellsrsquo is as true now as it ever was

Let your passion and enthusiasm for your subject out and yoursquoll take your potential client along with you for the ride The big problem is that if you do not show some passion and hide in facts and figures your clients will allocate an emotion and a motivation to you What do you think the chances are that it will be a positive one

None

The reality is that you could be a complete ratbag but people still buy from complete ratbags ndash as long as they are honest about being one

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 027

4

Bill James is an internationally recognised sales speaker and trainer who specialises in referral and relationship marketing To find out more visit his website above

wwwBillJamesSpeakercom

Jargon kills salesOccasionally yoursquoll find someone whorsquos really caught up in the technical aspects of what you do But usually they are initially more interested in knowing you understand and care about their needs If you are technically orientated itrsquos easy to hide in the features of your product but this will stop you truly addressing the need of the client

Often most products appear to be very similar and have similar pricing and so the difference is your ability to uncover their real concerns and needs and address those In this way yoursquoll make a connection at a very personal level which is the key to gaining that commitment from your potential client

Loading them up with jargon will simply occupy their headspace and will actually be counterproductive Talking everyday language that your client can understand and addressing their real needs will result in you making real progress

Use a low logic approach with your potential clientlsquoLow logicrsquo is language that is simple to understand It is almost like approaching your client underneath the radar

Simply approach them in a very matter of fact way (with a certain amount of emotion) and give them the option to decline your services if they want In this way you donrsquot raise any alarm bells and make them feel trapped They are much more likely to come along for the ride this way

For example ldquoMr Prospect the simple reality is businesses like yours can use this product and it has X effect For you to be interested it obviously has to meet X Y Z needs and also fit within your budget and I have to be able to show you the real benefits of working with our company If I canrsquot then itrsquos only fair that I should head for the door But if I can make all that happen then your company is definitely at an advantage Irsquod like to simply sit down with you and run through these different ideas and see where we go from there is that fair enoughrdquo

So be yourself cut the jargon and let your passion for the product speak for itself Approach other people the way you like to be approached and you might well find that your sales increase hugelybull

5

028 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Winning Sales Presentations

ISSUESEVENTYTWO

Words by Debbie Mayo-Smith

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 029

Creating a great sales presentation isnrsquot very different to crafting a great speech You want to keep attention Motivate Convince Move to action Here is a formula that I follow (learnt from the

American maestro Patricia Fripp) that should help you to vastly improve your success when putting together and delivering a sales presentation

To whom are you speakingBe prepared before you go in and know as much about your audience as possible Age attitude industry and gender will all have a bearing on how you present your points Men and women have different senses of humour Younger audiences will be more impatient than older lsquoCrsquo level executives who donrsquot need the details Your presentation style and content must fit their perspective

You are not the heroWhat is the ratio of your PowerPoint slides (or written material) devoted to your company vs the potential client It stands to reason if you are invited to pitch you have already passed the preliminary vetting The convincing is done Wow them stand out from your competition by focusing on them - not stories of you your company achievements or accolades Do you like listening to egotistical sales people Share the glory with sales teams Ensure you put the prospective company in the limelight

I-You Ratio Likewise look through your sales presentations and count how many Irsquos wersquos and usrsquos you have Make certain your slides and stories are about them not you Change the perspective at every opportunity possible

Wrong ldquoOur company is number one in rdquo

Right ldquoYou benefit from our number one standing becauserdquo

Strong openingIf yoursquore pitching a $500000 contract and have only 10 minutes then starting with ldquogood morning ladies and gentlemen thank you for having us hererdquo just cost you over $8300 by wasting 10 seconds

Open differently and strongly Paint a picture Take them into the future Describe how theyrsquore benefiting from the clever decision they made years ago working with you Decision makers want to benefit the company they also want personally to be sure they are taking the right action So highlight how theyrsquoll be remembered for doing the right thing by using your company (donrsquot make it too much of a butter up though)

Answer questions up front What do they want to know from you How can you help them If yoursquore more expensive will take longer or are the underdog ndash do not ignore the fact Theyrsquore thinking it Come straight out early into the presentation with a lsquoI know what yoursquore thinkingrsquo statement then answer their objections

030 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

PremiseBuild the sales presentation around the structure of how they will benefit from what you are asking them to do ldquoYou will save $2 million dollars by using our softwarerdquo or ldquoYou will cut maintenance expenditure by 20 per centrdquo Phrase it so they say to themselves lsquohowrsquo You then answer in a logical and structured way

Points laid out logicallyYou can help them make $2million How You enumerate and discuss the points one by one with examples Point one is cutting costs Point two is increasing revenue Point three is boosting staff productivity Highlighting points by telling a story will work infinitely better for you than simply stating it or just saying why By the way you turn masterful in your sales presentation story telling skills when you give your stories flesh and blood characters and dialogue

Seamless transitionMoving from a main point (cutting costs) to the next (increasing revenue) should have a smooth flow instead of an abrupt change Carrying on our example you could transition by saying ldquolowering costs is only one side of the equation of boosting your profit Increasing sales in a challenging environment might not seem easy let me show you how we helprdquo That places you nicely into the segment on how you increase their revenues

QuestionsDonrsquot end with questions rather take them before you review at the end so you can close on a high note

ReviewIf possible use a story again ndash outlining a client that benefited in all the ways you highlight they will benefit

Repetitive reframes sound bite statementsYou can be sure theyrsquoll remember stories Hit home with better retention by giving them little sound bites and repeating them often

Strong CloseRefer back to your opening story or bring all the elements together describing how theyrsquoll benefit If you didnrsquot use thersquo looking into the futurersquo in your opening you can use it in the closing ldquoPicture yourself in two yearsrsquo time Itrsquos the gala dinner Award night Everyone is abuzz because of the success of the new software system you approved and installed the year before Five different staff have come to you throughout the evening ndash all award winners from their significant leap in productivityrdquo bull

Debbie Mayo-Smith is one of New Zealandrsquos most in-demand speakers trainers and bestselling authors Debbie works with companies that want more effective staff For more tips and business ideas sign up for her free monthly newsletter

wwwsuccessisconz

GOT A PRODUCT SERVICE OR BUSINESS WORTH TALKING ABOUT

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Get in touch with Jennifer now to discuss our options+64 9 522 7257 (NZT) | jenniferlespiremediacom | wwwespiremediacom

TALK TO ESPIRE MEDIA ABOUT OUR CONTENT MARKETING SERVICES We offer a range of ways to attract and retain customers by creating and curating relevant and valuable content to engage and add value to your audience

BENEFITSbull Expand your digital footprintbull Grow brand awarenessbull Increase traffic to your websitebull Thought leadershipbull Media exposurebull Attract new customersbull And grow SALES

Check out our blog for content marketing advice tips and ideas plus a free copy of our content marketing guide The Content Creation Cookbook

032 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Nine Steps to Supercharge Your Job Hunt

ISSUEEIGHTYFIVE

Tom ONeil shares some strategies to ensure you get a jump on your competition

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 033

1 Follow-up and use your personal networks Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is generally more trusted Therefore a person who is referred to an employer has a higher trust value and therefore a higher chance of getting employed This is especially true if there is not actually an official job vacancy and you are the only person being assessed for the role

Therefore its vital to get back in contact with your network with your good wishes as well as tell them you are now looking for new career opportunities

2 LinkedInGo through your LinkedIn profile with an objective eye making sure your profile sells you as much as possible Look at common keywords in the types of positions you are seeking and ensure these are included in your profile After you have done this ask a friend or two to have a look through as well to see if you have missed anything of importance

Check the number and quality of your recommendations on LinkedIn Social media author Linda Coles calls these your silent salespeople I recently was told a major international IT company would not select any senior level staff unless they had more than 20 recommendations I was chuffed when I read this as I am up to 45 however when I asked Linda I found that she has over 120 Therefore you can start to see the power these sound-bite type recommendations can have

Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from

word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is

generally more trusted Therefore a person who is

referred to an employer has a higher trust value and

therefore a higher chance of getting employed

034 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3 Go back over your successes in the past 12 monthsMost people tend to rush into the job hunting process only really thinking about their successes (and failures) when they are in the interview Were you awarded further authority in your role Did you exceed any sales or performance targets Did you train or mentor any new people All these things are important to an employer so make sure you take some time today to think about the positive things that shaped your career recently (and be sure to include them in your CV)

4 Plan your career not just your next jobRemember that each position is a stepping stone to the next so take some time out to think about what you want to be doing for a role in 2020 Once you have done this map out ideal positions (and study if needed) to get you there

5 Direct marketingHas there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them You would be surprised about the amount of people who because they demonstrated a strong interest in the company got a position personally crafted for them even though there appeared to be no position available The other major benefit of this direct approach is that it means a manager does not have to pay a $15000 recruitment fee as you have come to them for free

6 Check in with your verbal refereesTime and time again a candidate has missed out on a dream job because their referees were too old or not overly positive During my HR and recruitment career I have contacted the referees of candidates I have been really interested in employing and got responses like Oh no is Steve looking for ANOTHER job or Sorry I dont remember a Mike Smith Are you sure he put me as a referee

Contact your referees ensure they are aware that you are back on the job hunt and ask them if they are happy to provide a verbal reference The five-minute call you make today may well be the difference between getting your next job in October or March

Has there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 035

Tom ONeil is a leading international author career specialist and MD of CVCONZ You can contact Tom via email tomcvconz

CVCONZ

7 Follow-upBecause of the nature of the recruitment process (especially executive search and selection) the hiring process can be extremely drawn out Make sure you keep in contact with the recruiterpotential employer on a regular basis Most candidates are not keen to do this as they feel its overly aggressive However as long as you are friendly and professional in your follow-up you should be remembered positively when the time for the final decision comes

8 Take time to tailor your CV cover letter and interview to the roleA vacant position is a major headache for a company especially if that position is at a senior or executive level Therefore its vital that you tailor your entire approach as a complete solution specifically for the opportunity In most job advertisements and position descriptions there is a section entitled Personal SpecificationsCharacteristicsCompetencies etc This section is the key to the role and is what you need to target

Read through the documentation and summarise what the ideal person would look like With your skills achievements qualifications and experiences how can you meet or exceed these requirements

Finally you want to ensure that the main aspects and keywords are mirrored in everything you send to the employer and in your answers during the interview The closer you meet their brief of the ideal candidate the higher the chance of you getting that job

9 Positive state of mindAs the job hunt progresses it can become a painful process However its vital to stay as positive as you can as employers can sense frustration anxiety and antagonism all the emotions they wont want in an employee Make sure you go into each situation with a positive outlook take the best from all situations and remember every challenge is an opportunity to grow and improve your skills bull

036 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

COMPETITION

BOOK GIVEAWAYWe have two copies of the brand new job search manual Youre Hired The Essential Guide to Job Hunting and Personal Branding by Tom ONeil to give away

The book provides up-to-the-minute practical detail to choose the social media strategy best suited to your

situation and ways to promote yourself

through online networks particularly

LinkedIn as well as the importance of

lsquoofflinersquo branding Also included are sections

on reacutesumeacutes and covering letters (with

access online to templates) interviewing

tips networking direct marketing salary

negotiation and career goal-setting making

this the essential job hunting guide

There has been a huge shift over the last

three decades in the way employment

recruitment takes place and the power of

the individual to take control of their job hunt

has improved massively according to career

specialist Tom OrsquoNeil

But the strength of your lsquobrandrsquo and your

ability to sell your skills and achievements

will dictate how successful you are in your

search In this compelling new guide Tom

provides job seekers with simple exercises

and guidance to identify personal attributes and key career highlights that will assist in marketing yourself to potential employers The advice holds equally well for consultants and contractors like real estate agents and insurance brokers looking to procure new business bull

paulnnzsalesmanagerconz Email Paul before 30th November to be in to win a copy We have two copies to giveawayPublished by New Holland Publishers

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 037

QUICKFIX

Honest Apologies

lsquoDue to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control we lthave let you downgthellipAnd end like this lsquoWe apologise for any

inconvenience this may have causedrsquo

As a customer I read this and think ndash well at least they have told me they have stuffed up but they obviously donrsquot want to tell me why because they think that will make them look even worse and their apology is so canned they donrsquot mean it anyway They donrsquot really care

QUICK FIX

To show you do really care and to build a relationship built on trust cut out the canned opening and closing lines that everyone uses and use real language

bull Tell it how you would say it - which is not the canned written way

bull Tell what did happen and what you learned that will improve customer service in the future

bull Show that you understand their business - you should know what inconvenience it has caused them so apologise specifically for this

Do this and your customers will be much more understanding bull

bull

So itrsquos all gone wrong and you have let your customer down Itrsquos time to write to them with an apology How many letters start like this

038 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Ive been reading and using pieces from NZ Sales Manager magazine since Jan 2011 It has helped me immensely in gaining trust and building sales teams It gives me motivation each month to try something new and see if I can mould it to suit our team Thank you for providing this sales tool - it really has been a great source of information and motivation

Shaun Matheson

It gives me great pleasure to acknowledge all the wonderful work done by the NZ Sales Manager Magazine and all the efforts put in by the editor Mr Paul Newsom

This magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning tool With a well laid out plan this magazine has given all sales professionals including myself a great platform to focus and learn from and thus being very successful in our sales efforts in a very demanding business environment

Congratulations for coming up to your 100th issue which is indeed a great milestone and I personally wish the magazine and all those who run it every success and keep up the great work

Best WishesIvo DrsquoSilva Sales amp Customer Service Manager

THANKYOUFROMOURREADERS

ldquoThis magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning toolrdquoRegional

Manager

at

EDL

Fasteners

Ltd

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 039

Congratulations on the 100th issue of NZ Sales Manager eMag You provide valuable tips on selling and sales management and your 100th issue is great proof that you share great ideas that your readers appreciate and find usefulGraham McGregor Marketing Advisor amp Journalist

A big congrats to NZ Sales Manager on the 100th issue Thanks for your wonderful insights challenging the norm and keeping us focused on doing our best We look forward to the next 100Paul Brophy Team Leader NZ at CXC Global

ldquoThanks for your

wonderful insights

challenging the norm

and keeping us focused

on doing our bestrdquo

Sales management everywhere should be reading the NZ Sales Manager Congrats on your 100th issueJill Konrath Author of Agile Selling SNAP Selling and Selling to Big Companies

What a wonderful milestone for such a useful and inspiring magazine Congratulations to you and all your hard workLinda Coles Online Marketing Expert

Great work and contribution to Sales Managers all across NZ Thank you Ambrose Blowfield Owner The Marketing Company

To the editors and team behind NZSM well done Many growing challenges in the sales arena at an accelerating pace of change and great you have contributed so much to the profession Stuart Edmunds Founder of New Zealand Institute of Sales bull

040 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

EVENTSCALENDAR

DATE NAME PLACE COMPANY27 November Sales Management Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

1 December Negotiation Skills Wellington IMNZ

1 December Sales Seminar Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

2 December Key Account Management Christchurch IMNZ

2 December Effective Sales Prospecting Auckland PD Training

8 December Sales Basics Auckland Geewiz

9 December Advanced Serious Selling Auckland Geewiz

11 December Sales Training Auckland PD Training

15 December Cold Calling and Prospecting Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

15 December Professional Telephone Skills Training

Auckland PD Training

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 041

THECLOSE

ldquoI never ran 1000 miles I could never

have done that I ran 1 mile 1000 timesrdquo

Subscribe at wwwnzsalesmanagerconz ITrsquoS FREE

Lucian Milasan Shutterstockcom

- Stu Mittleman

Page 15: NZ Sales Manager – Issue 100

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Manage marketing amp risk through identifying value segments and how to attract likeminded prospects

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With Landscape powered by Hel x you will

016 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Indecent ProposalsPaul Newsom explains how being too eager to prepare sales proposals can lead to wasted time and lost sales opportunities

Proposals have a special place in the mind of many sales people They are one of the milestones of the sales process and are often the main weapon in the sales armoury They

are the lsquomeat of the dinnerrsquo Gaining the opportunity to submit a proposal is considered by many to be a major success Hours of writing and a few candles later a proposal is proudly submitted

Excitement anticipation and anxiety reaches fever pitch while we wait for the outcome to see whether the customer will choose the beef lamb or fish from our proposal

Then guess what the request comes back to quote a vegetarian option (because a competitor has suggested this) and back to work we go developing a winning proposal for the vegetarian On a bad day the customer goes for the pork and you miss out On a good day the customer dines with you

Rather than writing your proposal as soon as the client asks what is on the menu and then spending valuable time at the proposal end of the sales cycle the place to spend your time is doing a good diagnosis and selecting the optimal solution with the client

ISSUEONE

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 017

This is the lsquomeatrsquo of developing complex sales For example you must spend time understanding how and why beef is the best option then how the client likes their beef cooked

Donrsquot let proposals become a substitute for building trust or do the selling for you whereby you are over-reliant on the proposal to win the deal Such proposals are easy to pick - they are top heavy in lsquoabout usrsquo capability information that seldom gets read

Since customers donrsquot buy proposals (they buy solutions and value) instead build trust through the strength of your diagnosis and use the proposal to simply confirm all that you have agreed Your two-page proposal will then offer only the desired option and is far more likely to be accepted Done well this has far more impact than any hefty proposal both on your customer and your sales results and the long term relationship

In complex sales the proposal is not the meat it is the gravy It is the part which brings the meal together rather than the main part of the meal

Are You Sure You Know What Yoursquore ProposingOne of the biggest challenges of complex sales is working with customers and buyers who ask you to submit a proposal before you know what you are making a proposal for Responding to a request for a proposal so that the client can consider the possible options can be a tough one to deal with

In this situation we naturally want to seize the opportunity and get our proposal in early to make an impression We wonder what the competition is doing If we do not jump when asked to jump what will the customer think Will the competition have a head start on us Well they wonrsquot they will just be wasting their time guessing what the customer wants and hoping that something will get the interest of the buyer Just the same as you will be Sure you might get lucky once in a while but to succeed in complex sales requires much more than a game of chance and numbers

The consequence of over-reliance on the proposal to sell and submitting too early is that you consume vast amounts of your time and resources preparing a proposal of options most if not all of which never happen

The cost to your organisation can be huge I recall an extreme case for a multi-million dollar project where the senior buyer asked very early on for a proposal of all the possible options to consider

Well evaluating all possible options to be able to make a proposal for them would have taken months and cost $$$rsquos Instead the next few months were valuably spent jointly figuring out the viable options

018 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Paul Newsom is the editor of NZ Sales Manager

To be honest I find this

premature request happens

when buyers donrsquot know what

they are buying or donrsquot know

what the extent of the problem

is Repeated submissions follow

as the buyer progressively gets

a better understanding of what

they are doing As buyers donrsquot

we feel safer reading proposals

in comfort to try and figure it out

ourselves rather than risk being

sold the wrong thing

(Thatrsquos why we buy so much

over the Internet now ndash isnrsquot it)

It is self-defence from the buyer

and a symptom of decades

of poor seller and poor buyer

behaviour working in conflict

If you donrsquot know exactly what

you are proposing and why

then you must ask yourself also

whether the buyer knows what

they are trying to buy or even

how they will decide

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

There are two things you have to do when asked to submit a proposal prematurely gtYOU HAVE TO STAY YOUR GROUND Be firm and say

that in order to submit a proposal upon which they can make

an informed decision you both need to first understand This

requires discipline

Advise that you can only propose viable solutions that meet

all the criteria and at this stage the criteria are not defined

Otherwise you will be wasting your time and their time and

possibly put their business at risk

Plus how do you know if you have the resources to provide a

solution that will achieve the desired outcome You could be putting

your credibility and reputation at risk too

gtMAINTAIN THE SELF-ESTEEM OF THE BUYER You

donrsquot want to appear arrogant seemingly knowing better

It will damage the trust you have built Respect the wishes

of the client but suggest an alternative approach that

will ensure you are providing accurate information upon

which they can make the best possible buying decision

Submit a proposal without prior agreement of concept and we know

what happensndash the customer does nothing decides on price alone

or you submit repeated proposals until someone figures it outbull

If you donrsquot know exactly what you are proposing and why then you must ask yourself also whether the buyer knows what they are trying to buy or even how they will decide

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 019

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020 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Sales Opportunity Qualification is one of the most valuable skills

for a professional salesperson

to develop In this turbulent

recessionary climate it is very

tempting to chase down every

deal on the prospect list Even

the ones that you know in your

heart you have very little chance

of winning However this can

actually make matters worse by

diverting sales effort away from

the better deals and reducing

your chances of winning those

Stop for Red Flags

Words by Tony Hillyard

ISSUETWENTYNINE

Three critical areas you must explore to qualify leads

Too many salespeople chase large time-consuming deals that they have very little chance of winning We do this because in a tough sales environment it naturally makes us feel better to go after every deal we come across - even when we know we shouldnrsquot

This eats up productive selling time

Salespeople can also often lose deals without knowing why

In many cases it could be that they simply failed to ask one

straightforward question that would have flushed out an objection

or a problem that could have been handled quite easily

Using a Sales Opportunity Qualification Process will enable you

to get a good perspective on where you stand with any sales

opportunity but it is particularly important for your larger deals

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 021

You must address and resolve these three most important issues

before committing a lot of resource to a sales campaign

1 Is it real for us

Although there might be a genuine sales opportunity available

- it might not be available to you or your company for a variety

of reasons

2 Do we want to win itbull What is the risk involved

bull Will it take more work and effort than itrsquos worth

bull Can we adequately resource the sale

3 Can we win itbull Do we have the right solution

bull Do we have a good relationship with the customer

bull How strong is the competition

This Qualification Process will help you answer these questions

and tell you when you have what I call lsquoRed Flagrsquo issues to resolve

Sales Opportunity Qualification is a critical and unequivocal

process You must answer Yes Dont Knowrsquo or No with

complete honesty for all the questions in each section

IF YOU HAVE RED FLAG ISSUES THEN SALES ACTIVITY IS REQUIREDWherever you have answered

No or Dont Know to a question

you have uncovered a Red Flag

issue that could potentially stop

you from winning the sale You

need to stop and think about

what sales activities and sales

calls you must undertake to

get a Yes response to those

questions and get yourself

into a winning position

If there are too many Red Flag

issues you may decide that you

just wonrsquot have enough time to

resolve all of them before the

sale is due to close In those

circumstances you might

need to consider negotiating

for more time Or you may feel

that it is just not worth chasing

because it will involve more

effort than the sale is worth to

you If so you will have saved

yourself a lot of wasted time

that you can invest in finding

a better sales opportunity

022 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Here are the 27 critical qualification questions you must answer

IS IT REAL FOR US

The Decision to Change

- Do they have a compelling reason to change

- Is there Senior Executive support for the need to change

- Have they discounted a lsquodo nothingrsquo option

The Money

- Have they explained the cost justification for this project

- Do they have an approved budget for this project

- Are our costs within their budget

The Timeframe

- Have we agreed a decision process timeline with them

- Does the decision process timeline suit us

- Have they allocated enough time to evaluate our

proposal in detail

- Can we meet their delivery and

implementation timescales

The Commercial Reality

- Have they accepted our commercial terms and conditions

- Are we compliant with all of their mandatory requirements

- Do we have our companys approval to submit a

proposal or a quotation

DO WE WANT TO WIN ITThe Risk versus the Gain

- Is the value of the sale enough

for the effort involved

- Will implementation be

straightforward

- Can we adequately resource

the sales campaign

Salespeople can also often lose deals without knowing why In many cases it could be that

they simply failed to ask one straightforward question that would have

flushed out an objection or a problem that could have

been handled quite easily

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 023

CAN WE WIN IT The Solution

- Are any of our unique features and benefits in their

decision criteria

- Do the Key Influencers favour our solution

- Have we aligned our solution to their Key Business

Drivers and Critical Success Factors

- Are we proposing a low or reasonable risk solution

The Relationship

- Do we have a good relationship track record with them

- Do we have good access to the decision-makers

- Do we have a well-placed Coach

- Are we allowed to sell to all the Key Influencers

on this project

The Competition

- Do we know which of the competitors are favoured

by the customer

- Do we know the strengths and weaknesses

of the main competitors

- Do we know the sales strategies of the main competitors

There are three parts to the Sales

Opportunity Qualification Process

1 Gaining an accurate

perspective on a sales

opportunity by answering all

of the Qualification Questions

with complete honesty

2 Developing all of the sales

activities and sales calls

that are still necessary

to get you into a winning

position for the opportunity

3 Early identification and

elimination of the deals you

canrsquot win and the ones you

donrsquot want to win

Use this Qualifying Large

Sales Opportunities Process

to dramatically improve your

chances of winning the significant

sales opportunities on your

prospect list that you choose to

go after - and stop chasing the

ones you are unlikely to win or

donrsquot want to win bull

Tony Hillyard specialises in giving sales teams around the world smart solutions to help them win more business in difficult or very competitive markets Visit Tonyrsquos website here for more information copy The Sales Academy Ltd All Rights Reserved July 2009

wwwsalesacademynetnz

1

2

3

024 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Words by Bill James

ISSUEFORTYSEVEN

Maybe you are new at sales you topped the training class ndash but just cannot make the sales stick Or you could be a veteran of many sales conquests but more recently you

simply cannot get the deals across the line

Or perhaps you spent a small fortune acquiring a franchise and it looked great on paper You have big plans high hopes and you are putting in the hours to make it happen But somehow the results are not coming and the money is not flowing Whatrsquos wrong

Unfortunately the answer could be you

Especially for franchisees there are lots of promises about fantastic marketing packages and potential clients coming through the door but the simple truth is that you are now self-employed No more sick days No one else to delegate to It is you that has to make that sale and secure your own money

5 Tips for the Reluctant Salesperson

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 025

1So here are five tips that will help get you on track if you action them

Stop thinking of yourself as a lsquoSalesmanrsquo (Or Saleswoman)Think about it The word lsquosalesmanrsquo or saleswomanrsquo does not engender confidence and is not respected even by you

Ask yourself do you like being lsquosoldrsquo Guess what ndash your clients feel the same way

There is a huge amount of negative connotation around this wording and it brings up an image of someone you may not want to be From a small child there is every chance your parents told you that salespeople were pushy and not to be trusted and now you have to become one

This obviously causes a real internal conflict and is in my opinion the number one reason why you could find yourself sabotaging your own efforts Donrsquot believe me Ask yourself these questions

bull Do you approach every sales opportunity in the belief it will be a sale

bull Are you secretly dreading lsquothatrsquo question from your client - The one you find so hard to answer

bull Do you find lots of little jobs to do that keep you so busy that you have little time for new business calls

These issues are even more acute if yoursquore very technical in nature and you like performing the task but not producing the sale

Why not rename yourself so that yoursquore comfortable in saying that word when you represent yourself to a potential client What could you call yourself that sits comfortably with you

Remember your role is to help people make the right decision ndash it is not to sell them something

Ask yourself do you like being lsquosoldrsquo Guess what ndash your clients feel the same way Remember your role is to help people make the right decision ndash it is not to sell them something

026 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3

2 Be yourselfSo many people will put on a persona they think is needed to create a successful sales outcome This is simply not the case and could in fact be what is costing you business

When you went through all the psychological and personality testing (hopefully) when you applied for the job or franchise opportunity these assessments showed the real you and indicated that you should be successful in your business So why are you hiding this real you now

Clients look for faults and are suspicious when you knock on the door because you are promoting a product If they sense falseness about you it will raise their alarms and give them good reason not to buy from you Will your natural personality be what everyone is looking for every time Probably not You will get on with some people better than others

But the reality is especially if you are less experienced you were quite possibly never going to sell to those people anyway The ones that would be attracted to your natural personality will be put off by a fake overlay so stop doing it

The reality is that you could be a complete ratbag but people still buy from complete ratbags ndash as long as they are honest about being one Can you image your reaction to someone whorsquos obviously a ratbag but is pretending to be nice and you can see through it It would make you want to run in the opposite direction wouldnrsquot it

Show some passion for your subjectAgain we put on this persona of lsquoprofessionalismrsquo which means we deliver a very dry presentation What was the passion that got you involved in the first place If it was simply that you thought yoursquod make a lot of money you may possibly have made an error ndash thatrsquos called a job

Clients enjoy your enthusiasm and passion for your product It will take you through the tough times but yoursquoll also need to show it to your clients so they know that you are passionate about what you are doing

This isnrsquot easy in cultures where showing emotion is not the norm but the old saying lsquoenthusiasm sellsrsquo is as true now as it ever was

Let your passion and enthusiasm for your subject out and yoursquoll take your potential client along with you for the ride The big problem is that if you do not show some passion and hide in facts and figures your clients will allocate an emotion and a motivation to you What do you think the chances are that it will be a positive one

None

The reality is that you could be a complete ratbag but people still buy from complete ratbags ndash as long as they are honest about being one

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 027

4

Bill James is an internationally recognised sales speaker and trainer who specialises in referral and relationship marketing To find out more visit his website above

wwwBillJamesSpeakercom

Jargon kills salesOccasionally yoursquoll find someone whorsquos really caught up in the technical aspects of what you do But usually they are initially more interested in knowing you understand and care about their needs If you are technically orientated itrsquos easy to hide in the features of your product but this will stop you truly addressing the need of the client

Often most products appear to be very similar and have similar pricing and so the difference is your ability to uncover their real concerns and needs and address those In this way yoursquoll make a connection at a very personal level which is the key to gaining that commitment from your potential client

Loading them up with jargon will simply occupy their headspace and will actually be counterproductive Talking everyday language that your client can understand and addressing their real needs will result in you making real progress

Use a low logic approach with your potential clientlsquoLow logicrsquo is language that is simple to understand It is almost like approaching your client underneath the radar

Simply approach them in a very matter of fact way (with a certain amount of emotion) and give them the option to decline your services if they want In this way you donrsquot raise any alarm bells and make them feel trapped They are much more likely to come along for the ride this way

For example ldquoMr Prospect the simple reality is businesses like yours can use this product and it has X effect For you to be interested it obviously has to meet X Y Z needs and also fit within your budget and I have to be able to show you the real benefits of working with our company If I canrsquot then itrsquos only fair that I should head for the door But if I can make all that happen then your company is definitely at an advantage Irsquod like to simply sit down with you and run through these different ideas and see where we go from there is that fair enoughrdquo

So be yourself cut the jargon and let your passion for the product speak for itself Approach other people the way you like to be approached and you might well find that your sales increase hugelybull

5

028 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Winning Sales Presentations

ISSUESEVENTYTWO

Words by Debbie Mayo-Smith

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 029

Creating a great sales presentation isnrsquot very different to crafting a great speech You want to keep attention Motivate Convince Move to action Here is a formula that I follow (learnt from the

American maestro Patricia Fripp) that should help you to vastly improve your success when putting together and delivering a sales presentation

To whom are you speakingBe prepared before you go in and know as much about your audience as possible Age attitude industry and gender will all have a bearing on how you present your points Men and women have different senses of humour Younger audiences will be more impatient than older lsquoCrsquo level executives who donrsquot need the details Your presentation style and content must fit their perspective

You are not the heroWhat is the ratio of your PowerPoint slides (or written material) devoted to your company vs the potential client It stands to reason if you are invited to pitch you have already passed the preliminary vetting The convincing is done Wow them stand out from your competition by focusing on them - not stories of you your company achievements or accolades Do you like listening to egotistical sales people Share the glory with sales teams Ensure you put the prospective company in the limelight

I-You Ratio Likewise look through your sales presentations and count how many Irsquos wersquos and usrsquos you have Make certain your slides and stories are about them not you Change the perspective at every opportunity possible

Wrong ldquoOur company is number one in rdquo

Right ldquoYou benefit from our number one standing becauserdquo

Strong openingIf yoursquore pitching a $500000 contract and have only 10 minutes then starting with ldquogood morning ladies and gentlemen thank you for having us hererdquo just cost you over $8300 by wasting 10 seconds

Open differently and strongly Paint a picture Take them into the future Describe how theyrsquore benefiting from the clever decision they made years ago working with you Decision makers want to benefit the company they also want personally to be sure they are taking the right action So highlight how theyrsquoll be remembered for doing the right thing by using your company (donrsquot make it too much of a butter up though)

Answer questions up front What do they want to know from you How can you help them If yoursquore more expensive will take longer or are the underdog ndash do not ignore the fact Theyrsquore thinking it Come straight out early into the presentation with a lsquoI know what yoursquore thinkingrsquo statement then answer their objections

030 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

PremiseBuild the sales presentation around the structure of how they will benefit from what you are asking them to do ldquoYou will save $2 million dollars by using our softwarerdquo or ldquoYou will cut maintenance expenditure by 20 per centrdquo Phrase it so they say to themselves lsquohowrsquo You then answer in a logical and structured way

Points laid out logicallyYou can help them make $2million How You enumerate and discuss the points one by one with examples Point one is cutting costs Point two is increasing revenue Point three is boosting staff productivity Highlighting points by telling a story will work infinitely better for you than simply stating it or just saying why By the way you turn masterful in your sales presentation story telling skills when you give your stories flesh and blood characters and dialogue

Seamless transitionMoving from a main point (cutting costs) to the next (increasing revenue) should have a smooth flow instead of an abrupt change Carrying on our example you could transition by saying ldquolowering costs is only one side of the equation of boosting your profit Increasing sales in a challenging environment might not seem easy let me show you how we helprdquo That places you nicely into the segment on how you increase their revenues

QuestionsDonrsquot end with questions rather take them before you review at the end so you can close on a high note

ReviewIf possible use a story again ndash outlining a client that benefited in all the ways you highlight they will benefit

Repetitive reframes sound bite statementsYou can be sure theyrsquoll remember stories Hit home with better retention by giving them little sound bites and repeating them often

Strong CloseRefer back to your opening story or bring all the elements together describing how theyrsquoll benefit If you didnrsquot use thersquo looking into the futurersquo in your opening you can use it in the closing ldquoPicture yourself in two yearsrsquo time Itrsquos the gala dinner Award night Everyone is abuzz because of the success of the new software system you approved and installed the year before Five different staff have come to you throughout the evening ndash all award winners from their significant leap in productivityrdquo bull

Debbie Mayo-Smith is one of New Zealandrsquos most in-demand speakers trainers and bestselling authors Debbie works with companies that want more effective staff For more tips and business ideas sign up for her free monthly newsletter

wwwsuccessisconz

GOT A PRODUCT SERVICE OR BUSINESS WORTH TALKING ABOUT

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Get in touch with Jennifer now to discuss our options+64 9 522 7257 (NZT) | jenniferlespiremediacom | wwwespiremediacom

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Check out our blog for content marketing advice tips and ideas plus a free copy of our content marketing guide The Content Creation Cookbook

032 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Nine Steps to Supercharge Your Job Hunt

ISSUEEIGHTYFIVE

Tom ONeil shares some strategies to ensure you get a jump on your competition

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 033

1 Follow-up and use your personal networks Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is generally more trusted Therefore a person who is referred to an employer has a higher trust value and therefore a higher chance of getting employed This is especially true if there is not actually an official job vacancy and you are the only person being assessed for the role

Therefore its vital to get back in contact with your network with your good wishes as well as tell them you are now looking for new career opportunities

2 LinkedInGo through your LinkedIn profile with an objective eye making sure your profile sells you as much as possible Look at common keywords in the types of positions you are seeking and ensure these are included in your profile After you have done this ask a friend or two to have a look through as well to see if you have missed anything of importance

Check the number and quality of your recommendations on LinkedIn Social media author Linda Coles calls these your silent salespeople I recently was told a major international IT company would not select any senior level staff unless they had more than 20 recommendations I was chuffed when I read this as I am up to 45 however when I asked Linda I found that she has over 120 Therefore you can start to see the power these sound-bite type recommendations can have

Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from

word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is

generally more trusted Therefore a person who is

referred to an employer has a higher trust value and

therefore a higher chance of getting employed

034 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3 Go back over your successes in the past 12 monthsMost people tend to rush into the job hunting process only really thinking about their successes (and failures) when they are in the interview Were you awarded further authority in your role Did you exceed any sales or performance targets Did you train or mentor any new people All these things are important to an employer so make sure you take some time today to think about the positive things that shaped your career recently (and be sure to include them in your CV)

4 Plan your career not just your next jobRemember that each position is a stepping stone to the next so take some time out to think about what you want to be doing for a role in 2020 Once you have done this map out ideal positions (and study if needed) to get you there

5 Direct marketingHas there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them You would be surprised about the amount of people who because they demonstrated a strong interest in the company got a position personally crafted for them even though there appeared to be no position available The other major benefit of this direct approach is that it means a manager does not have to pay a $15000 recruitment fee as you have come to them for free

6 Check in with your verbal refereesTime and time again a candidate has missed out on a dream job because their referees were too old or not overly positive During my HR and recruitment career I have contacted the referees of candidates I have been really interested in employing and got responses like Oh no is Steve looking for ANOTHER job or Sorry I dont remember a Mike Smith Are you sure he put me as a referee

Contact your referees ensure they are aware that you are back on the job hunt and ask them if they are happy to provide a verbal reference The five-minute call you make today may well be the difference between getting your next job in October or March

Has there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 035

Tom ONeil is a leading international author career specialist and MD of CVCONZ You can contact Tom via email tomcvconz

CVCONZ

7 Follow-upBecause of the nature of the recruitment process (especially executive search and selection) the hiring process can be extremely drawn out Make sure you keep in contact with the recruiterpotential employer on a regular basis Most candidates are not keen to do this as they feel its overly aggressive However as long as you are friendly and professional in your follow-up you should be remembered positively when the time for the final decision comes

8 Take time to tailor your CV cover letter and interview to the roleA vacant position is a major headache for a company especially if that position is at a senior or executive level Therefore its vital that you tailor your entire approach as a complete solution specifically for the opportunity In most job advertisements and position descriptions there is a section entitled Personal SpecificationsCharacteristicsCompetencies etc This section is the key to the role and is what you need to target

Read through the documentation and summarise what the ideal person would look like With your skills achievements qualifications and experiences how can you meet or exceed these requirements

Finally you want to ensure that the main aspects and keywords are mirrored in everything you send to the employer and in your answers during the interview The closer you meet their brief of the ideal candidate the higher the chance of you getting that job

9 Positive state of mindAs the job hunt progresses it can become a painful process However its vital to stay as positive as you can as employers can sense frustration anxiety and antagonism all the emotions they wont want in an employee Make sure you go into each situation with a positive outlook take the best from all situations and remember every challenge is an opportunity to grow and improve your skills bull

036 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

COMPETITION

BOOK GIVEAWAYWe have two copies of the brand new job search manual Youre Hired The Essential Guide to Job Hunting and Personal Branding by Tom ONeil to give away

The book provides up-to-the-minute practical detail to choose the social media strategy best suited to your

situation and ways to promote yourself

through online networks particularly

LinkedIn as well as the importance of

lsquoofflinersquo branding Also included are sections

on reacutesumeacutes and covering letters (with

access online to templates) interviewing

tips networking direct marketing salary

negotiation and career goal-setting making

this the essential job hunting guide

There has been a huge shift over the last

three decades in the way employment

recruitment takes place and the power of

the individual to take control of their job hunt

has improved massively according to career

specialist Tom OrsquoNeil

But the strength of your lsquobrandrsquo and your

ability to sell your skills and achievements

will dictate how successful you are in your

search In this compelling new guide Tom

provides job seekers with simple exercises

and guidance to identify personal attributes and key career highlights that will assist in marketing yourself to potential employers The advice holds equally well for consultants and contractors like real estate agents and insurance brokers looking to procure new business bull

paulnnzsalesmanagerconz Email Paul before 30th November to be in to win a copy We have two copies to giveawayPublished by New Holland Publishers

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 037

QUICKFIX

Honest Apologies

lsquoDue to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control we lthave let you downgthellipAnd end like this lsquoWe apologise for any

inconvenience this may have causedrsquo

As a customer I read this and think ndash well at least they have told me they have stuffed up but they obviously donrsquot want to tell me why because they think that will make them look even worse and their apology is so canned they donrsquot mean it anyway They donrsquot really care

QUICK FIX

To show you do really care and to build a relationship built on trust cut out the canned opening and closing lines that everyone uses and use real language

bull Tell it how you would say it - which is not the canned written way

bull Tell what did happen and what you learned that will improve customer service in the future

bull Show that you understand their business - you should know what inconvenience it has caused them so apologise specifically for this

Do this and your customers will be much more understanding bull

bull

So itrsquos all gone wrong and you have let your customer down Itrsquos time to write to them with an apology How many letters start like this

038 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Ive been reading and using pieces from NZ Sales Manager magazine since Jan 2011 It has helped me immensely in gaining trust and building sales teams It gives me motivation each month to try something new and see if I can mould it to suit our team Thank you for providing this sales tool - it really has been a great source of information and motivation

Shaun Matheson

It gives me great pleasure to acknowledge all the wonderful work done by the NZ Sales Manager Magazine and all the efforts put in by the editor Mr Paul Newsom

This magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning tool With a well laid out plan this magazine has given all sales professionals including myself a great platform to focus and learn from and thus being very successful in our sales efforts in a very demanding business environment

Congratulations for coming up to your 100th issue which is indeed a great milestone and I personally wish the magazine and all those who run it every success and keep up the great work

Best WishesIvo DrsquoSilva Sales amp Customer Service Manager

THANKYOUFROMOURREADERS

ldquoThis magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning toolrdquoRegional

Manager

at

EDL

Fasteners

Ltd

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 039

Congratulations on the 100th issue of NZ Sales Manager eMag You provide valuable tips on selling and sales management and your 100th issue is great proof that you share great ideas that your readers appreciate and find usefulGraham McGregor Marketing Advisor amp Journalist

A big congrats to NZ Sales Manager on the 100th issue Thanks for your wonderful insights challenging the norm and keeping us focused on doing our best We look forward to the next 100Paul Brophy Team Leader NZ at CXC Global

ldquoThanks for your

wonderful insights

challenging the norm

and keeping us focused

on doing our bestrdquo

Sales management everywhere should be reading the NZ Sales Manager Congrats on your 100th issueJill Konrath Author of Agile Selling SNAP Selling and Selling to Big Companies

What a wonderful milestone for such a useful and inspiring magazine Congratulations to you and all your hard workLinda Coles Online Marketing Expert

Great work and contribution to Sales Managers all across NZ Thank you Ambrose Blowfield Owner The Marketing Company

To the editors and team behind NZSM well done Many growing challenges in the sales arena at an accelerating pace of change and great you have contributed so much to the profession Stuart Edmunds Founder of New Zealand Institute of Sales bull

040 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

EVENTSCALENDAR

DATE NAME PLACE COMPANY27 November Sales Management Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

1 December Negotiation Skills Wellington IMNZ

1 December Sales Seminar Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

2 December Key Account Management Christchurch IMNZ

2 December Effective Sales Prospecting Auckland PD Training

8 December Sales Basics Auckland Geewiz

9 December Advanced Serious Selling Auckland Geewiz

11 December Sales Training Auckland PD Training

15 December Cold Calling and Prospecting Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

15 December Professional Telephone Skills Training

Auckland PD Training

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 041

THECLOSE

ldquoI never ran 1000 miles I could never

have done that I ran 1 mile 1000 timesrdquo

Subscribe at wwwnzsalesmanagerconz ITrsquoS FREE

Lucian Milasan Shutterstockcom

- Stu Mittleman

Page 16: NZ Sales Manager – Issue 100

016 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Indecent ProposalsPaul Newsom explains how being too eager to prepare sales proposals can lead to wasted time and lost sales opportunities

Proposals have a special place in the mind of many sales people They are one of the milestones of the sales process and are often the main weapon in the sales armoury They

are the lsquomeat of the dinnerrsquo Gaining the opportunity to submit a proposal is considered by many to be a major success Hours of writing and a few candles later a proposal is proudly submitted

Excitement anticipation and anxiety reaches fever pitch while we wait for the outcome to see whether the customer will choose the beef lamb or fish from our proposal

Then guess what the request comes back to quote a vegetarian option (because a competitor has suggested this) and back to work we go developing a winning proposal for the vegetarian On a bad day the customer goes for the pork and you miss out On a good day the customer dines with you

Rather than writing your proposal as soon as the client asks what is on the menu and then spending valuable time at the proposal end of the sales cycle the place to spend your time is doing a good diagnosis and selecting the optimal solution with the client

ISSUEONE

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 017

This is the lsquomeatrsquo of developing complex sales For example you must spend time understanding how and why beef is the best option then how the client likes their beef cooked

Donrsquot let proposals become a substitute for building trust or do the selling for you whereby you are over-reliant on the proposal to win the deal Such proposals are easy to pick - they are top heavy in lsquoabout usrsquo capability information that seldom gets read

Since customers donrsquot buy proposals (they buy solutions and value) instead build trust through the strength of your diagnosis and use the proposal to simply confirm all that you have agreed Your two-page proposal will then offer only the desired option and is far more likely to be accepted Done well this has far more impact than any hefty proposal both on your customer and your sales results and the long term relationship

In complex sales the proposal is not the meat it is the gravy It is the part which brings the meal together rather than the main part of the meal

Are You Sure You Know What Yoursquore ProposingOne of the biggest challenges of complex sales is working with customers and buyers who ask you to submit a proposal before you know what you are making a proposal for Responding to a request for a proposal so that the client can consider the possible options can be a tough one to deal with

In this situation we naturally want to seize the opportunity and get our proposal in early to make an impression We wonder what the competition is doing If we do not jump when asked to jump what will the customer think Will the competition have a head start on us Well they wonrsquot they will just be wasting their time guessing what the customer wants and hoping that something will get the interest of the buyer Just the same as you will be Sure you might get lucky once in a while but to succeed in complex sales requires much more than a game of chance and numbers

The consequence of over-reliance on the proposal to sell and submitting too early is that you consume vast amounts of your time and resources preparing a proposal of options most if not all of which never happen

The cost to your organisation can be huge I recall an extreme case for a multi-million dollar project where the senior buyer asked very early on for a proposal of all the possible options to consider

Well evaluating all possible options to be able to make a proposal for them would have taken months and cost $$$rsquos Instead the next few months were valuably spent jointly figuring out the viable options

018 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Paul Newsom is the editor of NZ Sales Manager

To be honest I find this

premature request happens

when buyers donrsquot know what

they are buying or donrsquot know

what the extent of the problem

is Repeated submissions follow

as the buyer progressively gets

a better understanding of what

they are doing As buyers donrsquot

we feel safer reading proposals

in comfort to try and figure it out

ourselves rather than risk being

sold the wrong thing

(Thatrsquos why we buy so much

over the Internet now ndash isnrsquot it)

It is self-defence from the buyer

and a symptom of decades

of poor seller and poor buyer

behaviour working in conflict

If you donrsquot know exactly what

you are proposing and why

then you must ask yourself also

whether the buyer knows what

they are trying to buy or even

how they will decide

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

There are two things you have to do when asked to submit a proposal prematurely gtYOU HAVE TO STAY YOUR GROUND Be firm and say

that in order to submit a proposal upon which they can make

an informed decision you both need to first understand This

requires discipline

Advise that you can only propose viable solutions that meet

all the criteria and at this stage the criteria are not defined

Otherwise you will be wasting your time and their time and

possibly put their business at risk

Plus how do you know if you have the resources to provide a

solution that will achieve the desired outcome You could be putting

your credibility and reputation at risk too

gtMAINTAIN THE SELF-ESTEEM OF THE BUYER You

donrsquot want to appear arrogant seemingly knowing better

It will damage the trust you have built Respect the wishes

of the client but suggest an alternative approach that

will ensure you are providing accurate information upon

which they can make the best possible buying decision

Submit a proposal without prior agreement of concept and we know

what happensndash the customer does nothing decides on price alone

or you submit repeated proposals until someone figures it outbull

If you donrsquot know exactly what you are proposing and why then you must ask yourself also whether the buyer knows what they are trying to buy or even how they will decide

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 019

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020 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Sales Opportunity Qualification is one of the most valuable skills

for a professional salesperson

to develop In this turbulent

recessionary climate it is very

tempting to chase down every

deal on the prospect list Even

the ones that you know in your

heart you have very little chance

of winning However this can

actually make matters worse by

diverting sales effort away from

the better deals and reducing

your chances of winning those

Stop for Red Flags

Words by Tony Hillyard

ISSUETWENTYNINE

Three critical areas you must explore to qualify leads

Too many salespeople chase large time-consuming deals that they have very little chance of winning We do this because in a tough sales environment it naturally makes us feel better to go after every deal we come across - even when we know we shouldnrsquot

This eats up productive selling time

Salespeople can also often lose deals without knowing why

In many cases it could be that they simply failed to ask one

straightforward question that would have flushed out an objection

or a problem that could have been handled quite easily

Using a Sales Opportunity Qualification Process will enable you

to get a good perspective on where you stand with any sales

opportunity but it is particularly important for your larger deals

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 021

You must address and resolve these three most important issues

before committing a lot of resource to a sales campaign

1 Is it real for us

Although there might be a genuine sales opportunity available

- it might not be available to you or your company for a variety

of reasons

2 Do we want to win itbull What is the risk involved

bull Will it take more work and effort than itrsquos worth

bull Can we adequately resource the sale

3 Can we win itbull Do we have the right solution

bull Do we have a good relationship with the customer

bull How strong is the competition

This Qualification Process will help you answer these questions

and tell you when you have what I call lsquoRed Flagrsquo issues to resolve

Sales Opportunity Qualification is a critical and unequivocal

process You must answer Yes Dont Knowrsquo or No with

complete honesty for all the questions in each section

IF YOU HAVE RED FLAG ISSUES THEN SALES ACTIVITY IS REQUIREDWherever you have answered

