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1 / www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz
Why Transparency Demands Truth Q & A with Rob BergBuilding Successful Budgets Leaving Effective Voicemails
Supplier Appraisal: A FLY ON THE WALL
NZ’s e-mag for sales leaders
NoVemBer 2013 Issue 77
www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz / 2
THIs WeeK's musT read
supplIer appraIsal: a fly oN THe Wall
WHy TraNspareNcy demaNds TruTH
- You can’t fake it
Q & a
With Rob Berg, Owner of KND Consulting
QuIcK fIX
leaVINg effecTIVe VoIcemaIls
It’s not what you sell, it’s how you sell
TWo mINuTe Top up
BuIldINg successful sales BudgeTs
From the bottom up
resource corNer
21.5 uNBreaKaBle laWs of sellINg
Proven Actions You Must Take to Make Easier, Faster, Bigger Sales....
Now & Forever
NZsm code of professIoNal sellINg
caleNdar
THe close
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3 / www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz
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www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz / 4
from THeedITor
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
GRAPHIC DESIGNER / Sevim Dogru Ozan
GROUP EDITOR / Nick Harley
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ADDRESS / NZ Sales Manager, C/- Espire
Media, PO Box 99758, Newmarket,
Auckland 1151, NZ
WEBSITE / nzsalesmanager.co.nz
IssN 2230-4762
NZ sales maNager Would lIKe To acKNoWledge THe supporT of our major parTNers
I always enjoy reading
articles by procurement
expert Paul Rogers. In this
issue, we have a ‘fly on the wall’
perspective from Paul of how
the buyer should go about doing
supplier appraisals. There is
valuable insight here for any sales
professional that will help with
understanding the criteria and
process that might be used.
Using this insight, you will see that
knowing how you rate against
the customer’s ‘high bar’ and
positioning yourself against these
criteria, can be more important than
comparing your company against
your competitors. A key take away
from this article therefore is to
develop your questioning strategy
to understand what it is that the
customer is really buying.
It certainly isn’t the first time that I
will say, that to know how to sell,
we first must understand how
our customers buy, and how they
make decisions. Knowing how your
customers evaluate suppliers, and
conduct their supplier appraisals
is a vital part of your account
management plan.
Happy selling
paul
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www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz / 6
musT read
The disappointment gap is the difference between
what the seller promised, and the performance the
client actually received. Most buyers try to explore
the real capability of potential suppliers before they do any
business, a process buyers call supplier appraisal. Our ‘fly on
the wall’ shares the inside story.
By Paul Rogers
Supplier Appraisal:
A FLY ON THE WALL
7 / www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz
Supplier appraisal is
a structured evaluation process to help buyers
assess the technical, commercial and
financial suitability of a potential source
of supply.
Supplier appraisal is a structured
evaluation process to help buyers
assess the technical, commercial
and financial suitability of a
potential source of supply. How
do buyers do this? Mostly from the
comfort of their desk, but there are
some common processes. Many buyers
have a standard checklist to evaluate
potential sources of supply, in the same
way that you probably assess a prospect for
credit worthiness and likely revenue potential. But
some buyers look beyond the desk-bound ‘tick
box’ approach, as this can reduce the exercise to
a clerical task, whereas supplier appraisal done
well, can create opportunities for both the buyer
and supplier.
While much sales training focuses upon how the
sales person can define the prospect’s real needs,
professional buyers see their role as understanding
what they really need, and then matching the value
propositions of the suppliers in the market to those
needs. So it is crucial for you as a sales person
that the buyer understands not just your product
or service, but your organisational capability and
capacity as well.
Professional buyers will vary the rigour of the
appraisal based upon the complexity of the
category. You might think this is obvious, but if
the buyer is seeking a “commercial off the shelf”
solution, known as COTS to buyers, then the
capability of the supplier is much less critical than if
the buyer is seeking to acquire a service from you
that will grant them competitive advantage over
their rivals. Let’s look at an example. I am working
with a hospital group who found that they are
using more than seventy types of cup across the
network, from sputum cups to drinking cups. They
are seeking to rationalise the variety of cups they
buy, of course, but what they want from a supplier is
three key things;
www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz / 8
musT read
• The ability to supply as many types of cups as
possible (a ‘one-stop-shop’ would be ideal)
• The ability to propose opportunities for variety
reduction and participate in driving down variety
• The ability to hold stock, pick, pack and deliver
in a variety of units of sale, perhaps down to
inner cartons, with a high degree of reliability
If you are a cup distributor you might be getting
excited! But imagine if you are a supplier who’s
value proposition is that you offer low pricing based
upon a minimum order of a pallet load. Or if your
‘delivery in full and on time’ performance is below
75%. Supplier appraisal is going to exclude you
from the pitch even before you have had a chance
to quote!
