NZ’s e-mag for sales leaders

NZSALESDECEMBER 9th 2009 / IssuE 33

Santawhat

are you oNe of this week’s wiNNers?

see iNsiDe!

top 5 sales mistakes for 2009

caN't Do for you

5reasons why you need case studies

Quick Fixesfor

Salespeople

NZsM / DEC 9th 2009 / 2

DECEMBER 9th / IssuE 33

this week’s must reaD

what saNta caN't Do for you

Get confidence, competence and self

belief by setting your goals for 2010.

5 reasoNs why you NeeD

case stuDies

What to do when your customer

says "Well done!"

resource corNer

the wiNNer's BiBle

By kerry spackmaN

NZsm caleNDar

two miNute top-up

top 5 sales mistakes of 2009

The grumpy buyer reflects on the

top sales mistakes of this year.

sales traiNiNG Directory

Quick fix

It’s not what you sell, it’s how you sell.

the close

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are you oNe of

this week's wiNNers? see iNsiDe!

NZsM / DEC 9th 2009 / 3

ABOut /

Short 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.

EDItOR / Paul Newsom

ARt DIRECtOR / Jodi Olsson

GROuP EDItOR / Trudi Caffell

CONtENt ENQuIRIEs /

Phone Paul on 04 586 4733 or email

pauln@nzsalesmanager.co.nz

ADVERtIsING ENQuIRIEs /

Phone Richard on 09 523 4112 or email

richardl@nzsalesmanager.co.nz

ADDREss / NZ Sales Manager, C/- Espire

Media, PO Box 137162, Parnell,

Auckland 1151, New Zealand

WEBsItE / www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz

Apparently a surge of online traders brought eBay to a worldwide standstill a couple

of weeks ago. With over 200 million live listings (33 percent up on last year),

the system couldn’t cope. I find this to be a significant reflection of the changing way we are buying and selling, and probably due somewhat to the state of family finances in the lead up to Christmas.

Indeed from a sales perspective 2009 is probably a year many will be happy to see the end of. One debate of particular interest that will see the year out is the Securities Commission-driven code of conduct for the finance industry. This is currently in draft stage and planned to be effective by late 2010. This kind of legislation refuels the debate over whether it’s okay for commission-based sales people to win business at all costs in order to provide for their own needs, instead of in the best interests of their customers.

Suggestions I have seen reported in the press to standardise commissions or even ban commissions are surely way off the mark. But all sales people (not just those in the finance industry) do need to be accountable for the advice they give, and this is the purpose of the code.

Ongoing industry regulation is inevitable, and will affect how we sell. Hopefully the legislation will get it right, and contribute to the progression towards professionalism in sales.

This is our last issue of NZSM for 2009. We are off to refresh and recharge, reflect on 2009 and plan for 2010. The articles in this issue will give you some food for thought for the holiday season. Paul Kernot helps us with goal setting, and during the quiet time why not give some thought to putting one or two case studies together, as suggested by new contributor Karl Rohde.

Thanks for all your comments, encouragement and feedback during the year. Please continue to let us know what you want to see in the magazine.

We’ll be back on 3rd February, so from us all at NZSM, we wish you a safe and Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

PaulP.S. Remember to look and see if you're a prize draw winner. Names are on page 3 & 5 – is it you?

Go to www.businessmentors.org.nzPhone: 0800 209 209

Independent Volunteer Mentorswhen you need them…

NZsM / DEC 9th 2009 / 5

Founder of PK Sales Training, Paul Kernot is a highly respected New Zealand Motivational

speaker and corporate trainer. You can visit his website at www.paulkernot.com

T H I S W E E K ’ S M U S T R E A D

When you look at the bottom-line of the revenue generated by a sales person hitting one

hundred percent of their targets, as opposed to someone

hitting just forty percent, then the need to make the most

from the imperfect art of staff selection becomes clear.

What Santa can’t do for you

set your goals for

2010By Paul Kernot

socks and ties he can do, but Santa still can’t give you

the extra competence, confidence, ability, self belief

and the $1m pay package you’d like.