No or Dont Know to a question

you have uncovered a Red Flag

issue that could potentially stop

you from winning the sale You

need to stop and think about

what sales activities and sales

calls you must undertake to

get a Yes response to those

questions and get yourself

into a winning position

If there are too many Red Flag

issues you may decide that you

just wonrsquot have enough time to

resolve all of them before the

sale is due to close In those

circumstances you might

need to consider negotiating

for more time Or you may feel

that it is just not worth chasing

because it will involve more

effort than the sale is worth to

you If so you will have saved

yourself a lot of wasted time

that you can invest in finding

a better sales opportunity

022 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Here are the 27 critical qualification questions you must answer

IS IT REAL FOR US

The Decision to Change

- Do they have a compelling reason to change

- Is there Senior Executive support for the need to change

- Have they discounted a lsquodo nothingrsquo option

The Money

- Have they explained the cost justification for this project

- Do they have an approved budget for this project

- Are our costs within their budget

The Timeframe

- Have we agreed a decision process timeline with them

- Does the decision process timeline suit us

- Have they allocated enough time to evaluate our

proposal in detail

- Can we meet their delivery and

implementation timescales

The Commercial Reality

- Have they accepted our commercial terms and conditions

- Are we compliant with all of their mandatory requirements

- Do we have our companys approval to submit a

proposal or a quotation

DO WE WANT TO WIN ITThe Risk versus the Gain

- Is the value of the sale enough

for the effort involved

- Will implementation be

straightforward

- Can we adequately resource

the sales campaign

Salespeople can also often lose deals without knowing why In many cases it could be that

they simply failed to ask one straightforward question that would have

flushed out an objection or a problem that could have

been handled quite easily

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 023

CAN WE WIN IT The Solution

- Are any of our unique features and benefits in their

decision criteria

- Do the Key Influencers favour our solution

- Have we aligned our solution to their Key Business

Drivers and Critical Success Factors

- Are we proposing a low or reasonable risk solution

The Relationship

- Do we have a good relationship track record with them

- Do we have good access to the decision-makers

- Do we have a well-placed Coach

- Are we allowed to sell to all the Key Influencers

on this project

The Competition

- Do we know which of the competitors are favoured

by the customer

- Do we know the strengths and weaknesses

of the main competitors

- Do we know the sales strategies of the main competitors

There are three parts to the Sales

Opportunity Qualification Process

1 Gaining an accurate

perspective on a sales

opportunity by answering all

of the Qualification Questions

with complete honesty

2 Developing all of the sales

activities and sales calls

that are still necessary

to get you into a winning

position for the opportunity

3 Early identification and

elimination of the deals you

canrsquot win and the ones you

donrsquot want to win

Use this Qualifying Large

Sales Opportunities Process

to dramatically improve your

chances of winning the significant

sales opportunities on your

prospect list that you choose to

go after - and stop chasing the

ones you are unlikely to win or

donrsquot want to win bull

Tony Hillyard specialises in giving sales teams around the world smart solutions to help them win more business in difficult or very competitive markets Visit Tonyrsquos website here for more information copy The Sales Academy Ltd All Rights Reserved July 2009

wwwsalesacademynetnz

1

2

3

024 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Words by Bill James

ISSUEFORTYSEVEN

Maybe you are new at sales you topped the training class ndash but just cannot make the sales stick Or you could be a veteran of many sales conquests but more recently you

simply cannot get the deals across the line

Or perhaps you spent a small fortune acquiring a franchise and it looked great on paper You have big plans high hopes and you are putting in the hours to make it happen But somehow the results are not coming and the money is not flowing Whatrsquos wrong

Unfortunately the answer could be you

Especially for franchisees there are lots of promises about fantastic marketing packages and potential clients coming through the door but the simple truth is that you are now self-employed No more sick days No one else to delegate to It is you that has to make that sale and secure your own money

5 Tips for the Reluctant Salesperson

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 025

1So here are five tips that will help get you on track if you action them

Stop thinking of yourself as a lsquoSalesmanrsquo (Or Saleswoman)Think about it The word lsquosalesmanrsquo or saleswomanrsquo does not engender confidence and is not respected even by you

Ask yourself do you like being lsquosoldrsquo Guess what ndash your clients feel the same way

There is a huge amount of negative connotation around this wording and it brings up an image of someone you may not want to be From a small child there is every chance your parents told you that salespeople were pushy and not to be trusted and now you have to become one

This obviously causes a real internal conflict and is in my opinion the number one reason why you could find yourself sabotaging your own efforts Donrsquot believe me Ask yourself these questions

bull Do you approach every sales opportunity in the belief it will be a sale

bull Are you secretly dreading lsquothatrsquo question from your client - The one you find so hard to answer

bull Do you find lots of little jobs to do that keep you so busy that you have little time for new business calls

These issues are even more acute if yoursquore very technical in nature and you like performing the task but not producing the sale

Why not rename yourself so that yoursquore comfortable in saying that word when you represent yourself to a potential client What could you call yourself that sits comfortably with you

Remember your role is to help people make the right decision ndash it is not to sell them something

Ask yourself do you like being lsquosoldrsquo Guess what ndash your clients feel the same way Remember your role is to help people make the right decision ndash it is not to sell them something

026 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3

2 Be yourselfSo many people will put on a persona they think is needed to create a successful sales outcome This is simply not the case and could in fact be what is costing you business

When you went through all the psychological and personality testing (hopefully) when you applied for the job or franchise opportunity these assessments showed the real you and indicated that you should be successful in your business So why are you hiding this real you now

Clients look for faults and are suspicious when you knock on the door because you are promoting a product If they sense falseness about you it will raise their alarms and give them good reason not to buy from you Will your natural personality be what everyone is looking for every time Probably not You will get on with some people better than others

But the reality is especially if you are less experienced you were quite possibly never going to sell to those people anyway The ones that would be attracted to your natural personality will be put off by a fake overlay so stop doing it

The reality is that you could be a complete ratbag but people still buy from complete ratbags ndash as long as they are honest about being one Can you image your reaction to someone whorsquos obviously a ratbag but is pretending to be nice and you can see through it It would make you want to run in the opposite direction wouldnrsquot it

Show some passion for your subjectAgain we put on this persona of lsquoprofessionalismrsquo which means we deliver a very dry presentation What was the passion that got you involved in the first place If it was simply that you thought yoursquod make a lot of money you may possibly have made an error ndash thatrsquos called a job

Clients enjoy your enthusiasm and passion for your product It will take you through the tough times but yoursquoll also need to show it to your clients so they know that you are passionate about what you are doing

This isnrsquot easy in cultures where showing emotion is not the norm but the old saying lsquoenthusiasm sellsrsquo is as true now as it ever was

Let your passion and enthusiasm for your subject out and yoursquoll take your potential client along with you for the ride The big problem is that if you do not show some passion and hide in facts and figures your clients will allocate an emotion and a motivation to you What do you think the chances are that it will be a positive one

None

The reality is that you could be a complete ratbag but people still buy from complete ratbags ndash as long as they are honest about being one

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 027

4

Bill James is an internationally recognised sales speaker and trainer who specialises in referral and relationship marketing To find out more visit his website above

wwwBillJamesSpeakercom

Jargon kills salesOccasionally yoursquoll find someone whorsquos really caught up in the technical aspects of what you do But usually they are initially more interested in knowing you understand and care about their needs If you are technically orientated itrsquos easy to hide in the features of your product but this will stop you truly addressing the need of the client

Often most products appear to be very similar and have similar pricing and so the difference is your ability to uncover their real concerns and needs and address those In this way yoursquoll make a connection at a very personal level which is the key to gaining that commitment from your potential client

Loading them up with jargon will simply occupy their headspace and will actually be counterproductive Talking everyday language that your client can understand and addressing their real needs will result in you making real progress

Use a low logic approach with your potential clientlsquoLow logicrsquo is language that is simple to understand It is almost like approaching your client underneath the radar

Simply approach them in a very matter of fact way (with a certain amount of emotion) and give them the option to decline your services if they want In this way you donrsquot raise any alarm bells and make them feel trapped They are much more likely to come along for the ride this way

For example ldquoMr Prospect the simple reality is businesses like yours can use this product and it has X effect For you to be interested it obviously has to meet X Y Z needs and also fit within your budget and I have to be able to show you the real benefits of working with our company If I canrsquot then itrsquos only fair that I should head for the door But if I can make all that happen then your company is definitely at an advantage Irsquod like to simply sit down with you and run through these different ideas and see where we go from there is that fair enoughrdquo

So be yourself cut the jargon and let your passion for the product speak for itself Approach other people the way you like to be approached and you might well find that your sales increase hugelybull

5

028 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Winning Sales Presentations

ISSUESEVENTYTWO

Words by Debbie Mayo-Smith

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 029

Creating a great sales presentation isnrsquot very different to crafting a great speech You want to keep attention Motivate Convince Move to action Here is a formula that I follow (learnt from the

American maestro Patricia Fripp) that should help you to vastly improve your success when putting together and delivering a sales presentation

To whom are you speakingBe prepared before you go in and know as much about your audience as possible Age attitude industry and gender will all have a bearing on how you present your points Men and women have different senses of humour Younger audiences will be more impatient than older lsquoCrsquo level executives who donrsquot need the details Your presentation style and content must fit their perspective

You are not the heroWhat is the ratio of your PowerPoint slides (or written material) devoted to your company vs the potential client It stands to reason if you are invited to pitch you have already passed the preliminary vetting The convincing is done Wow them stand out from your competition by focusing on them - not stories of you your company achievements or accolades Do you like listening to egotistical sales people Share the glory with sales teams Ensure you put the prospective company in the limelight

I-You Ratio Likewise look through your sales presentations and count how many Irsquos wersquos and usrsquos you have Make certain your slides and stories are about them not you Change the perspective at every opportunity possible

Wrong ldquoOur company is number one in rdquo

Right ldquoYou benefit from our number one standing becauserdquo

Strong openingIf yoursquore pitching a $500000 contract and have only 10 minutes then starting with ldquogood morning ladies and gentlemen thank you for having us hererdquo just cost you over $8300 by wasting 10 seconds

Open differently and strongly Paint a picture Take them into the future Describe how theyrsquore benefiting from the clever decision they made years ago working with you Decision makers want to benefit the company they also want personally to be sure they are taking the right action So highlight how theyrsquoll be remembered for doing the right thing by using your company (donrsquot make it too much of a butter up though)

Answer questions up front What do they want to know from you How can you help them If yoursquore more expensive will take longer or are the underdog ndash do not ignore the fact Theyrsquore thinking it Come straight out early into the presentation with a lsquoI know what yoursquore thinkingrsquo statement then answer their objections

030 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

PremiseBuild the sales presentation around the structure of how they will benefit from what you are asking them to do ldquoYou will save $2 million dollars by using our softwarerdquo or ldquoYou will cut maintenance expenditure by 20 per centrdquo Phrase it so they say to themselves lsquohowrsquo You then answer in a logical and structured way

Points laid out logicallyYou can help them make $2million How You enumerate and discuss the points one by one with examples Point one is cutting costs Point two is increasing revenue Point three is boosting staff productivity Highlighting points by telling a story will work infinitely better for you than simply stating it or just saying why By the way you turn masterful in your sales presentation story telling skills when you give your stories flesh and blood characters and dialogue

Seamless transitionMoving from a main point (cutting costs) to the next (increasing revenue) should have a smooth flow instead of an abrupt change Carrying on our example you could transition by saying ldquolowering costs is only one side of the equation of boosting your profit Increasing sales in a challenging environment might not seem easy let me show you how we helprdquo That places you nicely into the segment on how you increase their revenues

QuestionsDonrsquot end with questions rather take them before you review at the end so you can close on a high note

ReviewIf possible use a story again ndash outlining a client that benefited in all the ways you highlight they will benefit

Repetitive reframes sound bite statementsYou can be sure theyrsquoll remember stories Hit home with better retention by giving them little sound bites and repeating them often

Strong CloseRefer back to your opening story or bring all the elements together describing how theyrsquoll benefit If you didnrsquot use thersquo looking into the futurersquo in your opening you can use it in the closing ldquoPicture yourself in two yearsrsquo time Itrsquos the gala dinner Award night Everyone is abuzz because of the success of the new software system you approved and installed the year before Five different staff have come to you throughout the evening ndash all award winners from their significant leap in productivityrdquo bull

Debbie Mayo-Smith is one of New Zealandrsquos most in-demand speakers trainers and bestselling authors Debbie works with companies that want more effective staff For more tips and business ideas sign up for her free monthly newsletter

wwwsuccessisconz

GOT A PRODUCT SERVICE OR BUSINESS WORTH TALKING ABOUT

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Get in touch with Jennifer now to discuss our options+64 9 522 7257 (NZT) | jenniferlespiremediacom | wwwespiremediacom

TALK TO ESPIRE MEDIA ABOUT OUR CONTENT MARKETING SERVICES We offer a range of ways to attract and retain customers by creating and curating relevant and valuable content to engage and add value to your audience

BENEFITSbull Expand your digital footprintbull Grow brand awarenessbull Increase traffic to your websitebull Thought leadershipbull Media exposurebull Attract new customersbull And grow SALES

Check out our blog for content marketing advice tips and ideas plus a free copy of our content marketing guide The Content Creation Cookbook

032 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Nine Steps to Supercharge Your Job Hunt

ISSUEEIGHTYFIVE

Tom ONeil shares some strategies to ensure you get a jump on your competition

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 033

1 Follow-up and use your personal networks Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is generally more trusted Therefore a person who is referred to an employer has a higher trust value and therefore a higher chance of getting employed This is especially true if there is not actually an official job vacancy and you are the only person being assessed for the role

Therefore its vital to get back in contact with your network with your good wishes as well as tell them you are now looking for new career opportunities

2 LinkedInGo through your LinkedIn profile with an objective eye making sure your profile sells you as much as possible Look at common keywords in the types of positions you are seeking and ensure these are included in your profile After you have done this ask a friend or two to have a look through as well to see if you have missed anything of importance

Check the number and quality of your recommendations on LinkedIn Social media author Linda Coles calls these your silent salespeople I recently was told a major international IT company would not select any senior level staff unless they had more than 20 recommendations I was chuffed when I read this as I am up to 45 however when I asked Linda I found that she has over 120 Therefore you can start to see the power these sound-bite type recommendations can have

Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from

word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is

generally more trusted Therefore a person who is

referred to an employer has a higher trust value and

therefore a higher chance of getting employed

034 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3 Go back over your successes in the past 12 monthsMost people tend to rush into the job hunting process only really thinking about their successes (and failures) when they are in the interview Were you awarded further authority in your role Did you exceed any sales or performance targets Did you train or mentor any new people All these things are important to an employer so make sure you take some time today to think about the positive things that shaped your career recently (and be sure to include them in your CV)

4 Plan your career not just your next jobRemember that each position is a stepping stone to the next so take some time out to think about what you want to be doing for a role in 2020 Once you have done this map out ideal positions (and study if needed) to get you there

5 Direct marketingHas there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them You would be surprised about the amount of people who because they demonstrated a strong interest in the company got a position personally crafted for them even though there appeared to be no position available The other major benefit of this direct approach is that it means a manager does not have to pay a $15000 recruitment fee as you have come to them for free

6 Check in with your verbal refereesTime and time again a candidate has missed out on a dream job because their referees were too old or not overly positive During my HR and recruitment career I have contacted the referees of candidates I have been really interested in employing and got responses like Oh no is Steve looking for ANOTHER job or Sorry I dont remember a Mike Smith Are you sure he put me as a referee

Contact your referees ensure they are aware that you are back on the job hunt and ask them if they are happy to provide a verbal reference The five-minute call you make today may well be the difference between getting your next job in October or March

Has there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 035

Tom ONeil is a leading international author career specialist and MD of CVCONZ You can contact Tom via email tomcvconz

CVCONZ

7 Follow-upBecause of the nature of the recruitment process (especially executive search and selection) the hiring process can be extremely drawn out Make sure you keep in contact with the recruiterpotential employer on a regular basis Most candidates are not keen to do this as they feel its overly aggressive However as long as you are friendly and professional in your follow-up you should be remembered positively when the time for the final decision comes

8 Take time to tailor your CV cover letter and interview to the roleA vacant position is a major headache for a company especially if that position is at a senior or executive level Therefore its vital that you tailor your entire approach as a complete solution specifically for the opportunity In most job advertisements and position descriptions there is a section entitled Personal SpecificationsCharacteristicsCompetencies etc This section is the key to the role and is what you need to target

Read through the documentation and summarise what the ideal person would look like With your skills achievements qualifications and experiences how can you meet or exceed these requirements

Finally you want to ensure that the main aspects and keywords are mirrored in everything you send to the employer and in your answers during the interview The closer you meet their brief of the ideal candidate the higher the chance of you getting that job

9 Positive state of mindAs the job hunt progresses it can become a painful process However its vital to stay as positive as you can as employers can sense frustration anxiety and antagonism all the emotions they wont want in an employee Make sure you go into each situation with a positive outlook take the best from all situations and remember every challenge is an opportunity to grow and improve your skills bull

036 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

COMPETITION

BOOK GIVEAWAYWe have two copies of the brand new job search manual Youre Hired The Essential Guide to Job Hunting and Personal Branding by Tom ONeil to give away

The book provides up-to-the-minute practical detail to choose the social media strategy best suited to your

situation and ways to promote yourself

through online networks particularly

LinkedIn as well as the importance of

lsquoofflinersquo branding Also included are sections

on reacutesumeacutes and covering letters (with

access online to templates) interviewing

tips networking direct marketing salary

negotiation and career goal-setting making

this the essential job hunting guide

There has been a huge shift over the last

three decades in the way employment

recruitment takes place and the power of

the individual to take control of their job hunt

has improved massively according to career

specialist Tom OrsquoNeil

But the strength of your lsquobrandrsquo and your

ability to sell your skills and achievements

will dictate how successful you are in your

search In this compelling new guide Tom

provides job seekers with simple exercises

and guidance to identify personal attributes and key career highlights that will assist in marketing yourself to potential employers The advice holds equally well for consultants and contractors like real estate agents and insurance brokers looking to procure new business bull

paulnnzsalesmanagerconz Email Paul before 30th November to be in to win a copy We have two copies to giveawayPublished by New Holland Publishers

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 037

QUICKFIX

Honest Apologies

lsquoDue to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control we lthave let you downgthellipAnd end like this lsquoWe apologise for any

inconvenience this may have causedrsquo

As a customer I read this and think ndash well at least they have told me they have stuffed up but they obviously donrsquot want to tell me why because they think that will make them look even worse and their apology is so canned they donrsquot mean it anyway They donrsquot really care

QUICK FIX

To show you do really care and to build a relationship built on trust cut out the canned opening and closing lines that everyone uses and use real language

bull Tell it how you would say it - which is not the canned written way

bull Tell what did happen and what you learned that will improve customer service in the future

bull Show that you understand their business - you should know what inconvenience it has caused them so apologise specifically for this

Do this and your customers will be much more understanding bull

bull

So itrsquos all gone wrong and you have let your customer down Itrsquos time to write to them with an apology How many letters start like this

038 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Ive been reading and using pieces from NZ Sales Manager magazine since Jan 2011 It has helped me immensely in gaining trust and building sales teams It gives me motivation each month to try something new and see if I can mould it to suit our team Thank you for providing this sales tool - it really has been a great source of information and motivation

Shaun Matheson

It gives me great pleasure to acknowledge all the wonderful work done by the NZ Sales Manager Magazine and all the efforts put in by the editor Mr Paul Newsom

This magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning tool With a well laid out plan this magazine has given all sales professionals including myself a great platform to focus and learn from and thus being very successful in our sales efforts in a very demanding business environment

Congratulations for coming up to your 100th issue which is indeed a great milestone and I personally wish the magazine and all those who run it every success and keep up the great work

Best WishesIvo DrsquoSilva Sales amp Customer Service Manager

THANKYOUFROMOURREADERS

ldquoThis magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning toolrdquoRegional

Manager

at

EDL

Fasteners

Ltd

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 039

Congratulations on the 100th issue of NZ Sales Manager eMag You provide valuable tips on selling and sales management and your 100th issue is great proof that you share great ideas that your readers appreciate and find usefulGraham McGregor Marketing Advisor amp Journalist

A big congrats to NZ Sales Manager on the 100th issue Thanks for your wonderful insights challenging the norm and keeping us focused on doing our best We look forward to the next 100Paul Brophy Team Leader NZ at CXC Global

ldquoThanks for your

wonderful insights

challenging the norm

and keeping us focused

on doing our bestrdquo

Sales management everywhere should be reading the NZ Sales Manager Congrats on your 100th issueJill Konrath Author of Agile Selling SNAP Selling and Selling to Big Companies

What a wonderful milestone for such a useful and inspiring magazine Congratulations to you and all your hard workLinda Coles Online Marketing Expert

Great work and contribution to Sales Managers all across NZ Thank you Ambrose Blowfield Owner The Marketing Company

To the editors and team behind NZSM well done Many growing challenges in the sales arena at an accelerating pace of change and great you have contributed so much to the profession Stuart Edmunds Founder of New Zealand Institute of Sales bull

040 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

EVENTSCALENDAR

DATE NAME PLACE COMPANY27 November Sales Management Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

1 December Negotiation Skills Wellington IMNZ

1 December Sales Seminar Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

2 December Key Account Management Christchurch IMNZ

2 December Effective Sales Prospecting Auckland PD Training

8 December Sales Basics Auckland Geewiz

9 December Advanced Serious Selling Auckland Geewiz

11 December Sales Training Auckland PD Training

15 December Cold Calling and Prospecting Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

15 December Professional Telephone Skills Training

Auckland PD Training

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 041

THECLOSE

ldquoI never ran 1000 miles I could never

have done that I ran 1 mile 1000 timesrdquo

Subscribe at wwwnzsalesmanagerconz ITrsquoS FREE

Lucian Milasan Shutterstockcom

- Stu Mittleman

Page 17: NZ Sales Manager – Issue 100

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 017

This is the lsquomeatrsquo of developing complex sales For example you must spend time understanding how and why beef is the best option then how the client likes their beef cooked

Donrsquot let proposals become a substitute for building trust or do the selling for you whereby you are over-reliant on the proposal to win the deal Such proposals are easy to pick - they are top heavy in lsquoabout usrsquo capability information that seldom gets read

Since customers donrsquot buy proposals (they buy solutions and value) instead build trust through the strength of your diagnosis and use the proposal to simply confirm all that you have agreed Your two-page proposal will then offer only the desired option and is far more likely to be accepted Done well this has far more impact than any hefty proposal both on your customer and your sales results and the long term relationship

In complex sales the proposal is not the meat it is the gravy It is the part which brings the meal together rather than the main part of the meal

Are You Sure You Know What Yoursquore ProposingOne of the biggest challenges of complex sales is working with customers and buyers who ask you to submit a proposal before you know what you are making a proposal for Responding to a request for a proposal so that the client can consider the possible options can be a tough one to deal with

In this situation we naturally want to seize the opportunity and get our proposal in early to make an impression We wonder what the competition is doing If we do not jump when asked to jump what will the customer think Will the competition have a head start on us Well they wonrsquot they will just be wasting their time guessing what the customer wants and hoping that something will get the interest of the buyer Just the same as you will be Sure you might get lucky once in a while but to succeed in complex sales requires much more than a game of chance and numbers

The consequence of over-reliance on the proposal to sell and submitting too early is that you consume vast amounts of your time and resources preparing a proposal of options most if not all of which never happen

The cost to your organisation can be huge I recall an extreme case for a multi-million dollar project where the senior buyer asked very early on for a proposal of all the possible options to consider

Well evaluating all possible options to be able to make a proposal for them would have taken months and cost $$$rsquos Instead the next few months were valuably spent jointly figuring out the viable options

018 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Paul Newsom is the editor of NZ Sales Manager

To be honest I find this

premature request happens

when buyers donrsquot know what

they are buying or donrsquot know

what the extent of the problem

is Repeated submissions follow

as the buyer progressively gets

a better understanding of what

they are doing As buyers donrsquot

we feel safer reading proposals

in comfort to try and figure it out

ourselves rather than risk being

sold the wrong thing

(Thatrsquos why we buy so much

over the Internet now ndash isnrsquot it)

It is self-defence from the buyer

and a symptom of decades

of poor seller and poor buyer

behaviour working in conflict

If you donrsquot know exactly what

you are proposing and why

then you must ask yourself also

whether the buyer knows what

they are trying to buy or even

how they will decide

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

There are two things you have to do when asked to submit a proposal prematurely gtYOU HAVE TO STAY YOUR GROUND Be firm and say

that in order to submit a proposal upon which they can make

an informed decision you both need to first understand This

requires discipline

Advise that you can only propose viable solutions that meet

all the criteria and at this stage the criteria are not defined

Otherwise you will be wasting your time and their time and

possibly put their business at risk

Plus how do you know if you have the resources to provide a

solution that will achieve the desired outcome You could be putting

your credibility and reputation at risk too

gtMAINTAIN THE SELF-ESTEEM OF THE BUYER You

donrsquot want to appear arrogant seemingly knowing better

It will damage the trust you have built Respect the wishes

of the client but suggest an alternative approach that

will ensure you are providing accurate information upon

which they can make the best possible buying decision

Submit a proposal without prior agreement of concept and we know

what happensndash the customer does nothing decides on price alone

or you submit repeated proposals until someone figures it outbull

If you donrsquot know exactly what you are proposing and why then you must ask yourself also whether the buyer knows what they are trying to buy or even how they will decide

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 019

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020 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Sales Opportunity Qualification is one of the most valuable skills

for a professional salesperson

to develop In this turbulent

recessionary climate it is very

tempting to chase down every

deal on the prospect list Even

the ones that you know in your

heart you have very little chance

of winning However this can

actually make matters worse by

diverting sales effort away from

the better deals and reducing

your chances of winning those

Stop for Red Flags

Words by Tony Hillyard

ISSUETWENTYNINE

Three critical areas you must explore to qualify leads

Too many salespeople chase large time-consuming deals that they have very little chance of winning We do this because in a tough sales environment it naturally makes us feel better to go after every deal we come across - even when we know we shouldnrsquot

This eats up productive selling time

Salespeople can also often lose deals without knowing why

In many cases it could be that they simply failed to ask one

straightforward question that would have flushed out an objection

or a problem that could have been handled quite easily

Using a Sales Opportunity Qualification Process will enable you

to get a good perspective on where you stand with any sales

opportunity but it is particularly important for your larger deals

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 021

You must address and resolve these three most important issues

before committing a lot of resource to a sales campaign

1 Is it real for us

Although there might be a genuine sales opportunity available

- it might not be available to you or your company for a variety

of reasons

2 Do we want to win itbull What is the risk involved

bull Will it take more work and effort than itrsquos worth

bull Can we adequately resource the sale

3 Can we win itbull Do we have the right solution

bull Do we have a good relationship with the customer

bull How strong is the competition

This Qualification Process will help you answer these questions

and tell you when you have what I call lsquoRed Flagrsquo issues to resolve

Sales Opportunity Qualification is a critical and unequivocal

process You must answer Yes Dont Knowrsquo or No with

complete honesty for all the questions in each section

IF YOU HAVE RED FLAG ISSUES THEN SALES ACTIVITY IS REQUIREDWherever you have answered

No or Dont Know to a question

you have uncovered a Red Flag

issue that could potentially stop

you from winning the sale You

need to stop and think about

what sales activities and sales

calls you must undertake to

get a Yes response to those

questions and get yourself

into a winning position

If there are too many Red Flag

issues you may decide that you

just wonrsquot have enough time to

resolve all of them before the

sale is due to close In those

circumstances you might

need to consider negotiating

for more time Or you may feel

that it is just not worth chasing

because it will involve more

effort than the sale is worth to

you If so you will have saved

yourself a lot of wasted time

that you can invest in finding

a better sales opportunity

022 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Here are the 27 critical qualification questions you must answer

IS IT REAL FOR US

The Decision to Change

- Do they have a compelling reason to change

- Is there Senior Executive support for the need to change

- Have they discounted a lsquodo nothingrsquo option

The Money

- Have they explained the cost justification for this project

- Do they have an approved budget for this project

- Are our costs within their budget

The Timeframe

- Have we agreed a decision process timeline with them

- Does the decision process timeline suit us

- Have they allocated enough time to evaluate our

proposal in detail

- Can we meet their delivery and

implementation timescales

The Commercial Reality

- Have they accepted our commercial terms and conditions

- Are we compliant with all of their mandatory requirements

- Do we have our companys approval to submit a

proposal or a quotation

DO WE WANT TO WIN ITThe Risk versus the Gain

- Is the value of the sale enough

for the effort involved

- Will implementation be

straightforward

- Can we adequately resource

the sales campaign

Salespeople can also often lose deals without knowing why In many cases it could be that

they simply failed to ask one straightforward question that would have

flushed out an objection or a problem that could have

been handled quite easily

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 023

CAN WE WIN IT The Solution

- Are any of our unique features and benefits in their

decision criteria

- Do the Key Influencers favour our solution

- Have we aligned our solution to their Key Business

Drivers and Critical Success Factors

- Are we proposing a low or reasonable risk solution

The Relationship

- Do we have a good relationship track record with them

- Do we have good access to the decision-makers

- Do we have a well-placed Coach

- Are we allowed to sell to all the Key Influencers

on this project

The Competition

- Do we know which of the competitors are favoured

by the customer

- Do we know the strengths and weaknesses

of the main competitors

- Do we know the sales strategies of the main competitors

There are three parts to the Sales

Opportunity Qualification Process

1 Gaining an accurate

perspective on a sales

opportunity by answering all

of the Qualification Questions

with complete honesty

2 Developing all of the sales

activities and sales calls

that are still necessary

to get you into a winning

position for the opportunity

3 Early identification and

elimination of the deals you

canrsquot win and the ones you

donrsquot want to win

Use this Qualifying Large

Sales Opportunities Process

to dramatically improve your

chances of winning the significant

sales opportunities on your

prospect list that you choose to

go after - and stop chasing the

ones you are unlikely to win or

donrsquot want to win bull

Tony Hillyard specialises in giving sales teams around the world smart solutions to help them win more business in difficult or very competitive markets Visit Tonyrsquos website here for more information copy The Sales Academy Ltd All Rights Reserved July 2009

wwwsalesacademynetnz

1

2

3

024 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Words by Bill James

ISSUEFORTYSEVEN

Maybe you are new at sales you topped the training class ndash but just cannot make the sales stick Or you could be a veteran of many sales conquests but more recently you

simply cannot get the deals across the line

Or perhaps you spent a small fortune acquiring a franchise and it looked great on paper You have big plans high hopes and you are putting in the hours to make it happen But somehow the results are not coming and the money is not flowing Whatrsquos wrong

Unfortunately the answer could be you

Especially for franchisees there are lots of promises about fantastic marketing packages and potential clients coming through the door but the simple truth is that you are now self-employed No more sick days No one else to delegate to It is you that has to make that sale and secure your own money

5 Tips for the Reluctant Salesperson

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 025

1So here are five tips that will help get you on track if you action them

Stop thinking of yourself as a lsquoSalesmanrsquo (Or Saleswoman)Think about it The word lsquosalesmanrsquo or saleswomanrsquo does not engender confidence and is not respected even by you

Ask yourself do you like being lsquosoldrsquo Guess what ndash your clients feel the same way

There is a huge amount of negative connotation around this wording and it brings up an image of someone you may not want to be From a small child there is every chance your parents told you that salespeople were pushy and not to be trusted and now you have to become one

This obviously causes a real internal conflict and is in my opinion the number one reason why you could find yourself sabotaging your own efforts Donrsquot believe me Ask yourself these questions

bull Do you approach every sales opportunity in the belief it will be a sale

bull Are you secretly dreading lsquothatrsquo question from your client - The one you find so hard to answer

bull Do you find lots of little jobs to do that keep you so busy that you have little time for new business calls

These issues are even more acute if yoursquore very technical in nature and you like performing the task but not producing the sale

Why not rename yourself so that yoursquore comfortable in saying that word when you represent yourself to a potential client What could you call yourself that sits comfortably with you

Remember your role is to help people make the right decision ndash it is not to sell them something

Ask yourself do you like being lsquosoldrsquo Guess what ndash your clients feel the same way Remember your role is to help people make the right decision ndash it is not to sell them something

026 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3

2 Be yourselfSo many people will put on a persona they think is needed to create a successful sales outcome This is simply not the case and could in fact be what is costing you business

When you went through all the psychological and personality testing (hopefully) when you applied for the job or franchise opportunity these assessments showed the real you and indicated that you should be successful in your business So why are you hiding this real you now

Clients look for faults and are suspicious when you knock on the door because you are promoting a product If they sense falseness about you it will raise their alarms and give them good reason not to buy from you Will your natural personality be what everyone is looking for every time Probably not You will get on with some people better than others

But the reality is especially if you are less experienced you were quite possibly never going to sell to those people anyway The ones that would be attracted to your natural personality will be put off by a fake overlay so stop doing it

The reality is that you could be a complete ratbag but people still buy from complete ratbags ndash as long as they are honest about being one Can you image your reaction to someone whorsquos obviously a ratbag but is pretending to be nice and you can see through it It would make you want to run in the opposite direction wouldnrsquot it

Show some passion for your subjectAgain we put on this persona of lsquoprofessionalismrsquo which means we deliver a very dry presentation What was the passion that got you involved in the first place If it was simply that you thought yoursquod make a lot of money you may possibly have made an error ndash thatrsquos called a job

Clients enjoy your enthusiasm and passion for your product It will take you through the tough times but yoursquoll also need to show it to your clients so they know that you are passionate about what you are doing

This isnrsquot easy in cultures where showing emotion is not the norm but the old saying lsquoenthusiasm sellsrsquo is as true now as it ever was

Let your passion and enthusiasm for your subject out and yoursquoll take your potential client along with you for the ride The big problem is that if you do not show some passion and hide in facts and figures your clients will allocate an emotion and a motivation to you What do you think the chances are that it will be a positive one

None

The reality is that you could be a complete ratbag but people still buy from complete ratbags ndash as long as they are honest about being one

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 027

4

Bill James is an internationally recognised sales speaker and trainer who specialises in referral and relationship marketing To find out more visit his website above

wwwBillJamesSpeakercom

Jargon kills salesOccasionally yoursquoll find someone whorsquos really caught up in the technical aspects of what you do But usually they are initially more interested in knowing you understand and care about their needs If you are technically orientated itrsquos easy to hide in the features of your product but this will stop you truly addressing the need of the client

Often most products appear to be very similar and have similar pricing and so the difference is your ability to uncover their real concerns and needs and address those In this way yoursquoll make a connection at a very personal level which is the key to gaining that commitment from your potential client

Loading them up with jargon will simply occupy their headspace and will actually be counterproductive Talking everyday language that your client can understand and addressing their real needs will result in you making real progress

Use a low logic approach with your potential clientlsquoLow logicrsquo is language that is simple to understand It is almost like approaching your client underneath the radar

Simply approach them in a very matter of fact way (with a certain amount of emotion) and give them the option to decline your services if they want In this way you donrsquot raise any alarm bells and make them feel trapped They are much more likely to come along for the ride this way

For example ldquoMr Prospect the simple reality is businesses like yours can use this product and it has X effect For you to be interested it obviously has to meet X Y Z needs and also fit within your budget and I have to be able to show you the real benefits of working with our company If I canrsquot then itrsquos only fair that I should head for the door But if I can make all that happen then your company is definitely at an advantage Irsquod like to simply sit down with you and run through these different ideas and see where we go from there is that fair enoughrdquo

So be yourself cut the jargon and let your passion for the product speak for itself Approach other people the way you like to be approached and you might well find that your sales increase hugelybull

5

028 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Winning Sales Presentations

ISSUESEVENTYTWO

Words by Debbie Mayo-Smith

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 029

Creating a great sales presentation isnrsquot very different to crafting a great speech You want to keep attention Motivate Convince Move to action Here is a formula that I follow (learnt from the

American maestro Patricia Fripp) that should help you to vastly improve your success when putting together and delivering a sales presentation

To whom are you speakingBe prepared before you go in and know as much about your audience as possible Age attitude industry and gender will all have a bearing on how you present your points Men and women have different senses of humour Younger audiences will be more impatient than older lsquoCrsquo level executives who donrsquot need the details Your presentation style and content must fit their perspective

You are not the heroWhat is the ratio of your PowerPoint slides (or written material) devoted to your company vs the potential client It stands to reason if you are invited to pitch you have already passed the preliminary vetting The convincing is done Wow them stand out from your competition by focusing on them - not stories of you your company achievements or accolades Do you like listening to egotistical sales people Share the glory with sales teams Ensure you put the prospective company in the limelight

I-You Ratio Likewise look through your sales presentations and count how many Irsquos wersquos and usrsquos you have Make certain your slides and stories are about them not you Change the perspective at every opportunity possible

Wrong ldquoOur company is number one in rdquo

Right ldquoYou benefit from our number one standing becauserdquo

Strong openingIf yoursquore pitching a $500000 contract and have only 10 minutes then starting with ldquogood morning ladies and gentlemen thank you for having us hererdquo just cost you over $8300 by wasting 10 seconds

Open differently and strongly Paint a picture Take them into the future Describe how theyrsquore benefiting from the clever decision they made years ago working with you Decision makers want to benefit the company they also want personally to be sure they are taking the right action So highlight how theyrsquoll be remembered for doing the right thing by using your company (donrsquot make it too much of a butter up though)

Answer questions up front What do they want to know from you How can you help them If yoursquore more expensive will take longer or are the underdog ndash do not ignore the fact Theyrsquore thinking it Come straight out early into the presentation with a lsquoI know what yoursquore thinkingrsquo statement then answer their objections

030 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

PremiseBuild the sales presentation around the structure of how they will benefit from what you are asking them to do ldquoYou will save $2 million dollars by using our softwarerdquo or ldquoYou will cut maintenance expenditure by 20 per centrdquo Phrase it so they say to themselves lsquohowrsquo You then answer in a logical and structured way

Points laid out logicallyYou can help them make $2million How You enumerate and discuss the points one by one with examples Point one is cutting costs Point two is increasing revenue Point three is boosting staff productivity Highlighting points by telling a story will work infinitely better for you than simply stating it or just saying why By the way you turn masterful in your sales presentation story telling skills when you give your stories flesh and blood characters and dialogue

Seamless transitionMoving from a main point (cutting costs) to the next (increasing revenue) should have a smooth flow instead of an abrupt change Carrying on our example you could transition by saying ldquolowering costs is only one side of the equation of boosting your profit Increasing sales in a challenging environment might not seem easy let me show you how we helprdquo That places you nicely into the segment on how you increase their revenues

QuestionsDonrsquot end with questions rather take them before you review at the end so you can close on a high note

ReviewIf possible use a story again ndash outlining a client that benefited in all the ways you highlight they will benefit

Repetitive reframes sound bite statementsYou can be sure theyrsquoll remember stories Hit home with better retention by giving them little sound bites and repeating them often

Strong CloseRefer back to your opening story or bring all the elements together describing how theyrsquoll benefit If you didnrsquot use thersquo looking into the futurersquo in your opening you can use it in the closing ldquoPicture yourself in two yearsrsquo time Itrsquos the gala dinner Award night Everyone is abuzz because of the success of the new software system you approved and installed the year before Five different staff have come to you throughout the evening ndash all award winners from their significant leap in productivityrdquo bull

Debbie Mayo-Smith is one of New Zealandrsquos most in-demand speakers trainers and bestselling authors Debbie works with companies that want more effective staff For more tips and business ideas sign up for her free monthly newsletter

wwwsuccessisconz

GOT A PRODUCT SERVICE OR BUSINESS WORTH TALKING ABOUT

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Get in touch with Jennifer now to discuss our options+64 9 522 7257 (NZT) | jenniferlespiremediacom | wwwespiremediacom

TALK TO ESPIRE MEDIA ABOUT OUR CONTENT MARKETING SERVICES We offer a range of ways to attract and retain customers by creating and curating relevant and valuable content to engage and add value to your audience

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Check out our blog for content marketing advice tips and ideas plus a free copy of our content marketing guide The Content Creation Cookbook

032 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Nine Steps to Supercharge Your Job Hunt

ISSUEEIGHTYFIVE

Tom ONeil shares some strategies to ensure you get a jump on your competition

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 033

1 Follow-up and use your personal networks Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is generally more trusted Therefore a person who is referred to an employer has a higher trust value and therefore a higher chance of getting employed This is especially true if there is not actually an official job vacancy and you are the only person being assessed for the role

Therefore its vital to get back in contact with your network with your good wishes as well as tell them you are now looking for new career opportunities

2 LinkedInGo through your LinkedIn profile with an objective eye making sure your profile sells you as much as possible Look at common keywords in the types of positions you are seeking and ensure these are included in your profile After you have done this ask a friend or two to have a look through as well to see if you have missed anything of importance

Check the number and quality of your recommendations on LinkedIn Social media author Linda Coles calls these your silent salespeople I recently was told a major international IT company would not select any senior level staff unless they had more than 20 recommendations I was chuffed when I read this as I am up to 45 however when I asked Linda I found that she has over 120 Therefore you can start to see the power these sound-bite type recommendations can have

Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from

word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is

generally more trusted Therefore a person who is

referred to an employer has a higher trust value and

therefore a higher chance of getting employed

034 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3 Go back over your successes in the past 12 monthsMost people tend to rush into the job hunting process only really thinking about their successes (and failures) when they are in the interview Were you awarded further authority in your role Did you exceed any sales or performance targets Did you train or mentor any new people All these things are important to an employer so make sure you take some time today to think about the positive things that shaped your career recently (and be sure to include them in your CV)

4 Plan your career not just your next jobRemember that each position is a stepping stone to the next so take some time out to think about what you want to be doing for a role in 2020 Once you have done this map out ideal positions (and study if needed) to get you there

5 Direct marketingHas there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them You would be surprised about the amount of people who because they demonstrated a strong interest in the company got a position personally crafted for them even though there appeared to be no position available The other major benefit of this direct approach is that it means a manager does not have to pay a $15000 recruitment fee as you have come to them for free

6 Check in with your verbal refereesTime and time again a candidate has missed out on a dream job because their referees were too old or not overly positive During my HR and recruitment career I have contacted the referees of candidates I have been really interested in employing and got responses like Oh no is Steve looking for ANOTHER job or Sorry I dont remember a Mike Smith Are you sure he put me as a referee

Contact your referees ensure they are aware that you are back on the job hunt and ask them if they are happy to provide a verbal reference The five-minute call you make today may well be the difference between getting your next job in October or March

Has there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 035

Tom ONeil is a leading international author career specialist and MD of CVCONZ You can contact Tom via email tomcvconz

CVCONZ

7 Follow-upBecause of the nature of the recruitment process (especially executive search and selection) the hiring process can be extremely drawn out Make sure you keep in contact with the recruiterpotential employer on a regular basis Most candidates are not keen to do this as they feel its overly aggressive However as long as you are friendly and professional in your follow-up you should be remembered positively when the time for the final decision comes

8 Take time to tailor your CV cover letter and interview to the roleA vacant position is a major headache for a company especially if that position is at a senior or executive level Therefore its vital that you tailor your entire approach as a complete solution specifically for the opportunity In most job advertisements and position descriptions there is a section entitled Personal SpecificationsCharacteristicsCompetencies etc This section is the key to the role and is what you need to target

Read through the documentation and summarise what the ideal person would look like With your skills achievements qualifications and experiences how can you meet or exceed these requirements

Finally you want to ensure that the main aspects and keywords are mirrored in everything you send to the employer and in your answers during the interview The closer you meet their brief of the ideal candidate the higher the chance of you getting that job

9 Positive state of mindAs the job hunt progresses it can become a painful process However its vital to stay as positive as you can as employers can sense frustration anxiety and antagonism all the emotions they wont want in an employee Make sure you go into each situation with a positive outlook take the best from all situations and remember every challenge is an opportunity to grow and improve your skills bull

036 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

COMPETITION

BOOK GIVEAWAYWe have two copies of the brand new job search manual Youre Hired The Essential Guide to Job Hunting and Personal Branding by Tom ONeil to give away

The book provides up-to-the-minute practical detail to choose the social media strategy best suited to your

situation and ways to promote yourself

through online networks particularly

LinkedIn as well as the importance of

lsquoofflinersquo branding Also included are sections

on reacutesumeacutes and covering letters (with

access online to templates) interviewing

tips networking direct marketing salary

negotiation and career goal-setting making

this the essential job hunting guide

There has been a huge shift over the last

three decades in the way employment

recruitment takes place and the power of

the individual to take control of their job hunt

has improved massively according to career

specialist Tom OrsquoNeil

But the strength of your lsquobrandrsquo and your

ability to sell your skills and achievements

will dictate how successful you are in your

search In this compelling new guide Tom

provides job seekers with simple exercises

and guidance to identify personal attributes and key career highlights that will assist in marketing yourself to potential employers The advice holds equally well for consultants and contractors like real estate agents and insurance brokers looking to procure new business bull

paulnnzsalesmanagerconz Email Paul before 30th November to be in to win a copy We have two copies to giveawayPublished by New Holland Publishers

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 037

QUICKFIX

Honest Apologies

lsquoDue to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control we lthave let you downgthellipAnd end like this lsquoWe apologise for any

inconvenience this may have causedrsquo

As a customer I read this and think ndash well at least they have told me they have stuffed up but they obviously donrsquot want to tell me why because they think that will make them look even worse and their apology is so canned they donrsquot mean it anyway They donrsquot really care

QUICK FIX

To show you do really care and to build a relationship built on trust cut out the canned opening and closing lines that everyone uses and use real language

bull Tell it how you would say it - which is not the canned written way

bull Tell what did happen and what you learned that will improve customer service in the future

bull Show that you understand their business - you should know what inconvenience it has caused them so apologise specifically for this

Do this and your customers will be much more understanding bull

bull

So itrsquos all gone wrong and you have let your customer down Itrsquos time to write to them with an apology How many letters start like this

038 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Ive been reading and using pieces from NZ Sales Manager magazine since Jan 2011 It has helped me immensely in gaining trust and building sales teams It gives me motivation each month to try something new and see if I can mould it to suit our team Thank you for providing this sales tool - it really has been a great source of information and motivation

Shaun Matheson

It gives me great pleasure to acknowledge all the wonderful work done by the NZ Sales Manager Magazine and all the efforts put in by the editor Mr Paul Newsom

This magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning tool With a well laid out plan this magazine has given all sales professionals including myself a great platform to focus and learn from and thus being very successful in our sales efforts in a very demanding business environment

Congratulations for coming up to your 100th issue which is indeed a great milestone and I personally wish the magazine and all those who run it every success and keep up the great work

Best WishesIvo DrsquoSilva Sales amp Customer Service Manager

THANKYOUFROMOURREADERS

ldquoThis magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning toolrdquoRegional

Manager

at

EDL

Fasteners

Ltd

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 039

Congratulations on the 100th issue of NZ Sales Manager eMag You provide valuable tips on selling and sales management and your 100th issue is great proof that you share great ideas that your readers appreciate and find usefulGraham McGregor Marketing Advisor amp Journalist

A big congrats to NZ Sales Manager on the 100th issue Thanks for your wonderful insights challenging the norm and keeping us focused on doing our best We look forward to the next 100Paul Brophy Team Leader NZ at CXC Global

ldquoThanks for your

wonderful insights

challenging the norm

and keeping us focused

on doing our bestrdquo

Sales management everywhere should be reading the NZ Sales Manager Congrats on your 100th issueJill Konrath Author of Agile Selling SNAP Selling and Selling to Big Companies

What a wonderful milestone for such a useful and inspiring magazine Congratulations to you and all your hard workLinda Coles Online Marketing Expert

Great work and contribution to Sales Managers all across NZ Thank you Ambrose Blowfield Owner The Marketing Company

To the editors and team behind NZSM well done Many growing challenges in the sales arena at an accelerating pace of change and great you have contributed so much to the profession Stuart Edmunds Founder of New Zealand Institute of Sales bull

040 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

EVENTSCALENDAR

DATE NAME PLACE COMPANY27 November Sales Management Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

1 December Negotiation Skills Wellington IMNZ

1 December Sales Seminar Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

2 December Key Account Management Christchurch IMNZ

2 December Effective Sales Prospecting Auckland PD Training

8 December Sales Basics Auckland Geewiz

9 December Advanced Serious Selling Auckland Geewiz

11 December Sales Training Auckland PD Training

15 December Cold Calling and Prospecting Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

15 December Professional Telephone Skills Training

Auckland PD Training

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 041

THECLOSE

ldquoI never ran 1000 miles I could never

have done that I ran 1 mile 1000 timesrdquo

Subscribe at wwwnzsalesmanagerconz ITrsquoS FREE

Lucian Milasan Shutterstockcom

- Stu Mittleman

Page 18: NZ Sales Manager – Issue 100

018 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Paul Newsom is the editor of NZ Sales Manager

To be honest I find this

premature request happens

when buyers donrsquot know what

they are buying or donrsquot know

what the extent of the problem

is Repeated submissions follow

as the buyer progressively gets

a better understanding of what

they are doing As buyers donrsquot

we feel safer reading proposals

in comfort to try and figure it out

ourselves rather than risk being

sold the wrong thing

(Thatrsquos why we buy so much

over the Internet now ndash isnrsquot it)

It is self-defence from the buyer

and a symptom of decades

of poor seller and poor buyer

behaviour working in conflict

If you donrsquot know exactly what

you are proposing and why

then you must ask yourself also

whether the buyer knows what

they are trying to buy or even

how they will decide

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

There are two things you have to do when asked to submit a proposal prematurely gtYOU HAVE TO STAY YOUR GROUND Be firm and say

that in order to submit a proposal upon which they can make

an informed decision you both need to first understand This

requires discipline

Advise that you can only propose viable solutions that meet

all the criteria and at this stage the criteria are not defined

Otherwise you will be wasting your time and their time and

possibly put their business at risk

Plus how do you know if you have the resources to provide a

solution that will achieve the desired outcome You could be putting

your credibility and reputation at risk too

gtMAINTAIN THE SELF-ESTEEM OF THE BUYER You

donrsquot want to appear arrogant seemingly knowing better

It will damage the trust you have built Respect the wishes

of the client but suggest an alternative approach that

will ensure you are providing accurate information upon

which they can make the best possible buying decision

Submit a proposal without prior agreement of concept and we know

what happensndash the customer does nothing decides on price alone

or you submit repeated proposals until someone figures it outbull

If you donrsquot know exactly what you are proposing and why then you must ask yourself also whether the buyer knows what they are trying to buy or even how they will decide

