NZ’s e-mag for sales leaders

NZSALESMAY 2011 / Issue 50

Getting Results from your Presentation

•

Mastering the Complex Sale

•

Your Personal Debrief

50thEDITION

SPECIAL

Including an interview with Ivo D'Silva:

Selling in the 21st Century

MAY / Issue 50 specIAl

THIs WeeK's MusT ReAD

IVO D'sIlVA INTeRVIeW

selling in the 21st Century.

WHAT's NeW NOTIceBOARD

geTTINg ResulTs fROM

YOuR pReseNTATION

6 secrets for your call to action

NZsM cAleNDAR

sAles TRAININg DIRecTORY

TWO MINuTe TOp-up

MAsTeRINg THe cOMplex sAle

11 Timely tips

ResOuRce cORNeR

pOKe THe BOx: WHeN WAs THe

lAsT TIMe YOu DID sOMeTHINg

fOR THe fIRsT TIMe?

QuIcK fIx

It’s not what you sell, it’s how

you sell.

THe clOse

12

6

11

12

14

15

16

18

19

22

6

16

CONTENTS

CONTENTS

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NZsM / MAY 2011 / 44 / APR 7Th 2010 / NZsM

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 09 522 7257 or

email richardl@espiremedia.com

ADDRess / NZ sales Manager,

C/- espire Media, PO Box 137162,

Parnell, Auckland 1151, New Zealand

WeBsITe /

www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz

Welcome to our 50th and 3rd birthday issue. From our

humble beginnings little did we know that NZ sales

Manager would now be reaching thousands of sales

leaders, not only in New Zealand, but in many other countries

around the world too. Thanks for your feedback, ideas and contributions, which for

me as the editor, make it all worthwhile.

One of our readers, Ivo D’silva dropped me a note a couple of months ago, saying

that as a successful and senior sales manager with 35 years experience, he enjoys

the magazine, and that some of the articles have greatly influenced his journey

through life. This is another example of the point I made in editorial of the April

issue, that a quality of sales people who are at the top of their field is that they

know that they don’t know it all. There is always something to learn. I gave Ivo a

call, and in doing the interview for this issue, I have greatly enjoyed learning from

his experiences and wisdom. The article contains some real gems, including the

mindset he has used to both sell airline tickets and give out parking tickets!

Good news on the progress of the first recognised national sales qualifications.

The unit standards are now registered on the framework, and the qualifications

are due to be registered this month. The process for the necessary resource

development and exactly how the qualifications will be delivered is unclear

at this stage. Recent funding cuts to the Industry Training Organisations have

certainly not helped in this respect, and an industry collaborative effort will be

required to get to the stage where people can do the qualifications.

Happy Selling

Paul

“We make the call…

you make the sale”

www.ibexmarketing.co.nz

Call Murray Beer on 021 279 2783 or email murray@ibexmarketing.co.nz today!

Generating consistent and qualified appointments can be a mundane and time consuming process...

Let the experienced professionals at Ibex Marketing set them for you so you can spend more time meeting with

prospects and helping them solve their problems!

NZ Sales Manager is a GREEN MAG, created and distributed without the use of paper so it's environmentally friendly. Please think before

you print. Thank you!

From the Editor

“We make the call…

you make the sale”

www.ibexmarketing.co.nz

Call Murray Beer on 021 279 2783 or email murray@ibexmarketing.co.nz today!

Generating consistent and qualified appointments can be a mundane and time consuming process...

Let the experienced professionals at Ibex Marketing set them for you so you can spend more time meeting with

prospects and helping them solve their problems!

MID STRENGTHFULL FLAVOURFULL LIFE

NZsM / MAY 2011 / 6

T h I s W e e K ’ s M u s T R e A D

Selling in the 21st Century

An Interview with Ivo D’silva

7 / MAY 2011 / NZsM

Born in Dar-es –salaam, Tanzania, Ivo D’silva has

been in sales management for over 30 years,

including the past 13 years in New Zealand.

With extensive experience within the airline and

contact centre industries in Africa, India, the united

Arab emirates, and New Zealand, Ivo is the Cargo

sales Manager for Malaysian Airlines & Delta Air Lines

with GsA MCh holding Australia Ltd.