As you head for the beach, bach and bbqs of your summer

holiday this year, I encourage you to allocate some of that

time for planning the what, how and when of the things you

would like to achieve in 2010.

Most people have spent more time planning this summer’s

holiday than they have planning their goals for next year.

You would be doing youself and your family a big favour

if you pencil in some time alone during the holidays. Go

fishing on your own or sit in the shade with a pen and pad

and ‘think on paper’. We all spend some of our relaxing

holiday time dreaming of how good next year could be. Why

not take those dreams a step further as 2009 draws to an

end? Create a plan to actually make those dreams happen.

Consider the four levels of learning and set some goals for

2010 that will help you make real and tangible progress

towards your dreams and aspirations.

The four levels of learning As you read this, consider where you are on the competence

scale – stage one through to four. I have used the analogy of

playing golf to help your thinking – after all sales is a little

like playing golf.

NZsM / DEC 9th 2009 / 6

Stage one: The Unconscious IncompetentWhen we are new to anything in life, we don’t know how

to do what we need to do in this new role. Let’s suppose

you have worked in admin or as an accountant your entire

working life so far but have decided you want a total change

and have taken a sales job or bought your own business.

Initially, you not only don’t know, you don’t even know what

it is you don’t know! This is the first of the four stages of

learning. It’s known as the unconscious incompetent stage.

It’s great being at this stage because there is only one way

you can go.

from tee to green…

Santa brought you a year’s membership at the golf club but

you know nothing about the rules of the game or the club.

You don’t know which way round the course you should

play, which clubs to use for which shots, what a par is or

what they mean by the 19th hole.

Stage two – The Conscious IncompetentHard to admit I know, but from stage one you are striving

to become a conscious incompetent, meaning that you

still can’t do it but at least you have learnt what it is you

can’t do and are supposed to be able do. This too is a great

stage to be in because it means you can see the incredible

opportunities that await you once you have learnt the fine

art of selling. For example, presentation skills, successfully

handling concerns and objections, closing and negotiating

techniques and the real cream: generating repeat and

referred business.

from tee to green…

Pretty quickly, with the help of a good friend, a tutor or a

helpful golf club member, you learn the rules. You become

very diligent in learning golf etiquette, how to hold the club,

how to swing properly and when to give way to others on

the course. You spend time watching the game on TV and

studying the pro’s at work. You’re still not even close to being

good at this game but at least you now have a grasp of what

it is you are trying to improve on.

Stage three – The Conscious CompetentEven more exciting is the feeling you get when you study,

learn, practice and apply the above skills (plus many others)

and find they do actually work. You begin to see your name

climbing the results ladder in the weekly meeting list of

top performers, the commissions and bonuses begin to

make your bank balance look considerably healthier, not

to mention the boost in your self esteem. When you reach

the stage when you are good and you know why you are

good and know how to repeat the process with similar or

better results each month, that’s when you can call yourself a

conscious competent.

from tee to green…

The gap between level two and three is both the largest

and most rewarding once you have jumped it. Full of

concentration, you practice driving, pitching and putting.

You learn bunker shots and how to play out of the rough.

Your progress depends on how much study and practice

you do (often you do this in your head), but you see

improvements each and every day and feel a real sense of

pride and achievement when you score your first birdie

out on the course.

Your progress depends on how much study and practice you do (often you do this in your head), but you see improvements each and every day and feel a real sense of pride and achievement when you score your first birdie out on the course.

NZsM / DEC 9th 2009 / 7

Stage four – The Unconscious CompetentYou could call this stage the habit stage. This is when you reach the point where you no longer need to think through the sales process step by step when you have a buyer in front of you. Often a quick refresh of the overall process prior to going in to the meeting is enough. You set your mind on autopilot and it follows the process you have taught it, producing predictable results. This leaves your mind to focus on the subtleties of add-on sales, referrals and many other opportunities during the sales process.