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 019

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020 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Sales Opportunity Qualification is one of the most valuable skills

for a professional salesperson

to develop In this turbulent

recessionary climate it is very

tempting to chase down every

deal on the prospect list Even

the ones that you know in your

heart you have very little chance

of winning However this can

actually make matters worse by

diverting sales effort away from

the better deals and reducing

your chances of winning those

Stop for Red Flags

Words by Tony Hillyard

ISSUETWENTYNINE

Three critical areas you must explore to qualify leads

Too many salespeople chase large time-consuming deals that they have very little chance of winning We do this because in a tough sales environment it naturally makes us feel better to go after every deal we come across - even when we know we shouldnrsquot

This eats up productive selling time

Salespeople can also often lose deals without knowing why

In many cases it could be that they simply failed to ask one

straightforward question that would have flushed out an objection

or a problem that could have been handled quite easily

Using a Sales Opportunity Qualification Process will enable you

to get a good perspective on where you stand with any sales

opportunity but it is particularly important for your larger deals

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 021

You must address and resolve these three most important issues

before committing a lot of resource to a sales campaign

1 Is it real for us

Although there might be a genuine sales opportunity available

- it might not be available to you or your company for a variety

of reasons

2 Do we want to win itbull What is the risk involved

bull Will it take more work and effort than itrsquos worth

bull Can we adequately resource the sale

3 Can we win itbull Do we have the right solution

bull Do we have a good relationship with the customer

bull How strong is the competition

This Qualification Process will help you answer these questions

and tell you when you have what I call lsquoRed Flagrsquo issues to resolve

Sales Opportunity Qualification is a critical and unequivocal

process You must answer Yes Dont Knowrsquo or No with

complete honesty for all the questions in each section

IF YOU HAVE RED FLAG ISSUES THEN SALES ACTIVITY IS REQUIREDWherever you have answered

No or Dont Know to a question

you have uncovered a Red Flag

issue that could potentially stop

you from winning the sale You

need to stop and think about

what sales activities and sales

calls you must undertake to

get a Yes response to those

questions and get yourself

into a winning position

If there are too many Red Flag

issues you may decide that you

just wonrsquot have enough time to

resolve all of them before the

sale is due to close In those

circumstances you might

need to consider negotiating

for more time Or you may feel

that it is just not worth chasing

because it will involve more

effort than the sale is worth to

you If so you will have saved

yourself a lot of wasted time

that you can invest in finding

a better sales opportunity

022 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Here are the 27 critical qualification questions you must answer

IS IT REAL FOR US

The Decision to Change

- Do they have a compelling reason to change

- Is there Senior Executive support for the need to change

- Have they discounted a lsquodo nothingrsquo option

The Money

- Have they explained the cost justification for this project

- Do they have an approved budget for this project

- Are our costs within their budget

The Timeframe

- Have we agreed a decision process timeline with them

- Does the decision process timeline suit us

- Have they allocated enough time to evaluate our

proposal in detail

- Can we meet their delivery and

implementation timescales

The Commercial Reality

- Have they accepted our commercial terms and conditions

- Are we compliant with all of their mandatory requirements

- Do we have our companys approval to submit a

proposal or a quotation

DO WE WANT TO WIN ITThe Risk versus the Gain

- Is the value of the sale enough

for the effort involved

- Will implementation be

straightforward

- Can we adequately resource

the sales campaign

Salespeople can also often lose deals without knowing why In many cases it could be that

they simply failed to ask one straightforward question that would have

flushed out an objection or a problem that could have

been handled quite easily

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 023

CAN WE WIN IT The Solution

- Are any of our unique features and benefits in their

decision criteria

- Do the Key Influencers favour our solution

- Have we aligned our solution to their Key Business

Drivers and Critical Success Factors

- Are we proposing a low or reasonable risk solution

The Relationship

- Do we have a good relationship track record with them

- Do we have good access to the decision-makers

- Do we have a well-placed Coach

- Are we allowed to sell to all the Key Influencers

on this project

The Competition

- Do we know which of the competitors are favoured

by the customer

- Do we know the strengths and weaknesses

of the main competitors

- Do we know the sales strategies of the main competitors

There are three parts to the Sales

Opportunity Qualification Process

1 Gaining an accurate

perspective on a sales

opportunity by answering all

of the Qualification Questions

with complete honesty

2 Developing all of the sales

activities and sales calls

that are still necessary

to get you into a winning

position for the opportunity

3 Early identification and

elimination of the deals you

canrsquot win and the ones you

donrsquot want to win

Use this Qualifying Large

Sales Opportunities Process

to dramatically improve your

chances of winning the significant

sales opportunities on your

prospect list that you choose to

go after - and stop chasing the

ones you are unlikely to win or

donrsquot want to win bull

Tony Hillyard specialises in giving sales teams around the world smart solutions to help them win more business in difficult or very competitive markets Visit Tonyrsquos website here for more information copy The Sales Academy Ltd All Rights Reserved July 2009

wwwsalesacademynetnz

1

2

3

024 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Words by Bill James

ISSUEFORTYSEVEN

Maybe you are new at sales you topped the training class ndash but just cannot make the sales stick Or you could be a veteran of many sales conquests but more recently you

simply cannot get the deals across the line

Or perhaps you spent a small fortune acquiring a franchise and it looked great on paper You have big plans high hopes and you are putting in the hours to make it happen But somehow the results are not coming and the money is not flowing Whatrsquos wrong

Unfortunately the answer could be you

Especially for franchisees there are lots of promises about fantastic marketing packages and potential clients coming through the door but the simple truth is that you are now self-employed No more sick days No one else to delegate to It is you that has to make that sale and secure your own money

5 Tips for the Reluctant Salesperson

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 025

1So here are five tips that will help get you on track if you action them

Stop thinking of yourself as a lsquoSalesmanrsquo (Or Saleswoman)Think about it The word lsquosalesmanrsquo or saleswomanrsquo does not engender confidence and is not respected even by you

Ask yourself do you like being lsquosoldrsquo Guess what ndash your clients feel the same way

There is a huge amount of negative connotation around this wording and it brings up an image of someone you may not want to be From a small child there is every chance your parents told you that salespeople were pushy and not to be trusted and now you have to become one

This obviously causes a real internal conflict and is in my opinion the number one reason why you could find yourself sabotaging your own efforts Donrsquot believe me Ask yourself these questions

bull Do you approach every sales opportunity in the belief it will be a sale

bull Are you secretly dreading lsquothatrsquo question from your client - The one you find so hard to answer

bull Do you find lots of little jobs to do that keep you so busy that you have little time for new business calls

These issues are even more acute if yoursquore very technical in nature and you like performing the task but not producing the sale

Why not rename yourself so that yoursquore comfortable in saying that word when you represent yourself to a potential client What could you call yourself that sits comfortably with you

Remember your role is to help people make the right decision ndash it is not to sell them something

Ask yourself do you like being lsquosoldrsquo Guess what ndash your clients feel the same way Remember your role is to help people make the right decision ndash it is not to sell them something

026 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3

2 Be yourselfSo many people will put on a persona they think is needed to create a successful sales outcome This is simply not the case and could in fact be what is costing you business

When you went through all the psychological and personality testing (hopefully) when you applied for the job or franchise opportunity these assessments showed the real you and indicated that you should be successful in your business So why are you hiding this real you now

Clients look for faults and are suspicious when you knock on the door because you are promoting a product If they sense falseness about you it will raise their alarms and give them good reason not to buy from you Will your natural personality be what everyone is looking for every time Probably not You will get on with some people better than others

But the reality is especially if you are less experienced you were quite possibly never going to sell to those people anyway The ones that would be attracted to your natural personality will be put off by a fake overlay so stop doing it

The reality is that you could be a complete ratbag but people still buy from complete ratbags ndash as long as they are honest about being one Can you image your reaction to someone whorsquos obviously a ratbag but is pretending to be nice and you can see through it It would make you want to run in the opposite direction wouldnrsquot it

Show some passion for your subjectAgain we put on this persona of lsquoprofessionalismrsquo which means we deliver a very dry presentation What was the passion that got you involved in the first place If it was simply that you thought yoursquod make a lot of money you may possibly have made an error ndash thatrsquos called a job

Clients enjoy your enthusiasm and passion for your product It will take you through the tough times but yoursquoll also need to show it to your clients so they know that you are passionate about what you are doing

This isnrsquot easy in cultures where showing emotion is not the norm but the old saying lsquoenthusiasm sellsrsquo is as true now as it ever was

Let your passion and enthusiasm for your subject out and yoursquoll take your potential client along with you for the ride The big problem is that if you do not show some passion and hide in facts and figures your clients will allocate an emotion and a motivation to you What do you think the chances are that it will be a positive one

None

The reality is that you could be a complete ratbag but people still buy from complete ratbags ndash as long as they are honest about being one

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 027

4

Bill James is an internationally recognised sales speaker and trainer who specialises in referral and relationship marketing To find out more visit his website above

wwwBillJamesSpeakercom

Jargon kills salesOccasionally yoursquoll find someone whorsquos really caught up in the technical aspects of what you do But usually they are initially more interested in knowing you understand and care about their needs If you are technically orientated itrsquos easy to hide in the features of your product but this will stop you truly addressing the need of the client

Often most products appear to be very similar and have similar pricing and so the difference is your ability to uncover their real concerns and needs and address those In this way yoursquoll make a connection at a very personal level which is the key to gaining that commitment from your potential client

Loading them up with jargon will simply occupy their headspace and will actually be counterproductive Talking everyday language that your client can understand and addressing their real needs will result in you making real progress

Use a low logic approach with your potential clientlsquoLow logicrsquo is language that is simple to understand It is almost like approaching your client underneath the radar

Simply approach them in a very matter of fact way (with a certain amount of emotion) and give them the option to decline your services if they want In this way you donrsquot raise any alarm bells and make them feel trapped They are much more likely to come along for the ride this way

For example ldquoMr Prospect the simple reality is businesses like yours can use this product and it has X effect For you to be interested it obviously has to meet X Y Z needs and also fit within your budget and I have to be able to show you the real benefits of working with our company If I canrsquot then itrsquos only fair that I should head for the door But if I can make all that happen then your company is definitely at an advantage Irsquod like to simply sit down with you and run through these different ideas and see where we go from there is that fair enoughrdquo

So be yourself cut the jargon and let your passion for the product speak for itself Approach other people the way you like to be approached and you might well find that your sales increase hugelybull

5

028 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Winning Sales Presentations

ISSUESEVENTYTWO

Words by Debbie Mayo-Smith

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 029

Creating a great sales presentation isnrsquot very different to crafting a great speech You want to keep attention Motivate Convince Move to action Here is a formula that I follow (learnt from the

American maestro Patricia Fripp) that should help you to vastly improve your success when putting together and delivering a sales presentation

To whom are you speakingBe prepared before you go in and know as much about your audience as possible Age attitude industry and gender will all have a bearing on how you present your points Men and women have different senses of humour Younger audiences will be more impatient than older lsquoCrsquo level executives who donrsquot need the details Your presentation style and content must fit their perspective

You are not the heroWhat is the ratio of your PowerPoint slides (or written material) devoted to your company vs the potential client It stands to reason if you are invited to pitch you have already passed the preliminary vetting The convincing is done Wow them stand out from your competition by focusing on them - not stories of you your company achievements or accolades Do you like listening to egotistical sales people Share the glory with sales teams Ensure you put the prospective company in the limelight

I-You Ratio Likewise look through your sales presentations and count how many Irsquos wersquos and usrsquos you have Make certain your slides and stories are about them not you Change the perspective at every opportunity possible

Wrong ldquoOur company is number one in rdquo

Right ldquoYou benefit from our number one standing becauserdquo

Strong openingIf yoursquore pitching a $500000 contract and have only 10 minutes then starting with ldquogood morning ladies and gentlemen thank you for having us hererdquo just cost you over $8300 by wasting 10 seconds

Open differently and strongly Paint a picture Take them into the future Describe how theyrsquore benefiting from the clever decision they made years ago working with you Decision makers want to benefit the company they also want personally to be sure they are taking the right action So highlight how theyrsquoll be remembered for doing the right thing by using your company (donrsquot make it too much of a butter up though)

Answer questions up front What do they want to know from you How can you help them If yoursquore more expensive will take longer or are the underdog ndash do not ignore the fact Theyrsquore thinking it Come straight out early into the presentation with a lsquoI know what yoursquore thinkingrsquo statement then answer their objections

030 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

PremiseBuild the sales presentation around the structure of how they will benefit from what you are asking them to do ldquoYou will save $2 million dollars by using our softwarerdquo or ldquoYou will cut maintenance expenditure by 20 per centrdquo Phrase it so they say to themselves lsquohowrsquo You then answer in a logical and structured way

Points laid out logicallyYou can help them make $2million How You enumerate and discuss the points one by one with examples Point one is cutting costs Point two is increasing revenue Point three is boosting staff productivity Highlighting points by telling a story will work infinitely better for you than simply stating it or just saying why By the way you turn masterful in your sales presentation story telling skills when you give your stories flesh and blood characters and dialogue

Seamless transitionMoving from a main point (cutting costs) to the next (increasing revenue) should have a smooth flow instead of an abrupt change Carrying on our example you could transition by saying ldquolowering costs is only one side of the equation of boosting your profit Increasing sales in a challenging environment might not seem easy let me show you how we helprdquo That places you nicely into the segment on how you increase their revenues

QuestionsDonrsquot end with questions rather take them before you review at the end so you can close on a high note

ReviewIf possible use a story again ndash outlining a client that benefited in all the ways you highlight they will benefit

Repetitive reframes sound bite statementsYou can be sure theyrsquoll remember stories Hit home with better retention by giving them little sound bites and repeating them often

Strong CloseRefer back to your opening story or bring all the elements together describing how theyrsquoll benefit If you didnrsquot use thersquo looking into the futurersquo in your opening you can use it in the closing ldquoPicture yourself in two yearsrsquo time Itrsquos the gala dinner Award night Everyone is abuzz because of the success of the new software system you approved and installed the year before Five different staff have come to you throughout the evening ndash all award winners from their significant leap in productivityrdquo bull

Debbie Mayo-Smith is one of New Zealandrsquos most in-demand speakers trainers and bestselling authors Debbie works with companies that want more effective staff For more tips and business ideas sign up for her free monthly newsletter

wwwsuccessisconz

GOT A PRODUCT SERVICE OR BUSINESS WORTH TALKING ABOUT

Want to grow brand awareness in a more effective and useful way

Get in touch with Jennifer now to discuss our options+64 9 522 7257 (NZT) | jenniferlespiremediacom | wwwespiremediacom

TALK TO ESPIRE MEDIA ABOUT OUR CONTENT MARKETING SERVICES We offer a range of ways to attract and retain customers by creating and curating relevant and valuable content to engage and add value to your audience

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Check out our blog for content marketing advice tips and ideas plus a free copy of our content marketing guide The Content Creation Cookbook

032 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Nine Steps to Supercharge Your Job Hunt

ISSUEEIGHTYFIVE

Tom ONeil shares some strategies to ensure you get a jump on your competition

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 033

1 Follow-up and use your personal networks Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is generally more trusted Therefore a person who is referred to an employer has a higher trust value and therefore a higher chance of getting employed This is especially true if there is not actually an official job vacancy and you are the only person being assessed for the role

Therefore its vital to get back in contact with your network with your good wishes as well as tell them you are now looking for new career opportunities

2 LinkedInGo through your LinkedIn profile with an objective eye making sure your profile sells you as much as possible Look at common keywords in the types of positions you are seeking and ensure these are included in your profile After you have done this ask a friend or two to have a look through as well to see if you have missed anything of importance

Check the number and quality of your recommendations on LinkedIn Social media author Linda Coles calls these your silent salespeople I recently was told a major international IT company would not select any senior level staff unless they had more than 20 recommendations I was chuffed when I read this as I am up to 45 however when I asked Linda I found that she has over 120 Therefore you can start to see the power these sound-bite type recommendations can have

Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from

word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is

generally more trusted Therefore a person who is

referred to an employer has a higher trust value and

therefore a higher chance of getting employed

034 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3 Go back over your successes in the past 12 monthsMost people tend to rush into the job hunting process only really thinking about their successes (and failures) when they are in the interview Were you awarded further authority in your role Did you exceed any sales or performance targets Did you train or mentor any new people All these things are important to an employer so make sure you take some time today to think about the positive things that shaped your career recently (and be sure to include them in your CV)

4 Plan your career not just your next jobRemember that each position is a stepping stone to the next so take some time out to think about what you want to be doing for a role in 2020 Once you have done this map out ideal positions (and study if needed) to get you there

5 Direct marketingHas there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them You would be surprised about the amount of people who because they demonstrated a strong interest in the company got a position personally crafted for them even though there appeared to be no position available The other major benefit of this direct approach is that it means a manager does not have to pay a $15000 recruitment fee as you have come to them for free

6 Check in with your verbal refereesTime and time again a candidate has missed out on a dream job because their referees were too old or not overly positive During my HR and recruitment career I have contacted the referees of candidates I have been really interested in employing and got responses like Oh no is Steve looking for ANOTHER job or Sorry I dont remember a Mike Smith Are you sure he put me as a referee

Contact your referees ensure they are aware that you are back on the job hunt and ask them if they are happy to provide a verbal reference The five-minute call you make today may well be the difference between getting your next job in October or March

Has there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 035

Tom ONeil is a leading international author career specialist and MD of CVCONZ You can contact Tom via email tomcvconz

CVCONZ

7 Follow-upBecause of the nature of the recruitment process (especially executive search and selection) the hiring process can be extremely drawn out Make sure you keep in contact with the recruiterpotential employer on a regular basis Most candidates are not keen to do this as they feel its overly aggressive However as long as you are friendly and professional in your follow-up you should be remembered positively when the time for the final decision comes

8 Take time to tailor your CV cover letter and interview to the roleA vacant position is a major headache for a company especially if that position is at a senior or executive level Therefore its vital that you tailor your entire approach as a complete solution specifically for the opportunity In most job advertisements and position descriptions there is a section entitled Personal SpecificationsCharacteristicsCompetencies etc This section is the key to the role and is what you need to target

Read through the documentation and summarise what the ideal person would look like With your skills achievements qualifications and experiences how can you meet or exceed these requirements

Finally you want to ensure that the main aspects and keywords are mirrored in everything you send to the employer and in your answers during the interview The closer you meet their brief of the ideal candidate the higher the chance of you getting that job

9 Positive state of mindAs the job hunt progresses it can become a painful process However its vital to stay as positive as you can as employers can sense frustration anxiety and antagonism all the emotions they wont want in an employee Make sure you go into each situation with a positive outlook take the best from all situations and remember every challenge is an opportunity to grow and improve your skills bull

036 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

COMPETITION

BOOK GIVEAWAYWe have two copies of the brand new job search manual Youre Hired The Essential Guide to Job Hunting and Personal Branding by Tom ONeil to give away

The book provides up-to-the-minute practical detail to choose the social media strategy best suited to your

situation and ways to promote yourself

through online networks particularly

LinkedIn as well as the importance of

lsquoofflinersquo branding Also included are sections

on reacutesumeacutes and covering letters (with

access online to templates) interviewing

tips networking direct marketing salary

negotiation and career goal-setting making

this the essential job hunting guide

There has been a huge shift over the last

three decades in the way employment

recruitment takes place and the power of

the individual to take control of their job hunt

has improved massively according to career

specialist Tom OrsquoNeil

But the strength of your lsquobrandrsquo and your

ability to sell your skills and achievements

will dictate how successful you are in your

search In this compelling new guide Tom

provides job seekers with simple exercises

and guidance to identify personal attributes and key career highlights that will assist in marketing yourself to potential employers The advice holds equally well for consultants and contractors like real estate agents and insurance brokers looking to procure new business bull

paulnnzsalesmanagerconz Email Paul before 30th November to be in to win a copy We have two copies to giveawayPublished by New Holland Publishers

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 037

QUICKFIX

Honest Apologies

lsquoDue to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control we lthave let you downgthellipAnd end like this lsquoWe apologise for any

inconvenience this may have causedrsquo

As a customer I read this and think ndash well at least they have told me they have stuffed up but they obviously donrsquot want to tell me why because they think that will make them look even worse and their apology is so canned they donrsquot mean it anyway They donrsquot really care

QUICK FIX

To show you do really care and to build a relationship built on trust cut out the canned opening and closing lines that everyone uses and use real language

bull Tell it how you would say it - which is not the canned written way

bull Tell what did happen and what you learned that will improve customer service in the future

bull Show that you understand their business - you should know what inconvenience it has caused them so apologise specifically for this

Do this and your customers will be much more understanding bull

bull

So itrsquos all gone wrong and you have let your customer down Itrsquos time to write to them with an apology How many letters start like this

038 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Ive been reading and using pieces from NZ Sales Manager magazine since Jan 2011 It has helped me immensely in gaining trust and building sales teams It gives me motivation each month to try something new and see if I can mould it to suit our team Thank you for providing this sales tool - it really has been a great source of information and motivation

Shaun Matheson

It gives me great pleasure to acknowledge all the wonderful work done by the NZ Sales Manager Magazine and all the efforts put in by the editor Mr Paul Newsom

This magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning tool With a well laid out plan this magazine has given all sales professionals including myself a great platform to focus and learn from and thus being very successful in our sales efforts in a very demanding business environment

Congratulations for coming up to your 100th issue which is indeed a great milestone and I personally wish the magazine and all those who run it every success and keep up the great work

Best WishesIvo DrsquoSilva Sales amp Customer Service Manager

THANKYOUFROMOURREADERS

ldquoThis magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning toolrdquoRegional

Manager

at

EDL

Fasteners

Ltd

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 039

Congratulations on the 100th issue of NZ Sales Manager eMag You provide valuable tips on selling and sales management and your 100th issue is great proof that you share great ideas that your readers appreciate and find usefulGraham McGregor Marketing Advisor amp Journalist

A big congrats to NZ Sales Manager on the 100th issue Thanks for your wonderful insights challenging the norm and keeping us focused on doing our best We look forward to the next 100Paul Brophy Team Leader NZ at CXC Global

ldquoThanks for your

wonderful insights

challenging the norm

and keeping us focused

on doing our bestrdquo

Sales management everywhere should be reading the NZ Sales Manager Congrats on your 100th issueJill Konrath Author of Agile Selling SNAP Selling and Selling to Big Companies

What a wonderful milestone for such a useful and inspiring magazine Congratulations to you and all your hard workLinda Coles Online Marketing Expert

Great work and contribution to Sales Managers all across NZ Thank you Ambrose Blowfield Owner The Marketing Company

To the editors and team behind NZSM well done Many growing challenges in the sales arena at an accelerating pace of change and great you have contributed so much to the profession Stuart Edmunds Founder of New Zealand Institute of Sales bull

040 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

EVENTSCALENDAR

DATE NAME PLACE COMPANY27 November Sales Management Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

1 December Negotiation Skills Wellington IMNZ

1 December Sales Seminar Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

2 December Key Account Management Christchurch IMNZ

2 December Effective Sales Prospecting Auckland PD Training

8 December Sales Basics Auckland Geewiz

9 December Advanced Serious Selling Auckland Geewiz

11 December Sales Training Auckland PD Training

15 December Cold Calling and Prospecting Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

15 December Professional Telephone Skills Training

Auckland PD Training

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 041

THECLOSE

ldquoI never ran 1000 miles I could never

have done that I ran 1 mile 1000 timesrdquo

Subscribe at wwwnzsalesmanagerconz ITrsquoS FREE

Lucian Milasan Shutterstockcom

- Stu Mittleman

Page 19: NZ Sales Manager – Issue 100

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 019

Payroll made easyBNZ EdgePayroll is a simple and easy-to-use payroll solution that takes care of direct crediting wages PAYE filing IRD payments and KiwiSaver contributions

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020 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Sales Opportunity Qualification is one of the most valuable skills

for a professional salesperson

to develop In this turbulent

recessionary climate it is very

tempting to chase down every

deal on the prospect list Even

the ones that you know in your

heart you have very little chance

of winning However this can

actually make matters worse by

diverting sales effort away from

the better deals and reducing

your chances of winning those

Stop for Red Flags

Words by Tony Hillyard

ISSUETWENTYNINE

Three critical areas you must explore to qualify leads

Too many salespeople chase large time-consuming deals that they have very little chance of winning We do this because in a tough sales environment it naturally makes us feel better to go after every deal we come across - even when we know we shouldnrsquot

This eats up productive selling time

Salespeople can also often lose deals without knowing why

In many cases it could be that they simply failed to ask one

straightforward question that would have flushed out an objection

or a problem that could have been handled quite easily

Using a Sales Opportunity Qualification Process will enable you

to get a good perspective on where you stand with any sales

opportunity but it is particularly important for your larger deals

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 021

You must address and resolve these three most important issues

before committing a lot of resource to a sales campaign

1 Is it real for us

Although there might be a genuine sales opportunity available

- it might not be available to you or your company for a variety

of reasons

2 Do we want to win itbull What is the risk involved

bull Will it take more work and effort than itrsquos worth

bull Can we adequately resource the sale

3 Can we win itbull Do we have the right solution

bull Do we have a good relationship with the customer

bull How strong is the competition

This Qualification Process will help you answer these questions

and tell you when you have what I call lsquoRed Flagrsquo issues to resolve

Sales Opportunity Qualification is a critical and unequivocal

process You must answer Yes Dont Knowrsquo or No with

complete honesty for all the questions in each section

IF YOU HAVE RED FLAG ISSUES THEN SALES ACTIVITY IS REQUIREDWherever you have answered

No or Dont Know to a question

you have uncovered a Red Flag

issue that could potentially stop

you from winning the sale You

need to stop and think about

what sales activities and sales

calls you must undertake to

get a Yes response to those

questions and get yourself

into a winning position

If there are too many Red Flag

issues you may decide that you

just wonrsquot have enough time to

resolve all of them before the

sale is due to close In those

circumstances you might

need to consider negotiating

for more time Or you may feel

that it is just not worth chasing

because it will involve more

effort than the sale is worth to

you If so you will have saved

yourself a lot of wasted time

that you can invest in finding

a better sales opportunity

022 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Here are the 27 critical qualification questions you must answer

IS IT REAL FOR US

The Decision to Change

- Do they have a compelling reason to change

- Is there Senior Executive support for the need to change

- Have they discounted a lsquodo nothingrsquo option

The Money

- Have they explained the cost justification for this project

- Do they have an approved budget for this project

- Are our costs within their budget

The Timeframe

- Have we agreed a decision process timeline with them

- Does the decision process timeline suit us

- Have they allocated enough time to evaluate our

proposal in detail

- Can we meet their delivery and

implementation timescales

The Commercial Reality

- Have they accepted our commercial terms and conditions

- Are we compliant with all of their mandatory requirements

- Do we have our companys approval to submit a

proposal or a quotation

DO WE WANT TO WIN ITThe Risk versus the Gain

- Is the value of the sale enough

for the effort involved

- Will implementation be

straightforward

- Can we adequately resource

the sales campaign

Salespeople can also often lose deals without knowing why In many cases it could be that

they simply failed to ask one straightforward question that would have

flushed out an objection or a problem that could have

been handled quite easily

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 023

CAN WE WIN IT The Solution

- Are any of our unique features and benefits in their

decision criteria

- Do the Key Influencers favour our solution

- Have we aligned our solution to their Key Business

Drivers and Critical Success Factors

- Are we proposing a low or reasonable risk solution

The Relationship

- Do we have a good relationship track record with them

- Do we have good access to the decision-makers

- Do we have a well-placed Coach

- Are we allowed to sell to all the Key Influencers

on this project

The Competition

- Do we know which of the competitors are favoured

by the customer

- Do we know the strengths and weaknesses

of the main competitors

- Do we know the sales strategies of the main competitors

There are three parts to the Sales

Opportunity Qualification Process

1 Gaining an accurate

perspective on a sales

opportunity by answering all

of the Qualification Questions

with complete honesty

2 Developing all of the sales

activities and sales calls

that are still necessary

to get you into a winning

position for the opportunity

3 Early identification and

elimination of the deals you

canrsquot win and the ones you

donrsquot want to win

Use this Qualifying Large

Sales Opportunities Process

to dramatically improve your

chances of winning the significant

sales opportunities on your

prospect list that you choose to

go after - and stop chasing the

ones you are unlikely to win or

donrsquot want to win bull

Tony Hillyard specialises in giving sales teams around the world smart solutions to help them win more business in difficult or very competitive markets Visit Tonyrsquos website here for more information copy The Sales Academy Ltd All Rights Reserved July 2009

wwwsalesacademynetnz

1

2

3

024 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Words by Bill James

ISSUEFORTYSEVEN

Maybe you are new at sales you topped the training class ndash but just cannot make the sales stick Or you could be a veteran of many sales conquests but more recently you

simply cannot get the deals across the line

Or perhaps you spent a small fortune acquiring a franchise and it looked great on paper You have big plans high hopes and you are putting in the hours to make it happen But somehow the results are not coming and the money is not flowing Whatrsquos wrong

Unfortunately the answer could be you

Especially for franchisees there are lots of promises about fantastic marketing packages and potential clients coming through the door but the simple truth is that you are now self-employed No more sick days No one else to delegate to It is you that has to make that sale and secure your own money

5 Tips for the Reluctant Salesperson

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 025

1So here are five tips that will help get you on track if you action them

Stop thinking of yourself as a lsquoSalesmanrsquo (Or Saleswoman)Think about it The word lsquosalesmanrsquo or saleswomanrsquo does not engender confidence and is not respected even by you

Ask yourself do you like being lsquosoldrsquo Guess what ndash your clients feel the same way

There is a huge amount of negative connotation around this wording and it brings up an image of someone you may not want to be From a small child there is every chance your parents told you that salespeople were pushy and not to be trusted and now you have to become one

This obviously causes a real internal conflict and is in my opinion the number one reason why you could find yourself sabotaging your own efforts Donrsquot believe me Ask yourself these questions

bull Do you approach every sales opportunity in the belief it will be a sale

bull Are you secretly dreading lsquothatrsquo question from your client - The one you find so hard to answer

bull Do you find lots of little jobs to do that keep you so busy that you have little time for new business calls

These issues are even more acute if yoursquore very technical in nature and you like performing the task but not producing the sale

Why not rename yourself so that yoursquore comfortable in saying that word when you represent yourself to a potential client What could you call yourself that sits comfortably with you

Remember your role is to help people make the right decision ndash it is not to sell them something

Ask yourself do you like being lsquosoldrsquo Guess what ndash your clients feel the same way Remember your role is to help people make the right decision ndash it is not to sell them something

026 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3

2 Be yourselfSo many people will put on a persona they think is needed to create a successful sales outcome This is simply not the case and could in fact be what is costing you business

When you went through all the psychological and personality testing (hopefully) when you applied for the job or franchise opportunity these assessments showed the real you and indicated that you should be successful in your business So why are you hiding this real you now

Clients look for faults and are suspicious when you knock on the door because you are promoting a product If they sense falseness about you it will raise their alarms and give them good reason not to buy from you Will your natural personality be what everyone is looking for every time Probably not You will get on with some people better than others

But the reality is especially if you are less experienced you were quite possibly never going to sell to those people anyway The ones that would be attracted to your natural personality will be put off by a fake overlay so stop doing it

The reality is that you could be a complete ratbag but people still buy from complete ratbags ndash as long as they are honest about being one Can you image your reaction to someone whorsquos obviously a ratbag but is pretending to be nice and you can see through it It would make you want to run in the opposite direction wouldnrsquot it

Show some passion for your subjectAgain we put on this persona of lsquoprofessionalismrsquo which means we deliver a very dry presentation What was the passion that got you involved in the first place If it was simply that you thought yoursquod make a lot of money you may possibly have made an error ndash thatrsquos called a job

Clients enjoy your enthusiasm and passion for your product It will take you through the tough times but yoursquoll also need to show it to your clients so they know that you are passionate about what you are doing

This isnrsquot easy in cultures where showing emotion is not the norm but the old saying lsquoenthusiasm sellsrsquo is as true now as it ever was

Let your passion and enthusiasm for your subject out and yoursquoll take your potential client along with you for the ride The big problem is that if you do not show some passion and hide in facts and figures your clients will allocate an emotion and a motivation to you What do you think the chances are that it will be a positive one

None

The reality is that you could be a complete ratbag but people still buy from complete ratbags ndash as long as they are honest about being one

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 027

4

Bill James is an internationally recognised sales speaker and trainer who specialises in referral and relationship marketing To find out more visit his website above

wwwBillJamesSpeakercom

Jargon kills salesOccasionally yoursquoll find someone whorsquos really caught up in the technical aspects of what you do But usually they are initially more interested in knowing you understand and care about their needs If you are technically orientated itrsquos easy to hide in the features of your product but this will stop you truly addressing the need of the client

Often most products appear to be very similar and have similar pricing and so the difference is your ability to uncover their real concerns and needs and address those In this way yoursquoll make a connection at a very personal level which is the key to gaining that commitment from your potential client

Loading them up with jargon will simply occupy their headspace and will actually be counterproductive Talking everyday language that your client can understand and addressing their real needs will result in you making real progress

Use a low logic approach with your potential clientlsquoLow logicrsquo is language that is simple to understand It is almost like approaching your client underneath the radar

Simply approach them in a very matter of fact way (with a certain amount of emotion) and give them the option to decline your services if they want In this way you donrsquot raise any alarm bells and make them feel trapped They are much more likely to come along for the ride this way

For example ldquoMr Prospect the simple reality is businesses like yours can use this product and it has X effect For you to be interested it obviously has to meet X Y Z needs and also fit within your budget and I have to be able to show you the real benefits of working with our company If I canrsquot then itrsquos only fair that I should head for the door But if I can make all that happen then your company is definitely at an advantage Irsquod like to simply sit down with you and run through these different ideas and see where we go from there is that fair enoughrdquo

So be yourself cut the jargon and let your passion for the product speak for itself Approach other people the way you like to be approached and you might well find that your sales increase hugelybull

5

028 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Winning Sales Presentations

ISSUESEVENTYTWO

Words by Debbie Mayo-Smith

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 029

Creating a great sales presentation isnrsquot very different to crafting a great speech You want to keep attention Motivate Convince Move to action Here is a formula that I follow (learnt from the

American maestro Patricia Fripp) that should help you to vastly improve your success when putting together and delivering a sales presentation

To whom are you speakingBe prepared before you go in and know as much about your audience as possible Age attitude industry and gender will all have a bearing on how you present your points Men and women have different senses of humour Younger audiences will be more impatient than older lsquoCrsquo level executives who donrsquot need the details Your presentation style and content must fit their perspective

You are not the heroWhat is the ratio of your PowerPoint slides (or written material) devoted to your company vs the potential client It stands to reason if you are invited to pitch you have already passed the preliminary vetting The convincing is done Wow them stand out from your competition by focusing on them - not stories of you your company achievements or accolades Do you like listening to egotistical sales people Share the glory with sales teams Ensure you put the prospective company in the limelight

I-You Ratio Likewise look through your sales presentations and count how many Irsquos wersquos and usrsquos you have Make certain your slides and stories are about them not you Change the perspective at every opportunity possible

Wrong ldquoOur company is number one in rdquo

Right ldquoYou benefit from our number one standing becauserdquo

Strong openingIf yoursquore pitching a $500000 contract and have only 10 minutes then starting with ldquogood morning ladies and gentlemen thank you for having us hererdquo just cost you over $8300 by wasting 10 seconds

Open differently and strongly Paint a picture Take them into the future Describe how theyrsquore benefiting from the clever decision they made years ago working with you Decision makers want to benefit the company they also want personally to be sure they are taking the right action So highlight how theyrsquoll be remembered for doing the right thing by using your company (donrsquot make it too much of a butter up though)

Answer questions up front What do they want to know from you How can you help them If yoursquore more expensive will take longer or are the underdog ndash do not ignore the fact Theyrsquore thinking it Come straight out early into the presentation with a lsquoI know what yoursquore thinkingrsquo statement then answer their objections

030 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

PremiseBuild the sales presentation around the structure of how they will benefit from what you are asking them to do ldquoYou will save $2 million dollars by using our softwarerdquo or ldquoYou will cut maintenance expenditure by 20 per centrdquo Phrase it so they say to themselves lsquohowrsquo You then answer in a logical and structured way

Points laid out logicallyYou can help them make $2million How You enumerate and discuss the points one by one with examples Point one is cutting costs Point two is increasing revenue Point three is boosting staff productivity Highlighting points by telling a story will work infinitely better for you than simply stating it or just saying why By the way you turn masterful in your sales presentation story telling skills when you give your stories flesh and blood characters and dialogue

Seamless transitionMoving from a main point (cutting costs) to the next (increasing revenue) should have a smooth flow instead of an abrupt change Carrying on our example you could transition by saying ldquolowering costs is only one side of the equation of boosting your profit Increasing sales in a challenging environment might not seem easy let me show you how we helprdquo That places you nicely into the segment on how you increase their revenues

QuestionsDonrsquot end with questions rather take them before you review at the end so you can close on a high note

ReviewIf possible use a story again ndash outlining a client that benefited in all the ways you highlight they will benefit

Repetitive reframes sound bite statementsYou can be sure theyrsquoll remember stories Hit home with better retention by giving them little sound bites and repeating them often

Strong CloseRefer back to your opening story or bring all the elements together describing how theyrsquoll benefit If you didnrsquot use thersquo looking into the futurersquo in your opening you can use it in the closing ldquoPicture yourself in two yearsrsquo time Itrsquos the gala dinner Award night Everyone is abuzz because of the success of the new software system you approved and installed the year before Five different staff have come to you throughout the evening ndash all award winners from their significant leap in productivityrdquo bull

Debbie Mayo-Smith is one of New Zealandrsquos most in-demand speakers trainers and bestselling authors Debbie works with companies that want more effective staff For more tips and business ideas sign up for her free monthly newsletter

wwwsuccessisconz

GOT A PRODUCT SERVICE OR BUSINESS WORTH TALKING ABOUT

Want to grow brand awareness in a more effective and useful way

Get in touch with Jennifer now to discuss our options+64 9 522 7257 (NZT) | jenniferlespiremediacom | wwwespiremediacom

TALK TO ESPIRE MEDIA ABOUT OUR CONTENT MARKETING SERVICES We offer a range of ways to attract and retain customers by creating and curating relevant and valuable content to engage and add value to your audience

BENEFITSbull Expand your digital footprintbull Grow brand awarenessbull Increase traffic to your websitebull Thought leadershipbull Media exposurebull Attract new customersbull And grow SALES

Check out our blog for content marketing advice tips and ideas plus a free copy of our content marketing guide The Content Creation Cookbook

032 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Nine Steps to Supercharge Your Job Hunt

ISSUEEIGHTYFIVE

Tom ONeil shares some strategies to ensure you get a jump on your competition

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 033

1 Follow-up and use your personal networks Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is generally more trusted Therefore a person who is referred to an employer has a higher trust value and therefore a higher chance of getting employed This is especially true if there is not actually an official job vacancy and you are the only person being assessed for the role

Therefore its vital to get back in contact with your network with your good wishes as well as tell them you are now looking for new career opportunities

2 LinkedInGo through your LinkedIn profile with an objective eye making sure your profile sells you as much as possible Look at common keywords in the types of positions you are seeking and ensure these are included in your profile After you have done this ask a friend or two to have a look through as well to see if you have missed anything of importance

Check the number and quality of your recommendations on LinkedIn Social media author Linda Coles calls these your silent salespeople I recently was told a major international IT company would not select any senior level staff unless they had more than 20 recommendations I was chuffed when I read this as I am up to 45 however when I asked Linda I found that she has over 120 Therefore you can start to see the power these sound-bite type recommendations can have

Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from

word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is

generally more trusted Therefore a person who is

referred to an employer has a higher trust value and

therefore a higher chance of getting employed

034 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3 Go back over your successes in the past 12 monthsMost people tend to rush into the job hunting process only really thinking about their successes (and failures) when they are in the interview Were you awarded further authority in your role Did you exceed any sales or performance targets Did you train or mentor any new people All these things are important to an employer so make sure you take some time today to think about the positive things that shaped your career recently (and be sure to include them in your CV)

4 Plan your career not just your next jobRemember that each position is a stepping stone to the next so take some time out to think about what you want to be doing for a role in 2020 Once you have done this map out ideal positions (and study if needed) to get you there

5 Direct marketingHas there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them You would be surprised about the amount of people who because they demonstrated a strong interest in the company got a position personally crafted for them even though there appeared to be no position available The other major benefit of this direct approach is that it means a manager does not have to pay a $15000 recruitment fee as you have come to them for free

6 Check in with your verbal refereesTime and time again a candidate has missed out on a dream job because their referees were too old or not overly positive During my HR and recruitment career I have contacted the referees of candidates I have been really interested in employing and got responses like Oh no is Steve looking for ANOTHER job or Sorry I dont remember a Mike Smith Are you sure he put me as a referee

Contact your referees ensure they are aware that you are back on the job hunt and ask them if they are happy to provide a verbal reference The five-minute call you make today may well be the difference between getting your next job in October or March

Has there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 035

Tom ONeil is a leading international author career specialist and MD of CVCONZ You can contact Tom via email tomcvconz

CVCONZ

7 Follow-upBecause of the nature of the recruitment process (especially executive search and selection) the hiring process can be extremely drawn out Make sure you keep in contact with the recruiterpotential employer on a regular basis Most candidates are not keen to do this as they feel its overly aggressive However as long as you are friendly and professional in your follow-up you should be remembered positively when the time for the final decision comes

8 Take time to tailor your CV cover letter and interview to the roleA vacant position is a major headache for a company especially if that position is at a senior or executive level Therefore its vital that you tailor your entire approach as a complete solution specifically for the opportunity In most job advertisements and position descriptions there is a section entitled Personal SpecificationsCharacteristicsCompetencies etc This section is the key to the role and is what you need to target

Read through the documentation and summarise what the ideal person would look like With your skills achievements qualifications and experiences how can you meet or exceed these requirements

Finally you want to ensure that the main aspects and keywords are mirrored in everything you send to the employer and in your answers during the interview The closer you meet their brief of the ideal candidate the higher the chance of you getting that job

9 Positive state of mindAs the job hunt progresses it can become a painful process However its vital to stay as positive as you can as employers can sense frustration anxiety and antagonism all the emotions they wont want in an employee Make sure you go into each situation with a positive outlook take the best from all situations and remember every challenge is an opportunity to grow and improve your skills bull

036 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

COMPETITION

BOOK GIVEAWAYWe have two copies of the brand new job search manual Youre Hired The Essential Guide to Job Hunting and Personal Branding by Tom ONeil to give away

The book provides up-to-the-minute practical detail to choose the social media strategy best suited to your

situation and ways to promote yourself

through online networks particularly

LinkedIn as well as the importance of

lsquoofflinersquo branding Also included are sections

on reacutesumeacutes and covering letters (with

access online to templates) interviewing

tips networking direct marketing salary

negotiation and career goal-setting making

this the essential job hunting guide

There has been a huge shift over the last

three decades in the way employment

recruitment takes place and the power of

the individual to take control of their job hunt

has improved massively according to career

specialist Tom OrsquoNeil

But the strength of your lsquobrandrsquo and your

ability to sell your skills and achievements

will dictate how successful you are in your

search In this compelling new guide Tom

provides job seekers with simple exercises

and guidance to identify personal attributes and key career highlights that will assist in marketing yourself to potential employers The advice holds equally well for consultants and contractors like real estate agents and insurance brokers looking to procure new business bull

paulnnzsalesmanagerconz Email Paul before 30th November to be in to win a copy We have two copies to giveawayPublished by New Holland Publishers

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 037

QUICKFIX

Honest Apologies

lsquoDue to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control we lthave let you downgthellipAnd end like this lsquoWe apologise for any

inconvenience this may have causedrsquo

As a customer I read this and think ndash well at least they have told me they have stuffed up but they obviously donrsquot want to tell me why because they think that will make them look even worse and their apology is so canned they donrsquot mean it anyway They donrsquot really care

QUICK FIX

To show you do really care and to build a relationship built on trust cut out the canned opening and closing lines that everyone uses and use real language

bull Tell it how you would say it - which is not the canned written way

bull Tell what did happen and what you learned that will improve customer service in the future

bull Show that you understand their business - you should know what inconvenience it has caused them so apologise specifically for this

Do this and your customers will be much more understanding bull

bull

So itrsquos all gone wrong and you have let your customer down Itrsquos time to write to them with an apology How many letters start like this

038 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Ive been reading and using pieces from NZ Sales Manager magazine since Jan 2011 It has helped me immensely in gaining trust and building sales teams It gives me motivation each month to try something new and see if I can mould it to suit our team Thank you for providing this sales tool - it really has been a great source of information and motivation

Shaun Matheson

It gives me great pleasure to acknowledge all the wonderful work done by the NZ Sales Manager Magazine and all the efforts put in by the editor Mr Paul Newsom

This magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning tool With a well laid out plan this magazine has given all sales professionals including myself a great platform to focus and learn from and thus being very successful in our sales efforts in a very demanding business environment

Congratulations for coming up to your 100th issue which is indeed a great milestone and I personally wish the magazine and all those who run it every success and keep up the great work

Best WishesIvo DrsquoSilva Sales amp Customer Service Manager

THANKYOUFROMOURREADERS

ldquoThis magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning toolrdquoRegional

Manager

at

EDL

Fasteners

Ltd

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 039

Congratulations on the 100th issue of NZ Sales Manager eMag You provide valuable tips on selling and sales management and your 100th issue is great proof that you share great ideas that your readers appreciate and find usefulGraham McGregor Marketing Advisor amp Journalist

A big congrats to NZ Sales Manager on the 100th issue Thanks for your wonderful insights challenging the norm and keeping us focused on doing our best We look forward to the next 100Paul Brophy Team Leader NZ at CXC Global

ldquoThanks for your

wonderful insights

challenging the norm

and keeping us focused

on doing our bestrdquo

Sales management everywhere should be reading the NZ Sales Manager Congrats on your 100th issueJill Konrath Author of Agile Selling SNAP Selling and Selling to Big Companies

What a wonderful milestone for such a useful and inspiring magazine Congratulations to you and all your hard workLinda Coles Online Marketing Expert

Great work and contribution to Sales Managers all across NZ Thank you Ambrose Blowfield Owner The Marketing Company

To the editors and team behind NZSM well done Many growing challenges in the sales arena at an accelerating pace of change and great you have contributed so much to the profession Stuart Edmunds Founder of New Zealand Institute of Sales bull

040 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

EVENTSCALENDAR

DATE NAME PLACE COMPANY27 November Sales Management Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

1 December Negotiation Skills Wellington IMNZ

1 December Sales Seminar Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

2 December Key Account Management Christchurch IMNZ

2 December Effective Sales Prospecting Auckland PD Training

8 December Sales Basics Auckland Geewiz

9 December Advanced Serious Selling Auckland Geewiz

11 December Sales Training Auckland PD Training

15 December Cold Calling and Prospecting Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

15 December Professional Telephone Skills Training

Auckland PD Training

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 041

THECLOSE

ldquoI never ran 1000 miles I could never

have done that I ran 1 mile 1000 timesrdquo

Subscribe at wwwnzsalesmanagerconz ITrsquoS FREE

Lucian Milasan Shutterstockcom

- Stu Mittleman

Page 20: NZ Sales Manager – Issue 100

020 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Sales Opportunity Qualification is one of the most valuable skills

for a professional salesperson

to develop In this turbulent

recessionary climate it is very

tempting to chase down every

deal on the prospect list Even

the ones that you know in your

heart you have very little chance

of winning However this can

actually make matters worse by

diverting sales effort away from

the better deals and reducing

your chances of winning those

Stop for Red Flags

Words by Tony Hillyard

ISSUETWENTYNINE

Three critical areas you must explore to qualify leads

Too many salespeople chase large time-consuming deals that they have very little chance of winning We do this because in a tough sales environment it naturally makes us feel better to go after every deal we come across - even when we know we shouldnrsquot

This eats up productive selling time

Salespeople can also often lose deals without knowing why

In many cases it could be that they simply failed to ask one

straightforward question that would have flushed out an objection

or a problem that could have been handled quite easily

Using a Sales Opportunity Qualification Process will enable you

to get a good perspective on where you stand with any sales

opportunity but it is particularly important for your larger deals

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 021

You must address and resolve these three most important issues

before committing a lot of resource to a sales campaign

1 Is it real for us

Although there might be a genuine sales opportunity available

- it might not be available to you or your company for a variety

of reasons

2 Do we want to win itbull What is the risk involved

bull Will it take more work and effort than itrsquos worth

bull Can we adequately resource the sale

3 Can we win itbull Do we have the right solution

bull Do we have a good relationship with the customer

bull How strong is the competition

This Qualification Process will help you answer these questions

and tell you when you have what I call lsquoRed Flagrsquo issues to resolve

Sales Opportunity Qualification is a critical and unequivocal

process You must answer Yes Dont Knowrsquo or No with

complete honesty for all the questions in each section

IF YOU HAVE RED FLAG ISSUES THEN SALES ACTIVITY IS REQUIREDWherever you have answered