We had a chat with Ivo, about his sales career and his

thoughts on how to succeed in sales today.

NZsM: As a child growing up in Tanzania, did you

want to be a sales person ‘when you grew up’?

ID: When I was young, I had no dreams of what I wanted

to be when I grew up. I just enjoyed my childhood. As I

approached adulthood, I still had no dreams. how often

can we all relate to the one question so many of us are

asked as kids, “so what do you want to become when

you grow up?” and how often can we all relate to the

standard answer, “I don’t know.”

Looking back at my childhood in Africa, I realise

that my passion of reaching out and helping people,

which did eventually lead to a successful career in

sales, actually started with my humble beginnings

living among some very simple people who did not

have much in life.

NZsM: How did you get started in your sales career?

ID: It was not until the age of 21 that I was introduced

to the ‘selling’ world. As a keen sportsman, I started

playing semi-professional soccer in the second division

in Mumbai. The father of one of my soccer colleagues,

who was the General Manager for an engineering

company, discovered my skills in selling and gave me

my first challenge of selling a labelling machine in

one of the key industrial areas in Mumbai. unlike the

opportunities of today, I had no formal training and

was thrown into the deep end and asked to swim.

My beginning was with a lot of apprehension and fear

of the unknown. Being young, I enjoyed the challenge

and never forgot to believe in myself and maintain a

‘can do’ attitude. I guess this mindset came from the

vigorous training I underwent as a semi-professional

soccer player. I began to experience that every door I

knocked was a learning experience and as time went

by I got more confident and success came more easily.

so began my long and successful journey in a sales

career, most of it in the airline industry.

NZsM: so, once in sales, always in sales?

ID: Not quite. I immigrated to New Zealand in 1998

and could not find an opportunity to join the airline

industry here. My first job in New Zealand was that of

a parking officer, and being a professional in my own

right, my mindset was very simple. “For years you

have enjoyed a career selling the in airline industry

and having pleasure in providing people travel tickets.

here is your new challenge of selling and educating

people on parking regulations and a not so pleasant

job of handing out parking infringement tickets.” It

is with this mindset that I developed a good rapport

with the drivers on the street, and rarely had any

conflicts with them.

NZsM: Do you think selling is a more attractive career

than it perhaps was 35 years ago when you started?

ID: I surely do. I consider selling to be one of the most

exciting careers for anyone to get into. This is one

career that offers endless opportunities and challenges

that makes work and living a lot more fun.

selling 35 years ago was just a monotonous process

of aimless running around and what I call ‘fishing’ for

business. unlike today, there was no formal training,

guidance or initiatives. When I first started, I was given

a briefcase, some brochures on the product, an area of

the market, and a commission on sales generated and

was asked to hit the road.

"My beginning was with a lot of apprehension and fear of the unknown. Being young, I enjoyed the challenge and never forgot to believe in myself and maintain a ‘can do’ attitude."

NZsM / MAY 2011 / 8

It has to be said that a selling mindset is never

constant. It never has a beginning nor does it have

an end. This keeps the mind of the sales professional

always sharp and motivated, which in turn provides

the energy to drive sales and be successful.

NZsM: The airline industry is very competitive - what

is the toughest buyer you have worked with?

ID: Indeed, just like any business, the airline industry

is very competitive. I do not consider any customer

as being tough but rather a personal challenge of

understanding and fulfilling their needs.

To give you an example of a ‘tough’ customer, I once

had a tourist from europe who was travelling on the

flight to Queenstown. On check - in he insisted on

carrying his camping cooking burner with him in the

aircraft. All efforts by my check in staff to explain to

him the international rules of carrying such dangerous

items on board the aircraft were getting no where,

and he was holding up the queue and there was a

possibility of the flight being delayed. I finally stepped

in and offered him the option of us providing a

camping burner in Queenstown and that he would

leave his own one in Auckland and pick it up on his

return. This ended the customer’s ignorance of the law

and the possible dangerous outcome of his actions,

The rewards were few and far between. If you

were found to be below the expectations of the

management you just got fired. We lacked a well

defined selling discipline.