A note of caution for the sales professional: it is very easy to become complacent and think you know it all once you become an unconscious competent. The only way to remain truly professional is to continue to research the new trends and methods and to introduce new elements to your sales process in order to keep yourself up to date.

from tee to green…Finally, although you are working on your handicap, all those shots that seemed so difficult to learn initially have now become routine for you. You don’t need to think so much about them

any more; they just come naturally when you pick up a club.

Does being an unconscious competent golfer make you a better golfer? That depends on whether you get complacent. Tiger Woods’ success, as with all top performing sports people, has a lot to do with his focus and attention to detail, particularly at critical moments.

So this is the perfect time of year to allocate some of your holiday time to setting goals in these areas. Decide where you feel you are on the above scale in an important area of your sales career, life or business, then create a realistic plan and deadline in order to progress yourself through the stages.

Business owners, perhaps you should spend some of your Christmas break working out a plan to create (or attract and hire) staff members who are unconscious competents?.

Spending just a few of your holiday hours setting goals to improve your competence in the key areas of your life and business could set you on the road to being the recognised Tiger Woods of your industry in 2010. What a great return on

investment for a few hours alone in the sun.

NZsM / OCt 28th 2009 / 8

Karl Rohde is a freelance technology copywriter and marketing consultant with nearly two decades of experience in business-to-business, high-tech, and direct marketing. You can find out about his services at

www.writersblock.co.nz or follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/karlrohde

5reasoNs why you NeeD case stuDies

what to do when your customer says ‘well done’By Karl Rohde

The phone rings. James looks at his watch, and sighs. Five

o’clock on a Friday – it can only be trouble.

Picking up the phone he answers, “Acme Consulting,

James speaking.”

“Hi James, this is Max Kirshor, CEO of Kirshor & Co.”

Immediately taken off guard, James feels his defences

go up.

“Hi Max, how can I help?” Sweat trickles down James’

neck; the Kirshor job was finished last month, not perfect,

but done to budget and on time.

“James, I just want to thank you and your team for a great

job,” Max says cheerily.

James is startled and pauses before answering. “Thanks

Max, I really appreciate the compliment, and will be sure

to let the team know,” he says.

“No problem, you guys really understood our business.

Have a great weekend,” Max says as he hangs up.

James sighs, feeling rather good.

Now you have praise from a client, what do you do with it?

Having a client who has praised your work is often a rare

occurrence for many businesses, and when it happens, it

is important to make the most of the opportunity. Good

feedback that you can use is very powerful.

The ideal method of using good feedback from a client is a

case study. Essentially a story, a case study works through the

problems the client was facing, but more importantly how your

solution solved that client’s problem. It instils a personal feel to

the situation, which is described through interviews with the

client’s staff, and key players within your own organisation.

The great thing is case studies have no real need to be

sales orientated. Written well, they can target the common

objections your sales team encounter.

NZsM / DEC 9th 2009 / 9

they tell a story that prospects can understand1.

Case studies can provide a tangible picture of other

successes, which can remove many objections and

build trust with your leads.

they have a long effectiveness life1.

Unlike some marketing collateral, case studies are

effective for a long time. They can continue to be used

year after year for the product or service being offered.

cost effective1.

Compared to most other forms of collateral, case

studies are very cost effective and can be used online,

in trade magazine or even as information packs sent

out to clients.

high conversion effectiveness1.

Second only to White Papers, case studies are one of the

most effective methods of converting a lead into a client.

Quick to produce1.

Compared to many forms of marketing collateral,

case studies are relatively quick to produce. The

biggest issue is usually getting interviews with

busy people.

For many companies, having case studies can make a real

difference to long sales cycles and closing deals. Case

studies can assist in shortening the usual sale cycle by

addressing prospects concerns more effectively than a

sales person could do. Providing easy access to your case

studies via your web site can have a positive effect on the

quality of the leads.

It is generally best to have case studies done by

professionals with interview and storytelling skills, who

will be able to create a persuasive document for your

company. They can take around 20 hours to put together,

although non-professional writers can take up to 50

hours. From a cost perspective, most companies cannot

afford to take key staff out of production for 50 hours, so

outsourcing does make better sense.