No or Dont Know to a question

you have uncovered a Red Flag

issue that could potentially stop

you from winning the sale You

need to stop and think about

what sales activities and sales

calls you must undertake to

get a Yes response to those

questions and get yourself

into a winning position

If there are too many Red Flag

issues you may decide that you

just wonrsquot have enough time to

resolve all of them before the

sale is due to close In those

circumstances you might

need to consider negotiating

for more time Or you may feel

that it is just not worth chasing

because it will involve more

effort than the sale is worth to

you If so you will have saved

yourself a lot of wasted time

that you can invest in finding

a better sales opportunity

022 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Here are the 27 critical qualification questions you must answer

IS IT REAL FOR US

The Decision to Change

- Do they have a compelling reason to change

- Is there Senior Executive support for the need to change

- Have they discounted a lsquodo nothingrsquo option

The Money

- Have they explained the cost justification for this project

- Do they have an approved budget for this project

- Are our costs within their budget

The Timeframe

- Have we agreed a decision process timeline with them

- Does the decision process timeline suit us

- Have they allocated enough time to evaluate our

proposal in detail

- Can we meet their delivery and

implementation timescales

The Commercial Reality

- Have they accepted our commercial terms and conditions

- Are we compliant with all of their mandatory requirements

- Do we have our companys approval to submit a

proposal or a quotation

DO WE WANT TO WIN ITThe Risk versus the Gain

- Is the value of the sale enough

for the effort involved

- Will implementation be

straightforward

- Can we adequately resource

the sales campaign

Salespeople can also often lose deals without knowing why In many cases it could be that

they simply failed to ask one straightforward question that would have

flushed out an objection or a problem that could have

been handled quite easily

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 023

CAN WE WIN IT The Solution

- Are any of our unique features and benefits in their

decision criteria

- Do the Key Influencers favour our solution

- Have we aligned our solution to their Key Business

Drivers and Critical Success Factors

- Are we proposing a low or reasonable risk solution

The Relationship

- Do we have a good relationship track record with them

- Do we have good access to the decision-makers

- Do we have a well-placed Coach

- Are we allowed to sell to all the Key Influencers

on this project

The Competition

- Do we know which of the competitors are favoured

by the customer

- Do we know the strengths and weaknesses

of the main competitors

- Do we know the sales strategies of the main competitors

There are three parts to the Sales

Opportunity Qualification Process

1 Gaining an accurate

perspective on a sales

opportunity by answering all

of the Qualification Questions

with complete honesty

2 Developing all of the sales

activities and sales calls

that are still necessary

to get you into a winning

position for the opportunity

3 Early identification and

elimination of the deals you

canrsquot win and the ones you

donrsquot want to win

Use this Qualifying Large

Sales Opportunities Process

to dramatically improve your

chances of winning the significant

sales opportunities on your

prospect list that you choose to

go after - and stop chasing the

ones you are unlikely to win or

donrsquot want to win bull

Tony Hillyard specialises in giving sales teams around the world smart solutions to help them win more business in difficult or very competitive markets Visit Tonyrsquos website here for more information copy The Sales Academy Ltd All Rights Reserved July 2009

wwwsalesacademynetnz

1

2

3

024 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Words by Bill James

ISSUEFORTYSEVEN

Maybe you are new at sales you topped the training class ndash but just cannot make the sales stick Or you could be a veteran of many sales conquests but more recently you

simply cannot get the deals across the line

Or perhaps you spent a small fortune acquiring a franchise and it looked great on paper You have big plans high hopes and you are putting in the hours to make it happen But somehow the results are not coming and the money is not flowing Whatrsquos wrong

Unfortunately the answer could be you

Especially for franchisees there are lots of promises about fantastic marketing packages and potential clients coming through the door but the simple truth is that you are now self-employed No more sick days No one else to delegate to It is you that has to make that sale and secure your own money

5 Tips for the Reluctant Salesperson

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 025

1So here are five tips that will help get you on track if you action them

Stop thinking of yourself as a lsquoSalesmanrsquo (Or Saleswoman)Think about it The word lsquosalesmanrsquo or saleswomanrsquo does not engender confidence and is not respected even by you

Ask yourself do you like being lsquosoldrsquo Guess what ndash your clients feel the same way

There is a huge amount of negative connotation around this wording and it brings up an image of someone you may not want to be From a small child there is every chance your parents told you that salespeople were pushy and not to be trusted and now you have to become one

This obviously causes a real internal conflict and is in my opinion the number one reason why you could find yourself sabotaging your own efforts Donrsquot believe me Ask yourself these questions

bull Do you approach every sales opportunity in the belief it will be a sale

bull Are you secretly dreading lsquothatrsquo question from your client - The one you find so hard to answer

bull Do you find lots of little jobs to do that keep you so busy that you have little time for new business calls

These issues are even more acute if yoursquore very technical in nature and you like performing the task but not producing the sale

Why not rename yourself so that yoursquore comfortable in saying that word when you represent yourself to a potential client What could you call yourself that sits comfortably with you

Remember your role is to help people make the right decision ndash it is not to sell them something

Ask yourself do you like being lsquosoldrsquo Guess what ndash your clients feel the same way Remember your role is to help people make the right decision ndash it is not to sell them something

026 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3

2 Be yourselfSo many people will put on a persona they think is needed to create a successful sales outcome This is simply not the case and could in fact be what is costing you business

When you went through all the psychological and personality testing (hopefully) when you applied for the job or franchise opportunity these assessments showed the real you and indicated that you should be successful in your business So why are you hiding this real you now

Clients look for faults and are suspicious when you knock on the door because you are promoting a product If they sense falseness about you it will raise their alarms and give them good reason not to buy from you Will your natural personality be what everyone is looking for every time Probably not You will get on with some people better than others

But the reality is especially if you are less experienced you were quite possibly never going to sell to those people anyway The ones that would be attracted to your natural personality will be put off by a fake overlay so stop doing it

The reality is that you could be a complete ratbag but people still buy from complete ratbags ndash as long as they are honest about being one Can you image your reaction to someone whorsquos obviously a ratbag but is pretending to be nice and you can see through it It would make you want to run in the opposite direction wouldnrsquot it

Show some passion for your subjectAgain we put on this persona of lsquoprofessionalismrsquo which means we deliver a very dry presentation What was the passion that got you involved in the first place If it was simply that you thought yoursquod make a lot of money you may possibly have made an error ndash thatrsquos called a job

Clients enjoy your enthusiasm and passion for your product It will take you through the tough times but yoursquoll also need to show it to your clients so they know that you are passionate about what you are doing

This isnrsquot easy in cultures where showing emotion is not the norm but the old saying lsquoenthusiasm sellsrsquo is as true now as it ever was

Let your passion and enthusiasm for your subject out and yoursquoll take your potential client along with you for the ride The big problem is that if you do not show some passion and hide in facts and figures your clients will allocate an emotion and a motivation to you What do you think the chances are that it will be a positive one

None

The reality is that you could be a complete ratbag but people still buy from complete ratbags ndash as long as they are honest about being one

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 027

4

Bill James is an internationally recognised sales speaker and trainer who specialises in referral and relationship marketing To find out more visit his website above

wwwBillJamesSpeakercom

Jargon kills salesOccasionally yoursquoll find someone whorsquos really caught up in the technical aspects of what you do But usually they are initially more interested in knowing you understand and care about their needs If you are technically orientated itrsquos easy to hide in the features of your product but this will stop you truly addressing the need of the client

Often most products appear to be very similar and have similar pricing and so the difference is your ability to uncover their real concerns and needs and address those In this way yoursquoll make a connection at a very personal level which is the key to gaining that commitment from your potential client

Loading them up with jargon will simply occupy their headspace and will actually be counterproductive Talking everyday language that your client can understand and addressing their real needs will result in you making real progress

Use a low logic approach with your potential clientlsquoLow logicrsquo is language that is simple to understand It is almost like approaching your client underneath the radar

Simply approach them in a very matter of fact way (with a certain amount of emotion) and give them the option to decline your services if they want In this way you donrsquot raise any alarm bells and make them feel trapped They are much more likely to come along for the ride this way

For example ldquoMr Prospect the simple reality is businesses like yours can use this product and it has X effect For you to be interested it obviously has to meet X Y Z needs and also fit within your budget and I have to be able to show you the real benefits of working with our company If I canrsquot then itrsquos only fair that I should head for the door But if I can make all that happen then your company is definitely at an advantage Irsquod like to simply sit down with you and run through these different ideas and see where we go from there is that fair enoughrdquo

So be yourself cut the jargon and let your passion for the product speak for itself Approach other people the way you like to be approached and you might well find that your sales increase hugelybull

5

028 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Winning Sales Presentations

ISSUESEVENTYTWO

Words by Debbie Mayo-Smith

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 029

Creating a great sales presentation isnrsquot very different to crafting a great speech You want to keep attention Motivate Convince Move to action Here is a formula that I follow (learnt from the

American maestro Patricia Fripp) that should help you to vastly improve your success when putting together and delivering a sales presentation

To whom are you speakingBe prepared before you go in and know as much about your audience as possible Age attitude industry and gender will all have a bearing on how you present your points Men and women have different senses of humour Younger audiences will be more impatient than older lsquoCrsquo level executives who donrsquot need the details Your presentation style and content must fit their perspective

You are not the heroWhat is the ratio of your PowerPoint slides (or written material) devoted to your company vs the potential client It stands to reason if you are invited to pitch you have already passed the preliminary vetting The convincing is done Wow them stand out from your competition by focusing on them - not stories of you your company achievements or accolades Do you like listening to egotistical sales people Share the glory with sales teams Ensure you put the prospective company in the limelight

I-You Ratio Likewise look through your sales presentations and count how many Irsquos wersquos and usrsquos you have Make certain your slides and stories are about them not you Change the perspective at every opportunity possible

Wrong ldquoOur company is number one in rdquo

Right ldquoYou benefit from our number one standing becauserdquo

Strong openingIf yoursquore pitching a $500000 contract and have only 10 minutes then starting with ldquogood morning ladies and gentlemen thank you for having us hererdquo just cost you over $8300 by wasting 10 seconds

Open differently and strongly Paint a picture Take them into the future Describe how theyrsquore benefiting from the clever decision they made years ago working with you Decision makers want to benefit the company they also want personally to be sure they are taking the right action So highlight how theyrsquoll be remembered for doing the right thing by using your company (donrsquot make it too much of a butter up though)

Answer questions up front What do they want to know from you How can you help them If yoursquore more expensive will take longer or are the underdog ndash do not ignore the fact Theyrsquore thinking it Come straight out early into the presentation with a lsquoI know what yoursquore thinkingrsquo statement then answer their objections

030 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

PremiseBuild the sales presentation around the structure of how they will benefit from what you are asking them to do ldquoYou will save $2 million dollars by using our softwarerdquo or ldquoYou will cut maintenance expenditure by 20 per centrdquo Phrase it so they say to themselves lsquohowrsquo You then answer in a logical and structured way

Points laid out logicallyYou can help them make $2million How You enumerate and discuss the points one by one with examples Point one is cutting costs Point two is increasing revenue Point three is boosting staff productivity Highlighting points by telling a story will work infinitely better for you than simply stating it or just saying why By the way you turn masterful in your sales presentation story telling skills when you give your stories flesh and blood characters and dialogue

Seamless transitionMoving from a main point (cutting costs) to the next (increasing revenue) should have a smooth flow instead of an abrupt change Carrying on our example you could transition by saying ldquolowering costs is only one side of the equation of boosting your profit Increasing sales in a challenging environment might not seem easy let me show you how we helprdquo That places you nicely into the segment on how you increase their revenues

QuestionsDonrsquot end with questions rather take them before you review at the end so you can close on a high note

ReviewIf possible use a story again ndash outlining a client that benefited in all the ways you highlight they will benefit

Repetitive reframes sound bite statementsYou can be sure theyrsquoll remember stories Hit home with better retention by giving them little sound bites and repeating them often

Strong CloseRefer back to your opening story or bring all the elements together describing how theyrsquoll benefit If you didnrsquot use thersquo looking into the futurersquo in your opening you can use it in the closing ldquoPicture yourself in two yearsrsquo time Itrsquos the gala dinner Award night Everyone is abuzz because of the success of the new software system you approved and installed the year before Five different staff have come to you throughout the evening ndash all award winners from their significant leap in productivityrdquo bull

Debbie Mayo-Smith is one of New Zealandrsquos most in-demand speakers trainers and bestselling authors Debbie works with companies that want more effective staff For more tips and business ideas sign up for her free monthly newsletter

wwwsuccessisconz

GOT A PRODUCT SERVICE OR BUSINESS WORTH TALKING ABOUT

Want to grow brand awareness in a more effective and useful way

Get in touch with Jennifer now to discuss our options+64 9 522 7257 (NZT) | jenniferlespiremediacom | wwwespiremediacom

TALK TO ESPIRE MEDIA ABOUT OUR CONTENT MARKETING SERVICES We offer a range of ways to attract and retain customers by creating and curating relevant and valuable content to engage and add value to your audience

BENEFITSbull Expand your digital footprintbull Grow brand awarenessbull Increase traffic to your websitebull Thought leadershipbull Media exposurebull Attract new customersbull And grow SALES

Check out our blog for content marketing advice tips and ideas plus a free copy of our content marketing guide The Content Creation Cookbook

032 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Nine Steps to Supercharge Your Job Hunt

ISSUEEIGHTYFIVE

Tom ONeil shares some strategies to ensure you get a jump on your competition

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 033

1 Follow-up and use your personal networks Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is generally more trusted Therefore a person who is referred to an employer has a higher trust value and therefore a higher chance of getting employed This is especially true if there is not actually an official job vacancy and you are the only person being assessed for the role

Therefore its vital to get back in contact with your network with your good wishes as well as tell them you are now looking for new career opportunities

2 LinkedInGo through your LinkedIn profile with an objective eye making sure your profile sells you as much as possible Look at common keywords in the types of positions you are seeking and ensure these are included in your profile After you have done this ask a friend or two to have a look through as well to see if you have missed anything of importance

Check the number and quality of your recommendations on LinkedIn Social media author Linda Coles calls these your silent salespeople I recently was told a major international IT company would not select any senior level staff unless they had more than 20 recommendations I was chuffed when I read this as I am up to 45 however when I asked Linda I found that she has over 120 Therefore you can start to see the power these sound-bite type recommendations can have

Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from

word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is

generally more trusted Therefore a person who is

referred to an employer has a higher trust value and

therefore a higher chance of getting employed

034 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3 Go back over your successes in the past 12 monthsMost people tend to rush into the job hunting process only really thinking about their successes (and failures) when they are in the interview Were you awarded further authority in your role Did you exceed any sales or performance targets Did you train or mentor any new people All these things are important to an employer so make sure you take some time today to think about the positive things that shaped your career recently (and be sure to include them in your CV)

4 Plan your career not just your next jobRemember that each position is a stepping stone to the next so take some time out to think about what you want to be doing for a role in 2020 Once you have done this map out ideal positions (and study if needed) to get you there

5 Direct marketingHas there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them You would be surprised about the amount of people who because they demonstrated a strong interest in the company got a position personally crafted for them even though there appeared to be no position available The other major benefit of this direct approach is that it means a manager does not have to pay a $15000 recruitment fee as you have come to them for free

6 Check in with your verbal refereesTime and time again a candidate has missed out on a dream job because their referees were too old or not overly positive During my HR and recruitment career I have contacted the referees of candidates I have been really interested in employing and got responses like Oh no is Steve looking for ANOTHER job or Sorry I dont remember a Mike Smith Are you sure he put me as a referee

Contact your referees ensure they are aware that you are back on the job hunt and ask them if they are happy to provide a verbal reference The five-minute call you make today may well be the difference between getting your next job in October or March

Has there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 035

Tom ONeil is a leading international author career specialist and MD of CVCONZ You can contact Tom via email tomcvconz

CVCONZ

7 Follow-upBecause of the nature of the recruitment process (especially executive search and selection) the hiring process can be extremely drawn out Make sure you keep in contact with the recruiterpotential employer on a regular basis Most candidates are not keen to do this as they feel its overly aggressive However as long as you are friendly and professional in your follow-up you should be remembered positively when the time for the final decision comes

8 Take time to tailor your CV cover letter and interview to the roleA vacant position is a major headache for a company especially if that position is at a senior or executive level Therefore its vital that you tailor your entire approach as a complete solution specifically for the opportunity In most job advertisements and position descriptions there is a section entitled Personal SpecificationsCharacteristicsCompetencies etc This section is the key to the role and is what you need to target

Read through the documentation and summarise what the ideal person would look like With your skills achievements qualifications and experiences how can you meet or exceed these requirements

Finally you want to ensure that the main aspects and keywords are mirrored in everything you send to the employer and in your answers during the interview The closer you meet their brief of the ideal candidate the higher the chance of you getting that job

9 Positive state of mindAs the job hunt progresses it can become a painful process However its vital to stay as positive as you can as employers can sense frustration anxiety and antagonism all the emotions they wont want in an employee Make sure you go into each situation with a positive outlook take the best from all situations and remember every challenge is an opportunity to grow and improve your skills bull

036 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

COMPETITION

BOOK GIVEAWAYWe have two copies of the brand new job search manual Youre Hired The Essential Guide to Job Hunting and Personal Branding by Tom ONeil to give away

The book provides up-to-the-minute practical detail to choose the social media strategy best suited to your

situation and ways to promote yourself

through online networks particularly

LinkedIn as well as the importance of

lsquoofflinersquo branding Also included are sections

on reacutesumeacutes and covering letters (with

access online to templates) interviewing

tips networking direct marketing salary

negotiation and career goal-setting making

this the essential job hunting guide

There has been a huge shift over the last

three decades in the way employment

recruitment takes place and the power of

the individual to take control of their job hunt

has improved massively according to career

specialist Tom OrsquoNeil

But the strength of your lsquobrandrsquo and your

ability to sell your skills and achievements

will dictate how successful you are in your

search In this compelling new guide Tom

provides job seekers with simple exercises

and guidance to identify personal attributes and key career highlights that will assist in marketing yourself to potential employers The advice holds equally well for consultants and contractors like real estate agents and insurance brokers looking to procure new business bull

paulnnzsalesmanagerconz Email Paul before 30th November to be in to win a copy We have two copies to giveawayPublished by New Holland Publishers

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 037

QUICKFIX

Honest Apologies

lsquoDue to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control we lthave let you downgthellipAnd end like this lsquoWe apologise for any

inconvenience this may have causedrsquo

As a customer I read this and think ndash well at least they have told me they have stuffed up but they obviously donrsquot want to tell me why because they think that will make them look even worse and their apology is so canned they donrsquot mean it anyway They donrsquot really care

QUICK FIX

To show you do really care and to build a relationship built on trust cut out the canned opening and closing lines that everyone uses and use real language

bull Tell it how you would say it - which is not the canned written way

bull Tell what did happen and what you learned that will improve customer service in the future

bull Show that you understand their business - you should know what inconvenience it has caused them so apologise specifically for this

Do this and your customers will be much more understanding bull

bull

So itrsquos all gone wrong and you have let your customer down Itrsquos time to write to them with an apology How many letters start like this

038 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Ive been reading and using pieces from NZ Sales Manager magazine since Jan 2011 It has helped me immensely in gaining trust and building sales teams It gives me motivation each month to try something new and see if I can mould it to suit our team Thank you for providing this sales tool - it really has been a great source of information and motivation

Shaun Matheson

It gives me great pleasure to acknowledge all the wonderful work done by the NZ Sales Manager Magazine and all the efforts put in by the editor Mr Paul Newsom

This magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning tool With a well laid out plan this magazine has given all sales professionals including myself a great platform to focus and learn from and thus being very successful in our sales efforts in a very demanding business environment

Congratulations for coming up to your 100th issue which is indeed a great milestone and I personally wish the magazine and all those who run it every success and keep up the great work

Best WishesIvo DrsquoSilva Sales amp Customer Service Manager

THANKYOUFROMOURREADERS

ldquoThis magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning toolrdquoRegional

Manager

at

EDL

Fasteners

Ltd

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 039

Congratulations on the 100th issue of NZ Sales Manager eMag You provide valuable tips on selling and sales management and your 100th issue is great proof that you share great ideas that your readers appreciate and find usefulGraham McGregor Marketing Advisor amp Journalist

A big congrats to NZ Sales Manager on the 100th issue Thanks for your wonderful insights challenging the norm and keeping us focused on doing our best We look forward to the next 100Paul Brophy Team Leader NZ at CXC Global

ldquoThanks for your

wonderful insights

challenging the norm

and keeping us focused

on doing our bestrdquo

Sales management everywhere should be reading the NZ Sales Manager Congrats on your 100th issueJill Konrath Author of Agile Selling SNAP Selling and Selling to Big Companies

What a wonderful milestone for such a useful and inspiring magazine Congratulations to you and all your hard workLinda Coles Online Marketing Expert

Great work and contribution to Sales Managers all across NZ Thank you Ambrose Blowfield Owner The Marketing Company

To the editors and team behind NZSM well done Many growing challenges in the sales arena at an accelerating pace of change and great you have contributed so much to the profession Stuart Edmunds Founder of New Zealand Institute of Sales bull

040 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

EVENTSCALENDAR

DATE NAME PLACE COMPANY27 November Sales Management Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

1 December Negotiation Skills Wellington IMNZ

1 December Sales Seminar Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

2 December Key Account Management Christchurch IMNZ

2 December Effective Sales Prospecting Auckland PD Training

8 December Sales Basics Auckland Geewiz

9 December Advanced Serious Selling Auckland Geewiz

11 December Sales Training Auckland PD Training

15 December Cold Calling and Prospecting Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

15 December Professional Telephone Skills Training

Auckland PD Training

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 041

THECLOSE

ldquoI never ran 1000 miles I could never

have done that I ran 1 mile 1000 timesrdquo

Subscribe at wwwnzsalesmanagerconz ITrsquoS FREE

Lucian Milasan Shutterstockcom

- Stu Mittleman

Page 21: NZ Sales Manager – Issue 100

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 021

You must address and resolve these three most important issues

before committing a lot of resource to a sales campaign

1 Is it real for us

Although there might be a genuine sales opportunity available

- it might not be available to you or your company for a variety

of reasons

2 Do we want to win itbull What is the risk involved

bull Will it take more work and effort than itrsquos worth

bull Can we adequately resource the sale

3 Can we win itbull Do we have the right solution

bull Do we have a good relationship with the customer

bull How strong is the competition

This Qualification Process will help you answer these questions

and tell you when you have what I call lsquoRed Flagrsquo issues to resolve

Sales Opportunity Qualification is a critical and unequivocal

process You must answer Yes Dont Knowrsquo or No with

complete honesty for all the questions in each section

IF YOU HAVE RED FLAG ISSUES THEN SALES ACTIVITY IS REQUIREDWherever you have answered

No or Dont Know to a question

you have uncovered a Red Flag

issue that could potentially stop

you from winning the sale You

need to stop and think about

what sales activities and sales

calls you must undertake to

get a Yes response to those

questions and get yourself

into a winning position

If there are too many Red Flag

issues you may decide that you

just wonrsquot have enough time to

resolve all of them before the

sale is due to close In those

circumstances you might

need to consider negotiating

for more time Or you may feel

that it is just not worth chasing

because it will involve more

effort than the sale is worth to

you If so you will have saved

yourself a lot of wasted time

that you can invest in finding

a better sales opportunity

022 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Here are the 27 critical qualification questions you must answer

IS IT REAL FOR US

The Decision to Change

- Do they have a compelling reason to change

- Is there Senior Executive support for the need to change

- Have they discounted a lsquodo nothingrsquo option

The Money

- Have they explained the cost justification for this project

- Do they have an approved budget for this project

- Are our costs within their budget

The Timeframe

- Have we agreed a decision process timeline with them

- Does the decision process timeline suit us

- Have they allocated enough time to evaluate our

proposal in detail

- Can we meet their delivery and

implementation timescales

The Commercial Reality

- Have they accepted our commercial terms and conditions

- Are we compliant with all of their mandatory requirements

- Do we have our companys approval to submit a

proposal or a quotation

DO WE WANT TO WIN ITThe Risk versus the Gain

- Is the value of the sale enough

for the effort involved

- Will implementation be

straightforward

- Can we adequately resource

the sales campaign

Salespeople can also often lose deals without knowing why In many cases it could be that

they simply failed to ask one straightforward question that would have

flushed out an objection or a problem that could have

been handled quite easily

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 023

CAN WE WIN IT The Solution

- Are any of our unique features and benefits in their

decision criteria

- Do the Key Influencers favour our solution

- Have we aligned our solution to their Key Business

Drivers and Critical Success Factors

- Are we proposing a low or reasonable risk solution

The Relationship

- Do we have a good relationship track record with them

- Do we have good access to the decision-makers

- Do we have a well-placed Coach

- Are we allowed to sell to all the Key Influencers

on this project

The Competition

- Do we know which of the competitors are favoured

by the customer

- Do we know the strengths and weaknesses

of the main competitors

- Do we know the sales strategies of the main competitors

There are three parts to the Sales

Opportunity Qualification Process

1 Gaining an accurate

perspective on a sales

opportunity by answering all

of the Qualification Questions

with complete honesty

2 Developing all of the sales

activities and sales calls

that are still necessary

to get you into a winning

position for the opportunity

3 Early identification and

elimination of the deals you

canrsquot win and the ones you

donrsquot want to win

Use this Qualifying Large

Sales Opportunities Process

to dramatically improve your

chances of winning the significant

sales opportunities on your

prospect list that you choose to

go after - and stop chasing the

ones you are unlikely to win or

donrsquot want to win bull

Tony Hillyard specialises in giving sales teams around the world smart solutions to help them win more business in difficult or very competitive markets Visit Tonyrsquos website here for more information copy The Sales Academy Ltd All Rights Reserved July 2009

wwwsalesacademynetnz

1

2

3

024 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Words by Bill James

ISSUEFORTYSEVEN

Maybe you are new at sales you topped the training class ndash but just cannot make the sales stick Or you could be a veteran of many sales conquests but more recently you

simply cannot get the deals across the line

Or perhaps you spent a small fortune acquiring a franchise and it looked great on paper You have big plans high hopes and you are putting in the hours to make it happen But somehow the results are not coming and the money is not flowing Whatrsquos wrong

Unfortunately the answer could be you

Especially for franchisees there are lots of promises about fantastic marketing packages and potential clients coming through the door but the simple truth is that you are now self-employed No more sick days No one else to delegate to It is you that has to make that sale and secure your own money

5 Tips for the Reluctant Salesperson

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 025

1So here are five tips that will help get you on track if you action them

Stop thinking of yourself as a lsquoSalesmanrsquo (Or Saleswoman)Think about it The word lsquosalesmanrsquo or saleswomanrsquo does not engender confidence and is not respected even by you

Ask yourself do you like being lsquosoldrsquo Guess what ndash your clients feel the same way

There is a huge amount of negative connotation around this wording and it brings up an image of someone you may not want to be From a small child there is every chance your parents told you that salespeople were pushy and not to be trusted and now you have to become one

This obviously causes a real internal conflict and is in my opinion the number one reason why you could find yourself sabotaging your own efforts Donrsquot believe me Ask yourself these questions

bull Do you approach every sales opportunity in the belief it will be a sale

bull Are you secretly dreading lsquothatrsquo question from your client - The one you find so hard to answer

bull Do you find lots of little jobs to do that keep you so busy that you have little time for new business calls

These issues are even more acute if yoursquore very technical in nature and you like performing the task but not producing the sale

Why not rename yourself so that yoursquore comfortable in saying that word when you represent yourself to a potential client What could you call yourself that sits comfortably with you

Remember your role is to help people make the right decision ndash it is not to sell them something

Ask yourself do you like being lsquosoldrsquo Guess what ndash your clients feel the same way Remember your role is to help people make the right decision ndash it is not to sell them something

026 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3

2 Be yourselfSo many people will put on a persona they think is needed to create a successful sales outcome This is simply not the case and could in fact be what is costing you business

When you went through all the psychological and personality testing (hopefully) when you applied for the job or franchise opportunity these assessments showed the real you and indicated that you should be successful in your business So why are you hiding this real you now

Clients look for faults and are suspicious when you knock on the door because you are promoting a product If they sense falseness about you it will raise their alarms and give them good reason not to buy from you Will your natural personality be what everyone is looking for every time Probably not You will get on with some people better than others

But the reality is especially if you are less experienced you were quite possibly never going to sell to those people anyway The ones that would be attracted to your natural personality will be put off by a fake overlay so stop doing it

The reality is that you could be a complete ratbag but people still buy from complete ratbags ndash as long as they are honest about being one Can you image your reaction to someone whorsquos obviously a ratbag but is pretending to be nice and you can see through it It would make you want to run in the opposite direction wouldnrsquot it

Show some passion for your subjectAgain we put on this persona of lsquoprofessionalismrsquo which means we deliver a very dry presentation What was the passion that got you involved in the first place If it was simply that you thought yoursquod make a lot of money you may possibly have made an error ndash thatrsquos called a job

Clients enjoy your enthusiasm and passion for your product It will take you through the tough times but yoursquoll also need to show it to your clients so they know that you are passionate about what you are doing

This isnrsquot easy in cultures where showing emotion is not the norm but the old saying lsquoenthusiasm sellsrsquo is as true now as it ever was

Let your passion and enthusiasm for your subject out and yoursquoll take your potential client along with you for the ride The big problem is that if you do not show some passion and hide in facts and figures your clients will allocate an emotion and a motivation to you What do you think the chances are that it will be a positive one

None

The reality is that you could be a complete ratbag but people still buy from complete ratbags ndash as long as they are honest about being one

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 027

4

Bill James is an internationally recognised sales speaker and trainer who specialises in referral and relationship marketing To find out more visit his website above

wwwBillJamesSpeakercom

Jargon kills salesOccasionally yoursquoll find someone whorsquos really caught up in the technical aspects of what you do But usually they are initially more interested in knowing you understand and care about their needs If you are technically orientated itrsquos easy to hide in the features of your product but this will stop you truly addressing the need of the client

Often most products appear to be very similar and have similar pricing and so the difference is your ability to uncover their real concerns and needs and address those In this way yoursquoll make a connection at a very personal level which is the key to gaining that commitment from your potential client

Loading them up with jargon will simply occupy their headspace and will actually be counterproductive Talking everyday language that your client can understand and addressing their real needs will result in you making real progress

Use a low logic approach with your potential clientlsquoLow logicrsquo is language that is simple to understand It is almost like approaching your client underneath the radar

Simply approach them in a very matter of fact way (with a certain amount of emotion) and give them the option to decline your services if they want In this way you donrsquot raise any alarm bells and make them feel trapped They are much more likely to come along for the ride this way

For example ldquoMr Prospect the simple reality is businesses like yours can use this product and it has X effect For you to be interested it obviously has to meet X Y Z needs and also fit within your budget and I have to be able to show you the real benefits of working with our company If I canrsquot then itrsquos only fair that I should head for the door But if I can make all that happen then your company is definitely at an advantage Irsquod like to simply sit down with you and run through these different ideas and see where we go from there is that fair enoughrdquo

So be yourself cut the jargon and let your passion for the product speak for itself Approach other people the way you like to be approached and you might well find that your sales increase hugelybull

5

028 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Winning Sales Presentations

ISSUESEVENTYTWO

Words by Debbie Mayo-Smith

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 029

Creating a great sales presentation isnrsquot very different to crafting a great speech You want to keep attention Motivate Convince Move to action Here is a formula that I follow (learnt from the

American maestro Patricia Fripp) that should help you to vastly improve your success when putting together and delivering a sales presentation

To whom are you speakingBe prepared before you go in and know as much about your audience as possible Age attitude industry and gender will all have a bearing on how you present your points Men and women have different senses of humour Younger audiences will be more impatient than older lsquoCrsquo level executives who donrsquot need the details Your presentation style and content must fit their perspective

You are not the heroWhat is the ratio of your PowerPoint slides (or written material) devoted to your company vs the potential client It stands to reason if you are invited to pitch you have already passed the preliminary vetting The convincing is done Wow them stand out from your competition by focusing on them - not stories of you your company achievements or accolades Do you like listening to egotistical sales people Share the glory with sales teams Ensure you put the prospective company in the limelight

I-You Ratio Likewise look through your sales presentations and count how many Irsquos wersquos and usrsquos you have Make certain your slides and stories are about them not you Change the perspective at every opportunity possible

Wrong ldquoOur company is number one in rdquo

Right ldquoYou benefit from our number one standing becauserdquo

Strong openingIf yoursquore pitching a $500000 contract and have only 10 minutes then starting with ldquogood morning ladies and gentlemen thank you for having us hererdquo just cost you over $8300 by wasting 10 seconds

Open differently and strongly Paint a picture Take them into the future Describe how theyrsquore benefiting from the clever decision they made years ago working with you Decision makers want to benefit the company they also want personally to be sure they are taking the right action So highlight how theyrsquoll be remembered for doing the right thing by using your company (donrsquot make it too much of a butter up though)

Answer questions up front What do they want to know from you How can you help them If yoursquore more expensive will take longer or are the underdog ndash do not ignore the fact Theyrsquore thinking it Come straight out early into the presentation with a lsquoI know what yoursquore thinkingrsquo statement then answer their objections

030 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

PremiseBuild the sales presentation around the structure of how they will benefit from what you are asking them to do ldquoYou will save $2 million dollars by using our softwarerdquo or ldquoYou will cut maintenance expenditure by 20 per centrdquo Phrase it so they say to themselves lsquohowrsquo You then answer in a logical and structured way

Points laid out logicallyYou can help them make $2million How You enumerate and discuss the points one by one with examples Point one is cutting costs Point two is increasing revenue Point three is boosting staff productivity Highlighting points by telling a story will work infinitely better for you than simply stating it or just saying why By the way you turn masterful in your sales presentation story telling skills when you give your stories flesh and blood characters and dialogue

Seamless transitionMoving from a main point (cutting costs) to the next (increasing revenue) should have a smooth flow instead of an abrupt change Carrying on our example you could transition by saying ldquolowering costs is only one side of the equation of boosting your profit Increasing sales in a challenging environment might not seem easy let me show you how we helprdquo That places you nicely into the segment on how you increase their revenues

QuestionsDonrsquot end with questions rather take them before you review at the end so you can close on a high note

ReviewIf possible use a story again ndash outlining a client that benefited in all the ways you highlight they will benefit

Repetitive reframes sound bite statementsYou can be sure theyrsquoll remember stories Hit home with better retention by giving them little sound bites and repeating them often

Strong CloseRefer back to your opening story or bring all the elements together describing how theyrsquoll benefit If you didnrsquot use thersquo looking into the futurersquo in your opening you can use it in the closing ldquoPicture yourself in two yearsrsquo time Itrsquos the gala dinner Award night Everyone is abuzz because of the success of the new software system you approved and installed the year before Five different staff have come to you throughout the evening ndash all award winners from their significant leap in productivityrdquo bull

Debbie Mayo-Smith is one of New Zealandrsquos most in-demand speakers trainers and bestselling authors Debbie works with companies that want more effective staff For more tips and business ideas sign up for her free monthly newsletter

wwwsuccessisconz

GOT A PRODUCT SERVICE OR BUSINESS WORTH TALKING ABOUT

Want to grow brand awareness in a more effective and useful way

Get in touch with Jennifer now to discuss our options+64 9 522 7257 (NZT) | jenniferlespiremediacom | wwwespiremediacom

TALK TO ESPIRE MEDIA ABOUT OUR CONTENT MARKETING SERVICES We offer a range of ways to attract and retain customers by creating and curating relevant and valuable content to engage and add value to your audience

BENEFITSbull Expand your digital footprintbull Grow brand awarenessbull Increase traffic to your websitebull Thought leadershipbull Media exposurebull Attract new customersbull And grow SALES

Check out our blog for content marketing advice tips and ideas plus a free copy of our content marketing guide The Content Creation Cookbook

032 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Nine Steps to Supercharge Your Job Hunt

ISSUEEIGHTYFIVE

Tom ONeil shares some strategies to ensure you get a jump on your competition

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 033

1 Follow-up and use your personal networks Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is generally more trusted Therefore a person who is referred to an employer has a higher trust value and therefore a higher chance of getting employed This is especially true if there is not actually an official job vacancy and you are the only person being assessed for the role

Therefore its vital to get back in contact with your network with your good wishes as well as tell them you are now looking for new career opportunities

2 LinkedInGo through your LinkedIn profile with an objective eye making sure your profile sells you as much as possible Look at common keywords in the types of positions you are seeking and ensure these are included in your profile After you have done this ask a friend or two to have a look through as well to see if you have missed anything of importance

Check the number and quality of your recommendations on LinkedIn Social media author Linda Coles calls these your silent salespeople I recently was told a major international IT company would not select any senior level staff unless they had more than 20 recommendations I was chuffed when I read this as I am up to 45 however when I asked Linda I found that she has over 120 Therefore you can start to see the power these sound-bite type recommendations can have

Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from

word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is

generally more trusted Therefore a person who is

referred to an employer has a higher trust value and

therefore a higher chance of getting employed

034 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3 Go back over your successes in the past 12 monthsMost people tend to rush into the job hunting process only really thinking about their successes (and failures) when they are in the interview Were you awarded further authority in your role Did you exceed any sales or performance targets Did you train or mentor any new people All these things are important to an employer so make sure you take some time today to think about the positive things that shaped your career recently (and be sure to include them in your CV)

4 Plan your career not just your next jobRemember that each position is a stepping stone to the next so take some time out to think about what you want to be doing for a role in 2020 Once you have done this map out ideal positions (and study if needed) to get you there

5 Direct marketingHas there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them You would be surprised about the amount of people who because they demonstrated a strong interest in the company got a position personally crafted for them even though there appeared to be no position available The other major benefit of this direct approach is that it means a manager does not have to pay a $15000 recruitment fee as you have come to them for free

6 Check in with your verbal refereesTime and time again a candidate has missed out on a dream job because their referees were too old or not overly positive During my HR and recruitment career I have contacted the referees of candidates I have been really interested in employing and got responses like Oh no is Steve looking for ANOTHER job or Sorry I dont remember a Mike Smith Are you sure he put me as a referee

Contact your referees ensure they are aware that you are back on the job hunt and ask them if they are happy to provide a verbal reference The five-minute call you make today may well be the difference between getting your next job in October or March

Has there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 035

Tom ONeil is a leading international author career specialist and MD of CVCONZ You can contact Tom via email tomcvconz

CVCONZ

7 Follow-upBecause of the nature of the recruitment process (especially executive search and selection) the hiring process can be extremely drawn out Make sure you keep in contact with the recruiterpotential employer on a regular basis Most candidates are not keen to do this as they feel its overly aggressive However as long as you are friendly and professional in your follow-up you should be remembered positively when the time for the final decision comes

8 Take time to tailor your CV cover letter and interview to the roleA vacant position is a major headache for a company especially if that position is at a senior or executive level Therefore its vital that you tailor your entire approach as a complete solution specifically for the opportunity In most job advertisements and position descriptions there is a section entitled Personal SpecificationsCharacteristicsCompetencies etc This section is the key to the role and is what you need to target

Read through the documentation and summarise what the ideal person would look like With your skills achievements qualifications and experiences how can you meet or exceed these requirements

Finally you want to ensure that the main aspects and keywords are mirrored in everything you send to the employer and in your answers during the interview The closer you meet their brief of the ideal candidate the higher the chance of you getting that job

9 Positive state of mindAs the job hunt progresses it can become a painful process However its vital to stay as positive as you can as employers can sense frustration anxiety and antagonism all the emotions they wont want in an employee Make sure you go into each situation with a positive outlook take the best from all situations and remember every challenge is an opportunity to grow and improve your skills bull

036 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

COMPETITION

BOOK GIVEAWAYWe have two copies of the brand new job search manual Youre Hired The Essential Guide to Job Hunting and Personal Branding by Tom ONeil to give away

The book provides up-to-the-minute practical detail to choose the social media strategy best suited to your

situation and ways to promote yourself

through online networks particularly

LinkedIn as well as the importance of

lsquoofflinersquo branding Also included are sections

on reacutesumeacutes and covering letters (with

access online to templates) interviewing

tips networking direct marketing salary

negotiation and career goal-setting making

this the essential job hunting guide

There has been a huge shift over the last

three decades in the way employment

recruitment takes place and the power of

the individual to take control of their job hunt

has improved massively according to career

specialist Tom OrsquoNeil

But the strength of your lsquobrandrsquo and your

ability to sell your skills and achievements

will dictate how successful you are in your

search In this compelling new guide Tom

provides job seekers with simple exercises

and guidance to identify personal attributes and key career highlights that will assist in marketing yourself to potential employers The advice holds equally well for consultants and contractors like real estate agents and insurance brokers looking to procure new business bull

paulnnzsalesmanagerconz Email Paul before 30th November to be in to win a copy We have two copies to giveawayPublished by New Holland Publishers

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 037

QUICKFIX

Honest Apologies

lsquoDue to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control we lthave let you downgthellipAnd end like this lsquoWe apologise for any

inconvenience this may have causedrsquo

As a customer I read this and think ndash well at least they have told me they have stuffed up but they obviously donrsquot want to tell me why because they think that will make them look even worse and their apology is so canned they donrsquot mean it anyway They donrsquot really care

QUICK FIX

To show you do really care and to build a relationship built on trust cut out the canned opening and closing lines that everyone uses and use real language

bull Tell it how you would say it - which is not the canned written way

bull Tell what did happen and what you learned that will improve customer service in the future

bull Show that you understand their business - you should know what inconvenience it has caused them so apologise specifically for this

Do this and your customers will be much more understanding bull

bull

So itrsquos all gone wrong and you have let your customer down Itrsquos time to write to them with an apology How many letters start like this

038 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Ive been reading and using pieces from NZ Sales Manager magazine since Jan 2011 It has helped me immensely in gaining trust and building sales teams It gives me motivation each month to try something new and see if I can mould it to suit our team Thank you for providing this sales tool - it really has been a great source of information and motivation

Shaun Matheson

It gives me great pleasure to acknowledge all the wonderful work done by the NZ Sales Manager Magazine and all the efforts put in by the editor Mr Paul Newsom

This magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning tool With a well laid out plan this magazine has given all sales professionals including myself a great platform to focus and learn from and thus being very successful in our sales efforts in a very demanding business environment

Congratulations for coming up to your 100th issue which is indeed a great milestone and I personally wish the magazine and all those who run it every success and keep up the great work

Best WishesIvo DrsquoSilva Sales amp Customer Service Manager

THANKYOUFROMOURREADERS

ldquoThis magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning toolrdquoRegional

Manager

at

EDL

Fasteners

Ltd

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 039

Congratulations on the 100th issue of NZ Sales Manager eMag You provide valuable tips on selling and sales management and your 100th issue is great proof that you share great ideas that your readers appreciate and find usefulGraham McGregor Marketing Advisor amp Journalist

A big congrats to NZ Sales Manager on the 100th issue Thanks for your wonderful insights challenging the norm and keeping us focused on doing our best We look forward to the next 100Paul Brophy Team Leader NZ at CXC Global

ldquoThanks for your

wonderful insights

challenging the norm

and keeping us focused

on doing our bestrdquo

Sales management everywhere should be reading the NZ Sales Manager Congrats on your 100th issueJill Konrath Author of Agile Selling SNAP Selling and Selling to Big Companies

What a wonderful milestone for such a useful and inspiring magazine Congratulations to you and all your hard workLinda Coles Online Marketing Expert

Great work and contribution to Sales Managers all across NZ Thank you Ambrose Blowfield Owner The Marketing Company

To the editors and team behind NZSM well done Many growing challenges in the sales arena at an accelerating pace of change and great you have contributed so much to the profession Stuart Edmunds Founder of New Zealand Institute of Sales bull

040 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

EVENTSCALENDAR

DATE NAME PLACE COMPANY27 November Sales Management Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

1 December Negotiation Skills Wellington IMNZ

1 December Sales Seminar Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

2 December Key Account Management Christchurch IMNZ

2 December Effective Sales Prospecting Auckland PD Training

8 December Sales Basics Auckland Geewiz

9 December Advanced Serious Selling Auckland Geewiz

11 December Sales Training Auckland PD Training

15 December Cold Calling and Prospecting Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

15 December Professional Telephone Skills Training

Auckland PD Training

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 041

THECLOSE

ldquoI never ran 1000 miles I could never

have done that I ran 1 mile 1000 timesrdquo

Subscribe at wwwnzsalesmanagerconz ITrsquoS FREE

Lucian Milasan Shutterstockcom

- Stu Mittleman

Page 22: NZ Sales Manager – Issue 100

022 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Here are the 27 critical qualification questions you must answer

IS IT REAL FOR US

The Decision to Change

- Do they have a compelling reason to change

- Is there Senior Executive support for the need to change

- Have they discounted a lsquodo nothingrsquo option

The Money

- Have they explained the cost justification for this project

- Do they have an approved budget for this project

- Are our costs within their budget

The Timeframe

- Have we agreed a decision process timeline with them

- Does the decision process timeline suit us

- Have they allocated enough time to evaluate our

proposal in detail

- Can we meet their delivery and

implementation timescales

The Commercial Reality

- Have they accepted our commercial terms and conditions

- Are we compliant with all of their mandatory requirements

- Do we have our companys approval to submit a

proposal or a quotation

DO WE WANT TO WIN ITThe Risk versus the Gain

- Is the value of the sale enough

for the effort involved

- Will implementation be

straightforward

- Can we adequately resource

the sales campaign

Salespeople can also often lose deals without knowing why In many cases it could be that

they simply failed to ask one straightforward question that would have

flushed out an objection or a problem that could have

been handled quite easily

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 023

CAN WE WIN IT The Solution

- Are any of our unique features and benefits in their

decision criteria

- Do the Key Influencers favour our solution

- Have we aligned our solution to their Key Business

Drivers and Critical Success Factors

- Are we proposing a low or reasonable risk solution

The Relationship

- Do we have a good relationship track record with them

- Do we have good access to the decision-makers

- Do we have a well-placed Coach

- Are we allowed to sell to all the Key Influencers

on this project

The Competition

- Do we know which of the competitors are favoured

by the customer

- Do we know the strengths and weaknesses

of the main competitors

- Do we know the sales strategies of the main competitors

There are three parts to the Sales

Opportunity Qualification Process

1 Gaining an accurate

perspective on a sales

opportunity by answering all

of the Qualification Questions

with complete honesty

2 Developing all of the sales

activities and sales calls

that are still necessary

to get you into a winning

position for the opportunity

3 Early identification and

elimination of the deals you

canrsquot win and the ones you

donrsquot want to win

Use this Qualifying Large

Sales Opportunities Process

to dramatically improve your

chances of winning the significant

sales opportunities on your

prospect list that you choose to

go after - and stop chasing the

ones you are unlikely to win or

donrsquot want to win bull

Tony Hillyard specialises in giving sales teams around the world smart solutions to help them win more business in difficult or very competitive markets Visit Tonyrsquos website here for more information copy The Sales Academy Ltd All Rights Reserved July 2009

wwwsalesacademynetnz

1

2

3

024 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Words by Bill James

ISSUEFORTYSEVEN

Maybe you are new at sales you topped the training class ndash but just cannot make the sales stick Or you could be a veteran of many sales conquests but more recently you

simply cannot get the deals across the line

Or perhaps you spent a small fortune acquiring a franchise and it looked great on paper You have big plans high hopes and you are putting in the hours to make it happen But somehow the results are not coming and the money is not flowing Whatrsquos wrong

Unfortunately the answer could be you

Especially for franchisees there are lots of promises about fantastic marketing packages and potential clients coming through the door but the simple truth is that you are now self-employed No more sick days No one else to delegate to It is you that has to make that sale and secure your own money

5 Tips for the Reluctant Salesperson

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 025

1So here are five tips that will help get you on track if you action them

Stop thinking of yourself as a lsquoSalesmanrsquo (Or Saleswoman)Think about it The word lsquosalesmanrsquo or saleswomanrsquo does not engender confidence and is not respected even by you

Ask yourself do you like being lsquosoldrsquo Guess what ndash your clients feel the same way

There is a huge amount of negative connotation around this wording and it brings up an image of someone you may not want to be From a small child there is every chance your parents told you that salespeople were pushy and not to be trusted and now you have to become one

This obviously causes a real internal conflict and is in my opinion the number one reason why you could find yourself sabotaging your own efforts Donrsquot believe me Ask yourself these questions

bull Do you approach every sales opportunity in the belief it will be a sale

bull Are you secretly dreading lsquothatrsquo question from your client - The one you find so hard to answer

bull Do you find lots of little jobs to do that keep you so busy that you have little time for new business calls

These issues are even more acute if yoursquore very technical in nature and you like performing the task but not producing the sale

Why not rename yourself so that yoursquore comfortable in saying that word when you represent yourself to a potential client What could you call yourself that sits comfortably with you

Remember your role is to help people make the right decision ndash it is not to sell them something

Ask yourself do you like being lsquosoldrsquo Guess what ndash your clients feel the same way Remember your role is to help people make the right decision ndash it is not to sell them something

026 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3

2 Be yourselfSo many people will put on a persona they think is needed to create a successful sales outcome This is simply not the case and could in fact be what is costing you business

When you went through all the psychological and personality testing (hopefully) when you applied for the job or franchise opportunity these assessments showed the real you and indicated that you should be successful in your business So why are you hiding this real you now

Clients look for faults and are suspicious when you knock on the door because you are promoting a product If they sense falseness about you it will raise their alarms and give them good reason not to buy from you Will your natural personality be what everyone is looking for every time Probably not You will get on with some people better than others

But the reality is especially if you are less experienced you were quite possibly never going to sell to those people anyway The ones that would be attracted to your natural personality will be put off by a fake overlay so stop doing it