Today selling is much more disciplined and well

defined. It is much more dynamic and challenging then

35 years ago. selling is one career that keeps you on

your toes and your mind constantly sharp and alert.

The windows of opportunity to enhance your personal

development are endless, provided you have a burning

desire to succeed and prepared to work hard towards

your goals. every facet of life revolves around the

selling phenomenon.

NZsM: What is the most important lesson you have

learned throughout your career?

ID: This business environment of diminishing markets

and growing competition is here to stay and will

not change. What must change is us!!! As sales

professionals we have to step back and come out

fighting with a new mindset.

The pace this world is changing and with technology

almost taking over our world, we as humans have

stopped believing in ourselves. The human touch is

slowly withering away and we have begun to be more

dependent on machines. The spark in our minds is

"This business environment of diminishing markets and growing competition is here to stay and will not change. What must change is us!!!"

slowly being put off, and we withdraw into our comfort

zone and become more complacent.

As a successful sales manager I have seen this

transformation and make it my priority to constantly

address the mindset of my sales professionals, making

sure this is constantly aligned with the ever changing

trends in the business world.

NZsM: so, if we are to be more successful, the

answer lies within us, and it’s an issue of mindset.

What do you mean by a new mindset?

ID: By a new mindset I mean a set of beliefs or a way of

thinking that determines one’s behaviour, outlook and

mental attitude. Just keep reminding yourself of some

fundamental success factors:

success is 80 per cent of what you think and 20 per •

cent of what you do.

Be passionate about what you do and keep the fire •

burning deep inside you to be successful.

have vision and focus – you will soon realise it’s not •

just building castles in the air.

Believe in your products or services – they are •

your lifeline.

Remember you are only human and so is your customer. •

use the lives of successful people as your •

motivation to succeed.

9 / MAY 2011 / NZsM

and was a positive selling point in the eyes of the

other passengers that this was an airline that seriously

considered the safety of its passengers.

In summary toughness in the airline industry does not

come in the form of tough buyers, but rather in the form

of tough options that would meet the needs of the buyer

and simultaneously achieve the bottom line of the airline.

NZsM: And what is your ‘secret’ for gaining the trust

and respect of such a tough customer?

ID: My secret to gaining the trust and respect of any

difficult customer, is driven by a simple saying that goes:

“In the confrontation between the stream and the rock,

the stream always wins…..not through strength, but

through persistence.”

This saying forms the foundation to your mindset

as a sales professional in the 21st century. On this

foundation you build the pillars of success that will hold

a growing weight of customers that are loyal, long term

business partners, have mutual respect, trust in your

honesty, professionalism and integrity.

The cream on top of this foundation is just to be

human, enjoy the moment and believe in yourself.

NZsM: What do customers need from sales people?

ID: understand that in today’s economical

environment, your clients do not need salesmen or

saleswomen. They have just two fundamental needs:

A partnership that understands their business and •

works with them to provide solutions to their needs.

A long-term business relationship that provides •

service, is reliable, professional and trustworthy.

There will be times when the world economy is down

and businesses are struggling to keep their heads above

water. I personally feel this is the time to reflect on

relationships and make your customers know you share

their hard times and possibly look at a different approach

to your selling techniques. Your mindset is more focused

on sharing a difficult situation then closing a sale. This

ensures a long term gain in your business relationship

with your customer. There are many examples of what I

am saying here as business starts the recovery from the

devastating earthquake in Christchurch.

NZsM: Have you ever had to turn around a poor

performing team, and how did you do this?

ID: Yes, I transformed a call centre in just one month

by changing the entire environment. I got all the

staff including myself to repaint and decorate the

centre. The furniture was very old, broken and

uncomfortable. I managed to replace them all. The

result and morale of the staff was immediate and

seen by the vast improvement on call results and

determination.

On another occasion I was managing a total of 65

staff in three different units at AA Insurance – Inbound

sales, Outbound sales and Customer service.

This gave me an opportunity of developing a new

mindset to move this vibrant environment forward. I

introduced a ‘wall of fame’ where super sales people

would personally place their names on the wall

each month and would win a gift voucher for their

success. I increased ownership of my supervisors and

encouraged communications by introducing a daily

ten minute morning briefing and some non business

dialogue. This had a positive impact all across the

floor and productivity improved.

