ocT 1sT 2008 / Issue 11

The Upsideof downTUrns how salespeople need To adapT

FocusessenTIal HabITs For sTayIng on your game

a sophisTicaTedsalespersonIncreasIng THe proFessIonalIsmoF new Zealand’s salespeople

http://www.landrover.co.nz

nZsm / ocT 1sT 2008 / 3

ocT 1sT / Issue 11

5 wanTed: a

sophisTicaTed

salesperson

How do we improve the

professionalism of new

Zealand’s salespeople?

7 This weeKs MUsT read

KeepinG focUsed

essential habits for

staying on your game

9 Two MinUTe Top-Up

The Upside of

downTUrns

How should salespeople

adapt when there is a

recession or downturn in

the market

10 nZsM calendar

11 BooK reView

DIFFICULT

conVersaTions

How to discuss what

matters most

12 sales TraininG

direcTorY

13 The close

5

7

9

11

nZsm / ocT 1sT 2008 / 4

often the key difference

between the sales person

who gets the order and the

sales person that doesn’t, is not the

price or service guarantee or qual-

ity, but the sales persons ability to

really connect with the customer and

show a deeper level of understanding and empathy for

their problems. sales people are concerned with selling

their products and services, while sales professionals are

concerned with solving their customer’s problems.

given yesterdays decision by the us government

not to bail out wall street, and the ensuing economic

turmoil, many Kiwi business owners and decision

makers will be rightly focused on minimising the impact

of these events on their businesses.

sales professionals on the other hand, especially those

selling business to business, need to turn their focus

outwards, understanding the problems these events are

causing for their customers and then assessing how

to position their products and services, if possible, in

relation to those problems.

selling IT? what can you do to help your customers

retain their customers or reduce network costs? selling

fleet vehicles? Is there a model which will help minimise

your customer’s expenses while still enabling them to

service their customers? selling training? How can

you help your customer achieve more than their “fair

share” in the months ahead?

only by “walking a mile” in your customer’s shoes

can you start to get an idea of the problems they are

most concerned with solving. while your products or

services may not be number one on their list of current

priorities, differentiating yourself by showing a little more

understanding for your customers situation will position

you more favourably than those focused only on their own.

abouT /

short and sharp, new Zealand sales manager is a free

fortnightly e-magazine delivering thought provoking and

enlightening articles, and industry news and information

to forward-thinking sales managers, business owners

and sales professionals.

edITor / richard liew

desIgner / Jodi olsson

adVerTIsIng enQuIrIes /

+64-9-361 1375 or email

richardl@nzsalesmanager.co.nz

conTenT enQuIrIes /

+64-9-361 1375 or email

richardl@nzsalesmanager.co.nz

address / nZ sales manager

magazine,127a ponsonby road,

ponsonby, auckland, nZ.

+64-9-361 1375

websITe /

www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz

got any thoughts on this topic or articles in this week’s issue? we’d love to know what you think. email your

comments to richardl@nzsalesmanager.co.nz and we’ll share the best ones in future issues.

nZsm / ocT 1sT 2008 / 5

customer research? should they pay higher salaries

to attract more professional salespeople?

while all these things would be useful, the real

antidote is actually much simpler and much more

important.

more than anything else, what we require is a

fundamental shift in how we view the role of the

salesperson in the modern economy.

we need to shift from simply seeing

salespeople as a high maintenance yet

necessary evil – the middle men and women

connecting our customers and our products

– to seeing them as an integral component of

the value we offer to our customers, and their

decision making and business processes.

as traditional “price” and “quality” competitive advantages

are squeezed to the limit, businesses – especially those

in “B2B” sectors - will need to find additional ways of

providing value to their customers. and like it or not, their

salespeople will be one of the primary means for doing so.

now make no mistake about it, the responsibility is equally

shared. our salespeople themselves need to lift their game

significantly, as it will require a much higher level of skill

and understanding to be able to provide the value their

employers will be calling upon them to deliver.

Specifically there are four key shifts occurring in the role of

the salesperson, which need to be understood.