The reality is that you could be a complete ratbag but people still buy from complete ratbags ndash as long as they are honest about being one Can you image your reaction to someone whorsquos obviously a ratbag but is pretending to be nice and you can see through it It would make you want to run in the opposite direction wouldnrsquot it

Show some passion for your subjectAgain we put on this persona of lsquoprofessionalismrsquo which means we deliver a very dry presentation What was the passion that got you involved in the first place If it was simply that you thought yoursquod make a lot of money you may possibly have made an error ndash thatrsquos called a job

Clients enjoy your enthusiasm and passion for your product It will take you through the tough times but yoursquoll also need to show it to your clients so they know that you are passionate about what you are doing

This isnrsquot easy in cultures where showing emotion is not the norm but the old saying lsquoenthusiasm sellsrsquo is as true now as it ever was

Let your passion and enthusiasm for your subject out and yoursquoll take your potential client along with you for the ride The big problem is that if you do not show some passion and hide in facts and figures your clients will allocate an emotion and a motivation to you What do you think the chances are that it will be a positive one

None

The reality is that you could be a complete ratbag but people still buy from complete ratbags ndash as long as they are honest about being one

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 027

4

Bill James is an internationally recognised sales speaker and trainer who specialises in referral and relationship marketing To find out more visit his website above

wwwBillJamesSpeakercom

Jargon kills salesOccasionally yoursquoll find someone whorsquos really caught up in the technical aspects of what you do But usually they are initially more interested in knowing you understand and care about their needs If you are technically orientated itrsquos easy to hide in the features of your product but this will stop you truly addressing the need of the client

Often most products appear to be very similar and have similar pricing and so the difference is your ability to uncover their real concerns and needs and address those In this way yoursquoll make a connection at a very personal level which is the key to gaining that commitment from your potential client

Loading them up with jargon will simply occupy their headspace and will actually be counterproductive Talking everyday language that your client can understand and addressing their real needs will result in you making real progress

Use a low logic approach with your potential clientlsquoLow logicrsquo is language that is simple to understand It is almost like approaching your client underneath the radar

Simply approach them in a very matter of fact way (with a certain amount of emotion) and give them the option to decline your services if they want In this way you donrsquot raise any alarm bells and make them feel trapped They are much more likely to come along for the ride this way

For example ldquoMr Prospect the simple reality is businesses like yours can use this product and it has X effect For you to be interested it obviously has to meet X Y Z needs and also fit within your budget and I have to be able to show you the real benefits of working with our company If I canrsquot then itrsquos only fair that I should head for the door But if I can make all that happen then your company is definitely at an advantage Irsquod like to simply sit down with you and run through these different ideas and see where we go from there is that fair enoughrdquo

So be yourself cut the jargon and let your passion for the product speak for itself Approach other people the way you like to be approached and you might well find that your sales increase hugelybull

5

028 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Winning Sales Presentations

ISSUESEVENTYTWO

Words by Debbie Mayo-Smith

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 029

Creating a great sales presentation isnrsquot very different to crafting a great speech You want to keep attention Motivate Convince Move to action Here is a formula that I follow (learnt from the

American maestro Patricia Fripp) that should help you to vastly improve your success when putting together and delivering a sales presentation

To whom are you speakingBe prepared before you go in and know as much about your audience as possible Age attitude industry and gender will all have a bearing on how you present your points Men and women have different senses of humour Younger audiences will be more impatient than older lsquoCrsquo level executives who donrsquot need the details Your presentation style and content must fit their perspective

You are not the heroWhat is the ratio of your PowerPoint slides (or written material) devoted to your company vs the potential client It stands to reason if you are invited to pitch you have already passed the preliminary vetting The convincing is done Wow them stand out from your competition by focusing on them - not stories of you your company achievements or accolades Do you like listening to egotistical sales people Share the glory with sales teams Ensure you put the prospective company in the limelight

I-You Ratio Likewise look through your sales presentations and count how many Irsquos wersquos and usrsquos you have Make certain your slides and stories are about them not you Change the perspective at every opportunity possible

Wrong ldquoOur company is number one in rdquo

Right ldquoYou benefit from our number one standing becauserdquo

Strong openingIf yoursquore pitching a $500000 contract and have only 10 minutes then starting with ldquogood morning ladies and gentlemen thank you for having us hererdquo just cost you over $8300 by wasting 10 seconds

Open differently and strongly Paint a picture Take them into the future Describe how theyrsquore benefiting from the clever decision they made years ago working with you Decision makers want to benefit the company they also want personally to be sure they are taking the right action So highlight how theyrsquoll be remembered for doing the right thing by using your company (donrsquot make it too much of a butter up though)

Answer questions up front What do they want to know from you How can you help them If yoursquore more expensive will take longer or are the underdog ndash do not ignore the fact Theyrsquore thinking it Come straight out early into the presentation with a lsquoI know what yoursquore thinkingrsquo statement then answer their objections

030 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

PremiseBuild the sales presentation around the structure of how they will benefit from what you are asking them to do ldquoYou will save $2 million dollars by using our softwarerdquo or ldquoYou will cut maintenance expenditure by 20 per centrdquo Phrase it so they say to themselves lsquohowrsquo You then answer in a logical and structured way

Points laid out logicallyYou can help them make $2million How You enumerate and discuss the points one by one with examples Point one is cutting costs Point two is increasing revenue Point three is boosting staff productivity Highlighting points by telling a story will work infinitely better for you than simply stating it or just saying why By the way you turn masterful in your sales presentation story telling skills when you give your stories flesh and blood characters and dialogue

Seamless transitionMoving from a main point (cutting costs) to the next (increasing revenue) should have a smooth flow instead of an abrupt change Carrying on our example you could transition by saying ldquolowering costs is only one side of the equation of boosting your profit Increasing sales in a challenging environment might not seem easy let me show you how we helprdquo That places you nicely into the segment on how you increase their revenues

QuestionsDonrsquot end with questions rather take them before you review at the end so you can close on a high note

ReviewIf possible use a story again ndash outlining a client that benefited in all the ways you highlight they will benefit

Repetitive reframes sound bite statementsYou can be sure theyrsquoll remember stories Hit home with better retention by giving them little sound bites and repeating them often

Strong CloseRefer back to your opening story or bring all the elements together describing how theyrsquoll benefit If you didnrsquot use thersquo looking into the futurersquo in your opening you can use it in the closing ldquoPicture yourself in two yearsrsquo time Itrsquos the gala dinner Award night Everyone is abuzz because of the success of the new software system you approved and installed the year before Five different staff have come to you throughout the evening ndash all award winners from their significant leap in productivityrdquo bull

Debbie Mayo-Smith is one of New Zealandrsquos most in-demand speakers trainers and bestselling authors Debbie works with companies that want more effective staff For more tips and business ideas sign up for her free monthly newsletter

wwwsuccessisconz

GOT A PRODUCT SERVICE OR BUSINESS WORTH TALKING ABOUT

Want to grow brand awareness in a more effective and useful way

Get in touch with Jennifer now to discuss our options+64 9 522 7257 (NZT) | jenniferlespiremediacom | wwwespiremediacom

TALK TO ESPIRE MEDIA ABOUT OUR CONTENT MARKETING SERVICES We offer a range of ways to attract and retain customers by creating and curating relevant and valuable content to engage and add value to your audience

BENEFITSbull Expand your digital footprintbull Grow brand awarenessbull Increase traffic to your websitebull Thought leadershipbull Media exposurebull Attract new customersbull And grow SALES

Check out our blog for content marketing advice tips and ideas plus a free copy of our content marketing guide The Content Creation Cookbook

032 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Nine Steps to Supercharge Your Job Hunt

ISSUEEIGHTYFIVE

Tom ONeil shares some strategies to ensure you get a jump on your competition

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 033

1 Follow-up and use your personal networks Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is generally more trusted Therefore a person who is referred to an employer has a higher trust value and therefore a higher chance of getting employed This is especially true if there is not actually an official job vacancy and you are the only person being assessed for the role

Therefore its vital to get back in contact with your network with your good wishes as well as tell them you are now looking for new career opportunities

2 LinkedInGo through your LinkedIn profile with an objective eye making sure your profile sells you as much as possible Look at common keywords in the types of positions you are seeking and ensure these are included in your profile After you have done this ask a friend or two to have a look through as well to see if you have missed anything of importance

Check the number and quality of your recommendations on LinkedIn Social media author Linda Coles calls these your silent salespeople I recently was told a major international IT company would not select any senior level staff unless they had more than 20 recommendations I was chuffed when I read this as I am up to 45 however when I asked Linda I found that she has over 120 Therefore you can start to see the power these sound-bite type recommendations can have

Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from

word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is

generally more trusted Therefore a person who is

referred to an employer has a higher trust value and

therefore a higher chance of getting employed

034 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3 Go back over your successes in the past 12 monthsMost people tend to rush into the job hunting process only really thinking about their successes (and failures) when they are in the interview Were you awarded further authority in your role Did you exceed any sales or performance targets Did you train or mentor any new people All these things are important to an employer so make sure you take some time today to think about the positive things that shaped your career recently (and be sure to include them in your CV)

4 Plan your career not just your next jobRemember that each position is a stepping stone to the next so take some time out to think about what you want to be doing for a role in 2020 Once you have done this map out ideal positions (and study if needed) to get you there

5 Direct marketingHas there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them You would be surprised about the amount of people who because they demonstrated a strong interest in the company got a position personally crafted for them even though there appeared to be no position available The other major benefit of this direct approach is that it means a manager does not have to pay a $15000 recruitment fee as you have come to them for free

6 Check in with your verbal refereesTime and time again a candidate has missed out on a dream job because their referees were too old or not overly positive During my HR and recruitment career I have contacted the referees of candidates I have been really interested in employing and got responses like Oh no is Steve looking for ANOTHER job or Sorry I dont remember a Mike Smith Are you sure he put me as a referee

Contact your referees ensure they are aware that you are back on the job hunt and ask them if they are happy to provide a verbal reference The five-minute call you make today may well be the difference between getting your next job in October or March

Has there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 035

Tom ONeil is a leading international author career specialist and MD of CVCONZ You can contact Tom via email tomcvconz

CVCONZ

7 Follow-upBecause of the nature of the recruitment process (especially executive search and selection) the hiring process can be extremely drawn out Make sure you keep in contact with the recruiterpotential employer on a regular basis Most candidates are not keen to do this as they feel its overly aggressive However as long as you are friendly and professional in your follow-up you should be remembered positively when the time for the final decision comes

8 Take time to tailor your CV cover letter and interview to the roleA vacant position is a major headache for a company especially if that position is at a senior or executive level Therefore its vital that you tailor your entire approach as a complete solution specifically for the opportunity In most job advertisements and position descriptions there is a section entitled Personal SpecificationsCharacteristicsCompetencies etc This section is the key to the role and is what you need to target

Read through the documentation and summarise what the ideal person would look like With your skills achievements qualifications and experiences how can you meet or exceed these requirements

Finally you want to ensure that the main aspects and keywords are mirrored in everything you send to the employer and in your answers during the interview The closer you meet their brief of the ideal candidate the higher the chance of you getting that job

9 Positive state of mindAs the job hunt progresses it can become a painful process However its vital to stay as positive as you can as employers can sense frustration anxiety and antagonism all the emotions they wont want in an employee Make sure you go into each situation with a positive outlook take the best from all situations and remember every challenge is an opportunity to grow and improve your skills bull

036 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

COMPETITION

BOOK GIVEAWAYWe have two copies of the brand new job search manual Youre Hired The Essential Guide to Job Hunting and Personal Branding by Tom ONeil to give away

The book provides up-to-the-minute practical detail to choose the social media strategy best suited to your

situation and ways to promote yourself

through online networks particularly

LinkedIn as well as the importance of

lsquoofflinersquo branding Also included are sections

on reacutesumeacutes and covering letters (with

access online to templates) interviewing

tips networking direct marketing salary

negotiation and career goal-setting making

this the essential job hunting guide

There has been a huge shift over the last

three decades in the way employment

recruitment takes place and the power of

the individual to take control of their job hunt

has improved massively according to career

specialist Tom OrsquoNeil

But the strength of your lsquobrandrsquo and your

ability to sell your skills and achievements

will dictate how successful you are in your

search In this compelling new guide Tom

provides job seekers with simple exercises

and guidance to identify personal attributes and key career highlights that will assist in marketing yourself to potential employers The advice holds equally well for consultants and contractors like real estate agents and insurance brokers looking to procure new business bull

paulnnzsalesmanagerconz Email Paul before 30th November to be in to win a copy We have two copies to giveawayPublished by New Holland Publishers

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 037

QUICKFIX

Honest Apologies

lsquoDue to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control we lthave let you downgthellipAnd end like this lsquoWe apologise for any

inconvenience this may have causedrsquo

As a customer I read this and think ndash well at least they have told me they have stuffed up but they obviously donrsquot want to tell me why because they think that will make them look even worse and their apology is so canned they donrsquot mean it anyway They donrsquot really care

QUICK FIX

To show you do really care and to build a relationship built on trust cut out the canned opening and closing lines that everyone uses and use real language

bull Tell it how you would say it - which is not the canned written way

bull Tell what did happen and what you learned that will improve customer service in the future

bull Show that you understand their business - you should know what inconvenience it has caused them so apologise specifically for this

Do this and your customers will be much more understanding bull

bull

So itrsquos all gone wrong and you have let your customer down Itrsquos time to write to them with an apology How many letters start like this

038 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Ive been reading and using pieces from NZ Sales Manager magazine since Jan 2011 It has helped me immensely in gaining trust and building sales teams It gives me motivation each month to try something new and see if I can mould it to suit our team Thank you for providing this sales tool - it really has been a great source of information and motivation

Shaun Matheson

It gives me great pleasure to acknowledge all the wonderful work done by the NZ Sales Manager Magazine and all the efforts put in by the editor Mr Paul Newsom

This magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning tool With a well laid out plan this magazine has given all sales professionals including myself a great platform to focus and learn from and thus being very successful in our sales efforts in a very demanding business environment

Congratulations for coming up to your 100th issue which is indeed a great milestone and I personally wish the magazine and all those who run it every success and keep up the great work

Best WishesIvo DrsquoSilva Sales amp Customer Service Manager

THANKYOUFROMOURREADERS

ldquoThis magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning toolrdquoRegional

Manager

at

EDL

Fasteners

Ltd

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 039

Congratulations on the 100th issue of NZ Sales Manager eMag You provide valuable tips on selling and sales management and your 100th issue is great proof that you share great ideas that your readers appreciate and find usefulGraham McGregor Marketing Advisor amp Journalist

A big congrats to NZ Sales Manager on the 100th issue Thanks for your wonderful insights challenging the norm and keeping us focused on doing our best We look forward to the next 100Paul Brophy Team Leader NZ at CXC Global

ldquoThanks for your

wonderful insights

challenging the norm

and keeping us focused

on doing our bestrdquo

Sales management everywhere should be reading the NZ Sales Manager Congrats on your 100th issueJill Konrath Author of Agile Selling SNAP Selling and Selling to Big Companies

What a wonderful milestone for such a useful and inspiring magazine Congratulations to you and all your hard workLinda Coles Online Marketing Expert

Great work and contribution to Sales Managers all across NZ Thank you Ambrose Blowfield Owner The Marketing Company

To the editors and team behind NZSM well done Many growing challenges in the sales arena at an accelerating pace of change and great you have contributed so much to the profession Stuart Edmunds Founder of New Zealand Institute of Sales bull

040 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

EVENTSCALENDAR

DATE NAME PLACE COMPANY27 November Sales Management Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

1 December Negotiation Skills Wellington IMNZ

1 December Sales Seminar Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

2 December Key Account Management Christchurch IMNZ

2 December Effective Sales Prospecting Auckland PD Training

8 December Sales Basics Auckland Geewiz

9 December Advanced Serious Selling Auckland Geewiz

11 December Sales Training Auckland PD Training

15 December Cold Calling and Prospecting Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

15 December Professional Telephone Skills Training

Auckland PD Training

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 041

THECLOSE

ldquoI never ran 1000 miles I could never

have done that I ran 1 mile 1000 timesrdquo

Subscribe at wwwnzsalesmanagerconz ITrsquoS FREE

Lucian Milasan Shutterstockcom

- Stu Mittleman

Page 23: NZ Sales Manager – Issue 100

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 023

CAN WE WIN IT The Solution

- Are any of our unique features and benefits in their

decision criteria

- Do the Key Influencers favour our solution

- Have we aligned our solution to their Key Business

Drivers and Critical Success Factors

- Are we proposing a low or reasonable risk solution

The Relationship

- Do we have a good relationship track record with them

- Do we have good access to the decision-makers

- Do we have a well-placed Coach

- Are we allowed to sell to all the Key Influencers

on this project

The Competition

- Do we know which of the competitors are favoured

by the customer

- Do we know the strengths and weaknesses

of the main competitors

- Do we know the sales strategies of the main competitors

There are three parts to the Sales

Opportunity Qualification Process

1 Gaining an accurate

perspective on a sales

opportunity by answering all

of the Qualification Questions

with complete honesty

2 Developing all of the sales

activities and sales calls

that are still necessary

to get you into a winning

position for the opportunity

3 Early identification and

elimination of the deals you

canrsquot win and the ones you

donrsquot want to win

Use this Qualifying Large

Sales Opportunities Process

to dramatically improve your

chances of winning the significant

sales opportunities on your

prospect list that you choose to

go after - and stop chasing the

ones you are unlikely to win or

donrsquot want to win bull

Tony Hillyard specialises in giving sales teams around the world smart solutions to help them win more business in difficult or very competitive markets Visit Tonyrsquos website here for more information copy The Sales Academy Ltd All Rights Reserved July 2009

wwwsalesacademynetnz

1

2

3

024 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Words by Bill James

ISSUEFORTYSEVEN

Maybe you are new at sales you topped the training class ndash but just cannot make the sales stick Or you could be a veteran of many sales conquests but more recently you

simply cannot get the deals across the line

Or perhaps you spent a small fortune acquiring a franchise and it looked great on paper You have big plans high hopes and you are putting in the hours to make it happen But somehow the results are not coming and the money is not flowing Whatrsquos wrong

Unfortunately the answer could be you

Especially for franchisees there are lots of promises about fantastic marketing packages and potential clients coming through the door but the simple truth is that you are now self-employed No more sick days No one else to delegate to It is you that has to make that sale and secure your own money

5 Tips for the Reluctant Salesperson

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 025

1So here are five tips that will help get you on track if you action them

Stop thinking of yourself as a lsquoSalesmanrsquo (Or Saleswoman)Think about it The word lsquosalesmanrsquo or saleswomanrsquo does not engender confidence and is not respected even by you

Ask yourself do you like being lsquosoldrsquo Guess what ndash your clients feel the same way

There is a huge amount of negative connotation around this wording and it brings up an image of someone you may not want to be From a small child there is every chance your parents told you that salespeople were pushy and not to be trusted and now you have to become one

This obviously causes a real internal conflict and is in my opinion the number one reason why you could find yourself sabotaging your own efforts Donrsquot believe me Ask yourself these questions

bull Do you approach every sales opportunity in the belief it will be a sale

bull Are you secretly dreading lsquothatrsquo question from your client - The one you find so hard to answer

bull Do you find lots of little jobs to do that keep you so busy that you have little time for new business calls

These issues are even more acute if yoursquore very technical in nature and you like performing the task but not producing the sale

Why not rename yourself so that yoursquore comfortable in saying that word when you represent yourself to a potential client What could you call yourself that sits comfortably with you

Remember your role is to help people make the right decision ndash it is not to sell them something

Ask yourself do you like being lsquosoldrsquo Guess what ndash your clients feel the same way Remember your role is to help people make the right decision ndash it is not to sell them something

026 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3

2 Be yourselfSo many people will put on a persona they think is needed to create a successful sales outcome This is simply not the case and could in fact be what is costing you business

When you went through all the psychological and personality testing (hopefully) when you applied for the job or franchise opportunity these assessments showed the real you and indicated that you should be successful in your business So why are you hiding this real you now

Clients look for faults and are suspicious when you knock on the door because you are promoting a product If they sense falseness about you it will raise their alarms and give them good reason not to buy from you Will your natural personality be what everyone is looking for every time Probably not You will get on with some people better than others

But the reality is especially if you are less experienced you were quite possibly never going to sell to those people anyway The ones that would be attracted to your natural personality will be put off by a fake overlay so stop doing it

The reality is that you could be a complete ratbag but people still buy from complete ratbags ndash as long as they are honest about being one Can you image your reaction to someone whorsquos obviously a ratbag but is pretending to be nice and you can see through it It would make you want to run in the opposite direction wouldnrsquot it

Show some passion for your subjectAgain we put on this persona of lsquoprofessionalismrsquo which means we deliver a very dry presentation What was the passion that got you involved in the first place If it was simply that you thought yoursquod make a lot of money you may possibly have made an error ndash thatrsquos called a job

Clients enjoy your enthusiasm and passion for your product It will take you through the tough times but yoursquoll also need to show it to your clients so they know that you are passionate about what you are doing

This isnrsquot easy in cultures where showing emotion is not the norm but the old saying lsquoenthusiasm sellsrsquo is as true now as it ever was

Let your passion and enthusiasm for your subject out and yoursquoll take your potential client along with you for the ride The big problem is that if you do not show some passion and hide in facts and figures your clients will allocate an emotion and a motivation to you What do you think the chances are that it will be a positive one

None

The reality is that you could be a complete ratbag but people still buy from complete ratbags ndash as long as they are honest about being one

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 027

4

Bill James is an internationally recognised sales speaker and trainer who specialises in referral and relationship marketing To find out more visit his website above

wwwBillJamesSpeakercom

Jargon kills salesOccasionally yoursquoll find someone whorsquos really caught up in the technical aspects of what you do But usually they are initially more interested in knowing you understand and care about their needs If you are technically orientated itrsquos easy to hide in the features of your product but this will stop you truly addressing the need of the client

Often most products appear to be very similar and have similar pricing and so the difference is your ability to uncover their real concerns and needs and address those In this way yoursquoll make a connection at a very personal level which is the key to gaining that commitment from your potential client

Loading them up with jargon will simply occupy their headspace and will actually be counterproductive Talking everyday language that your client can understand and addressing their real needs will result in you making real progress

Use a low logic approach with your potential clientlsquoLow logicrsquo is language that is simple to understand It is almost like approaching your client underneath the radar

Simply approach them in a very matter of fact way (with a certain amount of emotion) and give them the option to decline your services if they want In this way you donrsquot raise any alarm bells and make them feel trapped They are much more likely to come along for the ride this way

For example ldquoMr Prospect the simple reality is businesses like yours can use this product and it has X effect For you to be interested it obviously has to meet X Y Z needs and also fit within your budget and I have to be able to show you the real benefits of working with our company If I canrsquot then itrsquos only fair that I should head for the door But if I can make all that happen then your company is definitely at an advantage Irsquod like to simply sit down with you and run through these different ideas and see where we go from there is that fair enoughrdquo

So be yourself cut the jargon and let your passion for the product speak for itself Approach other people the way you like to be approached and you might well find that your sales increase hugelybull

5

028 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Winning Sales Presentations

ISSUESEVENTYTWO

Words by Debbie Mayo-Smith

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 029

Creating a great sales presentation isnrsquot very different to crafting a great speech You want to keep attention Motivate Convince Move to action Here is a formula that I follow (learnt from the

American maestro Patricia Fripp) that should help you to vastly improve your success when putting together and delivering a sales presentation

To whom are you speakingBe prepared before you go in and know as much about your audience as possible Age attitude industry and gender will all have a bearing on how you present your points Men and women have different senses of humour Younger audiences will be more impatient than older lsquoCrsquo level executives who donrsquot need the details Your presentation style and content must fit their perspective

You are not the heroWhat is the ratio of your PowerPoint slides (or written material) devoted to your company vs the potential client It stands to reason if you are invited to pitch you have already passed the preliminary vetting The convincing is done Wow them stand out from your competition by focusing on them - not stories of you your company achievements or accolades Do you like listening to egotistical sales people Share the glory with sales teams Ensure you put the prospective company in the limelight

I-You Ratio Likewise look through your sales presentations and count how many Irsquos wersquos and usrsquos you have Make certain your slides and stories are about them not you Change the perspective at every opportunity possible

Wrong ldquoOur company is number one in rdquo

Right ldquoYou benefit from our number one standing becauserdquo

Strong openingIf yoursquore pitching a $500000 contract and have only 10 minutes then starting with ldquogood morning ladies and gentlemen thank you for having us hererdquo just cost you over $8300 by wasting 10 seconds

Open differently and strongly Paint a picture Take them into the future Describe how theyrsquore benefiting from the clever decision they made years ago working with you Decision makers want to benefit the company they also want personally to be sure they are taking the right action So highlight how theyrsquoll be remembered for doing the right thing by using your company (donrsquot make it too much of a butter up though)

Answer questions up front What do they want to know from you How can you help them If yoursquore more expensive will take longer or are the underdog ndash do not ignore the fact Theyrsquore thinking it Come straight out early into the presentation with a lsquoI know what yoursquore thinkingrsquo statement then answer their objections

030 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

PremiseBuild the sales presentation around the structure of how they will benefit from what you are asking them to do ldquoYou will save $2 million dollars by using our softwarerdquo or ldquoYou will cut maintenance expenditure by 20 per centrdquo Phrase it so they say to themselves lsquohowrsquo You then answer in a logical and structured way

Points laid out logicallyYou can help them make $2million How You enumerate and discuss the points one by one with examples Point one is cutting costs Point two is increasing revenue Point three is boosting staff productivity Highlighting points by telling a story will work infinitely better for you than simply stating it or just saying why By the way you turn masterful in your sales presentation story telling skills when you give your stories flesh and blood characters and dialogue

Seamless transitionMoving from a main point (cutting costs) to the next (increasing revenue) should have a smooth flow instead of an abrupt change Carrying on our example you could transition by saying ldquolowering costs is only one side of the equation of boosting your profit Increasing sales in a challenging environment might not seem easy let me show you how we helprdquo That places you nicely into the segment on how you increase their revenues

QuestionsDonrsquot end with questions rather take them before you review at the end so you can close on a high note

ReviewIf possible use a story again ndash outlining a client that benefited in all the ways you highlight they will benefit

Repetitive reframes sound bite statementsYou can be sure theyrsquoll remember stories Hit home with better retention by giving them little sound bites and repeating them often

Strong CloseRefer back to your opening story or bring all the elements together describing how theyrsquoll benefit If you didnrsquot use thersquo looking into the futurersquo in your opening you can use it in the closing ldquoPicture yourself in two yearsrsquo time Itrsquos the gala dinner Award night Everyone is abuzz because of the success of the new software system you approved and installed the year before Five different staff have come to you throughout the evening ndash all award winners from their significant leap in productivityrdquo bull

Debbie Mayo-Smith is one of New Zealandrsquos most in-demand speakers trainers and bestselling authors Debbie works with companies that want more effective staff For more tips and business ideas sign up for her free monthly newsletter

wwwsuccessisconz

GOT A PRODUCT SERVICE OR BUSINESS WORTH TALKING ABOUT

Want to grow brand awareness in a more effective and useful way

Get in touch with Jennifer now to discuss our options+64 9 522 7257 (NZT) | jenniferlespiremediacom | wwwespiremediacom

TALK TO ESPIRE MEDIA ABOUT OUR CONTENT MARKETING SERVICES We offer a range of ways to attract and retain customers by creating and curating relevant and valuable content to engage and add value to your audience

BENEFITSbull Expand your digital footprintbull Grow brand awarenessbull Increase traffic to your websitebull Thought leadershipbull Media exposurebull Attract new customersbull And grow SALES

Check out our blog for content marketing advice tips and ideas plus a free copy of our content marketing guide The Content Creation Cookbook

032 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Nine Steps to Supercharge Your Job Hunt

ISSUEEIGHTYFIVE

Tom ONeil shares some strategies to ensure you get a jump on your competition

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 033

1 Follow-up and use your personal networks Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is generally more trusted Therefore a person who is referred to an employer has a higher trust value and therefore a higher chance of getting employed This is especially true if there is not actually an official job vacancy and you are the only person being assessed for the role

Therefore its vital to get back in contact with your network with your good wishes as well as tell them you are now looking for new career opportunities

2 LinkedInGo through your LinkedIn profile with an objective eye making sure your profile sells you as much as possible Look at common keywords in the types of positions you are seeking and ensure these are included in your profile After you have done this ask a friend or two to have a look through as well to see if you have missed anything of importance

Check the number and quality of your recommendations on LinkedIn Social media author Linda Coles calls these your silent salespeople I recently was told a major international IT company would not select any senior level staff unless they had more than 20 recommendations I was chuffed when I read this as I am up to 45 however when I asked Linda I found that she has over 120 Therefore you can start to see the power these sound-bite type recommendations can have

Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from

word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is

generally more trusted Therefore a person who is

referred to an employer has a higher trust value and

therefore a higher chance of getting employed

034 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3 Go back over your successes in the past 12 monthsMost people tend to rush into the job hunting process only really thinking about their successes (and failures) when they are in the interview Were you awarded further authority in your role Did you exceed any sales or performance targets Did you train or mentor any new people All these things are important to an employer so make sure you take some time today to think about the positive things that shaped your career recently (and be sure to include them in your CV)

4 Plan your career not just your next jobRemember that each position is a stepping stone to the next so take some time out to think about what you want to be doing for a role in 2020 Once you have done this map out ideal positions (and study if needed) to get you there

5 Direct marketingHas there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them You would be surprised about the amount of people who because they demonstrated a strong interest in the company got a position personally crafted for them even though there appeared to be no position available The other major benefit of this direct approach is that it means a manager does not have to pay a $15000 recruitment fee as you have come to them for free

6 Check in with your verbal refereesTime and time again a candidate has missed out on a dream job because their referees were too old or not overly positive During my HR and recruitment career I have contacted the referees of candidates I have been really interested in employing and got responses like Oh no is Steve looking for ANOTHER job or Sorry I dont remember a Mike Smith Are you sure he put me as a referee

Contact your referees ensure they are aware that you are back on the job hunt and ask them if they are happy to provide a verbal reference The five-minute call you make today may well be the difference between getting your next job in October or March

Has there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 035

Tom ONeil is a leading international author career specialist and MD of CVCONZ You can contact Tom via email tomcvconz

CVCONZ

7 Follow-upBecause of the nature of the recruitment process (especially executive search and selection) the hiring process can be extremely drawn out Make sure you keep in contact with the recruiterpotential employer on a regular basis Most candidates are not keen to do this as they feel its overly aggressive However as long as you are friendly and professional in your follow-up you should be remembered positively when the time for the final decision comes

8 Take time to tailor your CV cover letter and interview to the roleA vacant position is a major headache for a company especially if that position is at a senior or executive level Therefore its vital that you tailor your entire approach as a complete solution specifically for the opportunity In most job advertisements and position descriptions there is a section entitled Personal SpecificationsCharacteristicsCompetencies etc This section is the key to the role and is what you need to target

Read through the documentation and summarise what the ideal person would look like With your skills achievements qualifications and experiences how can you meet or exceed these requirements

Finally you want to ensure that the main aspects and keywords are mirrored in everything you send to the employer and in your answers during the interview The closer you meet their brief of the ideal candidate the higher the chance of you getting that job

9 Positive state of mindAs the job hunt progresses it can become a painful process However its vital to stay as positive as you can as employers can sense frustration anxiety and antagonism all the emotions they wont want in an employee Make sure you go into each situation with a positive outlook take the best from all situations and remember every challenge is an opportunity to grow and improve your skills bull

036 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

COMPETITION

BOOK GIVEAWAYWe have two copies of the brand new job search manual Youre Hired The Essential Guide to Job Hunting and Personal Branding by Tom ONeil to give away

The book provides up-to-the-minute practical detail to choose the social media strategy best suited to your

situation and ways to promote yourself

through online networks particularly

LinkedIn as well as the importance of

lsquoofflinersquo branding Also included are sections

on reacutesumeacutes and covering letters (with

access online to templates) interviewing

tips networking direct marketing salary

negotiation and career goal-setting making

this the essential job hunting guide

There has been a huge shift over the last

three decades in the way employment

recruitment takes place and the power of

the individual to take control of their job hunt

has improved massively according to career

specialist Tom OrsquoNeil

But the strength of your lsquobrandrsquo and your

ability to sell your skills and achievements

will dictate how successful you are in your

search In this compelling new guide Tom

provides job seekers with simple exercises

and guidance to identify personal attributes and key career highlights that will assist in marketing yourself to potential employers The advice holds equally well for consultants and contractors like real estate agents and insurance brokers looking to procure new business bull

paulnnzsalesmanagerconz Email Paul before 30th November to be in to win a copy We have two copies to giveawayPublished by New Holland Publishers

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 037

QUICKFIX

Honest Apologies

lsquoDue to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control we lthave let you downgthellipAnd end like this lsquoWe apologise for any

inconvenience this may have causedrsquo

As a customer I read this and think ndash well at least they have told me they have stuffed up but they obviously donrsquot want to tell me why because they think that will make them look even worse and their apology is so canned they donrsquot mean it anyway They donrsquot really care

QUICK FIX

To show you do really care and to build a relationship built on trust cut out the canned opening and closing lines that everyone uses and use real language

bull Tell it how you would say it - which is not the canned written way

bull Tell what did happen and what you learned that will improve customer service in the future

bull Show that you understand their business - you should know what inconvenience it has caused them so apologise specifically for this

Do this and your customers will be much more understanding bull

bull

So itrsquos all gone wrong and you have let your customer down Itrsquos time to write to them with an apology How many letters start like this

038 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Ive been reading and using pieces from NZ Sales Manager magazine since Jan 2011 It has helped me immensely in gaining trust and building sales teams It gives me motivation each month to try something new and see if I can mould it to suit our team Thank you for providing this sales tool - it really has been a great source of information and motivation

Shaun Matheson

It gives me great pleasure to acknowledge all the wonderful work done by the NZ Sales Manager Magazine and all the efforts put in by the editor Mr Paul Newsom

This magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning tool With a well laid out plan this magazine has given all sales professionals including myself a great platform to focus and learn from and thus being very successful in our sales efforts in a very demanding business environment

Congratulations for coming up to your 100th issue which is indeed a great milestone and I personally wish the magazine and all those who run it every success and keep up the great work

Best WishesIvo DrsquoSilva Sales amp Customer Service Manager

THANKYOUFROMOURREADERS

ldquoThis magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning toolrdquoRegional

Manager

at

EDL

Fasteners

Ltd

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 039

Congratulations on the 100th issue of NZ Sales Manager eMag You provide valuable tips on selling and sales management and your 100th issue is great proof that you share great ideas that your readers appreciate and find usefulGraham McGregor Marketing Advisor amp Journalist

A big congrats to NZ Sales Manager on the 100th issue Thanks for your wonderful insights challenging the norm and keeping us focused on doing our best We look forward to the next 100Paul Brophy Team Leader NZ at CXC Global

ldquoThanks for your

wonderful insights

challenging the norm

and keeping us focused

on doing our bestrdquo

Sales management everywhere should be reading the NZ Sales Manager Congrats on your 100th issueJill Konrath Author of Agile Selling SNAP Selling and Selling to Big Companies

What a wonderful milestone for such a useful and inspiring magazine Congratulations to you and all your hard workLinda Coles Online Marketing Expert

Great work and contribution to Sales Managers all across NZ Thank you Ambrose Blowfield Owner The Marketing Company

To the editors and team behind NZSM well done Many growing challenges in the sales arena at an accelerating pace of change and great you have contributed so much to the profession Stuart Edmunds Founder of New Zealand Institute of Sales bull

040 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

EVENTSCALENDAR

DATE NAME PLACE COMPANY27 November Sales Management Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

1 December Negotiation Skills Wellington IMNZ

1 December Sales Seminar Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

2 December Key Account Management Christchurch IMNZ

2 December Effective Sales Prospecting Auckland PD Training

8 December Sales Basics Auckland Geewiz

9 December Advanced Serious Selling Auckland Geewiz

11 December Sales Training Auckland PD Training

15 December Cold Calling and Prospecting Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

15 December Professional Telephone Skills Training

Auckland PD Training

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 041

THECLOSE

ldquoI never ran 1000 miles I could never

have done that I ran 1 mile 1000 timesrdquo

Subscribe at wwwnzsalesmanagerconz ITrsquoS FREE

Lucian Milasan Shutterstockcom

- Stu Mittleman

Page 24: NZ Sales Manager – Issue 100

024 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Words by Bill James

ISSUEFORTYSEVEN

Maybe you are new at sales you topped the training class ndash but just cannot make the sales stick Or you could be a veteran of many sales conquests but more recently you

simply cannot get the deals across the line

Or perhaps you spent a small fortune acquiring a franchise and it looked great on paper You have big plans high hopes and you are putting in the hours to make it happen But somehow the results are not coming and the money is not flowing Whatrsquos wrong

Unfortunately the answer could be you

Especially for franchisees there are lots of promises about fantastic marketing packages and potential clients coming through the door but the simple truth is that you are now self-employed No more sick days No one else to delegate to It is you that has to make that sale and secure your own money

5 Tips for the Reluctant Salesperson

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 025

1So here are five tips that will help get you on track if you action them

Stop thinking of yourself as a lsquoSalesmanrsquo (Or Saleswoman)Think about it The word lsquosalesmanrsquo or saleswomanrsquo does not engender confidence and is not respected even by you

Ask yourself do you like being lsquosoldrsquo Guess what ndash your clients feel the same way

There is a huge amount of negative connotation around this wording and it brings up an image of someone you may not want to be From a small child there is every chance your parents told you that salespeople were pushy and not to be trusted and now you have to become one

This obviously causes a real internal conflict and is in my opinion the number one reason why you could find yourself sabotaging your own efforts Donrsquot believe me Ask yourself these questions

bull Do you approach every sales opportunity in the belief it will be a sale

bull Are you secretly dreading lsquothatrsquo question from your client - The one you find so hard to answer

bull Do you find lots of little jobs to do that keep you so busy that you have little time for new business calls

These issues are even more acute if yoursquore very technical in nature and you like performing the task but not producing the sale

Why not rename yourself so that yoursquore comfortable in saying that word when you represent yourself to a potential client What could you call yourself that sits comfortably with you

Remember your role is to help people make the right decision ndash it is not to sell them something

Ask yourself do you like being lsquosoldrsquo Guess what ndash your clients feel the same way Remember your role is to help people make the right decision ndash it is not to sell them something

026 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3

2 Be yourselfSo many people will put on a persona they think is needed to create a successful sales outcome This is simply not the case and could in fact be what is costing you business

When you went through all the psychological and personality testing (hopefully) when you applied for the job or franchise opportunity these assessments showed the real you and indicated that you should be successful in your business So why are you hiding this real you now

Clients look for faults and are suspicious when you knock on the door because you are promoting a product If they sense falseness about you it will raise their alarms and give them good reason not to buy from you Will your natural personality be what everyone is looking for every time Probably not You will get on with some people better than others

But the reality is especially if you are less experienced you were quite possibly never going to sell to those people anyway The ones that would be attracted to your natural personality will be put off by a fake overlay so stop doing it

The reality is that you could be a complete ratbag but people still buy from complete ratbags ndash as long as they are honest about being one Can you image your reaction to someone whorsquos obviously a ratbag but is pretending to be nice and you can see through it It would make you want to run in the opposite direction wouldnrsquot it

Show some passion for your subjectAgain we put on this persona of lsquoprofessionalismrsquo which means we deliver a very dry presentation What was the passion that got you involved in the first place If it was simply that you thought yoursquod make a lot of money you may possibly have made an error ndash thatrsquos called a job

Clients enjoy your enthusiasm and passion for your product It will take you through the tough times but yoursquoll also need to show it to your clients so they know that you are passionate about what you are doing

This isnrsquot easy in cultures where showing emotion is not the norm but the old saying lsquoenthusiasm sellsrsquo is as true now as it ever was

Let your passion and enthusiasm for your subject out and yoursquoll take your potential client along with you for the ride The big problem is that if you do not show some passion and hide in facts and figures your clients will allocate an emotion and a motivation to you What do you think the chances are that it will be a positive one

None

The reality is that you could be a complete ratbag but people still buy from complete ratbags ndash as long as they are honest about being one

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 027

4

Bill James is an internationally recognised sales speaker and trainer who specialises in referral and relationship marketing To find out more visit his website above

wwwBillJamesSpeakercom

Jargon kills salesOccasionally yoursquoll find someone whorsquos really caught up in the technical aspects of what you do But usually they are initially more interested in knowing you understand and care about their needs If you are technically orientated itrsquos easy to hide in the features of your product but this will stop you truly addressing the need of the client

Often most products appear to be very similar and have similar pricing and so the difference is your ability to uncover their real concerns and needs and address those In this way yoursquoll make a connection at a very personal level which is the key to gaining that commitment from your potential client

Loading them up with jargon will simply occupy their headspace and will actually be counterproductive Talking everyday language that your client can understand and addressing their real needs will result in you making real progress

Use a low logic approach with your potential clientlsquoLow logicrsquo is language that is simple to understand It is almost like approaching your client underneath the radar

Simply approach them in a very matter of fact way (with a certain amount of emotion) and give them the option to decline your services if they want In this way you donrsquot raise any alarm bells and make them feel trapped They are much more likely to come along for the ride this way

For example ldquoMr Prospect the simple reality is businesses like yours can use this product and it has X effect For you to be interested it obviously has to meet X Y Z needs and also fit within your budget and I have to be able to show you the real benefits of working with our company If I canrsquot then itrsquos only fair that I should head for the door But if I can make all that happen then your company is definitely at an advantage Irsquod like to simply sit down with you and run through these different ideas and see where we go from there is that fair enoughrdquo

So be yourself cut the jargon and let your passion for the product speak for itself Approach other people the way you like to be approached and you might well find that your sales increase hugelybull

5

028 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Winning Sales Presentations

ISSUESEVENTYTWO

Words by Debbie Mayo-Smith

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 029

Creating a great sales presentation isnrsquot very different to crafting a great speech You want to keep attention Motivate Convince Move to action Here is a formula that I follow (learnt from the

American maestro Patricia Fripp) that should help you to vastly improve your success when putting together and delivering a sales presentation

To whom are you speakingBe prepared before you go in and know as much about your audience as possible Age attitude industry and gender will all have a bearing on how you present your points Men and women have different senses of humour Younger audiences will be more impatient than older lsquoCrsquo level executives who donrsquot need the details Your presentation style and content must fit their perspective

You are not the heroWhat is the ratio of your PowerPoint slides (or written material) devoted to your company vs the potential client It stands to reason if you are invited to pitch you have already passed the preliminary vetting The convincing is done Wow them stand out from your competition by focusing on them - not stories of you your company achievements or accolades Do you like listening to egotistical sales people Share the glory with sales teams Ensure you put the prospective company in the limelight

I-You Ratio Likewise look through your sales presentations and count how many Irsquos wersquos and usrsquos you have Make certain your slides and stories are about them not you Change the perspective at every opportunity possible

Wrong ldquoOur company is number one in rdquo

Right ldquoYou benefit from our number one standing becauserdquo

Strong openingIf yoursquore pitching a $500000 contract and have only 10 minutes then starting with ldquogood morning ladies and gentlemen thank you for having us hererdquo just cost you over $8300 by wasting 10 seconds

Open differently and strongly Paint a picture Take them into the future Describe how theyrsquore benefiting from the clever decision they made years ago working with you Decision makers want to benefit the company they also want personally to be sure they are taking the right action So highlight how theyrsquoll be remembered for doing the right thing by using your company (donrsquot make it too much of a butter up though)

Answer questions up front What do they want to know from you How can you help them If yoursquore more expensive will take longer or are the underdog ndash do not ignore the fact Theyrsquore thinking it Come straight out early into the presentation with a lsquoI know what yoursquore thinkingrsquo statement then answer their objections

030 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

PremiseBuild the sales presentation around the structure of how they will benefit from what you are asking them to do ldquoYou will save $2 million dollars by using our softwarerdquo or ldquoYou will cut maintenance expenditure by 20 per centrdquo Phrase it so they say to themselves lsquohowrsquo You then answer in a logical and structured way

Points laid out logicallyYou can help them make $2million How You enumerate and discuss the points one by one with examples Point one is cutting costs Point two is increasing revenue Point three is boosting staff productivity Highlighting points by telling a story will work infinitely better for you than simply stating it or just saying why By the way you turn masterful in your sales presentation story telling skills when you give your stories flesh and blood characters and dialogue

Seamless transitionMoving from a main point (cutting costs) to the next (increasing revenue) should have a smooth flow instead of an abrupt change Carrying on our example you could transition by saying ldquolowering costs is only one side of the equation of boosting your profit Increasing sales in a challenging environment might not seem easy let me show you how we helprdquo That places you nicely into the segment on how you increase their revenues

QuestionsDonrsquot end with questions rather take them before you review at the end so you can close on a high note

ReviewIf possible use a story again ndash outlining a client that benefited in all the ways you highlight they will benefit

Repetitive reframes sound bite statementsYou can be sure theyrsquoll remember stories Hit home with better retention by giving them little sound bites and repeating them often

Strong CloseRefer back to your opening story or bring all the elements together describing how theyrsquoll benefit If you didnrsquot use thersquo looking into the futurersquo in your opening you can use it in the closing ldquoPicture yourself in two yearsrsquo time Itrsquos the gala dinner Award night Everyone is abuzz because of the success of the new software system you approved and installed the year before Five different staff have come to you throughout the evening ndash all award winners from their significant leap in productivityrdquo bull

Debbie Mayo-Smith is one of New Zealandrsquos most in-demand speakers trainers and bestselling authors Debbie works with companies that want more effective staff For more tips and business ideas sign up for her free monthly newsletter

wwwsuccessisconz

GOT A PRODUCT SERVICE OR BUSINESS WORTH TALKING ABOUT

Want to grow brand awareness in a more effective and useful way

Get in touch with Jennifer now to discuss our options+64 9 522 7257 (NZT) | jenniferlespiremediacom | wwwespiremediacom

TALK TO ESPIRE MEDIA ABOUT OUR CONTENT MARKETING SERVICES We offer a range of ways to attract and retain customers by creating and curating relevant and valuable content to engage and add value to your audience

BENEFITSbull Expand your digital footprintbull Grow brand awarenessbull Increase traffic to your websitebull Thought leadershipbull Media exposurebull Attract new customersbull And grow SALES

Check out our blog for content marketing advice tips and ideas plus a free copy of our content marketing guide The Content Creation Cookbook

032 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Nine Steps to Supercharge Your Job Hunt

ISSUEEIGHTYFIVE

Tom ONeil shares some strategies to ensure you get a jump on your competition

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 033

1 Follow-up and use your personal networks Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is generally more trusted Therefore a person who is referred to an employer has a higher trust value and therefore a higher chance of getting employed This is especially true if there is not actually an official job vacancy and you are the only person being assessed for the role

Therefore its vital to get back in contact with your network with your good wishes as well as tell them you are now looking for new career opportunities

2 LinkedInGo through your LinkedIn profile with an objective eye making sure your profile sells you as much as possible Look at common keywords in the types of positions you are seeking and ensure these are included in your profile After you have done this ask a friend or two to have a look through as well to see if you have missed anything of importance

Check the number and quality of your recommendations on LinkedIn Social media author Linda Coles calls these your silent salespeople I recently was told a major international IT company would not select any senior level staff unless they had more than 20 recommendations I was chuffed when I read this as I am up to 45 however when I asked Linda I found that she has over 120 Therefore you can start to see the power these sound-bite type recommendations can have

Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from

word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is

generally more trusted Therefore a person who is

referred to an employer has a higher trust value and

therefore a higher chance of getting employed

034 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3 Go back over your successes in the past 12 monthsMost people tend to rush into the job hunting process only really thinking about their successes (and failures) when they are in the interview Were you awarded further authority in your role Did you exceed any sales or performance targets Did you train or mentor any new people All these things are important to an employer so make sure you take some time today to think about the positive things that shaped your career recently (and be sure to include them in your CV)

4 Plan your career not just your next jobRemember that each position is a stepping stone to the next so take some time out to think about what you want to be doing for a role in 2020 Once you have done this map out ideal positions (and study if needed) to get you there

5 Direct marketingHas there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them You would be surprised about the amount of people who because they demonstrated a strong interest in the company got a position personally crafted for them even though there appeared to be no position available The other major benefit of this direct approach is that it means a manager does not have to pay a $15000 recruitment fee as you have come to them for free

6 Check in with your verbal refereesTime and time again a candidate has missed out on a dream job because their referees were too old or not overly positive During my HR and recruitment career I have contacted the referees of candidates I have been really interested in employing and got responses like Oh no is Steve looking for ANOTHER job or Sorry I dont remember a Mike Smith Are you sure he put me as a referee

Contact your referees ensure they are aware that you are back on the job hunt and ask them if they are happy to provide a verbal reference The five-minute call you make today may well be the difference between getting your next job in October or March

Has there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 035

Tom ONeil is a leading international author career specialist and MD of CVCONZ You can contact Tom via email tomcvconz

CVCONZ

7 Follow-upBecause of the nature of the recruitment process (especially executive search and selection) the hiring process can be extremely drawn out Make sure you keep in contact with the recruiterpotential employer on a regular basis Most candidates are not keen to do this as they feel its overly aggressive However as long as you are friendly and professional in your follow-up you should be remembered positively when the time for the final decision comes

8 Take time to tailor your CV cover letter and interview to the roleA vacant position is a major headache for a company especially if that position is at a senior or executive level Therefore its vital that you tailor your entire approach as a complete solution specifically for the opportunity In most job advertisements and position descriptions there is a section entitled Personal SpecificationsCharacteristicsCompetencies etc This section is the key to the role and is what you need to target

Read through the documentation and summarise what the ideal person would look like With your skills achievements qualifications and experiences how can you meet or exceed these requirements