As a leader of a sales team and knowing where

I want my team to be in terms of productivity

and morale, I have always made it my mission

to personally develop, train and mentor my

teams as individuals or as an entire group. This

gives me the opportunity to better connect

with my people and always have my finger

on the pulse to ensure better results.

"My secret to gaining the trust and respect of any difficult customer, is driven by a simple saying that goes: “In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins…..not through strength, but through persistence.” "

NZsM / MAY 2011 / 10

NZsM: What advice would you give to someone

starting a career in sales:

ID: Once you are out in the open market, using every skill

and determination to succeed, I strongly recommend you

keep reminding yourself of five important lessons that can

be learned from a simple pencil:

It tells you that everything you do will always leave 1.

a mark.

You can always correct the mistakes you make.2.

What is important is inside you and not outside you.3.

In life you will undergo painful sharpening that will 4.

make you better in whatever you do.

To be the best you can be, you should allow yourself 5.

to be held and guided by the hand that holds you.

NZsM: And your advice for sales managers?

ID: You’ve got to walk the talk. As a leader, you must

begin to lead by example. Your sales team is the greatest

asset you have.

Take time to know and understand each and every

member of your team. Know what makes them tick.

Keep a watchful eye on their mindset and ensure this

aligns with every changing moment in the business

world. Keep a close watch on any sales professional

showing signs of burn-out. understand why and take

immediate corrective action.

Finally be prepared to share your vision and encourage

open communications with your sales team. This improves

morale and enhances transparency.

NZsM: To end, what is your favourite quote which

captures the essence of what you are saying about the

sales mindset of the 21st century?

ID: “understand what people are buying not what you are

selling. People do not buy drills they buy holes, not airline

seats but destinations. Are you therefore selling airline

seats or something else? Do you sell getting there or the

experience after they arrive? ” - Craig J Kelly - Banc One

Corp, Senior Vice President of Marketing ■

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11 / MAY 2011 / NZsM

W h A T ' s N e W N O T I C e B O A R D

sAles uNIT sTANDARDs ARe RegIsTeReD

unit standards for the National Certificate in sales at Level 3 and Level 4, the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) recognised sales

qualifications, have now been registered on the New Zealand Qualifications Framework (NZQF). You can view them here

As the next step, NZQA advise that they have completed the evaluation of the qualifications and recommend that they be registered. If all goes well with the consideration, then the qualifications are expected to be published on the NZQA website on 10 May 2011. Wendy hetherington, of the Retail Institute, comments that ‘they are pleased that they have been recommended for registration and (now) plan to work with a number of different ITO’s and

industries with regards to resources and delivery options.

The Rev sales Network and Quest serviced Apartments New Zealand and Fiji have teamed up to provide sales

representatives and business travellers with a deal aimed at providing a high quality, value for money accommodation solution for sales professionals travelling out of town for business or pleasure.

Richard Liew, founder of the Rev sales Network, an organisation set up to support sales professionals in New Zealand, says that the partnership with Quest acknowledges the significance of salespeople and business travellers to the domestic travel market. “sales representatives and sales related travel are responsible for a large percentage of the commercial travel market and we felt it was important that salespeople are looked after when they are away on business. selling is a high stress occupation at the best of times and the last thing you need to worry about when you have targets to meet and are away from home and family is where you’re going to stay at the end of a long day of business meetings.”

Liew says that in choosing Quest serviced Apartments as their preferred accommodation supplier, it was the Quest team’s service and attitude that sealed the deal. “As an organisation representing salespeople it is imperative that the organisations we deal with conduct and sell themselves in a manner consistent with our values. While Quest certainly met our criteria in terms of quality of properties and value for money, what impressed us most was the way their team actually listened to our requirements and then worked with us to come up with a solution to benefit all parties.”