By using a professional, you can also ensure the case

study remains neutral from an emotional perspective.

Staff talking to clients about how great they did can

often come across as a little overbearing for the client,

whereas having someone independent will ensure the

client relationship is maintained.

Next time you have a happy client, remember: get a case

study put together, and you will benefit from increased

sales for years to come.

Case studies can assist in shortening the usual sale cycle by addressing prospects concerns more effectively than a sales person could do.

NZsM / DEC 9th 2009 / 10

the winner's Bibleauthor: kerry spackman publisher: the winners institute llc

R E s O u R C E C O R N E R

World-renowned neuroscientist Dr Kerry

Spackman shows readers how to use and

customise the ground-breaking tools he

pioneered for elite athletes, Olympic champions, and

upper-echelon businesspeople to permanently rewire

their brains and transform their lives. This bible gives

readers mental and emotional tools that change their

natural desires and rid them of habits that limit their

happiness or potential. Dr Spackman provides practical,

proven techniques for acquiring the strengths necessary

to grow into a better, happier, and more powerful

person. He has used these techniques to genuinely

revolutionise the lives of normal people, sports stars,

business people and even drug addicts – sometimes in a

single session.

Editor's note – This book starts out with the statement,

“Why other books didn’t change you and this one

will”. The author’s claim is that all the other personal

development books tell you what to do, but not how

to do it. This book has some good ideas and structure

on the how-to, but whether it changes you is still up to

whether you have the discipline to do anything with the

what and how.

Aim TrueDinanmite Sales Training Hamilton

Sales DevelopmentDavid FormanAuckland

Key Account Management ZealmarkAuckland

Sales DevelopmentDavid FormanAucklandEssential Sales SkillsZealmarkAucklandAim TrueDinanmite Sales Training Hamilton

FRI 9 JAN

MON 5 JAN

tuEs 30 DECMON 29 DEC

WED 23 DECtuE 22 DECMON 21 DECFRI 18 DEC

FRI 2 JAN

SUN 4 JAN

sAt 3 JAN

SUN 27 DEC

SAT 26 DECTHU 24 DEC

SUN 13 DEC

SAT 12 DEC

SUN 11 JAN

SAT 10 JAN

NZsMCALENDAR

MON 14 DEC

THU 10 DECWED 9 DEC FRI 11 DEC

THU 17 DECWED 16 DECTUE 15 DEC

SAT 19 DEC

THU 1 JAN

TUE 6 JAN WED 7 JAN WED 8 JAN

suN 20 DEC

FRI 25 DEC

WED 31 DEC

Merry

Christmas!

NZsM / DEC 9th 2009 / 12

We all make mistakes when we’re selling.

Those who are successful have sufficient

awareness to identify where they are going

wrong, and take action to do things differently. Those

who are not successful are generally not aware of the

mistakes they are making, so keep doing what they have

always done.

Reflecting on the buying I’ve done over the past few

months, here are the top five sales mistakes I’ve seen.

They are surefire ways to send me (and most other

buyers) running in the opposite direction.

1. Trying to be my mate Maybe this is based on a misunderstanding of the

widely held belief that people only buy from people

they like. Trying too hard to be my mate when we have

only just met is false and it doesn’t work. Let’s face it:

most of us don’t need any more mates. We have enough

outside of work.

People actually buy from people they trust. You will

begin to build trust with complete credibility through

your genuine personality and operating within my

comfort space, and not by trying too hard to be liked.

The worst line I hear is: “I’m not here to sell you

anything”. Of course you are here to see if you can sell

me something, you are a sales person! Get real or get

out of my office!

2. Programmed like a robot You have to know your stuff, and I expect you to know

your stuff, but exercising your powers of persuasion by

reciting it all in front of me in the expectation that I will

be impressed, and in the hope that some of it will be

relevant, just doesn’t work.