Finally you want to ensure that the main aspects and keywords are mirrored in everything you send to the employer and in your answers during the interview The closer you meet their brief of the ideal candidate the higher the chance of you getting that job

9 Positive state of mindAs the job hunt progresses it can become a painful process However its vital to stay as positive as you can as employers can sense frustration anxiety and antagonism all the emotions they wont want in an employee Make sure you go into each situation with a positive outlook take the best from all situations and remember every challenge is an opportunity to grow and improve your skills bull

036 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

COMPETITION

BOOK GIVEAWAYWe have two copies of the brand new job search manual Youre Hired The Essential Guide to Job Hunting and Personal Branding by Tom ONeil to give away

The book provides up-to-the-minute practical detail to choose the social media strategy best suited to your

situation and ways to promote yourself

through online networks particularly

LinkedIn as well as the importance of

lsquoofflinersquo branding Also included are sections

on reacutesumeacutes and covering letters (with

access online to templates) interviewing

tips networking direct marketing salary

negotiation and career goal-setting making

this the essential job hunting guide

There has been a huge shift over the last

three decades in the way employment

recruitment takes place and the power of

the individual to take control of their job hunt

has improved massively according to career

specialist Tom OrsquoNeil

But the strength of your lsquobrandrsquo and your

ability to sell your skills and achievements

will dictate how successful you are in your

search In this compelling new guide Tom

provides job seekers with simple exercises

and guidance to identify personal attributes and key career highlights that will assist in marketing yourself to potential employers The advice holds equally well for consultants and contractors like real estate agents and insurance brokers looking to procure new business bull

paulnnzsalesmanagerconz Email Paul before 30th November to be in to win a copy We have two copies to giveawayPublished by New Holland Publishers

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 037

QUICKFIX

Honest Apologies

lsquoDue to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control we lthave let you downgthellipAnd end like this lsquoWe apologise for any

inconvenience this may have causedrsquo

As a customer I read this and think ndash well at least they have told me they have stuffed up but they obviously donrsquot want to tell me why because they think that will make them look even worse and their apology is so canned they donrsquot mean it anyway They donrsquot really care

QUICK FIX

To show you do really care and to build a relationship built on trust cut out the canned opening and closing lines that everyone uses and use real language

bull Tell it how you would say it - which is not the canned written way

bull Tell what did happen and what you learned that will improve customer service in the future

bull Show that you understand their business - you should know what inconvenience it has caused them so apologise specifically for this

Do this and your customers will be much more understanding bull

bull

So itrsquos all gone wrong and you have let your customer down Itrsquos time to write to them with an apology How many letters start like this

038 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Ive been reading and using pieces from NZ Sales Manager magazine since Jan 2011 It has helped me immensely in gaining trust and building sales teams It gives me motivation each month to try something new and see if I can mould it to suit our team Thank you for providing this sales tool - it really has been a great source of information and motivation

Shaun Matheson

It gives me great pleasure to acknowledge all the wonderful work done by the NZ Sales Manager Magazine and all the efforts put in by the editor Mr Paul Newsom

This magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning tool With a well laid out plan this magazine has given all sales professionals including myself a great platform to focus and learn from and thus being very successful in our sales efforts in a very demanding business environment

Congratulations for coming up to your 100th issue which is indeed a great milestone and I personally wish the magazine and all those who run it every success and keep up the great work

Best WishesIvo DrsquoSilva Sales amp Customer Service Manager

THANKYOUFROMOURREADERS

ldquoThis magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning toolrdquoRegional

Manager

at

EDL

Fasteners

Ltd

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 039

Congratulations on the 100th issue of NZ Sales Manager eMag You provide valuable tips on selling and sales management and your 100th issue is great proof that you share great ideas that your readers appreciate and find usefulGraham McGregor Marketing Advisor amp Journalist

A big congrats to NZ Sales Manager on the 100th issue Thanks for your wonderful insights challenging the norm and keeping us focused on doing our best We look forward to the next 100Paul Brophy Team Leader NZ at CXC Global

ldquoThanks for your

wonderful insights

challenging the norm

and keeping us focused

on doing our bestrdquo

Sales management everywhere should be reading the NZ Sales Manager Congrats on your 100th issueJill Konrath Author of Agile Selling SNAP Selling and Selling to Big Companies

What a wonderful milestone for such a useful and inspiring magazine Congratulations to you and all your hard workLinda Coles Online Marketing Expert

Great work and contribution to Sales Managers all across NZ Thank you Ambrose Blowfield Owner The Marketing Company

To the editors and team behind NZSM well done Many growing challenges in the sales arena at an accelerating pace of change and great you have contributed so much to the profession Stuart Edmunds Founder of New Zealand Institute of Sales bull

040 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

EVENTSCALENDAR

DATE NAME PLACE COMPANY27 November Sales Management Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

1 December Negotiation Skills Wellington IMNZ

1 December Sales Seminar Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

2 December Key Account Management Christchurch IMNZ

2 December Effective Sales Prospecting Auckland PD Training

8 December Sales Basics Auckland Geewiz

9 December Advanced Serious Selling Auckland Geewiz

11 December Sales Training Auckland PD Training

15 December Cold Calling and Prospecting Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

15 December Professional Telephone Skills Training

Auckland PD Training

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 041

THECLOSE

ldquoI never ran 1000 miles I could never

have done that I ran 1 mile 1000 timesrdquo

Subscribe at wwwnzsalesmanagerconz ITrsquoS FREE

Lucian Milasan Shutterstockcom

- Stu Mittleman

Page 25: NZ Sales Manager – Issue 100

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 025

1So here are five tips that will help get you on track if you action them

Stop thinking of yourself as a lsquoSalesmanrsquo (Or Saleswoman)Think about it The word lsquosalesmanrsquo or saleswomanrsquo does not engender confidence and is not respected even by you

Ask yourself do you like being lsquosoldrsquo Guess what ndash your clients feel the same way

There is a huge amount of negative connotation around this wording and it brings up an image of someone you may not want to be From a small child there is every chance your parents told you that salespeople were pushy and not to be trusted and now you have to become one

This obviously causes a real internal conflict and is in my opinion the number one reason why you could find yourself sabotaging your own efforts Donrsquot believe me Ask yourself these questions

bull Do you approach every sales opportunity in the belief it will be a sale

bull Are you secretly dreading lsquothatrsquo question from your client - The one you find so hard to answer

bull Do you find lots of little jobs to do that keep you so busy that you have little time for new business calls

These issues are even more acute if yoursquore very technical in nature and you like performing the task but not producing the sale

Why not rename yourself so that yoursquore comfortable in saying that word when you represent yourself to a potential client What could you call yourself that sits comfortably with you

Remember your role is to help people make the right decision ndash it is not to sell them something

Ask yourself do you like being lsquosoldrsquo Guess what ndash your clients feel the same way Remember your role is to help people make the right decision ndash it is not to sell them something

026 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3

2 Be yourselfSo many people will put on a persona they think is needed to create a successful sales outcome This is simply not the case and could in fact be what is costing you business

When you went through all the psychological and personality testing (hopefully) when you applied for the job or franchise opportunity these assessments showed the real you and indicated that you should be successful in your business So why are you hiding this real you now

Clients look for faults and are suspicious when you knock on the door because you are promoting a product If they sense falseness about you it will raise their alarms and give them good reason not to buy from you Will your natural personality be what everyone is looking for every time Probably not You will get on with some people better than others

But the reality is especially if you are less experienced you were quite possibly never going to sell to those people anyway The ones that would be attracted to your natural personality will be put off by a fake overlay so stop doing it

The reality is that you could be a complete ratbag but people still buy from complete ratbags ndash as long as they are honest about being one Can you image your reaction to someone whorsquos obviously a ratbag but is pretending to be nice and you can see through it It would make you want to run in the opposite direction wouldnrsquot it

Show some passion for your subjectAgain we put on this persona of lsquoprofessionalismrsquo which means we deliver a very dry presentation What was the passion that got you involved in the first place If it was simply that you thought yoursquod make a lot of money you may possibly have made an error ndash thatrsquos called a job

Clients enjoy your enthusiasm and passion for your product It will take you through the tough times but yoursquoll also need to show it to your clients so they know that you are passionate about what you are doing

This isnrsquot easy in cultures where showing emotion is not the norm but the old saying lsquoenthusiasm sellsrsquo is as true now as it ever was

Let your passion and enthusiasm for your subject out and yoursquoll take your potential client along with you for the ride The big problem is that if you do not show some passion and hide in facts and figures your clients will allocate an emotion and a motivation to you What do you think the chances are that it will be a positive one

None

The reality is that you could be a complete ratbag but people still buy from complete ratbags ndash as long as they are honest about being one

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 027

4

Bill James is an internationally recognised sales speaker and trainer who specialises in referral and relationship marketing To find out more visit his website above

wwwBillJamesSpeakercom

Jargon kills salesOccasionally yoursquoll find someone whorsquos really caught up in the technical aspects of what you do But usually they are initially more interested in knowing you understand and care about their needs If you are technically orientated itrsquos easy to hide in the features of your product but this will stop you truly addressing the need of the client

Often most products appear to be very similar and have similar pricing and so the difference is your ability to uncover their real concerns and needs and address those In this way yoursquoll make a connection at a very personal level which is the key to gaining that commitment from your potential client

Loading them up with jargon will simply occupy their headspace and will actually be counterproductive Talking everyday language that your client can understand and addressing their real needs will result in you making real progress

Use a low logic approach with your potential clientlsquoLow logicrsquo is language that is simple to understand It is almost like approaching your client underneath the radar

Simply approach them in a very matter of fact way (with a certain amount of emotion) and give them the option to decline your services if they want In this way you donrsquot raise any alarm bells and make them feel trapped They are much more likely to come along for the ride this way

For example ldquoMr Prospect the simple reality is businesses like yours can use this product and it has X effect For you to be interested it obviously has to meet X Y Z needs and also fit within your budget and I have to be able to show you the real benefits of working with our company If I canrsquot then itrsquos only fair that I should head for the door But if I can make all that happen then your company is definitely at an advantage Irsquod like to simply sit down with you and run through these different ideas and see where we go from there is that fair enoughrdquo

So be yourself cut the jargon and let your passion for the product speak for itself Approach other people the way you like to be approached and you might well find that your sales increase hugelybull

5

028 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Winning Sales Presentations

ISSUESEVENTYTWO

Words by Debbie Mayo-Smith

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 029

Creating a great sales presentation isnrsquot very different to crafting a great speech You want to keep attention Motivate Convince Move to action Here is a formula that I follow (learnt from the

American maestro Patricia Fripp) that should help you to vastly improve your success when putting together and delivering a sales presentation

To whom are you speakingBe prepared before you go in and know as much about your audience as possible Age attitude industry and gender will all have a bearing on how you present your points Men and women have different senses of humour Younger audiences will be more impatient than older lsquoCrsquo level executives who donrsquot need the details Your presentation style and content must fit their perspective

You are not the heroWhat is the ratio of your PowerPoint slides (or written material) devoted to your company vs the potential client It stands to reason if you are invited to pitch you have already passed the preliminary vetting The convincing is done Wow them stand out from your competition by focusing on them - not stories of you your company achievements or accolades Do you like listening to egotistical sales people Share the glory with sales teams Ensure you put the prospective company in the limelight

I-You Ratio Likewise look through your sales presentations and count how many Irsquos wersquos and usrsquos you have Make certain your slides and stories are about them not you Change the perspective at every opportunity possible

Wrong ldquoOur company is number one in rdquo

Right ldquoYou benefit from our number one standing becauserdquo

Strong openingIf yoursquore pitching a $500000 contract and have only 10 minutes then starting with ldquogood morning ladies and gentlemen thank you for having us hererdquo just cost you over $8300 by wasting 10 seconds

Open differently and strongly Paint a picture Take them into the future Describe how theyrsquore benefiting from the clever decision they made years ago working with you Decision makers want to benefit the company they also want personally to be sure they are taking the right action So highlight how theyrsquoll be remembered for doing the right thing by using your company (donrsquot make it too much of a butter up though)

Answer questions up front What do they want to know from you How can you help them If yoursquore more expensive will take longer or are the underdog ndash do not ignore the fact Theyrsquore thinking it Come straight out early into the presentation with a lsquoI know what yoursquore thinkingrsquo statement then answer their objections

030 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

PremiseBuild the sales presentation around the structure of how they will benefit from what you are asking them to do ldquoYou will save $2 million dollars by using our softwarerdquo or ldquoYou will cut maintenance expenditure by 20 per centrdquo Phrase it so they say to themselves lsquohowrsquo You then answer in a logical and structured way

Points laid out logicallyYou can help them make $2million How You enumerate and discuss the points one by one with examples Point one is cutting costs Point two is increasing revenue Point three is boosting staff productivity Highlighting points by telling a story will work infinitely better for you than simply stating it or just saying why By the way you turn masterful in your sales presentation story telling skills when you give your stories flesh and blood characters and dialogue

Seamless transitionMoving from a main point (cutting costs) to the next (increasing revenue) should have a smooth flow instead of an abrupt change Carrying on our example you could transition by saying ldquolowering costs is only one side of the equation of boosting your profit Increasing sales in a challenging environment might not seem easy let me show you how we helprdquo That places you nicely into the segment on how you increase their revenues

QuestionsDonrsquot end with questions rather take them before you review at the end so you can close on a high note

ReviewIf possible use a story again ndash outlining a client that benefited in all the ways you highlight they will benefit

Repetitive reframes sound bite statementsYou can be sure theyrsquoll remember stories Hit home with better retention by giving them little sound bites and repeating them often

Strong CloseRefer back to your opening story or bring all the elements together describing how theyrsquoll benefit If you didnrsquot use thersquo looking into the futurersquo in your opening you can use it in the closing ldquoPicture yourself in two yearsrsquo time Itrsquos the gala dinner Award night Everyone is abuzz because of the success of the new software system you approved and installed the year before Five different staff have come to you throughout the evening ndash all award winners from their significant leap in productivityrdquo bull

Debbie Mayo-Smith is one of New Zealandrsquos most in-demand speakers trainers and bestselling authors Debbie works with companies that want more effective staff For more tips and business ideas sign up for her free monthly newsletter

wwwsuccessisconz

GOT A PRODUCT SERVICE OR BUSINESS WORTH TALKING ABOUT

Want to grow brand awareness in a more effective and useful way

Get in touch with Jennifer now to discuss our options+64 9 522 7257 (NZT) | jenniferlespiremediacom | wwwespiremediacom

TALK TO ESPIRE MEDIA ABOUT OUR CONTENT MARKETING SERVICES We offer a range of ways to attract and retain customers by creating and curating relevant and valuable content to engage and add value to your audience

BENEFITSbull Expand your digital footprintbull Grow brand awarenessbull Increase traffic to your websitebull Thought leadershipbull Media exposurebull Attract new customersbull And grow SALES

Check out our blog for content marketing advice tips and ideas plus a free copy of our content marketing guide The Content Creation Cookbook

032 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Nine Steps to Supercharge Your Job Hunt

ISSUEEIGHTYFIVE

Tom ONeil shares some strategies to ensure you get a jump on your competition

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 033

1 Follow-up and use your personal networks Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is generally more trusted Therefore a person who is referred to an employer has a higher trust value and therefore a higher chance of getting employed This is especially true if there is not actually an official job vacancy and you are the only person being assessed for the role

Therefore its vital to get back in contact with your network with your good wishes as well as tell them you are now looking for new career opportunities

2 LinkedInGo through your LinkedIn profile with an objective eye making sure your profile sells you as much as possible Look at common keywords in the types of positions you are seeking and ensure these are included in your profile After you have done this ask a friend or two to have a look through as well to see if you have missed anything of importance

Check the number and quality of your recommendations on LinkedIn Social media author Linda Coles calls these your silent salespeople I recently was told a major international IT company would not select any senior level staff unless they had more than 20 recommendations I was chuffed when I read this as I am up to 45 however when I asked Linda I found that she has over 120 Therefore you can start to see the power these sound-bite type recommendations can have

Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from

word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is

generally more trusted Therefore a person who is

referred to an employer has a higher trust value and

therefore a higher chance of getting employed

034 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3 Go back over your successes in the past 12 monthsMost people tend to rush into the job hunting process only really thinking about their successes (and failures) when they are in the interview Were you awarded further authority in your role Did you exceed any sales or performance targets Did you train or mentor any new people All these things are important to an employer so make sure you take some time today to think about the positive things that shaped your career recently (and be sure to include them in your CV)

4 Plan your career not just your next jobRemember that each position is a stepping stone to the next so take some time out to think about what you want to be doing for a role in 2020 Once you have done this map out ideal positions (and study if needed) to get you there

5 Direct marketingHas there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them You would be surprised about the amount of people who because they demonstrated a strong interest in the company got a position personally crafted for them even though there appeared to be no position available The other major benefit of this direct approach is that it means a manager does not have to pay a $15000 recruitment fee as you have come to them for free

6 Check in with your verbal refereesTime and time again a candidate has missed out on a dream job because their referees were too old or not overly positive During my HR and recruitment career I have contacted the referees of candidates I have been really interested in employing and got responses like Oh no is Steve looking for ANOTHER job or Sorry I dont remember a Mike Smith Are you sure he put me as a referee

Contact your referees ensure they are aware that you are back on the job hunt and ask them if they are happy to provide a verbal reference The five-minute call you make today may well be the difference between getting your next job in October or March

Has there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 035

Tom ONeil is a leading international author career specialist and MD of CVCONZ You can contact Tom via email tomcvconz

CVCONZ

7 Follow-upBecause of the nature of the recruitment process (especially executive search and selection) the hiring process can be extremely drawn out Make sure you keep in contact with the recruiterpotential employer on a regular basis Most candidates are not keen to do this as they feel its overly aggressive However as long as you are friendly and professional in your follow-up you should be remembered positively when the time for the final decision comes

8 Take time to tailor your CV cover letter and interview to the roleA vacant position is a major headache for a company especially if that position is at a senior or executive level Therefore its vital that you tailor your entire approach as a complete solution specifically for the opportunity In most job advertisements and position descriptions there is a section entitled Personal SpecificationsCharacteristicsCompetencies etc This section is the key to the role and is what you need to target

Read through the documentation and summarise what the ideal person would look like With your skills achievements qualifications and experiences how can you meet or exceed these requirements

Finally you want to ensure that the main aspects and keywords are mirrored in everything you send to the employer and in your answers during the interview The closer you meet their brief of the ideal candidate the higher the chance of you getting that job

9 Positive state of mindAs the job hunt progresses it can become a painful process However its vital to stay as positive as you can as employers can sense frustration anxiety and antagonism all the emotions they wont want in an employee Make sure you go into each situation with a positive outlook take the best from all situations and remember every challenge is an opportunity to grow and improve your skills bull

036 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

COMPETITION

BOOK GIVEAWAYWe have two copies of the brand new job search manual Youre Hired The Essential Guide to Job Hunting and Personal Branding by Tom ONeil to give away

The book provides up-to-the-minute practical detail to choose the social media strategy best suited to your

situation and ways to promote yourself

through online networks particularly

LinkedIn as well as the importance of

lsquoofflinersquo branding Also included are sections

on reacutesumeacutes and covering letters (with

access online to templates) interviewing

tips networking direct marketing salary

negotiation and career goal-setting making

this the essential job hunting guide

There has been a huge shift over the last

three decades in the way employment

recruitment takes place and the power of

the individual to take control of their job hunt

has improved massively according to career

specialist Tom OrsquoNeil

But the strength of your lsquobrandrsquo and your

ability to sell your skills and achievements

will dictate how successful you are in your

search In this compelling new guide Tom

provides job seekers with simple exercises

and guidance to identify personal attributes and key career highlights that will assist in marketing yourself to potential employers The advice holds equally well for consultants and contractors like real estate agents and insurance brokers looking to procure new business bull

paulnnzsalesmanagerconz Email Paul before 30th November to be in to win a copy We have two copies to giveawayPublished by New Holland Publishers

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 037

QUICKFIX

Honest Apologies

lsquoDue to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control we lthave let you downgthellipAnd end like this lsquoWe apologise for any

inconvenience this may have causedrsquo

As a customer I read this and think ndash well at least they have told me they have stuffed up but they obviously donrsquot want to tell me why because they think that will make them look even worse and their apology is so canned they donrsquot mean it anyway They donrsquot really care

QUICK FIX

To show you do really care and to build a relationship built on trust cut out the canned opening and closing lines that everyone uses and use real language

bull Tell it how you would say it - which is not the canned written way

bull Tell what did happen and what you learned that will improve customer service in the future

bull Show that you understand their business - you should know what inconvenience it has caused them so apologise specifically for this

Do this and your customers will be much more understanding bull

bull

So itrsquos all gone wrong and you have let your customer down Itrsquos time to write to them with an apology How many letters start like this

038 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Ive been reading and using pieces from NZ Sales Manager magazine since Jan 2011 It has helped me immensely in gaining trust and building sales teams It gives me motivation each month to try something new and see if I can mould it to suit our team Thank you for providing this sales tool - it really has been a great source of information and motivation

Shaun Matheson

It gives me great pleasure to acknowledge all the wonderful work done by the NZ Sales Manager Magazine and all the efforts put in by the editor Mr Paul Newsom

This magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning tool With a well laid out plan this magazine has given all sales professionals including myself a great platform to focus and learn from and thus being very successful in our sales efforts in a very demanding business environment

Congratulations for coming up to your 100th issue which is indeed a great milestone and I personally wish the magazine and all those who run it every success and keep up the great work

Best WishesIvo DrsquoSilva Sales amp Customer Service Manager

THANKYOUFROMOURREADERS

ldquoThis magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning toolrdquoRegional

Manager

at

EDL

Fasteners

Ltd

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 039

Congratulations on the 100th issue of NZ Sales Manager eMag You provide valuable tips on selling and sales management and your 100th issue is great proof that you share great ideas that your readers appreciate and find usefulGraham McGregor Marketing Advisor amp Journalist

A big congrats to NZ Sales Manager on the 100th issue Thanks for your wonderful insights challenging the norm and keeping us focused on doing our best We look forward to the next 100Paul Brophy Team Leader NZ at CXC Global

ldquoThanks for your

wonderful insights

challenging the norm

and keeping us focused

on doing our bestrdquo

Sales management everywhere should be reading the NZ Sales Manager Congrats on your 100th issueJill Konrath Author of Agile Selling SNAP Selling and Selling to Big Companies

What a wonderful milestone for such a useful and inspiring magazine Congratulations to you and all your hard workLinda Coles Online Marketing Expert

Great work and contribution to Sales Managers all across NZ Thank you Ambrose Blowfield Owner The Marketing Company

To the editors and team behind NZSM well done Many growing challenges in the sales arena at an accelerating pace of change and great you have contributed so much to the profession Stuart Edmunds Founder of New Zealand Institute of Sales bull

040 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

EVENTSCALENDAR

DATE NAME PLACE COMPANY27 November Sales Management Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

1 December Negotiation Skills Wellington IMNZ

1 December Sales Seminar Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

2 December Key Account Management Christchurch IMNZ

2 December Effective Sales Prospecting Auckland PD Training

8 December Sales Basics Auckland Geewiz

9 December Advanced Serious Selling Auckland Geewiz

11 December Sales Training Auckland PD Training

15 December Cold Calling and Prospecting Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

15 December Professional Telephone Skills Training

Auckland PD Training

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 041

THECLOSE

ldquoI never ran 1000 miles I could never

have done that I ran 1 mile 1000 timesrdquo

Subscribe at wwwnzsalesmanagerconz ITrsquoS FREE

Lucian Milasan Shutterstockcom

- Stu Mittleman

Page 26: NZ Sales Manager – Issue 100

026 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3

2 Be yourselfSo many people will put on a persona they think is needed to create a successful sales outcome This is simply not the case and could in fact be what is costing you business

When you went through all the psychological and personality testing (hopefully) when you applied for the job or franchise opportunity these assessments showed the real you and indicated that you should be successful in your business So why are you hiding this real you now

Clients look for faults and are suspicious when you knock on the door because you are promoting a product If they sense falseness about you it will raise their alarms and give them good reason not to buy from you Will your natural personality be what everyone is looking for every time Probably not You will get on with some people better than others

But the reality is especially if you are less experienced you were quite possibly never going to sell to those people anyway The ones that would be attracted to your natural personality will be put off by a fake overlay so stop doing it

The reality is that you could be a complete ratbag but people still buy from complete ratbags ndash as long as they are honest about being one Can you image your reaction to someone whorsquos obviously a ratbag but is pretending to be nice and you can see through it It would make you want to run in the opposite direction wouldnrsquot it

Show some passion for your subjectAgain we put on this persona of lsquoprofessionalismrsquo which means we deliver a very dry presentation What was the passion that got you involved in the first place If it was simply that you thought yoursquod make a lot of money you may possibly have made an error ndash thatrsquos called a job

Clients enjoy your enthusiasm and passion for your product It will take you through the tough times but yoursquoll also need to show it to your clients so they know that you are passionate about what you are doing

This isnrsquot easy in cultures where showing emotion is not the norm but the old saying lsquoenthusiasm sellsrsquo is as true now as it ever was

Let your passion and enthusiasm for your subject out and yoursquoll take your potential client along with you for the ride The big problem is that if you do not show some passion and hide in facts and figures your clients will allocate an emotion and a motivation to you What do you think the chances are that it will be a positive one

None

The reality is that you could be a complete ratbag but people still buy from complete ratbags ndash as long as they are honest about being one

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 027

4

Bill James is an internationally recognised sales speaker and trainer who specialises in referral and relationship marketing To find out more visit his website above

wwwBillJamesSpeakercom

Jargon kills salesOccasionally yoursquoll find someone whorsquos really caught up in the technical aspects of what you do But usually they are initially more interested in knowing you understand and care about their needs If you are technically orientated itrsquos easy to hide in the features of your product but this will stop you truly addressing the need of the client

Often most products appear to be very similar and have similar pricing and so the difference is your ability to uncover their real concerns and needs and address those In this way yoursquoll make a connection at a very personal level which is the key to gaining that commitment from your potential client

Loading them up with jargon will simply occupy their headspace and will actually be counterproductive Talking everyday language that your client can understand and addressing their real needs will result in you making real progress

Use a low logic approach with your potential clientlsquoLow logicrsquo is language that is simple to understand It is almost like approaching your client underneath the radar

Simply approach them in a very matter of fact way (with a certain amount of emotion) and give them the option to decline your services if they want In this way you donrsquot raise any alarm bells and make them feel trapped They are much more likely to come along for the ride this way

For example ldquoMr Prospect the simple reality is businesses like yours can use this product and it has X effect For you to be interested it obviously has to meet X Y Z needs and also fit within your budget and I have to be able to show you the real benefits of working with our company If I canrsquot then itrsquos only fair that I should head for the door But if I can make all that happen then your company is definitely at an advantage Irsquod like to simply sit down with you and run through these different ideas and see where we go from there is that fair enoughrdquo

So be yourself cut the jargon and let your passion for the product speak for itself Approach other people the way you like to be approached and you might well find that your sales increase hugelybull

5

028 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Winning Sales Presentations

ISSUESEVENTYTWO

Words by Debbie Mayo-Smith

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 029

Creating a great sales presentation isnrsquot very different to crafting a great speech You want to keep attention Motivate Convince Move to action Here is a formula that I follow (learnt from the

American maestro Patricia Fripp) that should help you to vastly improve your success when putting together and delivering a sales presentation

To whom are you speakingBe prepared before you go in and know as much about your audience as possible Age attitude industry and gender will all have a bearing on how you present your points Men and women have different senses of humour Younger audiences will be more impatient than older lsquoCrsquo level executives who donrsquot need the details Your presentation style and content must fit their perspective

You are not the heroWhat is the ratio of your PowerPoint slides (or written material) devoted to your company vs the potential client It stands to reason if you are invited to pitch you have already passed the preliminary vetting The convincing is done Wow them stand out from your competition by focusing on them - not stories of you your company achievements or accolades Do you like listening to egotistical sales people Share the glory with sales teams Ensure you put the prospective company in the limelight

I-You Ratio Likewise look through your sales presentations and count how many Irsquos wersquos and usrsquos you have Make certain your slides and stories are about them not you Change the perspective at every opportunity possible

Wrong ldquoOur company is number one in rdquo

Right ldquoYou benefit from our number one standing becauserdquo

Strong openingIf yoursquore pitching a $500000 contract and have only 10 minutes then starting with ldquogood morning ladies and gentlemen thank you for having us hererdquo just cost you over $8300 by wasting 10 seconds

Open differently and strongly Paint a picture Take them into the future Describe how theyrsquore benefiting from the clever decision they made years ago working with you Decision makers want to benefit the company they also want personally to be sure they are taking the right action So highlight how theyrsquoll be remembered for doing the right thing by using your company (donrsquot make it too much of a butter up though)

Answer questions up front What do they want to know from you How can you help them If yoursquore more expensive will take longer or are the underdog ndash do not ignore the fact Theyrsquore thinking it Come straight out early into the presentation with a lsquoI know what yoursquore thinkingrsquo statement then answer their objections

030 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

PremiseBuild the sales presentation around the structure of how they will benefit from what you are asking them to do ldquoYou will save $2 million dollars by using our softwarerdquo or ldquoYou will cut maintenance expenditure by 20 per centrdquo Phrase it so they say to themselves lsquohowrsquo You then answer in a logical and structured way

Points laid out logicallyYou can help them make $2million How You enumerate and discuss the points one by one with examples Point one is cutting costs Point two is increasing revenue Point three is boosting staff productivity Highlighting points by telling a story will work infinitely better for you than simply stating it or just saying why By the way you turn masterful in your sales presentation story telling skills when you give your stories flesh and blood characters and dialogue

Seamless transitionMoving from a main point (cutting costs) to the next (increasing revenue) should have a smooth flow instead of an abrupt change Carrying on our example you could transition by saying ldquolowering costs is only one side of the equation of boosting your profit Increasing sales in a challenging environment might not seem easy let me show you how we helprdquo That places you nicely into the segment on how you increase their revenues

QuestionsDonrsquot end with questions rather take them before you review at the end so you can close on a high note

ReviewIf possible use a story again ndash outlining a client that benefited in all the ways you highlight they will benefit

Repetitive reframes sound bite statementsYou can be sure theyrsquoll remember stories Hit home with better retention by giving them little sound bites and repeating them often

Strong CloseRefer back to your opening story or bring all the elements together describing how theyrsquoll benefit If you didnrsquot use thersquo looking into the futurersquo in your opening you can use it in the closing ldquoPicture yourself in two yearsrsquo time Itrsquos the gala dinner Award night Everyone is abuzz because of the success of the new software system you approved and installed the year before Five different staff have come to you throughout the evening ndash all award winners from their significant leap in productivityrdquo bull

Debbie Mayo-Smith is one of New Zealandrsquos most in-demand speakers trainers and bestselling authors Debbie works with companies that want more effective staff For more tips and business ideas sign up for her free monthly newsletter

wwwsuccessisconz

GOT A PRODUCT SERVICE OR BUSINESS WORTH TALKING ABOUT

Want to grow brand awareness in a more effective and useful way

Get in touch with Jennifer now to discuss our options+64 9 522 7257 (NZT) | jenniferlespiremediacom | wwwespiremediacom

TALK TO ESPIRE MEDIA ABOUT OUR CONTENT MARKETING SERVICES We offer a range of ways to attract and retain customers by creating and curating relevant and valuable content to engage and add value to your audience

BENEFITSbull Expand your digital footprintbull Grow brand awarenessbull Increase traffic to your websitebull Thought leadershipbull Media exposurebull Attract new customersbull And grow SALES

Check out our blog for content marketing advice tips and ideas plus a free copy of our content marketing guide The Content Creation Cookbook

032 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Nine Steps to Supercharge Your Job Hunt

ISSUEEIGHTYFIVE

Tom ONeil shares some strategies to ensure you get a jump on your competition

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 033

1 Follow-up and use your personal networks Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is generally more trusted Therefore a person who is referred to an employer has a higher trust value and therefore a higher chance of getting employed This is especially true if there is not actually an official job vacancy and you are the only person being assessed for the role

Therefore its vital to get back in contact with your network with your good wishes as well as tell them you are now looking for new career opportunities

2 LinkedInGo through your LinkedIn profile with an objective eye making sure your profile sells you as much as possible Look at common keywords in the types of positions you are seeking and ensure these are included in your profile After you have done this ask a friend or two to have a look through as well to see if you have missed anything of importance

Check the number and quality of your recommendations on LinkedIn Social media author Linda Coles calls these your silent salespeople I recently was told a major international IT company would not select any senior level staff unless they had more than 20 recommendations I was chuffed when I read this as I am up to 45 however when I asked Linda I found that she has over 120 Therefore you can start to see the power these sound-bite type recommendations can have

Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from

word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is

generally more trusted Therefore a person who is

referred to an employer has a higher trust value and

therefore a higher chance of getting employed

034 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3 Go back over your successes in the past 12 monthsMost people tend to rush into the job hunting process only really thinking about their successes (and failures) when they are in the interview Were you awarded further authority in your role Did you exceed any sales or performance targets Did you train or mentor any new people All these things are important to an employer so make sure you take some time today to think about the positive things that shaped your career recently (and be sure to include them in your CV)

4 Plan your career not just your next jobRemember that each position is a stepping stone to the next so take some time out to think about what you want to be doing for a role in 2020 Once you have done this map out ideal positions (and study if needed) to get you there

5 Direct marketingHas there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them You would be surprised about the amount of people who because they demonstrated a strong interest in the company got a position personally crafted for them even though there appeared to be no position available The other major benefit of this direct approach is that it means a manager does not have to pay a $15000 recruitment fee as you have come to them for free

6 Check in with your verbal refereesTime and time again a candidate has missed out on a dream job because their referees were too old or not overly positive During my HR and recruitment career I have contacted the referees of candidates I have been really interested in employing and got responses like Oh no is Steve looking for ANOTHER job or Sorry I dont remember a Mike Smith Are you sure he put me as a referee

Contact your referees ensure they are aware that you are back on the job hunt and ask them if they are happy to provide a verbal reference The five-minute call you make today may well be the difference between getting your next job in October or March

Has there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 035

Tom ONeil is a leading international author career specialist and MD of CVCONZ You can contact Tom via email tomcvconz

CVCONZ

7 Follow-upBecause of the nature of the recruitment process (especially executive search and selection) the hiring process can be extremely drawn out Make sure you keep in contact with the recruiterpotential employer on a regular basis Most candidates are not keen to do this as they feel its overly aggressive However as long as you are friendly and professional in your follow-up you should be remembered positively when the time for the final decision comes

8 Take time to tailor your CV cover letter and interview to the roleA vacant position is a major headache for a company especially if that position is at a senior or executive level Therefore its vital that you tailor your entire approach as a complete solution specifically for the opportunity In most job advertisements and position descriptions there is a section entitled Personal SpecificationsCharacteristicsCompetencies etc This section is the key to the role and is what you need to target

Read through the documentation and summarise what the ideal person would look like With your skills achievements qualifications and experiences how can you meet or exceed these requirements

Finally you want to ensure that the main aspects and keywords are mirrored in everything you send to the employer and in your answers during the interview The closer you meet their brief of the ideal candidate the higher the chance of you getting that job

9 Positive state of mindAs the job hunt progresses it can become a painful process However its vital to stay as positive as you can as employers can sense frustration anxiety and antagonism all the emotions they wont want in an employee Make sure you go into each situation with a positive outlook take the best from all situations and remember every challenge is an opportunity to grow and improve your skills bull

036 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

COMPETITION

BOOK GIVEAWAYWe have two copies of the brand new job search manual Youre Hired The Essential Guide to Job Hunting and Personal Branding by Tom ONeil to give away

The book provides up-to-the-minute practical detail to choose the social media strategy best suited to your

situation and ways to promote yourself

through online networks particularly

LinkedIn as well as the importance of

lsquoofflinersquo branding Also included are sections

on reacutesumeacutes and covering letters (with

access online to templates) interviewing

tips networking direct marketing salary

negotiation and career goal-setting making

this the essential job hunting guide

There has been a huge shift over the last

three decades in the way employment

recruitment takes place and the power of

the individual to take control of their job hunt

has improved massively according to career

specialist Tom OrsquoNeil

But the strength of your lsquobrandrsquo and your

ability to sell your skills and achievements

will dictate how successful you are in your

search In this compelling new guide Tom

provides job seekers with simple exercises

and guidance to identify personal attributes and key career highlights that will assist in marketing yourself to potential employers The advice holds equally well for consultants and contractors like real estate agents and insurance brokers looking to procure new business bull

paulnnzsalesmanagerconz Email Paul before 30th November to be in to win a copy We have two copies to giveawayPublished by New Holland Publishers

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 037

QUICKFIX

Honest Apologies

lsquoDue to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control we lthave let you downgthellipAnd end like this lsquoWe apologise for any

inconvenience this may have causedrsquo

As a customer I read this and think ndash well at least they have told me they have stuffed up but they obviously donrsquot want to tell me why because they think that will make them look even worse and their apology is so canned they donrsquot mean it anyway They donrsquot really care

QUICK FIX

To show you do really care and to build a relationship built on trust cut out the canned opening and closing lines that everyone uses and use real language

bull Tell it how you would say it - which is not the canned written way

bull Tell what did happen and what you learned that will improve customer service in the future

bull Show that you understand their business - you should know what inconvenience it has caused them so apologise specifically for this

Do this and your customers will be much more understanding bull

bull

So itrsquos all gone wrong and you have let your customer down Itrsquos time to write to them with an apology How many letters start like this

038 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Ive been reading and using pieces from NZ Sales Manager magazine since Jan 2011 It has helped me immensely in gaining trust and building sales teams It gives me motivation each month to try something new and see if I can mould it to suit our team Thank you for providing this sales tool - it really has been a great source of information and motivation

Shaun Matheson

It gives me great pleasure to acknowledge all the wonderful work done by the NZ Sales Manager Magazine and all the efforts put in by the editor Mr Paul Newsom

This magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning tool With a well laid out plan this magazine has given all sales professionals including myself a great platform to focus and learn from and thus being very successful in our sales efforts in a very demanding business environment

Congratulations for coming up to your 100th issue which is indeed a great milestone and I personally wish the magazine and all those who run it every success and keep up the great work

Best WishesIvo DrsquoSilva Sales amp Customer Service Manager

THANKYOUFROMOURREADERS

ldquoThis magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning toolrdquoRegional

Manager

at

EDL

Fasteners

Ltd

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 039

Congratulations on the 100th issue of NZ Sales Manager eMag You provide valuable tips on selling and sales management and your 100th issue is great proof that you share great ideas that your readers appreciate and find usefulGraham McGregor Marketing Advisor amp Journalist

A big congrats to NZ Sales Manager on the 100th issue Thanks for your wonderful insights challenging the norm and keeping us focused on doing our best We look forward to the next 100Paul Brophy Team Leader NZ at CXC Global

ldquoThanks for your

wonderful insights

challenging the norm

and keeping us focused

on doing our bestrdquo

Sales management everywhere should be reading the NZ Sales Manager Congrats on your 100th issueJill Konrath Author of Agile Selling SNAP Selling and Selling to Big Companies

What a wonderful milestone for such a useful and inspiring magazine Congratulations to you and all your hard workLinda Coles Online Marketing Expert

Great work and contribution to Sales Managers all across NZ Thank you Ambrose Blowfield Owner The Marketing Company

To the editors and team behind NZSM well done Many growing challenges in the sales arena at an accelerating pace of change and great you have contributed so much to the profession Stuart Edmunds Founder of New Zealand Institute of Sales bull

040 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

EVENTSCALENDAR

DATE NAME PLACE COMPANY27 November Sales Management Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

1 December Negotiation Skills Wellington IMNZ

1 December Sales Seminar Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

2 December Key Account Management Christchurch IMNZ

2 December Effective Sales Prospecting Auckland PD Training

8 December Sales Basics Auckland Geewiz

9 December Advanced Serious Selling Auckland Geewiz

11 December Sales Training Auckland PD Training

15 December Cold Calling and Prospecting Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

15 December Professional Telephone Skills Training

Auckland PD Training

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 041

THECLOSE

ldquoI never ran 1000 miles I could never

have done that I ran 1 mile 1000 timesrdquo

Subscribe at wwwnzsalesmanagerconz ITrsquoS FREE

Lucian Milasan Shutterstockcom

- Stu Mittleman

Page 27: NZ Sales Manager – Issue 100

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 027

4

Bill James is an internationally recognised sales speaker and trainer who specialises in referral and relationship marketing To find out more visit his website above

wwwBillJamesSpeakercom

Jargon kills salesOccasionally yoursquoll find someone whorsquos really caught up in the technical aspects of what you do But usually they are initially more interested in knowing you understand and care about their needs If you are technically orientated itrsquos easy to hide in the features of your product but this will stop you truly addressing the need of the client

Often most products appear to be very similar and have similar pricing and so the difference is your ability to uncover their real concerns and needs and address those In this way yoursquoll make a connection at a very personal level which is the key to gaining that commitment from your potential client

Loading them up with jargon will simply occupy their headspace and will actually be counterproductive Talking everyday language that your client can understand and addressing their real needs will result in you making real progress

Use a low logic approach with your potential clientlsquoLow logicrsquo is language that is simple to understand It is almost like approaching your client underneath the radar

Simply approach them in a very matter of fact way (with a certain amount of emotion) and give them the option to decline your services if they want In this way you donrsquot raise any alarm bells and make them feel trapped They are much more likely to come along for the ride this way

For example ldquoMr Prospect the simple reality is businesses like yours can use this product and it has X effect For you to be interested it obviously has to meet X Y Z needs and also fit within your budget and I have to be able to show you the real benefits of working with our company If I canrsquot then itrsquos only fair that I should head for the door But if I can make all that happen then your company is definitely at an advantage Irsquod like to simply sit down with you and run through these different ideas and see where we go from there is that fair enoughrdquo

So be yourself cut the jargon and let your passion for the product speak for itself Approach other people the way you like to be approached and you might well find that your sales increase hugelybull

5

028 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Winning Sales Presentations

ISSUESEVENTYTWO

Words by Debbie Mayo-Smith

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 029

Creating a great sales presentation isnrsquot very different to crafting a great speech You want to keep attention Motivate Convince Move to action Here is a formula that I follow (learnt from the

American maestro Patricia Fripp) that should help you to vastly improve your success when putting together and delivering a sales presentation

To whom are you speakingBe prepared before you go in and know as much about your audience as possible Age attitude industry and gender will all have a bearing on how you present your points Men and women have different senses of humour Younger audiences will be more impatient than older lsquoCrsquo level executives who donrsquot need the details Your presentation style and content must fit their perspective

You are not the heroWhat is the ratio of your PowerPoint slides (or written material) devoted to your company vs the potential client It stands to reason if you are invited to pitch you have already passed the preliminary vetting The convincing is done Wow them stand out from your competition by focusing on them - not stories of you your company achievements or accolades Do you like listening to egotistical sales people Share the glory with sales teams Ensure you put the prospective company in the limelight

I-You Ratio Likewise look through your sales presentations and count how many Irsquos wersquos and usrsquos you have Make certain your slides and stories are about them not you Change the perspective at every opportunity possible

Wrong ldquoOur company is number one in rdquo

Right ldquoYou benefit from our number one standing becauserdquo

Strong openingIf yoursquore pitching a $500000 contract and have only 10 minutes then starting with ldquogood morning ladies and gentlemen thank you for having us hererdquo just cost you over $8300 by wasting 10 seconds

Open differently and strongly Paint a picture Take them into the future Describe how theyrsquore benefiting from the clever decision they made years ago working with you Decision makers want to benefit the company they also want personally to be sure they are taking the right action So highlight how theyrsquoll be remembered for doing the right thing by using your company (donrsquot make it too much of a butter up though)

Answer questions up front What do they want to know from you How can you help them If yoursquore more expensive will take longer or are the underdog ndash do not ignore the fact Theyrsquore thinking it Come straight out early into the presentation with a lsquoI know what yoursquore thinkingrsquo statement then answer their objections

030 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

PremiseBuild the sales presentation around the structure of how they will benefit from what you are asking them to do ldquoYou will save $2 million dollars by using our softwarerdquo or ldquoYou will cut maintenance expenditure by 20 per centrdquo Phrase it so they say to themselves lsquohowrsquo You then answer in a logical and structured way

Points laid out logicallyYou can help them make $2million How You enumerate and discuss the points one by one with examples Point one is cutting costs Point two is increasing revenue Point three is boosting staff productivity Highlighting points by telling a story will work infinitely better for you than simply stating it or just saying why By the way you turn masterful in your sales presentation story telling skills when you give your stories flesh and blood characters and dialogue

Seamless transitionMoving from a main point (cutting costs) to the next (increasing revenue) should have a smooth flow instead of an abrupt change Carrying on our example you could transition by saying ldquolowering costs is only one side of the equation of boosting your profit Increasing sales in a challenging environment might not seem easy let me show you how we helprdquo That places you nicely into the segment on how you increase their revenues

QuestionsDonrsquot end with questions rather take them before you review at the end so you can close on a high note

ReviewIf possible use a story again ndash outlining a client that benefited in all the ways you highlight they will benefit

Repetitive reframes sound bite statementsYou can be sure theyrsquoll remember stories Hit home with better retention by giving them little sound bites and repeating them often

Strong CloseRefer back to your opening story or bring all the elements together describing how theyrsquoll benefit If you didnrsquot use thersquo looking into the futurersquo in your opening you can use it in the closing ldquoPicture yourself in two yearsrsquo time Itrsquos the gala dinner Award night Everyone is abuzz because of the success of the new software system you approved and installed the year before Five different staff have come to you throughout the evening ndash all award winners from their significant leap in productivityrdquo bull

Debbie Mayo-Smith is one of New Zealandrsquos most in-demand speakers trainers and bestselling authors Debbie works with companies that want more effective staff For more tips and business ideas sign up for her free monthly newsletter

wwwsuccessisconz

GOT A PRODUCT SERVICE OR BUSINESS WORTH TALKING ABOUT

Want to grow brand awareness in a more effective and useful way

Get in touch with Jennifer now to discuss our options+64 9 522 7257 (NZT) | jenniferlespiremediacom | wwwespiremediacom

TALK TO ESPIRE MEDIA ABOUT OUR CONTENT MARKETING SERVICES We offer a range of ways to attract and retain customers by creating and curating relevant and valuable content to engage and add value to your audience

BENEFITSbull Expand your digital footprintbull Grow brand awarenessbull Increase traffic to your websitebull Thought leadershipbull Media exposurebull Attract new customersbull And grow SALES

Check out our blog for content marketing advice tips and ideas plus a free copy of our content marketing guide The Content Creation Cookbook

032 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Nine Steps to Supercharge Your Job Hunt

ISSUEEIGHTYFIVE

Tom ONeil shares some strategies to ensure you get a jump on your competition

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 033

1 Follow-up and use your personal networks Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is generally more trusted Therefore a person who is referred to an employer has a higher trust value and therefore a higher chance of getting employed This is especially true if there is not actually an official job vacancy and you are the only person being assessed for the role

Therefore its vital to get back in contact with your network with your good wishes as well as tell them you are now looking for new career opportunities

2 LinkedInGo through your LinkedIn profile with an objective eye making sure your profile sells you as much as possible Look at common keywords in the types of positions you are seeking and ensure these are included in your profile After you have done this ask a friend or two to have a look through as well to see if you have missed anything of importance

Check the number and quality of your recommendations on LinkedIn Social media author Linda Coles calls these your silent salespeople I recently was told a major international IT company would not select any senior level staff unless they had more than 20 recommendations I was chuffed when I read this as I am up to 45 however when I asked Linda I found that she has over 120 Therefore you can start to see the power these sound-bite type recommendations can have

Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from

word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is

generally more trusted Therefore a person who is

referred to an employer has a higher trust value and

therefore a higher chance of getting employed

034 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3 Go back over your successes in the past 12 monthsMost people tend to rush into the job hunting process only really thinking about their successes (and failures) when they are in the interview Were you awarded further authority in your role Did you exceed any sales or performance targets Did you train or mentor any new people All these things are important to an employer so make sure you take some time today to think about the positive things that shaped your career recently (and be sure to include them in your CV)

4 Plan your career not just your next jobRemember that each position is a stepping stone to the next so take some time out to think about what you want to be doing for a role in 2020 Once you have done this map out ideal positions (and study if needed) to get you there

5 Direct marketingHas there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them You would be surprised about the amount of people who because they demonstrated a strong interest in the company got a position personally crafted for them even though there appeared to be no position available The other major benefit of this direct approach is that it means a manager does not have to pay a $15000 recruitment fee as you have come to them for free

6 Check in with your verbal refereesTime and time again a candidate has missed out on a dream job because their referees were too old or not overly positive During my HR and recruitment career I have contacted the referees of candidates I have been really interested in employing and got responses like Oh no is Steve looking for ANOTHER job or Sorry I dont remember a Mike Smith Are you sure he put me as a referee

Contact your referees ensure they are aware that you are back on the job hunt and ask them if they are happy to provide a verbal reference The five-minute call you make today may well be the difference between getting your next job in October or March

Has there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 035

Tom ONeil is a leading international author career specialist and MD of CVCONZ You can contact Tom via email tomcvconz

CVCONZ

7 Follow-upBecause of the nature of the recruitment process (especially executive search and selection) the hiring process can be extremely drawn out Make sure you keep in contact with the recruiterpotential employer on a regular basis Most candidates are not keen to do this as they feel its overly aggressive However as long as you are friendly and professional in your follow-up you should be remembered positively when the time for the final decision comes

8 Take time to tailor your CV cover letter and interview to the roleA vacant position is a major headache for a company especially if that position is at a senior or executive level Therefore its vital that you tailor your entire approach as a complete solution specifically for the opportunity In most job advertisements and position descriptions there is a section entitled Personal SpecificationsCharacteristicsCompetencies etc This section is the key to the role and is what you need to target