Launched in 1998, Quest serviced Apartments New Zealand and Fiji operates the largest serviced apartment network across the region representing 28 properties stretching from Invercargill to suva, and is poised for further expansion with 4 more planned over the next 2 years. each property is based on 40-50 apartment complexes, mixed with studio, one and two bedroom apartments. strategically located in business hubs, each property is closely aligned to location features including conference venues, restaurants and bars. All Quest properties are Qualmark rated 4 or 4.5 star standard and the majority of the network has also achieved Bronze enviro status for their commitment to sustainability.

under the terms of the agreement, Rev sales Network members who book direct will receive a standard rate of $115.00 plus GsT for Tier 1 properties and a standard rate of $135.00 plus GsT for Tier 2 properties, available at Quest properties throughout New Zealand and suva. This rate represents the maximum they will pay, and if the member books direct via the Quest website they will also be able to enjoy any special rate of the day that happens to be lower.

Quest CeO, stephen Mansfield, explains the offer provides all sales professionals with the convenience and assurance of a fixed rate regardless of the size of their company. “For both corporate clients and sMe’s, the assurance of a fixed rate is one less business variable to manage, we understand the value of that, we’re business people ourselves. some of our guests have expressed frustration with the hotel sector, where a room worth $100.00 today can be sold at $200.00 tomorrow. At Quest we focus on delivering certainty to the corporate traveller - certainty of product standard, room availability, price, service and location.”

Liew says the partnership with Quest is a welcome benefit for businesses who have been struggling to maintain and grow market share in tough sales environments over the last few years. “salespeople are the lifeblood of our economy’, says Liew, ‘and we are delighted that Quest has put their hand up to help us out.”

For more information see Rev sales Network at www.rsn.co.nz or for a list of Quest properties see Quest serviced Apartments NZ at www.questapartments.co.nz ■

pOWeR Of NeTWORKs pROVIDes AccOMMODATION WIN fOR

sAles pROfessIONAls

NZsM / MAY 2011 / 12

Based in Wellington, Olivia Mitchell is an internationally-renowned presentation blogger speaking about presenting. Olivia provides presentation training in New Zealand through effective speaking.

Getting Results from your Presentation

how can you increase the likelihood that people

will take action after your presentation? Chip

and Dan heath reveal many of the secrets in

their latest book, switch. here are 6 more tips that I’ve

learnt over my years presenting and training.

1. script the critical move

Tell people exactly what you want them do. Chip and

Dan heath tell how school students in Miner County,

south Dakota wanted to revive the local economy. The

students worked out that if residents spent more of

their money locally it would make a big difference.

But they didn’t just say “Buy Local”, they scripted

the critical move. They asked residents to spend 10%

more of their disposable income in Miner County. They

calculated that this would boost the local economy by

$7 million. A year later, the amount of money spent in

Miner County had increased by $15.6 million.

so in your presentation don’t just use a clever slogan.

Be clear and specific about what you want members of

your audience to do.

6 secrets for your call to actionBy Olivia Mitchell

13 / MAY 2011 / NZsM

In your presentation don’t just use a clever slogan. Be clear and specific about what you want members of your audience to do

6 secrets for your call to actionBy Olivia Mitchell

2. give explicit instructions

An experiment on encouraging university students to

take part in a food drive for charity showed that giving

explicit instructions can give a tremendous boost to the

response rate.

One group of students received a letter asking them

to give a can of food to a booth on Tresidder Plaza

(a well-known spot on the campus). A second group

of students received a more detailed letter including

a map and a specific request for a can of beans. 4%

responded to the general letter whilst just over 33%

gave food after receiving the detailed letter.

In your presentations, take people through the detailed

steps they’ll need to take and give them all the

information they need to carry through in a handout.

3. get them to imagine what they will do

If you’re asking people to take some action which only

they know the details of, it won’t be practical for you

to give explicit instructions. Instead get them to work

out the details.

Gary Rodriguez describes such a situation in his

book Purpose Driven Public speaking. Gary was

recently back from the Vietnam War and his peace

activist brother had welcomed him home with the

words “how many babies did you kill?” Gary was

deeply hurt and found it impossible to forgive his

brother. That was until Gary heard a speaker talking

about forgiveness:

Believe me, I have heard plenty of talks on forgiveness,

but not one like this…The speaker challenged us to

pick a specific person and put into practice what we

had learned. Gary chose his brother. And the next time

he saw his brother he was able to forgive him.