If we want to see any real improvement in the profes-

sionalism of new Zealand’s salespeople, change must

be driven from the top – from the leadership of the

businesses that employ them.

employers must understand that today’s discerning

customers require a similarly sophisticated level of service

from the salespeople they deal with, and that in an

increasingly competitive market, how businesses sell to

their customers, is just as important as what they sell to

their customers.

many people have asked me to expand on exactly what

they should be doing to lift the game of their salespeople.

does it mean sending staff on more sales and customer

service training courses? spending more money on

a sophisTicaTedsalesperson

how do we improve the professionalism of new Zealand’s salespeople?By richard liew

nZsm / ocT 1sT 2008 / 5 nZsm / ocT 1sT 2008 / 6

3) froM InformatIon ProvIders To

InformatIon InterPreters

Thanks mainly to the internet it is rare for a customer

to call on a company without first doing some research

of their own. many customers complain that they knew

more about the salesperson’s company, products and

competitors than the salesperson them self!

Today getting the information is no longer a problem.

The problem we have instead is interpreting it all

so we can make good decisions. How do we know

what’s relevant and what’s not?

rather than needing more information on all the

products, services, and innovations that might

be able to help us, we require knowledgeable

professionals who can help us cut through and

interpret all the information available.

sure, there is always the underlying question of

whether or not salespeople can give unbiased

advice to their customers, but those who genuinely

try to add value in this way, will go a long way

towards differentiating themselves from the

competition.

4) froM suPPlIers To advIsors

ultimately, the goal of the modern sales person is to

become part of their client’s decision making team.

The question for the client then becomes not so

much, “who should we use?” but, “what should we

do?”

To achieve this, businesses and their salespeople

need to focus on becoming advisors to their clients

rather than just suppliers.

They need to become helpful experts, helping their

clients assess the issues, determine their objectives

and even help develop their decision making criteria.

Those who do this will be far more successful than

those simply pitching a range of options and hoping

for their clients to choose one, and far less likely to

have to compete on price alone.

This article first published in The New Zealand herald 09.04.2007. richard liew is editor of

NZ Sales Manager and founded the Rev Sales network in 2004 after a career in iT&T sales.

1) froM door oPenIng To

Problem dIagnosIng

In the past, old fashioned cold calling, either door-to-

door or by telephone, served a useful and welcome

purpose – to let potential customers know about

a company’s new and interesting products. In less

crowded times, when businesses had fewer ways of

getting their message to market, customers were fairly

receptive to this approach.

Today however, customers are bombarded by

salespeople and advertisers like never before. as a result

they are far less receptive to cold calling – the traditional

realm of the salesperson.

so as marketing strategies are forced to become more

sophisticated, our salespeople will require a new focus.

rather than banging down doors, they will be called

upon when the doors are already open, as experts

whose primary role is to secure relationships and build

trust in a manner similar to a trusted doctor or specialist.

To do this they must focus on developing first class

diagnostic skills and demonstrate a sincere and thorough

understanding of their client’s objectives before they

prescribe a solution.

2) losinG The us VersUs them MenTaliTY

selling is often viewed by those in sales as a battle of

wits and resilience between the salesperson and the

customer. sales managers encourage staff to “always be

closing” and to “not take no for an answer”. with most

businesses seeing selling as a “numbers game” is it any

wonder so many customers experience buyer’s remorse

and feel like just another number?

but for sometime now there has been a new dynamic in

sales, one which despite all the lip service just doesn’t

seem to be sinking in. Today’s customers want to buy, not

be sold to. In fact thanks to the high pressure, sometimes

underhanded, sales tactics of our predecessors,

customers are now incredibly wary of salespeople - even

if what they’re selling might genuinely be right for them.

Today’s salespeople need to lose the “us versus Them”

mentality and adopt the “us” mentality, “us” being

the salesperson and their client, working together in

the same team to achieve a common goal. Those who

continue to seek “victory” at the expense of their clients

will lose out in the long term, to suppliers who are

genuinely focused on playing team.

KeepinG focUsedessential habits for staying on your game

Have you ever felt like you are on a treadmill that

increases constantly in speed, and it seems as

though the only way to get off it is to blow it up?

Take comfort, you are not alone.

The average person is faced with many commitments.