Be relaxed and natural. Use your knowledge selectively

to answer my questions, and guide me towards my

purchase while building trust, rather than being a

Top 5 Sales

Mistakes of 2009

from the grumpy buyer By Paul Newsom

t W O M I N u t E t O P u P

Paul Newsom is the editor of NZ Sales Manager and helps sales professionals and sales managers to compete and win in complex sales. You can visit Paul’s website at www.salespartners.co.nz

NZsM / DEC 9th 2009 / 13

walking, talking encyclopedia. The internet

provides that for me these days.

Many telesales people and self-serving sales people

still sound like robots and we all know how we deal

with these calls. Less talking, more listening please.

3. Not able to ask questions and progress my purchase If I have an issue or need that I don’t know the solution

to then I need your help. You need to ask me insightful

questions so that we can figure out the best solution.

Contrary to traditional sales training, whether you ask

an open or closed question at exactly the right time

doesn’t matter too much if you are truly focused on me

and my needs. What will work is for you to progress the

conversation in a logical manner with questions that

are relevant and of high impact in relation to solving

my issue or fulfilling my need.

Your tired old repertoire of trial closes won’t work on

me, but it is okay to actively facilitate my decision to

buy – much as a doctor would guide me through to the

best course of treatment.

4. Failure to connect the value of a product with my identified needs. If you want me to pay your price, sell the value of the

product and your company, not the product. Otherwise I will

treat it as a commodity.

5.Failure to maintain contact once I have purchased.As a buyer, my clock starts when I start using the product

or service – that is when I get some value from it.

When I buy a new washing machine I’m happy when

it is plumbed in and the first lot of washing is done

successfully. Too often sales people stop their clock when

they make the sale. If you want me to buy again, call me

a week later and ask how the washing machine is going.

Call me three months later and have a conversation.

Another example from this week – rather than just sending

my insurance renewal notice, give me a call a month

in advance, let me know it is soon due for renewal and

explore my needs. This stuff is easy to do and I don’t see

enough of it.

What did I do in this instance? Phone another provider and

get a far better deal.

In a tough economy there is little room for mistakes – you

have to be on top of your game.

If you want me to pay your price, sell the value of the product and your company, not the product. Otherwise I will treat it as a commodity.

NZsM / DEC 9th 2009 / 14

03 351 5078

MID STRENGTHFULL FLAVOURFULL LIFE

NZsM / DEC 9th 2009 / 16

Have you subscribed to NZ Sales Manager? It’s free!Simply visit www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz to get a copy of NZ Sales Manager delivered straight to your

inbox every third Wednesday!

Christmas gift suggestions:To your enemy, forgiveness.To an opponent, tolerance.To a friend, your heart. To a customer, service. To all, charity. To every child, a good example. To yourself, respect.

Oren Arnold

Q U I C K F I X

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Quick fix

If you do the Christmas card thing for your customers,

then make it personal. No cards full of illegible

signatures, no pre-printed labels, no cards that look like

you are just going through the motions because that’s what

you do at this time of year.

Take the opportunity to develop the relationship and write a

personal message of business significance like you mean it.

Better still, send a card in a couple of months’ time with the

same message instead. It will be unexpected and have far more

effect.

It’s a bit like saving the flowers till Valentines day, because

that’s what we are supposed to do on Valentines day. Giving

flowers on the day they are most needed does far more for the

relationship – doesn’t it?

If you have a favourite ‘quick fix’ that you would like to share

with our readers (without giving your winning secrets away!)

then email the editor at pauln@nzsalesmanager.co.nz

You will be in to win a high powered laser pointer pen, courtesy

of the great guys at Brand Storming Promotions.

WIN A LASER POINTER PEN FOR YOUR QUICK FIX!

If you have a favorite ‘quick fix’ that you would like to share

with our readers (without giving your winning secrets away!)

then email the editor at pauln@nzsalesmanager.co.nz

You will be in to win a high-powered laser pointer pen,

courtesy of the great guys at Brand Storming Promotions.

It's not what you sell, it's how you sell

Bah Humbug