4. Develop action triggers

People who create action triggers for themselves are

far more likely to take action. An action trigger is a

mental plan you make about when and where you will

do something or what you will do in a certain situation.

For example, patients recovering from a hip operation

who wrote down when and where they would go for

a walk were much more likely to carry through on that

decision than patients who just decided they would go

for a walk.

Don’t just ask people to do something, get them to

make a mental plan of when and where they will do it.

5. Appeal to their identity

People don’t do things simply because it’s in their self-

interest, but because the action conforms to their view

of themselves. Talk to your audience as if they are the

type of people who do what you want them to do.

For example “As people who love this community and

want to see young families flourishing here, you’ll want

to donate to refurbishment of this playground.”

6. set up an accountability mechanism

sharing a commitment to take action is powerful.

There are a number of ways you can set this up for

a presentation. You could ask people to pair up with

another person and commit to keeping each other

accountable. Or you could ask audience members

to email you by a certain date with the action

they’ve taken.■

NZSM CALENDARMAY-JUNE 2011

5 & 6 May

Professional Teleselling skills

Auckland

AchieveGlobal

www.achieveglobal.co.nz/calendar

Consultative sales skills

Auckland

NZIM Northern

www.nzimnorthern.co.nz

9 May

Directors' Forum

Auckland

shipley NZ

www.shipleywins.co.nz/training/

10 May

Directors' Forum

Wellington

shipley NZ

www.shipleywins.co.nz/training/

11 May

Foundations for sales success

45 d Mt Wellington highway Auckland

Zealmark Group

www.zealmarkgroup.co.nz/profile_foundations_of_

sales_success.php

9 to 11 May

Professional selling skills

Auckland

AchieveGlobal

www.achieveglobal.co.nz/calendar

12 May

Overcoming Objections

Auckland

Top Achievers sales Training

www.topachieverssalestraining.co.nz

18 May

Business to Business sales skills

45 d Mt Wellington highway Auckland

Zealmark Group

www.zealmarkgroup.co.nz/profile_Business_to_

Business.php

19 May

sales Process

Auckland

Top Achievers sales Training

www.topachieverssalestraining.co.nz

19 & 20 May

Key Account Management

Auckland

sales star

www.salesstar.trainingplatform.co.nz/courses/8-key-

account-management

1 & 2 June

Winning Proposal strategies

Wellington

shipley NZ

www.shipleywins.co.nz/training/

7 June

Cold Calling/hot Knocking

Auckland

Top Achievers sales Training

www.topachieverssalestraining.co.nz

NZ Sales Manager - Sales Training Directory

Looking for training or coaching for your sales team? Please support the following supporters of NZ Sales Manager!

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Phone: 09 489 8308 Contact: Martin Percival Office: Auckland

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Rev Sales Network

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The Foresight Institute

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Sparkplug

Phone: 027 679 5027 Contact: Hugo Meares Office: Auckland

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Scotwork

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Top Achievers

Phone: 021 217 1633 Contact: Jean Barr Office: Auckland

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Zealmark Group

Phone: 09 573 1418 Contact: Grant Shields Office: Auckland

www.zealmarkgroup.co.nz

Team Success

Phone: 0800 TEAM4U Contact: Barry Watson Office: Auckland

www.teamsuccess.co.nz

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NZsM / MAY 2011 / 16

Mastering the Complex Sale

Jeff Thull is a leading-edge strategist and valued advisor for executive teams of major companies worldwide. Visit his website at www.primeresource.com

every sale is not a good sale. About 35 percent

of all sales are bad sales. In one way or another,

they leave the customer disappointed or the

seller with excess costs and diminished returns. Often

salespeople are so concerned with "getting the

order" that they write business that is not good for

themselves, their company or the customer.

Walking away from a situation that is not profitable

for anyone is the right thing to do. It requires that the

salesperson become comfortable with both hearing and

saying "no" and moving on to the next opportunity.