Life in this twenty-first century has become one

enormous treadmill of distractions with emails and

mobile phones, which add to the heavy load of demands

on one’s performance and behaviour through instant

responses and quick decision time frames. Is there a

solution to all of this?

we need to ask, where we are going and what is the

purpose of the journey? are we demanding too much of

our mortal frames? The human body is built to cope with

all sorts of pressures and demands, but too much can be

to our detriment and hold us back from achieving.

by developing the art of focus we can make our life a

lot easier and also achieve the desired end result. Thus

avoiding heart disease caused by excessive competitive

drive, aggressive behaviour, impatience and the sense

of time urgency. To make a quantum leap in your life,

focus becomes a vital skill. results start to diminish the

moment you take your focus off the task.

here are Ten rUles To

help YoU focUs wiTh GreaT

clariTY of pUrpose:

concentrate on the “vital few”

rather than on the “many trivial”

// Be specific and concentrate on

the larger things in life. Trivia never

amounts to anything - that is why

it is trivia it is not important!

Be committed and have path

definition // be accurate about

what it is you want to accept and

how you are going to accomplish

it. be committed to its realization

and not to the distraction caused by other people’s

agendas and which can only blur your focus.

Discard old habits // They will hold you back

because habits are just behaviour adjustments done

automatically. become more disciplined in your mind

management and develop good habits, which will

help you achieve your desired results because they

will determine the quality of life ahead for you.

Develop personal power, which keeps you in

control of your life and undertakings // The

cheapest camera properly focused brings better

results than the most expensive one that is not

focused. whether it is cameras or binoculars, their

function depends on focus. likewise human beings,

who if they drift from the point of focus, get blurred

and go nowhere.

Reinforce your mental strengths and abilities //

Focus on what you can do, not what you can’t do.

Programme your belief system with definiteness of

purpose and you will maximize the result.

Analyze what you want to accomplish // and decide

what is really important in a specific time frame

By Charles Donoghue

nZsm / ocT 1sT 2008 / 8

Charles Donoghue is an Auckland based performance psychology coach and author of best selling motivational books Kites rise against the Wind and swim against the Current.

Visit Charles’ website at www.donoghuedynamics.com.

without striving to accomplish too much or to participate

in too many events in the amount of time you allotted to

the purpose.

Have vision and know exactly where you are going

// without vision focus is not necessary. once you have

the vision then you need planning followed by action and

finally persistence, which is the power behind focus.

Concentrate on what you are good at then life

becomes less stressful // develop the many talents you

possess because your actions will create vital positive

energy to pursue even greater goals.

Be persistent // determination is another string to

your bow. It helps you overcome all the obstacles and

challenges you will come upon and help you up the

mountain of life.

Let go of the clutter // let go of all the non-productive

garbage in your life and move forward. start out with what

is necessary to accomplish your tasks or goals and along

the way pick up only those extras that will assist you.

Socrates was once asked the road to Mt Olympus //

He answered profoundly, “make sure that every step is in

that direction.”

Your eyes are located in the front of your head because

that is the direction you are supposed to be heading //

Just make sure every step goes in that direction.

nZsm / ocT 1sT 2008 / 9

contrary to knee-jerk expectations, periodic

market recessions can be a good thing for the

professional salesperson. If you’re willing to

adapt, recession markets can offer great opportunities to

grow both revenues and market shares.

If you can grow your market share without discounting

during a market downturn, you should be able to convert

your increased market share into even more lucrative

profits when the market recovers.

why are recession markets such great opportunities?

In recessions purchasers are more selective and take

longer to make decisions. They are more likely to break

purchasing habits as they are under more pressure to cut

The Upside of downTUrns

How should salespeople adapt whenthere is a recession or downturn in the market?

By liam Venter

costs, increase profits and find smarter ways of operating.

when customers are more selective, take longer to make

decisions and are looking for smarter options this suits

sales people who have a consultative approach to selling.

a consultative sales methodology enables you to better

engage with the customer over a longer period of time and

it helps you work with clients to provide smarter solutions.

being liked, being charming and being fun, etc are

important as always... but these items become

comparatively less important than being valuable to

your client. consultative sales people understand their

clients business, their operating environment and the

issues that effect them.

They understand their client’s requirements and the specific

results they need from a solution. This allows them to better

structure, and deliver, deals that will be compelling.