Read through the documentation and summarise what the ideal person would look like With your skills achievements qualifications and experiences how can you meet or exceed these requirements

Finally you want to ensure that the main aspects and keywords are mirrored in everything you send to the employer and in your answers during the interview The closer you meet their brief of the ideal candidate the higher the chance of you getting that job

9 Positive state of mindAs the job hunt progresses it can become a painful process However its vital to stay as positive as you can as employers can sense frustration anxiety and antagonism all the emotions they wont want in an employee Make sure you go into each situation with a positive outlook take the best from all situations and remember every challenge is an opportunity to grow and improve your skills bull

036 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

COMPETITION

BOOK GIVEAWAYWe have two copies of the brand new job search manual Youre Hired The Essential Guide to Job Hunting and Personal Branding by Tom ONeil to give away

The book provides up-to-the-minute practical detail to choose the social media strategy best suited to your

situation and ways to promote yourself

through online networks particularly

LinkedIn as well as the importance of

lsquoofflinersquo branding Also included are sections

on reacutesumeacutes and covering letters (with

access online to templates) interviewing

tips networking direct marketing salary

negotiation and career goal-setting making

this the essential job hunting guide

There has been a huge shift over the last

three decades in the way employment

recruitment takes place and the power of

the individual to take control of their job hunt

has improved massively according to career

specialist Tom OrsquoNeil

But the strength of your lsquobrandrsquo and your

ability to sell your skills and achievements

will dictate how successful you are in your

search In this compelling new guide Tom

provides job seekers with simple exercises

and guidance to identify personal attributes and key career highlights that will assist in marketing yourself to potential employers The advice holds equally well for consultants and contractors like real estate agents and insurance brokers looking to procure new business bull

paulnnzsalesmanagerconz Email Paul before 30th November to be in to win a copy We have two copies to giveawayPublished by New Holland Publishers

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 037

QUICKFIX

Honest Apologies

lsquoDue to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control we lthave let you downgthellipAnd end like this lsquoWe apologise for any

inconvenience this may have causedrsquo

As a customer I read this and think ndash well at least they have told me they have stuffed up but they obviously donrsquot want to tell me why because they think that will make them look even worse and their apology is so canned they donrsquot mean it anyway They donrsquot really care

QUICK FIX

To show you do really care and to build a relationship built on trust cut out the canned opening and closing lines that everyone uses and use real language

bull Tell it how you would say it - which is not the canned written way

bull Tell what did happen and what you learned that will improve customer service in the future

bull Show that you understand their business - you should know what inconvenience it has caused them so apologise specifically for this

Do this and your customers will be much more understanding bull

bull

So itrsquos all gone wrong and you have let your customer down Itrsquos time to write to them with an apology How many letters start like this

038 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Ive been reading and using pieces from NZ Sales Manager magazine since Jan 2011 It has helped me immensely in gaining trust and building sales teams It gives me motivation each month to try something new and see if I can mould it to suit our team Thank you for providing this sales tool - it really has been a great source of information and motivation

Shaun Matheson

It gives me great pleasure to acknowledge all the wonderful work done by the NZ Sales Manager Magazine and all the efforts put in by the editor Mr Paul Newsom

This magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning tool With a well laid out plan this magazine has given all sales professionals including myself a great platform to focus and learn from and thus being very successful in our sales efforts in a very demanding business environment

Congratulations for coming up to your 100th issue which is indeed a great milestone and I personally wish the magazine and all those who run it every success and keep up the great work

Best WishesIvo DrsquoSilva Sales amp Customer Service Manager

THANKYOUFROMOURREADERS

ldquoThis magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning toolrdquoRegional

Manager

at

EDL

Fasteners

Ltd

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 039

Congratulations on the 100th issue of NZ Sales Manager eMag You provide valuable tips on selling and sales management and your 100th issue is great proof that you share great ideas that your readers appreciate and find usefulGraham McGregor Marketing Advisor amp Journalist

A big congrats to NZ Sales Manager on the 100th issue Thanks for your wonderful insights challenging the norm and keeping us focused on doing our best We look forward to the next 100Paul Brophy Team Leader NZ at CXC Global

ldquoThanks for your

wonderful insights

challenging the norm

and keeping us focused

on doing our bestrdquo

Sales management everywhere should be reading the NZ Sales Manager Congrats on your 100th issueJill Konrath Author of Agile Selling SNAP Selling and Selling to Big Companies

What a wonderful milestone for such a useful and inspiring magazine Congratulations to you and all your hard workLinda Coles Online Marketing Expert

Great work and contribution to Sales Managers all across NZ Thank you Ambrose Blowfield Owner The Marketing Company

To the editors and team behind NZSM well done Many growing challenges in the sales arena at an accelerating pace of change and great you have contributed so much to the profession Stuart Edmunds Founder of New Zealand Institute of Sales bull

040 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

EVENTSCALENDAR

DATE NAME PLACE COMPANY27 November Sales Management Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

1 December Negotiation Skills Wellington IMNZ

1 December Sales Seminar Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

2 December Key Account Management Christchurch IMNZ

2 December Effective Sales Prospecting Auckland PD Training

8 December Sales Basics Auckland Geewiz

9 December Advanced Serious Selling Auckland Geewiz

11 December Sales Training Auckland PD Training

15 December Cold Calling and Prospecting Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

15 December Professional Telephone Skills Training

Auckland PD Training

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 041

THECLOSE

ldquoI never ran 1000 miles I could never

have done that I ran 1 mile 1000 timesrdquo

Subscribe at wwwnzsalesmanagerconz ITrsquoS FREE

Lucian Milasan Shutterstockcom

- Stu Mittleman

Page 28: NZ Sales Manager – Issue 100

028 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Winning Sales Presentations

ISSUESEVENTYTWO

Words by Debbie Mayo-Smith

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 029

Creating a great sales presentation isnrsquot very different to crafting a great speech You want to keep attention Motivate Convince Move to action Here is a formula that I follow (learnt from the

American maestro Patricia Fripp) that should help you to vastly improve your success when putting together and delivering a sales presentation

To whom are you speakingBe prepared before you go in and know as much about your audience as possible Age attitude industry and gender will all have a bearing on how you present your points Men and women have different senses of humour Younger audiences will be more impatient than older lsquoCrsquo level executives who donrsquot need the details Your presentation style and content must fit their perspective

You are not the heroWhat is the ratio of your PowerPoint slides (or written material) devoted to your company vs the potential client It stands to reason if you are invited to pitch you have already passed the preliminary vetting The convincing is done Wow them stand out from your competition by focusing on them - not stories of you your company achievements or accolades Do you like listening to egotistical sales people Share the glory with sales teams Ensure you put the prospective company in the limelight

I-You Ratio Likewise look through your sales presentations and count how many Irsquos wersquos and usrsquos you have Make certain your slides and stories are about them not you Change the perspective at every opportunity possible

Wrong ldquoOur company is number one in rdquo

Right ldquoYou benefit from our number one standing becauserdquo

Strong openingIf yoursquore pitching a $500000 contract and have only 10 minutes then starting with ldquogood morning ladies and gentlemen thank you for having us hererdquo just cost you over $8300 by wasting 10 seconds

Open differently and strongly Paint a picture Take them into the future Describe how theyrsquore benefiting from the clever decision they made years ago working with you Decision makers want to benefit the company they also want personally to be sure they are taking the right action So highlight how theyrsquoll be remembered for doing the right thing by using your company (donrsquot make it too much of a butter up though)

Answer questions up front What do they want to know from you How can you help them If yoursquore more expensive will take longer or are the underdog ndash do not ignore the fact Theyrsquore thinking it Come straight out early into the presentation with a lsquoI know what yoursquore thinkingrsquo statement then answer their objections

030 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

PremiseBuild the sales presentation around the structure of how they will benefit from what you are asking them to do ldquoYou will save $2 million dollars by using our softwarerdquo or ldquoYou will cut maintenance expenditure by 20 per centrdquo Phrase it so they say to themselves lsquohowrsquo You then answer in a logical and structured way

Points laid out logicallyYou can help them make $2million How You enumerate and discuss the points one by one with examples Point one is cutting costs Point two is increasing revenue Point three is boosting staff productivity Highlighting points by telling a story will work infinitely better for you than simply stating it or just saying why By the way you turn masterful in your sales presentation story telling skills when you give your stories flesh and blood characters and dialogue

Seamless transitionMoving from a main point (cutting costs) to the next (increasing revenue) should have a smooth flow instead of an abrupt change Carrying on our example you could transition by saying ldquolowering costs is only one side of the equation of boosting your profit Increasing sales in a challenging environment might not seem easy let me show you how we helprdquo That places you nicely into the segment on how you increase their revenues

QuestionsDonrsquot end with questions rather take them before you review at the end so you can close on a high note

ReviewIf possible use a story again ndash outlining a client that benefited in all the ways you highlight they will benefit

Repetitive reframes sound bite statementsYou can be sure theyrsquoll remember stories Hit home with better retention by giving them little sound bites and repeating them often

Strong CloseRefer back to your opening story or bring all the elements together describing how theyrsquoll benefit If you didnrsquot use thersquo looking into the futurersquo in your opening you can use it in the closing ldquoPicture yourself in two yearsrsquo time Itrsquos the gala dinner Award night Everyone is abuzz because of the success of the new software system you approved and installed the year before Five different staff have come to you throughout the evening ndash all award winners from their significant leap in productivityrdquo bull

Debbie Mayo-Smith is one of New Zealandrsquos most in-demand speakers trainers and bestselling authors Debbie works with companies that want more effective staff For more tips and business ideas sign up for her free monthly newsletter

wwwsuccessisconz

GOT A PRODUCT SERVICE OR BUSINESS WORTH TALKING ABOUT

Want to grow brand awareness in a more effective and useful way

Get in touch with Jennifer now to discuss our options+64 9 522 7257 (NZT) | jenniferlespiremediacom | wwwespiremediacom

TALK TO ESPIRE MEDIA ABOUT OUR CONTENT MARKETING SERVICES We offer a range of ways to attract and retain customers by creating and curating relevant and valuable content to engage and add value to your audience

BENEFITSbull Expand your digital footprintbull Grow brand awarenessbull Increase traffic to your websitebull Thought leadershipbull Media exposurebull Attract new customersbull And grow SALES

Check out our blog for content marketing advice tips and ideas plus a free copy of our content marketing guide The Content Creation Cookbook

032 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Nine Steps to Supercharge Your Job Hunt

ISSUEEIGHTYFIVE

Tom ONeil shares some strategies to ensure you get a jump on your competition

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 033

1 Follow-up and use your personal networks Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is generally more trusted Therefore a person who is referred to an employer has a higher trust value and therefore a higher chance of getting employed This is especially true if there is not actually an official job vacancy and you are the only person being assessed for the role

Therefore its vital to get back in contact with your network with your good wishes as well as tell them you are now looking for new career opportunities

2 LinkedInGo through your LinkedIn profile with an objective eye making sure your profile sells you as much as possible Look at common keywords in the types of positions you are seeking and ensure these are included in your profile After you have done this ask a friend or two to have a look through as well to see if you have missed anything of importance

Check the number and quality of your recommendations on LinkedIn Social media author Linda Coles calls these your silent salespeople I recently was told a major international IT company would not select any senior level staff unless they had more than 20 recommendations I was chuffed when I read this as I am up to 45 however when I asked Linda I found that she has over 120 Therefore you can start to see the power these sound-bite type recommendations can have

Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from

word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is

generally more trusted Therefore a person who is

referred to an employer has a higher trust value and

therefore a higher chance of getting employed

034 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3 Go back over your successes in the past 12 monthsMost people tend to rush into the job hunting process only really thinking about their successes (and failures) when they are in the interview Were you awarded further authority in your role Did you exceed any sales or performance targets Did you train or mentor any new people All these things are important to an employer so make sure you take some time today to think about the positive things that shaped your career recently (and be sure to include them in your CV)

4 Plan your career not just your next jobRemember that each position is a stepping stone to the next so take some time out to think about what you want to be doing for a role in 2020 Once you have done this map out ideal positions (and study if needed) to get you there

5 Direct marketingHas there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them You would be surprised about the amount of people who because they demonstrated a strong interest in the company got a position personally crafted for them even though there appeared to be no position available The other major benefit of this direct approach is that it means a manager does not have to pay a $15000 recruitment fee as you have come to them for free

6 Check in with your verbal refereesTime and time again a candidate has missed out on a dream job because their referees were too old or not overly positive During my HR and recruitment career I have contacted the referees of candidates I have been really interested in employing and got responses like Oh no is Steve looking for ANOTHER job or Sorry I dont remember a Mike Smith Are you sure he put me as a referee

Contact your referees ensure they are aware that you are back on the job hunt and ask them if they are happy to provide a verbal reference The five-minute call you make today may well be the difference between getting your next job in October or March

Has there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 035

Tom ONeil is a leading international author career specialist and MD of CVCONZ You can contact Tom via email tomcvconz

CVCONZ

7 Follow-upBecause of the nature of the recruitment process (especially executive search and selection) the hiring process can be extremely drawn out Make sure you keep in contact with the recruiterpotential employer on a regular basis Most candidates are not keen to do this as they feel its overly aggressive However as long as you are friendly and professional in your follow-up you should be remembered positively when the time for the final decision comes

8 Take time to tailor your CV cover letter and interview to the roleA vacant position is a major headache for a company especially if that position is at a senior or executive level Therefore its vital that you tailor your entire approach as a complete solution specifically for the opportunity In most job advertisements and position descriptions there is a section entitled Personal SpecificationsCharacteristicsCompetencies etc This section is the key to the role and is what you need to target

Read through the documentation and summarise what the ideal person would look like With your skills achievements qualifications and experiences how can you meet or exceed these requirements

Finally you want to ensure that the main aspects and keywords are mirrored in everything you send to the employer and in your answers during the interview The closer you meet their brief of the ideal candidate the higher the chance of you getting that job

9 Positive state of mindAs the job hunt progresses it can become a painful process However its vital to stay as positive as you can as employers can sense frustration anxiety and antagonism all the emotions they wont want in an employee Make sure you go into each situation with a positive outlook take the best from all situations and remember every challenge is an opportunity to grow and improve your skills bull

036 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

COMPETITION

BOOK GIVEAWAYWe have two copies of the brand new job search manual Youre Hired The Essential Guide to Job Hunting and Personal Branding by Tom ONeil to give away

The book provides up-to-the-minute practical detail to choose the social media strategy best suited to your

situation and ways to promote yourself

through online networks particularly

LinkedIn as well as the importance of

lsquoofflinersquo branding Also included are sections

on reacutesumeacutes and covering letters (with

access online to templates) interviewing

tips networking direct marketing salary

negotiation and career goal-setting making

this the essential job hunting guide

There has been a huge shift over the last

three decades in the way employment

recruitment takes place and the power of

the individual to take control of their job hunt

has improved massively according to career

specialist Tom OrsquoNeil

But the strength of your lsquobrandrsquo and your

ability to sell your skills and achievements

will dictate how successful you are in your

search In this compelling new guide Tom

provides job seekers with simple exercises

and guidance to identify personal attributes and key career highlights that will assist in marketing yourself to potential employers The advice holds equally well for consultants and contractors like real estate agents and insurance brokers looking to procure new business bull

paulnnzsalesmanagerconz Email Paul before 30th November to be in to win a copy We have two copies to giveawayPublished by New Holland Publishers

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 037

QUICKFIX

Honest Apologies

lsquoDue to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control we lthave let you downgthellipAnd end like this lsquoWe apologise for any

inconvenience this may have causedrsquo

As a customer I read this and think ndash well at least they have told me they have stuffed up but they obviously donrsquot want to tell me why because they think that will make them look even worse and their apology is so canned they donrsquot mean it anyway They donrsquot really care

QUICK FIX

To show you do really care and to build a relationship built on trust cut out the canned opening and closing lines that everyone uses and use real language

bull Tell it how you would say it - which is not the canned written way

bull Tell what did happen and what you learned that will improve customer service in the future

bull Show that you understand their business - you should know what inconvenience it has caused them so apologise specifically for this

Do this and your customers will be much more understanding bull

bull

So itrsquos all gone wrong and you have let your customer down Itrsquos time to write to them with an apology How many letters start like this

038 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Ive been reading and using pieces from NZ Sales Manager magazine since Jan 2011 It has helped me immensely in gaining trust and building sales teams It gives me motivation each month to try something new and see if I can mould it to suit our team Thank you for providing this sales tool - it really has been a great source of information and motivation

Shaun Matheson

It gives me great pleasure to acknowledge all the wonderful work done by the NZ Sales Manager Magazine and all the efforts put in by the editor Mr Paul Newsom

This magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning tool With a well laid out plan this magazine has given all sales professionals including myself a great platform to focus and learn from and thus being very successful in our sales efforts in a very demanding business environment

Congratulations for coming up to your 100th issue which is indeed a great milestone and I personally wish the magazine and all those who run it every success and keep up the great work

Best WishesIvo DrsquoSilva Sales amp Customer Service Manager

THANKYOUFROMOURREADERS

ldquoThis magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning toolrdquoRegional

Manager

at

EDL

Fasteners

Ltd

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 039

Congratulations on the 100th issue of NZ Sales Manager eMag You provide valuable tips on selling and sales management and your 100th issue is great proof that you share great ideas that your readers appreciate and find usefulGraham McGregor Marketing Advisor amp Journalist

A big congrats to NZ Sales Manager on the 100th issue Thanks for your wonderful insights challenging the norm and keeping us focused on doing our best We look forward to the next 100Paul Brophy Team Leader NZ at CXC Global

ldquoThanks for your

wonderful insights

challenging the norm

and keeping us focused

on doing our bestrdquo

Sales management everywhere should be reading the NZ Sales Manager Congrats on your 100th issueJill Konrath Author of Agile Selling SNAP Selling and Selling to Big Companies

What a wonderful milestone for such a useful and inspiring magazine Congratulations to you and all your hard workLinda Coles Online Marketing Expert

Great work and contribution to Sales Managers all across NZ Thank you Ambrose Blowfield Owner The Marketing Company

To the editors and team behind NZSM well done Many growing challenges in the sales arena at an accelerating pace of change and great you have contributed so much to the profession Stuart Edmunds Founder of New Zealand Institute of Sales bull

040 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

EVENTSCALENDAR

DATE NAME PLACE COMPANY27 November Sales Management Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

1 December Negotiation Skills Wellington IMNZ

1 December Sales Seminar Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

2 December Key Account Management Christchurch IMNZ

2 December Effective Sales Prospecting Auckland PD Training

8 December Sales Basics Auckland Geewiz

9 December Advanced Serious Selling Auckland Geewiz

11 December Sales Training Auckland PD Training

15 December Cold Calling and Prospecting Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

15 December Professional Telephone Skills Training

Auckland PD Training

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 041

THECLOSE

ldquoI never ran 1000 miles I could never

have done that I ran 1 mile 1000 timesrdquo

Subscribe at wwwnzsalesmanagerconz ITrsquoS FREE

Lucian Milasan Shutterstockcom

- Stu Mittleman

Page 29: NZ Sales Manager – Issue 100

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 029

Creating a great sales presentation isnrsquot very different to crafting a great speech You want to keep attention Motivate Convince Move to action Here is a formula that I follow (learnt from the

American maestro Patricia Fripp) that should help you to vastly improve your success when putting together and delivering a sales presentation

To whom are you speakingBe prepared before you go in and know as much about your audience as possible Age attitude industry and gender will all have a bearing on how you present your points Men and women have different senses of humour Younger audiences will be more impatient than older lsquoCrsquo level executives who donrsquot need the details Your presentation style and content must fit their perspective

You are not the heroWhat is the ratio of your PowerPoint slides (or written material) devoted to your company vs the potential client It stands to reason if you are invited to pitch you have already passed the preliminary vetting The convincing is done Wow them stand out from your competition by focusing on them - not stories of you your company achievements or accolades Do you like listening to egotistical sales people Share the glory with sales teams Ensure you put the prospective company in the limelight

I-You Ratio Likewise look through your sales presentations and count how many Irsquos wersquos and usrsquos you have Make certain your slides and stories are about them not you Change the perspective at every opportunity possible

Wrong ldquoOur company is number one in rdquo

Right ldquoYou benefit from our number one standing becauserdquo

Strong openingIf yoursquore pitching a $500000 contract and have only 10 minutes then starting with ldquogood morning ladies and gentlemen thank you for having us hererdquo just cost you over $8300 by wasting 10 seconds

Open differently and strongly Paint a picture Take them into the future Describe how theyrsquore benefiting from the clever decision they made years ago working with you Decision makers want to benefit the company they also want personally to be sure they are taking the right action So highlight how theyrsquoll be remembered for doing the right thing by using your company (donrsquot make it too much of a butter up though)

Answer questions up front What do they want to know from you How can you help them If yoursquore more expensive will take longer or are the underdog ndash do not ignore the fact Theyrsquore thinking it Come straight out early into the presentation with a lsquoI know what yoursquore thinkingrsquo statement then answer their objections

030 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

PremiseBuild the sales presentation around the structure of how they will benefit from what you are asking them to do ldquoYou will save $2 million dollars by using our softwarerdquo or ldquoYou will cut maintenance expenditure by 20 per centrdquo Phrase it so they say to themselves lsquohowrsquo You then answer in a logical and structured way

Points laid out logicallyYou can help them make $2million How You enumerate and discuss the points one by one with examples Point one is cutting costs Point two is increasing revenue Point three is boosting staff productivity Highlighting points by telling a story will work infinitely better for you than simply stating it or just saying why By the way you turn masterful in your sales presentation story telling skills when you give your stories flesh and blood characters and dialogue

Seamless transitionMoving from a main point (cutting costs) to the next (increasing revenue) should have a smooth flow instead of an abrupt change Carrying on our example you could transition by saying ldquolowering costs is only one side of the equation of boosting your profit Increasing sales in a challenging environment might not seem easy let me show you how we helprdquo That places you nicely into the segment on how you increase their revenues

QuestionsDonrsquot end with questions rather take them before you review at the end so you can close on a high note

ReviewIf possible use a story again ndash outlining a client that benefited in all the ways you highlight they will benefit

Repetitive reframes sound bite statementsYou can be sure theyrsquoll remember stories Hit home with better retention by giving them little sound bites and repeating them often

Strong CloseRefer back to your opening story or bring all the elements together describing how theyrsquoll benefit If you didnrsquot use thersquo looking into the futurersquo in your opening you can use it in the closing ldquoPicture yourself in two yearsrsquo time Itrsquos the gala dinner Award night Everyone is abuzz because of the success of the new software system you approved and installed the year before Five different staff have come to you throughout the evening ndash all award winners from their significant leap in productivityrdquo bull

Debbie Mayo-Smith is one of New Zealandrsquos most in-demand speakers trainers and bestselling authors Debbie works with companies that want more effective staff For more tips and business ideas sign up for her free monthly newsletter

wwwsuccessisconz

GOT A PRODUCT SERVICE OR BUSINESS WORTH TALKING ABOUT

Want to grow brand awareness in a more effective and useful way

Get in touch with Jennifer now to discuss our options+64 9 522 7257 (NZT) | jenniferlespiremediacom | wwwespiremediacom

TALK TO ESPIRE MEDIA ABOUT OUR CONTENT MARKETING SERVICES We offer a range of ways to attract and retain customers by creating and curating relevant and valuable content to engage and add value to your audience

BENEFITSbull Expand your digital footprintbull Grow brand awarenessbull Increase traffic to your websitebull Thought leadershipbull Media exposurebull Attract new customersbull And grow SALES

Check out our blog for content marketing advice tips and ideas plus a free copy of our content marketing guide The Content Creation Cookbook

032 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Nine Steps to Supercharge Your Job Hunt

ISSUEEIGHTYFIVE

Tom ONeil shares some strategies to ensure you get a jump on your competition

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 033

1 Follow-up and use your personal networks Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is generally more trusted Therefore a person who is referred to an employer has a higher trust value and therefore a higher chance of getting employed This is especially true if there is not actually an official job vacancy and you are the only person being assessed for the role

Therefore its vital to get back in contact with your network with your good wishes as well as tell them you are now looking for new career opportunities

2 LinkedInGo through your LinkedIn profile with an objective eye making sure your profile sells you as much as possible Look at common keywords in the types of positions you are seeking and ensure these are included in your profile After you have done this ask a friend or two to have a look through as well to see if you have missed anything of importance

Check the number and quality of your recommendations on LinkedIn Social media author Linda Coles calls these your silent salespeople I recently was told a major international IT company would not select any senior level staff unless they had more than 20 recommendations I was chuffed when I read this as I am up to 45 however when I asked Linda I found that she has over 120 Therefore you can start to see the power these sound-bite type recommendations can have

Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from

word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is

generally more trusted Therefore a person who is

referred to an employer has a higher trust value and

therefore a higher chance of getting employed

034 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3 Go back over your successes in the past 12 monthsMost people tend to rush into the job hunting process only really thinking about their successes (and failures) when they are in the interview Were you awarded further authority in your role Did you exceed any sales or performance targets Did you train or mentor any new people All these things are important to an employer so make sure you take some time today to think about the positive things that shaped your career recently (and be sure to include them in your CV)

4 Plan your career not just your next jobRemember that each position is a stepping stone to the next so take some time out to think about what you want to be doing for a role in 2020 Once you have done this map out ideal positions (and study if needed) to get you there

5 Direct marketingHas there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them You would be surprised about the amount of people who because they demonstrated a strong interest in the company got a position personally crafted for them even though there appeared to be no position available The other major benefit of this direct approach is that it means a manager does not have to pay a $15000 recruitment fee as you have come to them for free

6 Check in with your verbal refereesTime and time again a candidate has missed out on a dream job because their referees were too old or not overly positive During my HR and recruitment career I have contacted the referees of candidates I have been really interested in employing and got responses like Oh no is Steve looking for ANOTHER job or Sorry I dont remember a Mike Smith Are you sure he put me as a referee

Contact your referees ensure they are aware that you are back on the job hunt and ask them if they are happy to provide a verbal reference The five-minute call you make today may well be the difference between getting your next job in October or March

Has there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 035

Tom ONeil is a leading international author career specialist and MD of CVCONZ You can contact Tom via email tomcvconz

CVCONZ

7 Follow-upBecause of the nature of the recruitment process (especially executive search and selection) the hiring process can be extremely drawn out Make sure you keep in contact with the recruiterpotential employer on a regular basis Most candidates are not keen to do this as they feel its overly aggressive However as long as you are friendly and professional in your follow-up you should be remembered positively when the time for the final decision comes

8 Take time to tailor your CV cover letter and interview to the roleA vacant position is a major headache for a company especially if that position is at a senior or executive level Therefore its vital that you tailor your entire approach as a complete solution specifically for the opportunity In most job advertisements and position descriptions there is a section entitled Personal SpecificationsCharacteristicsCompetencies etc This section is the key to the role and is what you need to target

Read through the documentation and summarise what the ideal person would look like With your skills achievements qualifications and experiences how can you meet or exceed these requirements

Finally you want to ensure that the main aspects and keywords are mirrored in everything you send to the employer and in your answers during the interview The closer you meet their brief of the ideal candidate the higher the chance of you getting that job

9 Positive state of mindAs the job hunt progresses it can become a painful process However its vital to stay as positive as you can as employers can sense frustration anxiety and antagonism all the emotions they wont want in an employee Make sure you go into each situation with a positive outlook take the best from all situations and remember every challenge is an opportunity to grow and improve your skills bull

036 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

COMPETITION

BOOK GIVEAWAYWe have two copies of the brand new job search manual Youre Hired The Essential Guide to Job Hunting and Personal Branding by Tom ONeil to give away

The book provides up-to-the-minute practical detail to choose the social media strategy best suited to your

situation and ways to promote yourself

through online networks particularly

LinkedIn as well as the importance of

lsquoofflinersquo branding Also included are sections

on reacutesumeacutes and covering letters (with

access online to templates) interviewing

tips networking direct marketing salary

negotiation and career goal-setting making

this the essential job hunting guide

There has been a huge shift over the last

three decades in the way employment

recruitment takes place and the power of

the individual to take control of their job hunt

has improved massively according to career

specialist Tom OrsquoNeil

But the strength of your lsquobrandrsquo and your

ability to sell your skills and achievements

will dictate how successful you are in your

search In this compelling new guide Tom

provides job seekers with simple exercises

and guidance to identify personal attributes and key career highlights that will assist in marketing yourself to potential employers The advice holds equally well for consultants and contractors like real estate agents and insurance brokers looking to procure new business bull

paulnnzsalesmanagerconz Email Paul before 30th November to be in to win a copy We have two copies to giveawayPublished by New Holland Publishers

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 037

QUICKFIX

Honest Apologies

lsquoDue to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control we lthave let you downgthellipAnd end like this lsquoWe apologise for any

inconvenience this may have causedrsquo

As a customer I read this and think ndash well at least they have told me they have stuffed up but they obviously donrsquot want to tell me why because they think that will make them look even worse and their apology is so canned they donrsquot mean it anyway They donrsquot really care

QUICK FIX

To show you do really care and to build a relationship built on trust cut out the canned opening and closing lines that everyone uses and use real language

bull Tell it how you would say it - which is not the canned written way

bull Tell what did happen and what you learned that will improve customer service in the future

bull Show that you understand their business - you should know what inconvenience it has caused them so apologise specifically for this

Do this and your customers will be much more understanding bull

bull

So itrsquos all gone wrong and you have let your customer down Itrsquos time to write to them with an apology How many letters start like this

038 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Ive been reading and using pieces from NZ Sales Manager magazine since Jan 2011 It has helped me immensely in gaining trust and building sales teams It gives me motivation each month to try something new and see if I can mould it to suit our team Thank you for providing this sales tool - it really has been a great source of information and motivation

Shaun Matheson

It gives me great pleasure to acknowledge all the wonderful work done by the NZ Sales Manager Magazine and all the efforts put in by the editor Mr Paul Newsom

This magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning tool With a well laid out plan this magazine has given all sales professionals including myself a great platform to focus and learn from and thus being very successful in our sales efforts in a very demanding business environment

Congratulations for coming up to your 100th issue which is indeed a great milestone and I personally wish the magazine and all those who run it every success and keep up the great work

Best WishesIvo DrsquoSilva Sales amp Customer Service Manager

THANKYOUFROMOURREADERS

ldquoThis magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning toolrdquoRegional

Manager

at

EDL

Fasteners

Ltd

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 039

Congratulations on the 100th issue of NZ Sales Manager eMag You provide valuable tips on selling and sales management and your 100th issue is great proof that you share great ideas that your readers appreciate and find usefulGraham McGregor Marketing Advisor amp Journalist

A big congrats to NZ Sales Manager on the 100th issue Thanks for your wonderful insights challenging the norm and keeping us focused on doing our best We look forward to the next 100Paul Brophy Team Leader NZ at CXC Global

ldquoThanks for your

wonderful insights

challenging the norm

and keeping us focused

on doing our bestrdquo

Sales management everywhere should be reading the NZ Sales Manager Congrats on your 100th issueJill Konrath Author of Agile Selling SNAP Selling and Selling to Big Companies

What a wonderful milestone for such a useful and inspiring magazine Congratulations to you and all your hard workLinda Coles Online Marketing Expert

Great work and contribution to Sales Managers all across NZ Thank you Ambrose Blowfield Owner The Marketing Company

To the editors and team behind NZSM well done Many growing challenges in the sales arena at an accelerating pace of change and great you have contributed so much to the profession Stuart Edmunds Founder of New Zealand Institute of Sales bull

040 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

EVENTSCALENDAR

DATE NAME PLACE COMPANY27 November Sales Management Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

1 December Negotiation Skills Wellington IMNZ

1 December Sales Seminar Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

2 December Key Account Management Christchurch IMNZ

2 December Effective Sales Prospecting Auckland PD Training

8 December Sales Basics Auckland Geewiz

9 December Advanced Serious Selling Auckland Geewiz

11 December Sales Training Auckland PD Training

15 December Cold Calling and Prospecting Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

15 December Professional Telephone Skills Training

Auckland PD Training

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 041

THECLOSE

ldquoI never ran 1000 miles I could never

have done that I ran 1 mile 1000 timesrdquo

Subscribe at wwwnzsalesmanagerconz ITrsquoS FREE

Lucian Milasan Shutterstockcom

- Stu Mittleman

Page 30: NZ Sales Manager – Issue 100

030 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

PremiseBuild the sales presentation around the structure of how they will benefit from what you are asking them to do ldquoYou will save $2 million dollars by using our softwarerdquo or ldquoYou will cut maintenance expenditure by 20 per centrdquo Phrase it so they say to themselves lsquohowrsquo You then answer in a logical and structured way

Points laid out logicallyYou can help them make $2million How You enumerate and discuss the points one by one with examples Point one is cutting costs Point two is increasing revenue Point three is boosting staff productivity Highlighting points by telling a story will work infinitely better for you than simply stating it or just saying why By the way you turn masterful in your sales presentation story telling skills when you give your stories flesh and blood characters and dialogue

Seamless transitionMoving from a main point (cutting costs) to the next (increasing revenue) should have a smooth flow instead of an abrupt change Carrying on our example you could transition by saying ldquolowering costs is only one side of the equation of boosting your profit Increasing sales in a challenging environment might not seem easy let me show you how we helprdquo That places you nicely into the segment on how you increase their revenues

QuestionsDonrsquot end with questions rather take them before you review at the end so you can close on a high note

ReviewIf possible use a story again ndash outlining a client that benefited in all the ways you highlight they will benefit

Repetitive reframes sound bite statementsYou can be sure theyrsquoll remember stories Hit home with better retention by giving them little sound bites and repeating them often

Strong CloseRefer back to your opening story or bring all the elements together describing how theyrsquoll benefit If you didnrsquot use thersquo looking into the futurersquo in your opening you can use it in the closing ldquoPicture yourself in two yearsrsquo time Itrsquos the gala dinner Award night Everyone is abuzz because of the success of the new software system you approved and installed the year before Five different staff have come to you throughout the evening ndash all award winners from their significant leap in productivityrdquo bull

Debbie Mayo-Smith is one of New Zealandrsquos most in-demand speakers trainers and bestselling authors Debbie works with companies that want more effective staff For more tips and business ideas sign up for her free monthly newsletter

wwwsuccessisconz

GOT A PRODUCT SERVICE OR BUSINESS WORTH TALKING ABOUT

Want to grow brand awareness in a more effective and useful way

Get in touch with Jennifer now to discuss our options+64 9 522 7257 (NZT) | jenniferlespiremediacom | wwwespiremediacom

TALK TO ESPIRE MEDIA ABOUT OUR CONTENT MARKETING SERVICES We offer a range of ways to attract and retain customers by creating and curating relevant and valuable content to engage and add value to your audience

BENEFITSbull Expand your digital footprintbull Grow brand awarenessbull Increase traffic to your websitebull Thought leadershipbull Media exposurebull Attract new customersbull And grow SALES

Check out our blog for content marketing advice tips and ideas plus a free copy of our content marketing guide The Content Creation Cookbook

032 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Nine Steps to Supercharge Your Job Hunt

ISSUEEIGHTYFIVE

Tom ONeil shares some strategies to ensure you get a jump on your competition

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 033

1 Follow-up and use your personal networks Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is generally more trusted Therefore a person who is referred to an employer has a higher trust value and therefore a higher chance of getting employed This is especially true if there is not actually an official job vacancy and you are the only person being assessed for the role

Therefore its vital to get back in contact with your network with your good wishes as well as tell them you are now looking for new career opportunities

2 LinkedInGo through your LinkedIn profile with an objective eye making sure your profile sells you as much as possible Look at common keywords in the types of positions you are seeking and ensure these are included in your profile After you have done this ask a friend or two to have a look through as well to see if you have missed anything of importance

Check the number and quality of your recommendations on LinkedIn Social media author Linda Coles calls these your silent salespeople I recently was told a major international IT company would not select any senior level staff unless they had more than 20 recommendations I was chuffed when I read this as I am up to 45 however when I asked Linda I found that she has over 120 Therefore you can start to see the power these sound-bite type recommendations can have

Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from

word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is

generally more trusted Therefore a person who is

referred to an employer has a higher trust value and

therefore a higher chance of getting employed

034 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3 Go back over your successes in the past 12 monthsMost people tend to rush into the job hunting process only really thinking about their successes (and failures) when they are in the interview Were you awarded further authority in your role Did you exceed any sales or performance targets Did you train or mentor any new people All these things are important to an employer so make sure you take some time today to think about the positive things that shaped your career recently (and be sure to include them in your CV)

4 Plan your career not just your next jobRemember that each position is a stepping stone to the next so take some time out to think about what you want to be doing for a role in 2020 Once you have done this map out ideal positions (and study if needed) to get you there

5 Direct marketingHas there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them You would be surprised about the amount of people who because they demonstrated a strong interest in the company got a position personally crafted for them even though there appeared to be no position available The other major benefit of this direct approach is that it means a manager does not have to pay a $15000 recruitment fee as you have come to them for free

6 Check in with your verbal refereesTime and time again a candidate has missed out on a dream job because their referees were too old or not overly positive During my HR and recruitment career I have contacted the referees of candidates I have been really interested in employing and got responses like Oh no is Steve looking for ANOTHER job or Sorry I dont remember a Mike Smith Are you sure he put me as a referee

Contact your referees ensure they are aware that you are back on the job hunt and ask them if they are happy to provide a verbal reference The five-minute call you make today may well be the difference between getting your next job in October or March

Has there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 035

Tom ONeil is a leading international author career specialist and MD of CVCONZ You can contact Tom via email tomcvconz

CVCONZ

7 Follow-upBecause of the nature of the recruitment process (especially executive search and selection) the hiring process can be extremely drawn out Make sure you keep in contact with the recruiterpotential employer on a regular basis Most candidates are not keen to do this as they feel its overly aggressive However as long as you are friendly and professional in your follow-up you should be remembered positively when the time for the final decision comes

8 Take time to tailor your CV cover letter and interview to the roleA vacant position is a major headache for a company especially if that position is at a senior or executive level Therefore its vital that you tailor your entire approach as a complete solution specifically for the opportunity In most job advertisements and position descriptions there is a section entitled Personal SpecificationsCharacteristicsCompetencies etc This section is the key to the role and is what you need to target

Read through the documentation and summarise what the ideal person would look like With your skills achievements qualifications and experiences how can you meet or exceed these requirements

Finally you want to ensure that the main aspects and keywords are mirrored in everything you send to the employer and in your answers during the interview The closer you meet their brief of the ideal candidate the higher the chance of you getting that job

9 Positive state of mindAs the job hunt progresses it can become a painful process However its vital to stay as positive as you can as employers can sense frustration anxiety and antagonism all the emotions they wont want in an employee Make sure you go into each situation with a positive outlook take the best from all situations and remember every challenge is an opportunity to grow and improve your skills bull

036 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

COMPETITION

BOOK GIVEAWAYWe have two copies of the brand new job search manual Youre Hired The Essential Guide to Job Hunting and Personal Branding by Tom ONeil to give away

The book provides up-to-the-minute practical detail to choose the social media strategy best suited to your

situation and ways to promote yourself

through online networks particularly

LinkedIn as well as the importance of

lsquoofflinersquo branding Also included are sections

on reacutesumeacutes and covering letters (with

access online to templates) interviewing

tips networking direct marketing salary

negotiation and career goal-setting making

this the essential job hunting guide

There has been a huge shift over the last

three decades in the way employment

recruitment takes place and the power of

the individual to take control of their job hunt

has improved massively according to career

specialist Tom OrsquoNeil

But the strength of your lsquobrandrsquo and your

ability to sell your skills and achievements

will dictate how successful you are in your

search In this compelling new guide Tom

provides job seekers with simple exercises

and guidance to identify personal attributes and key career highlights that will assist in marketing yourself to potential employers The advice holds equally well for consultants and contractors like real estate agents and insurance brokers looking to procure new business bull

paulnnzsalesmanagerconz Email Paul before 30th November to be in to win a copy We have two copies to giveawayPublished by New Holland Publishers

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 037

QUICKFIX

Honest Apologies

lsquoDue to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control we lthave let you downgthellipAnd end like this lsquoWe apologise for any

inconvenience this may have causedrsquo

As a customer I read this and think ndash well at least they have told me they have stuffed up but they obviously donrsquot want to tell me why because they think that will make them look even worse and their apology is so canned they donrsquot mean it anyway They donrsquot really care

QUICK FIX

To show you do really care and to build a relationship built on trust cut out the canned opening and closing lines that everyone uses and use real language

bull Tell it how you would say it - which is not the canned written way

bull Tell what did happen and what you learned that will improve customer service in the future

bull Show that you understand their business - you should know what inconvenience it has caused them so apologise specifically for this

Do this and your customers will be much more understanding bull

bull

So itrsquos all gone wrong and you have let your customer down Itrsquos time to write to them with an apology How many letters start like this

038 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Ive been reading and using pieces from NZ Sales Manager magazine since Jan 2011 It has helped me immensely in gaining trust and building sales teams It gives me motivation each month to try something new and see if I can mould it to suit our team Thank you for providing this sales tool - it really has been a great source of information and motivation

Shaun Matheson

It gives me great pleasure to acknowledge all the wonderful work done by the NZ Sales Manager Magazine and all the efforts put in by the editor Mr Paul Newsom

This magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning tool With a well laid out plan this magazine has given all sales professionals including myself a great platform to focus and learn from and thus being very successful in our sales efforts in a very demanding business environment

Congratulations for coming up to your 100th issue which is indeed a great milestone and I personally wish the magazine and all those who run it every success and keep up the great work

Best WishesIvo DrsquoSilva Sales amp Customer Service Manager

THANKYOUFROMOURREADERS

ldquoThis magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning toolrdquoRegional

Manager

at

EDL

Fasteners

Ltd

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 039

Congratulations on the 100th issue of NZ Sales Manager eMag You provide valuable tips on selling and sales management and your 100th issue is great proof that you share great ideas that your readers appreciate and find usefulGraham McGregor Marketing Advisor amp Journalist

A big congrats to NZ Sales Manager on the 100th issue Thanks for your wonderful insights challenging the norm and keeping us focused on doing our best We look forward to the next 100Paul Brophy Team Leader NZ at CXC Global

ldquoThanks for your

wonderful insights

challenging the norm

and keeping us focused

on doing our bestrdquo

Sales management everywhere should be reading the NZ Sales Manager Congrats on your 100th issueJill Konrath Author of Agile Selling SNAP Selling and Selling to Big Companies

What a wonderful milestone for such a useful and inspiring magazine Congratulations to you and all your hard workLinda Coles Online Marketing Expert

Great work and contribution to Sales Managers all across NZ Thank you Ambrose Blowfield Owner The Marketing Company

To the editors and team behind NZSM well done Many growing challenges in the sales arena at an accelerating pace of change and great you have contributed so much to the profession Stuart Edmunds Founder of New Zealand Institute of Sales bull

040 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

EVENTSCALENDAR

DATE NAME PLACE COMPANY27 November Sales Management Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

1 December Negotiation Skills Wellington IMNZ

1 December Sales Seminar Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

2 December Key Account Management Christchurch IMNZ

2 December Effective Sales Prospecting Auckland PD Training

8 December Sales Basics Auckland Geewiz

9 December Advanced Serious Selling Auckland Geewiz

11 December Sales Training Auckland PD Training

15 December Cold Calling and Prospecting Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

15 December Professional Telephone Skills Training

Auckland PD Training

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 041

THECLOSE

ldquoI never ran 1000 miles I could never

have done that I ran 1 mile 1000 timesrdquo

Subscribe at wwwnzsalesmanagerconz ITrsquoS FREE

Lucian Milasan Shutterstockcom

- Stu Mittleman

Page 31: NZ Sales Manager – Issue 100

GOT A PRODUCT SERVICE OR BUSINESS WORTH TALKING ABOUT

Want to grow brand awareness in a more effective and useful way

Get in touch with Jennifer now to discuss our options+64 9 522 7257 (NZT) | jenniferlespiremediacom | wwwespiremediacom

TALK TO ESPIRE MEDIA ABOUT OUR CONTENT MARKETING SERVICES We offer a range of ways to attract and retain customers by creating and curating relevant and valuable content to engage and add value to your audience

BENEFITSbull Expand your digital footprintbull Grow brand awarenessbull Increase traffic to your websitebull Thought leadershipbull Media exposurebull Attract new customersbull And grow SALES

Check out our blog for content marketing advice tips and ideas plus a free copy of our content marketing guide The Content Creation Cookbook

032 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Nine Steps to Supercharge Your Job Hunt

ISSUEEIGHTYFIVE

Tom ONeil shares some strategies to ensure you get a jump on your competition

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 033

1 Follow-up and use your personal networks Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is generally more trusted Therefore a person who is referred to an employer has a higher trust value and therefore a higher chance of getting employed This is especially true if there is not actually an official job vacancy and you are the only person being assessed for the role

Therefore its vital to get back in contact with your network with your good wishes as well as tell them you are now looking for new career opportunities

2 LinkedInGo through your LinkedIn profile with an objective eye making sure your profile sells you as much as possible Look at common keywords in the types of positions you are seeking and ensure these are included in your profile After you have done this ask a friend or two to have a look through as well to see if you have missed anything of importance

Check the number and quality of your recommendations on LinkedIn Social media author Linda Coles calls these your silent salespeople I recently was told a major international IT company would not select any senior level staff unless they had more than 20 recommendations I was chuffed when I read this as I am up to 45 however when I asked Linda I found that she has over 120 Therefore you can start to see the power these sound-bite type recommendations can have

Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from

word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is

generally more trusted Therefore a person who is

referred to an employer has a higher trust value and

therefore a higher chance of getting employed

034 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3 Go back over your successes in the past 12 monthsMost people tend to rush into the job hunting process only really thinking about their successes (and failures) when they are in the interview Were you awarded further authority in your role Did you exceed any sales or performance targets Did you train or mentor any new people All these things are important to an employer so make sure you take some time today to think about the positive things that shaped your career recently (and be sure to include them in your CV)

4 Plan your career not just your next jobRemember that each position is a stepping stone to the next so take some time out to think about what you want to be doing for a role in 2020 Once you have done this map out ideal positions (and study if needed) to get you there

5 Direct marketingHas there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them You would be surprised about the amount of people who because they demonstrated a strong interest in the company got a position personally crafted for them even though there appeared to be no position available The other major benefit of this direct approach is that it means a manager does not have to pay a $15000 recruitment fee as you have come to them for free

6 Check in with your verbal refereesTime and time again a candidate has missed out on a dream job because their referees were too old or not overly positive During my HR and recruitment career I have contacted the referees of candidates I have been really interested in employing and got responses like Oh no is Steve looking for ANOTHER job or Sorry I dont remember a Mike Smith Are you sure he put me as a referee

Contact your referees ensure they are aware that you are back on the job hunt and ask them if they are happy to provide a verbal reference The five-minute call you make today may well be the difference between getting your next job in October or March

Has there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 035

Tom ONeil is a leading international author career specialist and MD of CVCONZ You can contact Tom via email tomcvconz

CVCONZ

7 Follow-upBecause of the nature of the recruitment process (especially executive search and selection) the hiring process can be extremely drawn out Make sure you keep in contact with the recruiterpotential employer on a regular basis Most candidates are not keen to do this as they feel its overly aggressive However as long as you are friendly and professional in your follow-up you should be remembered positively when the time for the final decision comes

8 Take time to tailor your CV cover letter and interview to the roleA vacant position is a major headache for a company especially if that position is at a senior or executive level Therefore its vital that you tailor your entire approach as a complete solution specifically for the opportunity In most job advertisements and position descriptions there is a section entitled Personal SpecificationsCharacteristicsCompetencies etc This section is the key to the role and is what you need to target

Read through the documentation and summarise what the ideal person would look like With your skills achievements qualifications and experiences how can you meet or exceed these requirements

Finally you want to ensure that the main aspects and keywords are mirrored in everything you send to the employer and in your answers during the interview The closer you meet their brief of the ideal candidate the higher the chance of you getting that job

9 Positive state of mindAs the job hunt progresses it can become a painful process However its vital to stay as positive as you can as employers can sense frustration anxiety and antagonism all the emotions they wont want in an employee Make sure you go into each situation with a positive outlook take the best from all situations and remember every challenge is an opportunity to grow and improve your skills bull

036 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

COMPETITION

BOOK GIVEAWAYWe have two copies of the brand new job search manual Youre Hired The Essential Guide to Job Hunting and Personal Branding by Tom ONeil to give away

The book provides up-to-the-minute practical detail to choose the social media strategy best suited to your

situation and ways to promote yourself

through online networks particularly

LinkedIn as well as the importance of

lsquoofflinersquo branding Also included are sections

on reacutesumeacutes and covering letters (with

access online to templates) interviewing

tips networking direct marketing salary

negotiation and career goal-setting making

this the essential job hunting guide

There has been a huge shift over the last

three decades in the way employment

recruitment takes place and the power of

the individual to take control of their job hunt

has improved massively according to career

specialist Tom OrsquoNeil

But the strength of your lsquobrandrsquo and your

ability to sell your skills and achievements

will dictate how successful you are in your

search In this compelling new guide Tom

provides job seekers with simple exercises

and guidance to identify personal attributes and key career highlights that will assist in marketing yourself to potential employers The advice holds equally well for consultants and contractors like real estate agents and insurance brokers looking to procure new business bull

paulnnzsalesmanagerconz Email Paul before 30th November to be in to win a copy We have two copies to giveawayPublished by New Holland Publishers