When professionals move on, they open themselves more

quickly to higher levels of opportunity and success.

spectacular success is always preceded by

unspectacular presentation. Traditional selling

maintains that if the salesperson is clever enough to say

all the right "sales stuff," he or she will be successful.

This is far from the truth. sales professionals know that

the preparation put into understanding the customer

and his or her industry is vital to success. understanding

the customer's critical issues and dissatisfactions-and

recognizing the business opportunities that arise from

them-takes research time and dedication.

Do not allow the customer to self-diagnose. This is

not to say that the customer isn't intelligent, it's just

that he or she doesn't make a decision regarding your

products and services very often. A customer may only

make such decisions once a year or even far less often.

sales representatives, on the other hand, continually

diagnose customers with similar situations. The

successful sales professional takes on the role of valued

advisor or business consultant.

You have competitors. Your customers have options.

When you're with your customers, don't refer to your

competitors as competitors; for example, by asking a

question like "Who are some of our competitors you're

T W O M I N u T e T O P u P

11 Timely TipsBy Jeff Thull

17 / MAY 2011 / NZsM

considering?" It conveys a very traditional sales image

of concern about the competition in the sales process

verses concern over the customer's situation. A better

question would be, "What are some of the options you

are considering?"

Never ask for the order. If you have to 'ask for the

order,' it should be clear that your customer has

missed something, and it's your fault. If the diagnostic

protocols have been followed, and the customer has

recognized problems that can be eliminated by the

solution you offer, the decision to buy will come as the

next step in a well-executed quality decision process.

The arm-wrestling of the traditional selling process

is replaced by the acknowledgement that a mutually

beneficial business relationship is developing.

You will gain more credibility through the questions

you ask than through the stories you tell. every

prospect expects salespeople to say good things about

themselves and the products they sell. Thus the stories

you tell are rarely taken seriously and are frequently

discounted. What is taken seriously is the concern

and knowledge you display in learning about the

customer's situation. Ask thought-provoking questions

which will help you to understand the customer's

unique situation and will help you and the customer to

manage quality decisions. When the customer hears

your question, he should say to himself: "she wouldn't

be asking that if she didn't understand our business."

Always be leaving. Customers have learned through

annoying experience that a traditional salesperson

won't take "no" for an answer. They hang on to their

customers like a bulldog on a postman's leg. Consider

that the customer's view could be valid. Displaying a

willingness to accept the customer's view will greatly

reduce the tension and cause the customer to be more

comfortable in expressing his or her real feelings. This

relaxes both of you and helps build an atmosphere of

mutual cooperation and trust.

Don't get emotionally involved. salespeople don't

have problems, their customers do. As you perform

your diagnosis and lead the customer through a quality

decision process, "yes" is not a problem and neither is

a "quality no." The customer who is losing $1 million in

sales due to inability to get a finished product passed

by quality control has a problem. It is only when you

feel the need to get the order now (when you come

across as "too hungry") that you run into problems. The

professional operates with an objective and clear mind

and methodically unravels the customer's challenges so

both the salesperson and the customer can come to a

mutually beneficial understanding of the problem and the

alignment of the solution. Being emotionally involved is

being defensive and biased toward your needs.

people never say what they really mean...at first.

People learn from a very early age that saying what is

really on their minds can have negative consequences.

As a result, they are cautious to express their real feelings

until they feel 'safe enough' with another person. The

professional salesperson 'peels the onion' to allow the

customer a feeling of safety, which allows for the free

expression of thoughts, opinions and feelings.

You can't sell a group. A guaranteed prescription for

failure is to present to a group without having first

identified and appealed to the critical perspectives

of its members on an individual basis. By the

time you present the solution, there should be no

surprises to anyone. everyone should be aware of

how the proposed solution will impact them, and

enough support should exist to guarantee that the

group decision will be a mere formality prior to

implementation of the solution. ■

NZsM / MAY 2011 / 18

R e s O u R C e C O R N e R

poke The Box: When was the last time you did

something for the first time?

Author: seth godin

publisher: Amazon

$20.97 from Fishpond.co.nz

If you're stuck at the starting line, you don't

need more time or permission. You don’t

need to wait for a boss’s okay or to be told

to push the button; you just need to poke.