Liam Venter is an Auckland based sales trainer and author of The Consultative Sales Professional. Visit his website at www.salesfish.co.nz.

nZsm / ocT 1sT 2008 / 10

FrI 31 ocTTHu 30 ocTwed 29 ocTTue 28 ocT

mon 27 ocTTHu 23 ocTwed 22 ocT

Tue 21 ocTmon 20 ocT

wed 15 ocTTue 14 ocTmon 13 ocTFrI 10 ocT

THu 9 ocTwed 8 ocTTue 7 ocTmon 6 ocT

FrI 24 ocT

sun 26 ocT

saT 25 ocT

sun 19 ocT

saT 18 ocTFrI 17 ocTTHu 16 ocT

sun 12 ocT

saT 11 ocT

sun 5 ocT

saT 4 ocT

FrI 3 ocTwed 1 ocT THu 2 ocT

sun 2 noV

saT 1 noV

nZsmcalendar

consultative sales skillsnZIm northernaucklandsales developmentdavid Formanaucklandsales developmentdavid Formandunedinmotivation & attitudegeewizchristchurchFundamentals of sellingTop achievers sales Trainingauckland

consultative sales skillsnZIm northernaucklandsales developmentdavid Formandunedinaccount management skillsnZIm northernauckland

Time managementgeewizauckland

Time managementgeewizauckland

negotiationdavid Formanauckland

sales developmentdavid Formanauckland

negotiationdavid Formanaucklandsales developmentdavid FormanaucklandTelemarketing skills workshopTop achievers sales Trainingauckland

negotiationdavid Formanauckland

sales developmentdavid Formanauckland

sales developmentdavid Formanaucklandnegotiation skillsnZIm northernaucklandpresentation skillsuniversity of aucklandaucklandFundamentals of sellingTop achievers sales TrainingHamilton

sales developmentdavid Formanaucklandnegotiation skillsnZIm northernaucklandpresentation skillsuniversity of aucklandauckland

business acumenuniversity of aucklandauckland

cold calling workshopTop achievers sales Trainingauckland

sales developmentdavid Formannew plymouhsales planningdavid Formanaucklandadvanced selling skills (Healthcare only)pro-Formance drivenauckland (oct 20 - 22)

sales developmentdavid Formannew plymouhsales planningdavid Formanaucklandsales leadership workshopTop achievers sales Trainingaucklandsales basicsgeewizauckland

sales developmentdavid Formannew plymouhsales managementgeewizaucklandnetworking skills workshopTop achievers sales Trainingaucklandprofessional Telephone sellingdavid Formanauckland

sales developmentdavid Formannew plymouhprofessional Telephone sellingdavid Formanaucklandcold calling workshopTop achievers sales Trainingauckland

prospecting & new business developmentdavid FormanaucklandFundamentals of sellingTop achievers sales Trainingwellington

Fundamentals of sellingTop achievers sales Trainingchristchurch

nZsm / ocT 1sT 2008 / 11

B O O K R E V I E W

whether we’re dealing with an underperforming em-

ployee, disagreeing with our spouse about money

or child-rearing, negotiating with a difficult client,

or simply saying “no”, or “I’m sorry”, or “I love you”, we at-

tempt to avoid difficult conversations every day. No matter

how competent we are, we all have conversations that cause

anxiety and frustration.

This book can help. Based on fifteen years of research at the Harvard Negotiation Project, Difficult Conversations walks you through a proven step-by-step approach for how to have you toughest conversations with less stress and more success. It shows you how to prepare yourself; how to start the conversation without defensiveness; and how to keep it constructive and focused regardless of how the other person responds.

you’ll learn how to:

Decipher the underlying structure of every difficult • conversationInterpret the significance of what is said - and what is not• Identify the erroneous but deeply ingrained assumptions • that keep you stuckmanage strong emotions - yours and theirs• spot ways your self-image affects the conversation - and • ways the conversation affects your self-image

Filled with examples from everyday life, Difficult Conversationswill help you at home, on the job, or out in the world.

difficUlT conVersaTionsby douglas stone, bruce patton and sheila Heenpublished by penguin

$25.66 from www.fishpond.co.nz

nZsm / ocT 1sT 2008 / 12

nZsm / ocT 1sT 2008 / 13

“

“I buy expensive suits. They just lookcheap on me

Warren Buffet