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 037

QUICKFIX

Honest Apologies

lsquoDue to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control we lthave let you downgthellipAnd end like this lsquoWe apologise for any

inconvenience this may have causedrsquo

As a customer I read this and think ndash well at least they have told me they have stuffed up but they obviously donrsquot want to tell me why because they think that will make them look even worse and their apology is so canned they donrsquot mean it anyway They donrsquot really care

QUICK FIX

To show you do really care and to build a relationship built on trust cut out the canned opening and closing lines that everyone uses and use real language

bull Tell it how you would say it - which is not the canned written way

bull Tell what did happen and what you learned that will improve customer service in the future

bull Show that you understand their business - you should know what inconvenience it has caused them so apologise specifically for this

Do this and your customers will be much more understanding bull

bull

So itrsquos all gone wrong and you have let your customer down Itrsquos time to write to them with an apology How many letters start like this

038 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Ive been reading and using pieces from NZ Sales Manager magazine since Jan 2011 It has helped me immensely in gaining trust and building sales teams It gives me motivation each month to try something new and see if I can mould it to suit our team Thank you for providing this sales tool - it really has been a great source of information and motivation

Shaun Matheson

It gives me great pleasure to acknowledge all the wonderful work done by the NZ Sales Manager Magazine and all the efforts put in by the editor Mr Paul Newsom

This magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning tool With a well laid out plan this magazine has given all sales professionals including myself a great platform to focus and learn from and thus being very successful in our sales efforts in a very demanding business environment

Congratulations for coming up to your 100th issue which is indeed a great milestone and I personally wish the magazine and all those who run it every success and keep up the great work

Best WishesIvo DrsquoSilva Sales amp Customer Service Manager

THANKYOUFROMOURREADERS

ldquoThis magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning toolrdquoRegional

Manager

at

EDL

Fasteners

Ltd

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 039

Congratulations on the 100th issue of NZ Sales Manager eMag You provide valuable tips on selling and sales management and your 100th issue is great proof that you share great ideas that your readers appreciate and find usefulGraham McGregor Marketing Advisor amp Journalist

A big congrats to NZ Sales Manager on the 100th issue Thanks for your wonderful insights challenging the norm and keeping us focused on doing our best We look forward to the next 100Paul Brophy Team Leader NZ at CXC Global

ldquoThanks for your

wonderful insights

challenging the norm

and keeping us focused

on doing our bestrdquo

Sales management everywhere should be reading the NZ Sales Manager Congrats on your 100th issueJill Konrath Author of Agile Selling SNAP Selling and Selling to Big Companies

What a wonderful milestone for such a useful and inspiring magazine Congratulations to you and all your hard workLinda Coles Online Marketing Expert

Great work and contribution to Sales Managers all across NZ Thank you Ambrose Blowfield Owner The Marketing Company

To the editors and team behind NZSM well done Many growing challenges in the sales arena at an accelerating pace of change and great you have contributed so much to the profession Stuart Edmunds Founder of New Zealand Institute of Sales bull

040 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

EVENTSCALENDAR

DATE NAME PLACE COMPANY27 November Sales Management Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

1 December Negotiation Skills Wellington IMNZ

1 December Sales Seminar Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

2 December Key Account Management Christchurch IMNZ

2 December Effective Sales Prospecting Auckland PD Training

8 December Sales Basics Auckland Geewiz

9 December Advanced Serious Selling Auckland Geewiz

11 December Sales Training Auckland PD Training

15 December Cold Calling and Prospecting Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

15 December Professional Telephone Skills Training

Auckland PD Training

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 041

THECLOSE

ldquoI never ran 1000 miles I could never

have done that I ran 1 mile 1000 timesrdquo

Subscribe at wwwnzsalesmanagerconz ITrsquoS FREE

Lucian Milasan Shutterstockcom

- Stu Mittleman

Page 32: NZ Sales Manager – Issue 100

032 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Nine Steps to Supercharge Your Job Hunt

ISSUEEIGHTYFIVE

Tom ONeil shares some strategies to ensure you get a jump on your competition

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 033

1 Follow-up and use your personal networks Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is generally more trusted Therefore a person who is referred to an employer has a higher trust value and therefore a higher chance of getting employed This is especially true if there is not actually an official job vacancy and you are the only person being assessed for the role

Therefore its vital to get back in contact with your network with your good wishes as well as tell them you are now looking for new career opportunities

2 LinkedInGo through your LinkedIn profile with an objective eye making sure your profile sells you as much as possible Look at common keywords in the types of positions you are seeking and ensure these are included in your profile After you have done this ask a friend or two to have a look through as well to see if you have missed anything of importance

Check the number and quality of your recommendations on LinkedIn Social media author Linda Coles calls these your silent salespeople I recently was told a major international IT company would not select any senior level staff unless they had more than 20 recommendations I was chuffed when I read this as I am up to 45 however when I asked Linda I found that she has over 120 Therefore you can start to see the power these sound-bite type recommendations can have

Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from

word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is

generally more trusted Therefore a person who is

referred to an employer has a higher trust value and

therefore a higher chance of getting employed

034 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3 Go back over your successes in the past 12 monthsMost people tend to rush into the job hunting process only really thinking about their successes (and failures) when they are in the interview Were you awarded further authority in your role Did you exceed any sales or performance targets Did you train or mentor any new people All these things are important to an employer so make sure you take some time today to think about the positive things that shaped your career recently (and be sure to include them in your CV)

4 Plan your career not just your next jobRemember that each position is a stepping stone to the next so take some time out to think about what you want to be doing for a role in 2020 Once you have done this map out ideal positions (and study if needed) to get you there

5 Direct marketingHas there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them You would be surprised about the amount of people who because they demonstrated a strong interest in the company got a position personally crafted for them even though there appeared to be no position available The other major benefit of this direct approach is that it means a manager does not have to pay a $15000 recruitment fee as you have come to them for free

6 Check in with your verbal refereesTime and time again a candidate has missed out on a dream job because their referees were too old or not overly positive During my HR and recruitment career I have contacted the referees of candidates I have been really interested in employing and got responses like Oh no is Steve looking for ANOTHER job or Sorry I dont remember a Mike Smith Are you sure he put me as a referee

Contact your referees ensure they are aware that you are back on the job hunt and ask them if they are happy to provide a verbal reference The five-minute call you make today may well be the difference between getting your next job in October or March

Has there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 035

Tom ONeil is a leading international author career specialist and MD of CVCONZ You can contact Tom via email tomcvconz

CVCONZ

7 Follow-upBecause of the nature of the recruitment process (especially executive search and selection) the hiring process can be extremely drawn out Make sure you keep in contact with the recruiterpotential employer on a regular basis Most candidates are not keen to do this as they feel its overly aggressive However as long as you are friendly and professional in your follow-up you should be remembered positively when the time for the final decision comes

8 Take time to tailor your CV cover letter and interview to the roleA vacant position is a major headache for a company especially if that position is at a senior or executive level Therefore its vital that you tailor your entire approach as a complete solution specifically for the opportunity In most job advertisements and position descriptions there is a section entitled Personal SpecificationsCharacteristicsCompetencies etc This section is the key to the role and is what you need to target

Read through the documentation and summarise what the ideal person would look like With your skills achievements qualifications and experiences how can you meet or exceed these requirements

Finally you want to ensure that the main aspects and keywords are mirrored in everything you send to the employer and in your answers during the interview The closer you meet their brief of the ideal candidate the higher the chance of you getting that job

9 Positive state of mindAs the job hunt progresses it can become a painful process However its vital to stay as positive as you can as employers can sense frustration anxiety and antagonism all the emotions they wont want in an employee Make sure you go into each situation with a positive outlook take the best from all situations and remember every challenge is an opportunity to grow and improve your skills bull

036 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

COMPETITION

BOOK GIVEAWAYWe have two copies of the brand new job search manual Youre Hired The Essential Guide to Job Hunting and Personal Branding by Tom ONeil to give away

The book provides up-to-the-minute practical detail to choose the social media strategy best suited to your

situation and ways to promote yourself

through online networks particularly

LinkedIn as well as the importance of

lsquoofflinersquo branding Also included are sections

on reacutesumeacutes and covering letters (with

access online to templates) interviewing

tips networking direct marketing salary

negotiation and career goal-setting making

this the essential job hunting guide

There has been a huge shift over the last

three decades in the way employment

recruitment takes place and the power of

the individual to take control of their job hunt

has improved massively according to career

specialist Tom OrsquoNeil

But the strength of your lsquobrandrsquo and your

ability to sell your skills and achievements

will dictate how successful you are in your

search In this compelling new guide Tom

provides job seekers with simple exercises

and guidance to identify personal attributes and key career highlights that will assist in marketing yourself to potential employers The advice holds equally well for consultants and contractors like real estate agents and insurance brokers looking to procure new business bull

paulnnzsalesmanagerconz Email Paul before 30th November to be in to win a copy We have two copies to giveawayPublished by New Holland Publishers

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 037

QUICKFIX

Honest Apologies

lsquoDue to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control we lthave let you downgthellipAnd end like this lsquoWe apologise for any

inconvenience this may have causedrsquo

As a customer I read this and think ndash well at least they have told me they have stuffed up but they obviously donrsquot want to tell me why because they think that will make them look even worse and their apology is so canned they donrsquot mean it anyway They donrsquot really care

QUICK FIX

To show you do really care and to build a relationship built on trust cut out the canned opening and closing lines that everyone uses and use real language

bull Tell it how you would say it - which is not the canned written way

bull Tell what did happen and what you learned that will improve customer service in the future

bull Show that you understand their business - you should know what inconvenience it has caused them so apologise specifically for this

Do this and your customers will be much more understanding bull

bull

So itrsquos all gone wrong and you have let your customer down Itrsquos time to write to them with an apology How many letters start like this

038 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Ive been reading and using pieces from NZ Sales Manager magazine since Jan 2011 It has helped me immensely in gaining trust and building sales teams It gives me motivation each month to try something new and see if I can mould it to suit our team Thank you for providing this sales tool - it really has been a great source of information and motivation

Shaun Matheson

It gives me great pleasure to acknowledge all the wonderful work done by the NZ Sales Manager Magazine and all the efforts put in by the editor Mr Paul Newsom

This magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning tool With a well laid out plan this magazine has given all sales professionals including myself a great platform to focus and learn from and thus being very successful in our sales efforts in a very demanding business environment

Congratulations for coming up to your 100th issue which is indeed a great milestone and I personally wish the magazine and all those who run it every success and keep up the great work

Best WishesIvo DrsquoSilva Sales amp Customer Service Manager

THANKYOUFROMOURREADERS

ldquoThis magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning toolrdquoRegional

Manager

at

EDL

Fasteners

Ltd

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 039

Congratulations on the 100th issue of NZ Sales Manager eMag You provide valuable tips on selling and sales management and your 100th issue is great proof that you share great ideas that your readers appreciate and find usefulGraham McGregor Marketing Advisor amp Journalist

A big congrats to NZ Sales Manager on the 100th issue Thanks for your wonderful insights challenging the norm and keeping us focused on doing our best We look forward to the next 100Paul Brophy Team Leader NZ at CXC Global

ldquoThanks for your

wonderful insights

challenging the norm

and keeping us focused

on doing our bestrdquo

Sales management everywhere should be reading the NZ Sales Manager Congrats on your 100th issueJill Konrath Author of Agile Selling SNAP Selling and Selling to Big Companies

What a wonderful milestone for such a useful and inspiring magazine Congratulations to you and all your hard workLinda Coles Online Marketing Expert

Great work and contribution to Sales Managers all across NZ Thank you Ambrose Blowfield Owner The Marketing Company

To the editors and team behind NZSM well done Many growing challenges in the sales arena at an accelerating pace of change and great you have contributed so much to the profession Stuart Edmunds Founder of New Zealand Institute of Sales bull

040 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

EVENTSCALENDAR

DATE NAME PLACE COMPANY27 November Sales Management Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

1 December Negotiation Skills Wellington IMNZ

1 December Sales Seminar Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

2 December Key Account Management Christchurch IMNZ

2 December Effective Sales Prospecting Auckland PD Training

8 December Sales Basics Auckland Geewiz

9 December Advanced Serious Selling Auckland Geewiz

11 December Sales Training Auckland PD Training

15 December Cold Calling and Prospecting Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

15 December Professional Telephone Skills Training

Auckland PD Training

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 041

THECLOSE

ldquoI never ran 1000 miles I could never

have done that I ran 1 mile 1000 timesrdquo

Subscribe at wwwnzsalesmanagerconz ITrsquoS FREE

Lucian Milasan Shutterstockcom

- Stu Mittleman

Page 33: NZ Sales Manager – Issue 100

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 033

1 Follow-up and use your personal networks Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is generally more trusted Therefore a person who is referred to an employer has a higher trust value and therefore a higher chance of getting employed This is especially true if there is not actually an official job vacancy and you are the only person being assessed for the role

Therefore its vital to get back in contact with your network with your good wishes as well as tell them you are now looking for new career opportunities

2 LinkedInGo through your LinkedIn profile with an objective eye making sure your profile sells you as much as possible Look at common keywords in the types of positions you are seeking and ensure these are included in your profile After you have done this ask a friend or two to have a look through as well to see if you have missed anything of importance

Check the number and quality of your recommendations on LinkedIn Social media author Linda Coles calls these your silent salespeople I recently was told a major international IT company would not select any senior level staff unless they had more than 20 recommendations I was chuffed when I read this as I am up to 45 however when I asked Linda I found that she has over 120 Therefore you can start to see the power these sound-bite type recommendations can have

Surprisingly a large amount of job offers come from

word of mouth When a person is a colleague or friend their word is

generally more trusted Therefore a person who is

referred to an employer has a higher trust value and

therefore a higher chance of getting employed

034 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3 Go back over your successes in the past 12 monthsMost people tend to rush into the job hunting process only really thinking about their successes (and failures) when they are in the interview Were you awarded further authority in your role Did you exceed any sales or performance targets Did you train or mentor any new people All these things are important to an employer so make sure you take some time today to think about the positive things that shaped your career recently (and be sure to include them in your CV)

4 Plan your career not just your next jobRemember that each position is a stepping stone to the next so take some time out to think about what you want to be doing for a role in 2020 Once you have done this map out ideal positions (and study if needed) to get you there

5 Direct marketingHas there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them You would be surprised about the amount of people who because they demonstrated a strong interest in the company got a position personally crafted for them even though there appeared to be no position available The other major benefit of this direct approach is that it means a manager does not have to pay a $15000 recruitment fee as you have come to them for free

6 Check in with your verbal refereesTime and time again a candidate has missed out on a dream job because their referees were too old or not overly positive During my HR and recruitment career I have contacted the referees of candidates I have been really interested in employing and got responses like Oh no is Steve looking for ANOTHER job or Sorry I dont remember a Mike Smith Are you sure he put me as a referee

Contact your referees ensure they are aware that you are back on the job hunt and ask them if they are happy to provide a verbal reference The five-minute call you make today may well be the difference between getting your next job in October or March

Has there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 035

Tom ONeil is a leading international author career specialist and MD of CVCONZ You can contact Tom via email tomcvconz

CVCONZ

7 Follow-upBecause of the nature of the recruitment process (especially executive search and selection) the hiring process can be extremely drawn out Make sure you keep in contact with the recruiterpotential employer on a regular basis Most candidates are not keen to do this as they feel its overly aggressive However as long as you are friendly and professional in your follow-up you should be remembered positively when the time for the final decision comes

8 Take time to tailor your CV cover letter and interview to the roleA vacant position is a major headache for a company especially if that position is at a senior or executive level Therefore its vital that you tailor your entire approach as a complete solution specifically for the opportunity In most job advertisements and position descriptions there is a section entitled Personal SpecificationsCharacteristicsCompetencies etc This section is the key to the role and is what you need to target

Read through the documentation and summarise what the ideal person would look like With your skills achievements qualifications and experiences how can you meet or exceed these requirements

Finally you want to ensure that the main aspects and keywords are mirrored in everything you send to the employer and in your answers during the interview The closer you meet their brief of the ideal candidate the higher the chance of you getting that job

9 Positive state of mindAs the job hunt progresses it can become a painful process However its vital to stay as positive as you can as employers can sense frustration anxiety and antagonism all the emotions they wont want in an employee Make sure you go into each situation with a positive outlook take the best from all situations and remember every challenge is an opportunity to grow and improve your skills bull

036 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

COMPETITION

BOOK GIVEAWAYWe have two copies of the brand new job search manual Youre Hired The Essential Guide to Job Hunting and Personal Branding by Tom ONeil to give away

The book provides up-to-the-minute practical detail to choose the social media strategy best suited to your

situation and ways to promote yourself

through online networks particularly

LinkedIn as well as the importance of

lsquoofflinersquo branding Also included are sections

on reacutesumeacutes and covering letters (with

access online to templates) interviewing

tips networking direct marketing salary

negotiation and career goal-setting making

this the essential job hunting guide

There has been a huge shift over the last

three decades in the way employment

recruitment takes place and the power of

the individual to take control of their job hunt

has improved massively according to career

specialist Tom OrsquoNeil

But the strength of your lsquobrandrsquo and your

ability to sell your skills and achievements

will dictate how successful you are in your

search In this compelling new guide Tom

provides job seekers with simple exercises

and guidance to identify personal attributes and key career highlights that will assist in marketing yourself to potential employers The advice holds equally well for consultants and contractors like real estate agents and insurance brokers looking to procure new business bull

paulnnzsalesmanagerconz Email Paul before 30th November to be in to win a copy We have two copies to giveawayPublished by New Holland Publishers

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 037

QUICKFIX

Honest Apologies

lsquoDue to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control we lthave let you downgthellipAnd end like this lsquoWe apologise for any

inconvenience this may have causedrsquo

As a customer I read this and think ndash well at least they have told me they have stuffed up but they obviously donrsquot want to tell me why because they think that will make them look even worse and their apology is so canned they donrsquot mean it anyway They donrsquot really care

QUICK FIX

To show you do really care and to build a relationship built on trust cut out the canned opening and closing lines that everyone uses and use real language

bull Tell it how you would say it - which is not the canned written way

bull Tell what did happen and what you learned that will improve customer service in the future

bull Show that you understand their business - you should know what inconvenience it has caused them so apologise specifically for this

Do this and your customers will be much more understanding bull

bull

So itrsquos all gone wrong and you have let your customer down Itrsquos time to write to them with an apology How many letters start like this

038 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Ive been reading and using pieces from NZ Sales Manager magazine since Jan 2011 It has helped me immensely in gaining trust and building sales teams It gives me motivation each month to try something new and see if I can mould it to suit our team Thank you for providing this sales tool - it really has been a great source of information and motivation

Shaun Matheson

It gives me great pleasure to acknowledge all the wonderful work done by the NZ Sales Manager Magazine and all the efforts put in by the editor Mr Paul Newsom

This magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning tool With a well laid out plan this magazine has given all sales professionals including myself a great platform to focus and learn from and thus being very successful in our sales efforts in a very demanding business environment

Congratulations for coming up to your 100th issue which is indeed a great milestone and I personally wish the magazine and all those who run it every success and keep up the great work

Best WishesIvo DrsquoSilva Sales amp Customer Service Manager

THANKYOUFROMOURREADERS

ldquoThis magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning toolrdquoRegional

Manager

at

EDL

Fasteners

Ltd

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 039

Congratulations on the 100th issue of NZ Sales Manager eMag You provide valuable tips on selling and sales management and your 100th issue is great proof that you share great ideas that your readers appreciate and find usefulGraham McGregor Marketing Advisor amp Journalist

A big congrats to NZ Sales Manager on the 100th issue Thanks for your wonderful insights challenging the norm and keeping us focused on doing our best We look forward to the next 100Paul Brophy Team Leader NZ at CXC Global

ldquoThanks for your

wonderful insights

challenging the norm

and keeping us focused

on doing our bestrdquo

Sales management everywhere should be reading the NZ Sales Manager Congrats on your 100th issueJill Konrath Author of Agile Selling SNAP Selling and Selling to Big Companies

What a wonderful milestone for such a useful and inspiring magazine Congratulations to you and all your hard workLinda Coles Online Marketing Expert

Great work and contribution to Sales Managers all across NZ Thank you Ambrose Blowfield Owner The Marketing Company

To the editors and team behind NZSM well done Many growing challenges in the sales arena at an accelerating pace of change and great you have contributed so much to the profession Stuart Edmunds Founder of New Zealand Institute of Sales bull

040 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

EVENTSCALENDAR

DATE NAME PLACE COMPANY27 November Sales Management Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

1 December Negotiation Skills Wellington IMNZ

1 December Sales Seminar Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

2 December Key Account Management Christchurch IMNZ

2 December Effective Sales Prospecting Auckland PD Training

8 December Sales Basics Auckland Geewiz

9 December Advanced Serious Selling Auckland Geewiz

11 December Sales Training Auckland PD Training

15 December Cold Calling and Prospecting Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

15 December Professional Telephone Skills Training

Auckland PD Training

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 041

THECLOSE

ldquoI never ran 1000 miles I could never

have done that I ran 1 mile 1000 timesrdquo

Subscribe at wwwnzsalesmanagerconz ITrsquoS FREE

Lucian Milasan Shutterstockcom

- Stu Mittleman

Page 34: NZ Sales Manager – Issue 100

034 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

3 Go back over your successes in the past 12 monthsMost people tend to rush into the job hunting process only really thinking about their successes (and failures) when they are in the interview Were you awarded further authority in your role Did you exceed any sales or performance targets Did you train or mentor any new people All these things are important to an employer so make sure you take some time today to think about the positive things that shaped your career recently (and be sure to include them in your CV)

4 Plan your career not just your next jobRemember that each position is a stepping stone to the next so take some time out to think about what you want to be doing for a role in 2020 Once you have done this map out ideal positions (and study if needed) to get you there

5 Direct marketingHas there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them You would be surprised about the amount of people who because they demonstrated a strong interest in the company got a position personally crafted for them even though there appeared to be no position available The other major benefit of this direct approach is that it means a manager does not have to pay a $15000 recruitment fee as you have come to them for free

6 Check in with your verbal refereesTime and time again a candidate has missed out on a dream job because their referees were too old or not overly positive During my HR and recruitment career I have contacted the referees of candidates I have been really interested in employing and got responses like Oh no is Steve looking for ANOTHER job or Sorry I dont remember a Mike Smith Are you sure he put me as a referee

Contact your referees ensure they are aware that you are back on the job hunt and ask them if they are happy to provide a verbal reference The five-minute call you make today may well be the difference between getting your next job in October or March

Has there ever been a company you would just love to work for Why not contact them directly and introduce yourself your skills and what you can do for them

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 035

Tom ONeil is a leading international author career specialist and MD of CVCONZ You can contact Tom via email tomcvconz

CVCONZ

7 Follow-upBecause of the nature of the recruitment process (especially executive search and selection) the hiring process can be extremely drawn out Make sure you keep in contact with the recruiterpotential employer on a regular basis Most candidates are not keen to do this as they feel its overly aggressive However as long as you are friendly and professional in your follow-up you should be remembered positively when the time for the final decision comes

8 Take time to tailor your CV cover letter and interview to the roleA vacant position is a major headache for a company especially if that position is at a senior or executive level Therefore its vital that you tailor your entire approach as a complete solution specifically for the opportunity In most job advertisements and position descriptions there is a section entitled Personal SpecificationsCharacteristicsCompetencies etc This section is the key to the role and is what you need to target

Read through the documentation and summarise what the ideal person would look like With your skills achievements qualifications and experiences how can you meet or exceed these requirements

Finally you want to ensure that the main aspects and keywords are mirrored in everything you send to the employer and in your answers during the interview The closer you meet their brief of the ideal candidate the higher the chance of you getting that job

9 Positive state of mindAs the job hunt progresses it can become a painful process However its vital to stay as positive as you can as employers can sense frustration anxiety and antagonism all the emotions they wont want in an employee Make sure you go into each situation with a positive outlook take the best from all situations and remember every challenge is an opportunity to grow and improve your skills bull

036 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

COMPETITION

BOOK GIVEAWAYWe have two copies of the brand new job search manual Youre Hired The Essential Guide to Job Hunting and Personal Branding by Tom ONeil to give away

The book provides up-to-the-minute practical detail to choose the social media strategy best suited to your

situation and ways to promote yourself

through online networks particularly

LinkedIn as well as the importance of

lsquoofflinersquo branding Also included are sections

on reacutesumeacutes and covering letters (with

access online to templates) interviewing

tips networking direct marketing salary

negotiation and career goal-setting making

this the essential job hunting guide

There has been a huge shift over the last

three decades in the way employment

recruitment takes place and the power of

the individual to take control of their job hunt

has improved massively according to career

specialist Tom OrsquoNeil

But the strength of your lsquobrandrsquo and your

ability to sell your skills and achievements

will dictate how successful you are in your

search In this compelling new guide Tom

provides job seekers with simple exercises

and guidance to identify personal attributes and key career highlights that will assist in marketing yourself to potential employers The advice holds equally well for consultants and contractors like real estate agents and insurance brokers looking to procure new business bull

paulnnzsalesmanagerconz Email Paul before 30th November to be in to win a copy We have two copies to giveawayPublished by New Holland Publishers

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 037

QUICKFIX

Honest Apologies

lsquoDue to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control we lthave let you downgthellipAnd end like this lsquoWe apologise for any

inconvenience this may have causedrsquo

As a customer I read this and think ndash well at least they have told me they have stuffed up but they obviously donrsquot want to tell me why because they think that will make them look even worse and their apology is so canned they donrsquot mean it anyway They donrsquot really care

QUICK FIX

To show you do really care and to build a relationship built on trust cut out the canned opening and closing lines that everyone uses and use real language

bull Tell it how you would say it - which is not the canned written way

bull Tell what did happen and what you learned that will improve customer service in the future

bull Show that you understand their business - you should know what inconvenience it has caused them so apologise specifically for this

Do this and your customers will be much more understanding bull

bull

So itrsquos all gone wrong and you have let your customer down Itrsquos time to write to them with an apology How many letters start like this

038 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Ive been reading and using pieces from NZ Sales Manager magazine since Jan 2011 It has helped me immensely in gaining trust and building sales teams It gives me motivation each month to try something new and see if I can mould it to suit our team Thank you for providing this sales tool - it really has been a great source of information and motivation

Shaun Matheson

It gives me great pleasure to acknowledge all the wonderful work done by the NZ Sales Manager Magazine and all the efforts put in by the editor Mr Paul Newsom

This magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning tool With a well laid out plan this magazine has given all sales professionals including myself a great platform to focus and learn from and thus being very successful in our sales efforts in a very demanding business environment

Congratulations for coming up to your 100th issue which is indeed a great milestone and I personally wish the magazine and all those who run it every success and keep up the great work

Best WishesIvo DrsquoSilva Sales amp Customer Service Manager

THANKYOUFROMOURREADERS

ldquoThis magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning toolrdquoRegional

Manager

at

EDL

Fasteners

Ltd

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 039

Congratulations on the 100th issue of NZ Sales Manager eMag You provide valuable tips on selling and sales management and your 100th issue is great proof that you share great ideas that your readers appreciate and find usefulGraham McGregor Marketing Advisor amp Journalist

A big congrats to NZ Sales Manager on the 100th issue Thanks for your wonderful insights challenging the norm and keeping us focused on doing our best We look forward to the next 100Paul Brophy Team Leader NZ at CXC Global

ldquoThanks for your

wonderful insights

challenging the norm

and keeping us focused

on doing our bestrdquo

Sales management everywhere should be reading the NZ Sales Manager Congrats on your 100th issueJill Konrath Author of Agile Selling SNAP Selling and Selling to Big Companies

What a wonderful milestone for such a useful and inspiring magazine Congratulations to you and all your hard workLinda Coles Online Marketing Expert

Great work and contribution to Sales Managers all across NZ Thank you Ambrose Blowfield Owner The Marketing Company

To the editors and team behind NZSM well done Many growing challenges in the sales arena at an accelerating pace of change and great you have contributed so much to the profession Stuart Edmunds Founder of New Zealand Institute of Sales bull

040 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

EVENTSCALENDAR

DATE NAME PLACE COMPANY27 November Sales Management Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

1 December Negotiation Skills Wellington IMNZ

1 December Sales Seminar Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

2 December Key Account Management Christchurch IMNZ

2 December Effective Sales Prospecting Auckland PD Training

8 December Sales Basics Auckland Geewiz

9 December Advanced Serious Selling Auckland Geewiz

11 December Sales Training Auckland PD Training

15 December Cold Calling and Prospecting Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

15 December Professional Telephone Skills Training

Auckland PD Training

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 041

THECLOSE

ldquoI never ran 1000 miles I could never

have done that I ran 1 mile 1000 timesrdquo

Subscribe at wwwnzsalesmanagerconz ITrsquoS FREE

Lucian Milasan Shutterstockcom

- Stu Mittleman

Page 35: NZ Sales Manager – Issue 100

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 035

Tom ONeil is a leading international author career specialist and MD of CVCONZ You can contact Tom via email tomcvconz

CVCONZ

7 Follow-upBecause of the nature of the recruitment process (especially executive search and selection) the hiring process can be extremely drawn out Make sure you keep in contact with the recruiterpotential employer on a regular basis Most candidates are not keen to do this as they feel its overly aggressive However as long as you are friendly and professional in your follow-up you should be remembered positively when the time for the final decision comes

8 Take time to tailor your CV cover letter and interview to the roleA vacant position is a major headache for a company especially if that position is at a senior or executive level Therefore its vital that you tailor your entire approach as a complete solution specifically for the opportunity In most job advertisements and position descriptions there is a section entitled Personal SpecificationsCharacteristicsCompetencies etc This section is the key to the role and is what you need to target

Read through the documentation and summarise what the ideal person would look like With your skills achievements qualifications and experiences how can you meet or exceed these requirements

Finally you want to ensure that the main aspects and keywords are mirrored in everything you send to the employer and in your answers during the interview The closer you meet their brief of the ideal candidate the higher the chance of you getting that job

9 Positive state of mindAs the job hunt progresses it can become a painful process However its vital to stay as positive as you can as employers can sense frustration anxiety and antagonism all the emotions they wont want in an employee Make sure you go into each situation with a positive outlook take the best from all situations and remember every challenge is an opportunity to grow and improve your skills bull

036 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

COMPETITION

BOOK GIVEAWAYWe have two copies of the brand new job search manual Youre Hired The Essential Guide to Job Hunting and Personal Branding by Tom ONeil to give away

The book provides up-to-the-minute practical detail to choose the social media strategy best suited to your

situation and ways to promote yourself

through online networks particularly

LinkedIn as well as the importance of

lsquoofflinersquo branding Also included are sections

on reacutesumeacutes and covering letters (with

access online to templates) interviewing

tips networking direct marketing salary

negotiation and career goal-setting making

this the essential job hunting guide

There has been a huge shift over the last

three decades in the way employment

recruitment takes place and the power of

the individual to take control of their job hunt

has improved massively according to career

specialist Tom OrsquoNeil

But the strength of your lsquobrandrsquo and your

ability to sell your skills and achievements

will dictate how successful you are in your

search In this compelling new guide Tom

provides job seekers with simple exercises

and guidance to identify personal attributes and key career highlights that will assist in marketing yourself to potential employers The advice holds equally well for consultants and contractors like real estate agents and insurance brokers looking to procure new business bull

paulnnzsalesmanagerconz Email Paul before 30th November to be in to win a copy We have two copies to giveawayPublished by New Holland Publishers

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 037

QUICKFIX

Honest Apologies

lsquoDue to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control we lthave let you downgthellipAnd end like this lsquoWe apologise for any

inconvenience this may have causedrsquo

As a customer I read this and think ndash well at least they have told me they have stuffed up but they obviously donrsquot want to tell me why because they think that will make them look even worse and their apology is so canned they donrsquot mean it anyway They donrsquot really care

QUICK FIX

To show you do really care and to build a relationship built on trust cut out the canned opening and closing lines that everyone uses and use real language

bull Tell it how you would say it - which is not the canned written way

bull Tell what did happen and what you learned that will improve customer service in the future

bull Show that you understand their business - you should know what inconvenience it has caused them so apologise specifically for this

Do this and your customers will be much more understanding bull

bull

So itrsquos all gone wrong and you have let your customer down Itrsquos time to write to them with an apology How many letters start like this

038 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Ive been reading and using pieces from NZ Sales Manager magazine since Jan 2011 It has helped me immensely in gaining trust and building sales teams It gives me motivation each month to try something new and see if I can mould it to suit our team Thank you for providing this sales tool - it really has been a great source of information and motivation

Shaun Matheson

It gives me great pleasure to acknowledge all the wonderful work done by the NZ Sales Manager Magazine and all the efforts put in by the editor Mr Paul Newsom

This magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning tool With a well laid out plan this magazine has given all sales professionals including myself a great platform to focus and learn from and thus being very successful in our sales efforts in a very demanding business environment

Congratulations for coming up to your 100th issue which is indeed a great milestone and I personally wish the magazine and all those who run it every success and keep up the great work

Best WishesIvo DrsquoSilva Sales amp Customer Service Manager

THANKYOUFROMOURREADERS

ldquoThis magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning toolrdquoRegional

Manager

at

EDL

Fasteners

Ltd

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 039

Congratulations on the 100th issue of NZ Sales Manager eMag You provide valuable tips on selling and sales management and your 100th issue is great proof that you share great ideas that your readers appreciate and find usefulGraham McGregor Marketing Advisor amp Journalist

A big congrats to NZ Sales Manager on the 100th issue Thanks for your wonderful insights challenging the norm and keeping us focused on doing our best We look forward to the next 100Paul Brophy Team Leader NZ at CXC Global

ldquoThanks for your

wonderful insights

challenging the norm

and keeping us focused

on doing our bestrdquo

Sales management everywhere should be reading the NZ Sales Manager Congrats on your 100th issueJill Konrath Author of Agile Selling SNAP Selling and Selling to Big Companies

What a wonderful milestone for such a useful and inspiring magazine Congratulations to you and all your hard workLinda Coles Online Marketing Expert

Great work and contribution to Sales Managers all across NZ Thank you Ambrose Blowfield Owner The Marketing Company

To the editors and team behind NZSM well done Many growing challenges in the sales arena at an accelerating pace of change and great you have contributed so much to the profession Stuart Edmunds Founder of New Zealand Institute of Sales bull

040 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

EVENTSCALENDAR

DATE NAME PLACE COMPANY27 November Sales Management Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

1 December Negotiation Skills Wellington IMNZ

1 December Sales Seminar Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

2 December Key Account Management Christchurch IMNZ

2 December Effective Sales Prospecting Auckland PD Training

8 December Sales Basics Auckland Geewiz

9 December Advanced Serious Selling Auckland Geewiz

11 December Sales Training Auckland PD Training

15 December Cold Calling and Prospecting Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

15 December Professional Telephone Skills Training

Auckland PD Training

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 041

THECLOSE

ldquoI never ran 1000 miles I could never

have done that I ran 1 mile 1000 timesrdquo

Subscribe at wwwnzsalesmanagerconz ITrsquoS FREE

Lucian Milasan Shutterstockcom

- Stu Mittleman

Page 36: NZ Sales Manager – Issue 100

036 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

COMPETITION

BOOK GIVEAWAYWe have two copies of the brand new job search manual Youre Hired The Essential Guide to Job Hunting and Personal Branding by Tom ONeil to give away

The book provides up-to-the-minute practical detail to choose the social media strategy best suited to your

situation and ways to promote yourself

through online networks particularly

LinkedIn as well as the importance of

lsquoofflinersquo branding Also included are sections

on reacutesumeacutes and covering letters (with

access online to templates) interviewing

tips networking direct marketing salary

negotiation and career goal-setting making

this the essential job hunting guide

There has been a huge shift over the last

three decades in the way employment

recruitment takes place and the power of

the individual to take control of their job hunt

has improved massively according to career

specialist Tom OrsquoNeil

But the strength of your lsquobrandrsquo and your

ability to sell your skills and achievements

will dictate how successful you are in your

search In this compelling new guide Tom

provides job seekers with simple exercises

and guidance to identify personal attributes and key career highlights that will assist in marketing yourself to potential employers The advice holds equally well for consultants and contractors like real estate agents and insurance brokers looking to procure new business bull

paulnnzsalesmanagerconz Email Paul before 30th November to be in to win a copy We have two copies to giveawayPublished by New Holland Publishers

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 037

QUICKFIX

Honest Apologies

lsquoDue to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control we lthave let you downgthellipAnd end like this lsquoWe apologise for any

inconvenience this may have causedrsquo

As a customer I read this and think ndash well at least they have told me they have stuffed up but they obviously donrsquot want to tell me why because they think that will make them look even worse and their apology is so canned they donrsquot mean it anyway They donrsquot really care

QUICK FIX

To show you do really care and to build a relationship built on trust cut out the canned opening and closing lines that everyone uses and use real language

bull Tell it how you would say it - which is not the canned written way

bull Tell what did happen and what you learned that will improve customer service in the future

bull Show that you understand their business - you should know what inconvenience it has caused them so apologise specifically for this

Do this and your customers will be much more understanding bull

bull

So itrsquos all gone wrong and you have let your customer down Itrsquos time to write to them with an apology How many letters start like this

038 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Ive been reading and using pieces from NZ Sales Manager magazine since Jan 2011 It has helped me immensely in gaining trust and building sales teams It gives me motivation each month to try something new and see if I can mould it to suit our team Thank you for providing this sales tool - it really has been a great source of information and motivation

Shaun Matheson

It gives me great pleasure to acknowledge all the wonderful work done by the NZ Sales Manager Magazine and all the efforts put in by the editor Mr Paul Newsom

This magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning tool With a well laid out plan this magazine has given all sales professionals including myself a great platform to focus and learn from and thus being very successful in our sales efforts in a very demanding business environment

Congratulations for coming up to your 100th issue which is indeed a great milestone and I personally wish the magazine and all those who run it every success and keep up the great work

Best WishesIvo DrsquoSilva Sales amp Customer Service Manager

THANKYOUFROMOURREADERS

ldquoThis magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning toolrdquoRegional

Manager

at

EDL

Fasteners

Ltd

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 039

Congratulations on the 100th issue of NZ Sales Manager eMag You provide valuable tips on selling and sales management and your 100th issue is great proof that you share great ideas that your readers appreciate and find usefulGraham McGregor Marketing Advisor amp Journalist

A big congrats to NZ Sales Manager on the 100th issue Thanks for your wonderful insights challenging the norm and keeping us focused on doing our best We look forward to the next 100Paul Brophy Team Leader NZ at CXC Global

ldquoThanks for your

wonderful insights

challenging the norm

and keeping us focused

on doing our bestrdquo

Sales management everywhere should be reading the NZ Sales Manager Congrats on your 100th issueJill Konrath Author of Agile Selling SNAP Selling and Selling to Big Companies

What a wonderful milestone for such a useful and inspiring magazine Congratulations to you and all your hard workLinda Coles Online Marketing Expert

Great work and contribution to Sales Managers all across NZ Thank you Ambrose Blowfield Owner The Marketing Company

To the editors and team behind NZSM well done Many growing challenges in the sales arena at an accelerating pace of change and great you have contributed so much to the profession Stuart Edmunds Founder of New Zealand Institute of Sales bull

040 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

EVENTSCALENDAR

DATE NAME PLACE COMPANY27 November Sales Management Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

1 December Negotiation Skills Wellington IMNZ

1 December Sales Seminar Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

2 December Key Account Management Christchurch IMNZ

2 December Effective Sales Prospecting Auckland PD Training

8 December Sales Basics Auckland Geewiz

9 December Advanced Serious Selling Auckland Geewiz

11 December Sales Training Auckland PD Training

15 December Cold Calling and Prospecting Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

15 December Professional Telephone Skills Training

Auckland PD Training

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 041

THECLOSE

ldquoI never ran 1000 miles I could never

have done that I ran 1 mile 1000 timesrdquo

Subscribe at wwwnzsalesmanagerconz ITrsquoS FREE

Lucian Milasan Shutterstockcom

- Stu Mittleman

Page 37: NZ Sales Manager – Issue 100

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 037

QUICKFIX

Honest Apologies

lsquoDue to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control we lthave let you downgthellipAnd end like this lsquoWe apologise for any

inconvenience this may have causedrsquo

As a customer I read this and think ndash well at least they have told me they have stuffed up but they obviously donrsquot want to tell me why because they think that will make them look even worse and their apology is so canned they donrsquot mean it anyway They donrsquot really care

QUICK FIX

To show you do really care and to build a relationship built on trust cut out the canned opening and closing lines that everyone uses and use real language

bull Tell it how you would say it - which is not the canned written way

bull Tell what did happen and what you learned that will improve customer service in the future

bull Show that you understand their business - you should know what inconvenience it has caused them so apologise specifically for this

Do this and your customers will be much more understanding bull

bull

So itrsquos all gone wrong and you have let your customer down Itrsquos time to write to them with an apology How many letters start like this

038 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Ive been reading and using pieces from NZ Sales Manager magazine since Jan 2011 It has helped me immensely in gaining trust and building sales teams It gives me motivation each month to try something new and see if I can mould it to suit our team Thank you for providing this sales tool - it really has been a great source of information and motivation

Shaun Matheson

It gives me great pleasure to acknowledge all the wonderful work done by the NZ Sales Manager Magazine and all the efforts put in by the editor Mr Paul Newsom

This magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning tool With a well laid out plan this magazine has given all sales professionals including myself a great platform to focus and learn from and thus being very successful in our sales efforts in a very demanding business environment

Congratulations for coming up to your 100th issue which is indeed a great milestone and I personally wish the magazine and all those who run it every success and keep up the great work

Best WishesIvo DrsquoSilva Sales amp Customer Service Manager

THANKYOUFROMOURREADERS

ldquoThis magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning toolrdquoRegional

Manager

at

EDL

Fasteners

Ltd

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 039

Congratulations on the 100th issue of NZ Sales Manager eMag You provide valuable tips on selling and sales management and your 100th issue is great proof that you share great ideas that your readers appreciate and find usefulGraham McGregor Marketing Advisor amp Journalist

A big congrats to NZ Sales Manager on the 100th issue Thanks for your wonderful insights challenging the norm and keeping us focused on doing our best We look forward to the next 100Paul Brophy Team Leader NZ at CXC Global

ldquoThanks for your

wonderful insights

challenging the norm

and keeping us focused

on doing our bestrdquo

Sales management everywhere should be reading the NZ Sales Manager Congrats on your 100th issueJill Konrath Author of Agile Selling SNAP Selling and Selling to Big Companies

What a wonderful milestone for such a useful and inspiring magazine Congratulations to you and all your hard workLinda Coles Online Marketing Expert

Great work and contribution to Sales Managers all across NZ Thank you Ambrose Blowfield Owner The Marketing Company

To the editors and team behind NZSM well done Many growing challenges in the sales arena at an accelerating pace of change and great you have contributed so much to the profession Stuart Edmunds Founder of New Zealand Institute of Sales bull

040 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

EVENTSCALENDAR

DATE NAME PLACE COMPANY27 November Sales Management Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

1 December Negotiation Skills Wellington IMNZ

1 December Sales Seminar Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

2 December Key Account Management Christchurch IMNZ

2 December Effective Sales Prospecting Auckland PD Training

8 December Sales Basics Auckland Geewiz

9 December Advanced Serious Selling Auckland Geewiz

11 December Sales Training Auckland PD Training

15 December Cold Calling and Prospecting Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

15 December Professional Telephone Skills Training

Auckland PD Training

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 041

THECLOSE

ldquoI never ran 1000 miles I could never

have done that I ran 1 mile 1000 timesrdquo

Subscribe at wwwnzsalesmanagerconz ITrsquoS FREE

Lucian Milasan Shutterstockcom

- Stu Mittleman

Page 38: NZ Sales Manager – Issue 100

038 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

Ive been reading and using pieces from NZ Sales Manager magazine since Jan 2011 It has helped me immensely in gaining trust and building sales teams It gives me motivation each month to try something new and see if I can mould it to suit our team Thank you for providing this sales tool - it really has been a great source of information and motivation

Shaun Matheson

It gives me great pleasure to acknowledge all the wonderful work done by the NZ Sales Manager Magazine and all the efforts put in by the editor Mr Paul Newsom

This magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning tool With a well laid out plan this magazine has given all sales professionals including myself a great platform to focus and learn from and thus being very successful in our sales efforts in a very demanding business environment

Congratulations for coming up to your 100th issue which is indeed a great milestone and I personally wish the magazine and all those who run it every success and keep up the great work

Best WishesIvo DrsquoSilva Sales amp Customer Service Manager

THANKYOUFROMOURREADERS

ldquoThis magazine has been a great inspiration to all sales professionals as well as a valuable learning toolrdquoRegional

Manager

at

EDL

Fasteners

Ltd

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 039

Congratulations on the 100th issue of NZ Sales Manager eMag You provide valuable tips on selling and sales management and your 100th issue is great proof that you share great ideas that your readers appreciate and find usefulGraham McGregor Marketing Advisor amp Journalist

A big congrats to NZ Sales Manager on the 100th issue Thanks for your wonderful insights challenging the norm and keeping us focused on doing our best We look forward to the next 100Paul Brophy Team Leader NZ at CXC Global

ldquoThanks for your

wonderful insights

challenging the norm

and keeping us focused

on doing our bestrdquo

Sales management everywhere should be reading the NZ Sales Manager Congrats on your 100th issueJill Konrath Author of Agile Selling SNAP Selling and Selling to Big Companies

What a wonderful milestone for such a useful and inspiring magazine Congratulations to you and all your hard workLinda Coles Online Marketing Expert

Great work and contribution to Sales Managers all across NZ Thank you Ambrose Blowfield Owner The Marketing Company

To the editors and team behind NZSM well done Many growing challenges in the sales arena at an accelerating pace of change and great you have contributed so much to the profession Stuart Edmunds Founder of New Zealand Institute of Sales bull

040 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

EVENTSCALENDAR

DATE NAME PLACE COMPANY27 November Sales Management Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

1 December Negotiation Skills Wellington IMNZ

1 December Sales Seminar Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

2 December Key Account Management Christchurch IMNZ

2 December Effective Sales Prospecting Auckland PD Training

8 December Sales Basics Auckland Geewiz

9 December Advanced Serious Selling Auckland Geewiz

11 December Sales Training Auckland PD Training

15 December Cold Calling and Prospecting Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

15 December Professional Telephone Skills Training

Auckland PD Training

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 041

THECLOSE

ldquoI never ran 1000 miles I could never

have done that I ran 1 mile 1000 timesrdquo

Subscribe at wwwnzsalesmanagerconz ITrsquoS FREE

Lucian Milasan Shutterstockcom

- Stu Mittleman

Page 39: NZ Sales Manager – Issue 100

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 039

Congratulations on the 100th issue of NZ Sales Manager eMag You provide valuable tips on selling and sales management and your 100th issue is great proof that you share great ideas that your readers appreciate and find usefulGraham McGregor Marketing Advisor amp Journalist

A big congrats to NZ Sales Manager on the 100th issue Thanks for your wonderful insights challenging the norm and keeping us focused on doing our best We look forward to the next 100Paul Brophy Team Leader NZ at CXC Global

ldquoThanks for your

wonderful insights

challenging the norm

and keeping us focused

on doing our bestrdquo

Sales management everywhere should be reading the NZ Sales Manager Congrats on your 100th issueJill Konrath Author of Agile Selling SNAP Selling and Selling to Big Companies

What a wonderful milestone for such a useful and inspiring magazine Congratulations to you and all your hard workLinda Coles Online Marketing Expert

Great work and contribution to Sales Managers all across NZ Thank you Ambrose Blowfield Owner The Marketing Company

To the editors and team behind NZSM well done Many growing challenges in the sales arena at an accelerating pace of change and great you have contributed so much to the profession Stuart Edmunds Founder of New Zealand Institute of Sales bull

040 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

EVENTSCALENDAR

DATE NAME PLACE COMPANY27 November Sales Management Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

1 December Negotiation Skills Wellington IMNZ

1 December Sales Seminar Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

2 December Key Account Management Christchurch IMNZ

2 December Effective Sales Prospecting Auckland PD Training

8 December Sales Basics Auckland Geewiz

9 December Advanced Serious Selling Auckland Geewiz

11 December Sales Training Auckland PD Training

15 December Cold Calling and Prospecting Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

15 December Professional Telephone Skills Training

Auckland PD Training

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 041

THECLOSE

ldquoI never ran 1000 miles I could never

have done that I ran 1 mile 1000 timesrdquo

Subscribe at wwwnzsalesmanagerconz ITrsquoS FREE

Lucian Milasan Shutterstockcom

- Stu Mittleman

Page 40: NZ Sales Manager – Issue 100

040 | wwwnzsalesmanagerconz

EVENTSCALENDAR

DATE NAME PLACE COMPANY27 November Sales Management Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

1 December Negotiation Skills Wellington IMNZ

1 December Sales Seminar Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

2 December Key Account Management Christchurch IMNZ

2 December Effective Sales Prospecting Auckland PD Training

8 December Sales Basics Auckland Geewiz

9 December Advanced Serious Selling Auckland Geewiz

11 December Sales Training Auckland PD Training

15 December Cold Calling and Prospecting Auckland Top Achievers Sales Training

15 December Professional Telephone Skills Training

Auckland PD Training

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 041

THECLOSE

ldquoI never ran 1000 miles I could never

have done that I ran 1 mile 1000 timesrdquo

Subscribe at wwwnzsalesmanagerconz ITrsquoS FREE

Lucian Milasan Shutterstockcom

- Stu Mittleman

Page 41: NZ Sales Manager – Issue 100

wwwnzsalesmanagerconz | 041

THECLOSE

ldquoI never ran 1000 miles I could never

have done that I ran 1 mile 1000 timesrdquo

Subscribe at wwwnzsalesmanagerconz ITrsquoS FREE

Lucian Milasan Shutterstockcom

- Stu Mittleman


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