Poke the Box might make you uncomfortable. It’s a

call to action about the initiative you’re taking – in

your job or in your life. Author seth Godin knows that

one of our scarcest resources is the spark of initiative

in most organizations (and most careers)– the person

with the guts to say, “I want to start stuff.”

Poke the Box is a manifesto about producing

something that's scarce, and thus valuable. It

demands that you stop waiting for a road map and

start drawing one instead. You know how to do this,

you’ve done it before, but along the way, someone

talked you out of it. Poke the Box just may be the kick

in the pants you need to shake up your life ■

Personalised booklet calendars for your business.250 New Zealand Scenic Booklet Calendars

Normally $6.00 each

Special Price $3. 20 each + GSTIncludes your company details printed in black ink.

To order phone: Tony 09 625 3373your details here

Q u I C K F I X

WIN A LAseR POINTeR PeN FOR YOuR QuICK FIX!

Personalised booklet calendars for your business.250 New Zealand Scenic Booklet Calendars

Normally $6.00 each

Special Price $3. 20 each + GSTIncludes your company details printed in black ink.

To order phone: Tony 09 625 3373your details here

The quality of your sales conversation will

determine your success. Very often we miss

opportunities because we fail to ask the next

question to develop the conversation and dig a

little deeper.

After your sales call, take a few moments to do a

personal debrief on the conversation. Do this before

you make the next call, or when you get back to the

car. Reflect on what went well, and what didn’t go so

well. What questions did you ask, and what answers

did receive to your questions?

Think through how you can improve the outcome

and value of the conversation for both you and the

customer by identifying the question that you didn’t

ask this time. This debrief will prepare you to ask the

question next time. ■

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.

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

Quick fixYOuR peRsONAl DeBRIef

Is your business committed to professionalism in selling?

Visit us at www.rsn.co.nz for membership details!

Click to watch an introduction from Rev Sales Network founder Richard Liew!

Join New Zealand’s network for Sales Professionals today!

The Rev Sales Network would like to congratulate the following sales organisations for making the commitment to excellence in selling!

The Rev Sales Network invites you to join us for

Auckland Rev-Up #2 Wednesday 11 May 2011 Guest Speaker Hannah Samuel

The Topic

"The Currency of Trust” The currency of trust is at the heart of every purchase decision. From $1 donuts to million dollar deals, the greater the amount of trust a prospective buyer has in you, and your organisation, the more likely you are to make the sale. When traditional decision-influencers such as product, price, place and promotion are largely equal, buyers will use intangibles such as reputation, integrity and trust, to guide their purchase decisions. Quite simply, the higher your ‘trust-quotient’, the more successful you’re likely to be as a sales professional. Understand: • The value, and cost, of reputation and trust • The sales professional’s role in influencing and

managing expectations • A 5-step trust-building process that will keep your

clients coming back for more, and recommending you others

• Integrity-based credibility builders that will enhance your reputation and help build trust

The Presenter

RSN Rev-Up Series 2011 Auckland Rev-Up #2 With Hannah Samuel 12pm—2pm, Wednesday 11 May 2011 OfficeMax Training Centre 30 Sir Woolf Fisher Drive, Highbrook, East Tamaki Auckland Rev Sales Network Members: Free Non-members: $49.95 incl gst pp Includes light lunch

An award-winning speaker, columnist, and author, Hannah Samuel speaks, writes and mentors worldwide on issues around reputation, trust and integrity. Hannah’s insights are based on more than 20 years experience working in business development in the UK and New Zealand and she is the founder of online reputation service directory TRUSTcite. You can find out more about Hannah and hear what others have to say about her at www.hannahsamuel.com

Visit us at www.rsn.co.nz

The Details

To register your attendance for this event send an email with “Hannah Samuel” in the subject line and the number of tickets required to info@rsn.co.nz. Or for more details visit us at www.rsn.co.nz

Hurry! Registrations close Friday 6 May! Spaces allocated on first reserved, first served basis. Limit 80 attendees only.

With thanks to

RSN Rev-Up Series AUCKLAND 2011

How To Register

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“You always pass failure on the way to success.

- Micky Rooney

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