WHAT DRIVES SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE?
So when you meet a prospect who has not yet
started their supplier appraisal process, consider
carefully what are the key outcomes the
prospect needs from this category. Because the
buyer will use these outcomes to identify the
drivers that enable superior performance by a
supplier. Here are some clues that you might pick up
in the sales interview:
The buyer says “we are losing market share, and we
have had to slash our margins, so we are looking for
challenging cost reductions”. What the buyer will be
looking for is not just a keen quote from you now,
but the ability to sustain cost reduction through
time. And what enables that?
• A track record of cost control through time (less
than price inflation)
• A strong procurement department, or a value
analysis function, or tight integration of cost and
management accountants with production
• The ability to change (or at least influence
the cost base), so a significant proportion of
variable or semi-variable costs (or at least not all
fixed costs!)
The buyer says “we have problems with reliability
from our current supplier, and need continuity of
supply”. What the buyer will be looking for is not
just evidence that you have adequate stockholding,
but the ability to manage a responsive supply chain.
And what enables that?
• A customer-focused production organisation
with a dedicated representative who is senior
enough to make things happen
• Sufficient capacity to meet their needs
• An account which is the ‘Goldilocks’ size for the
supplier; not too big and not too small
• An order fulfilment process which is streamlined,
has a short lead time and can deal with changes
in a responsive way
The buyer says “we have fallen behind our
competitors and we really need to catch up”. What
the buyer will be looking for is not just evidence that
you have research and development, but the ability
to deliver innovation in a sustainable way. And what
enables that?
When you meet a prospect who has not yet started their supplier appraisal process, consider carefully what are the key outcomes the prospect needs from this category.
9 / www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz 9 / www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz
musT read
• Leadership from the senior executives to drive
innovation and sponsor innovation
• Engagement of customers in the product/
service design process
• A pipeline of new ideas or a ‘technology road
map’ evidencing that the company not only has
ideas, but can bring them to market
BEYOND STANDARD CHECKLISTS
The point is that buyers ʻreverse engineer from the
outcomes that they need to focus upon the enablers
which deliver those outcomes. So in pitching to
these prospects, you can either try to help them
define their own needs in ways which align to your
own value proposition, or make sure that they
understand the attributes of your company that
align with the enablers that the buyer will evaluate
you and your competitors against.
The sources of information for supplier
appraisal include:
• Catalogues
• Annual reports will yield good financial
data, and the chairman’s report will often
be surprisingly honest about strategy and
development plans
• Supplier visits (though increasingly rare)
• References from other reputable customers (but
buyers recognise that you will nominate your
best accounts, and very few referees express
strong views in commenting on suppliers).
• Visits to reference sites
• Bank references (but these are often
very circumspect)
• Google can elicit contextual material, but you
have to know what you are looking for.
musT read
PETER PRICE OR VALERIE VALUE?
Let’s say there are many different types of buyer,
but for simplicity we can contrast the ‘old school’
tactical buyer who is preoccupied with the ‘four Ps’
of purchasing (price, price, price and price) as Peter
Price. Valerie Value is more recent, and she really
does see beyond the price, and tries to understand
how different suppliers may create value.
Peter compares suppliers against other suppliers.
“You score better than (competitor) on lead time,
but they have better rates”. This is the ‘beauty
parade’ in which there is no objective measure of
what is needed, and instead the buyer compare
suppliers in relative terms. Valerie compares
suppliers in absolute terms against a ‘high bar’ that
she has set. The location of the high bar comes
with experience, but many buyers will use internal
subject matter experts to understand what ‘good’
looks like. Let’s say that Peter and Valerie are each
acquiring design capabilty.
Peter would issue a dummy brief and ask potential
suppliers to prepare a response. This reveals what
about the suppliers? Their ability to respond to a
one-off brief? Valerie would assemble a team to
reverse engineer the enablers of sustainable
capability, and develop word pictures of the
indicators of that capability. Here is an example
of painting word pictures of gradations of capability
in respect of design:
• Good design will be evidenced by a design
team with access to the latest hardware
and software, senior level support and
representation, and a demonstrable track
record of success in developing new designs to
improve product performance.
• Satisfactory design will be evidenced by a
junior design team with mixed motivation and
a varied record in contributing new designs.
Design may be isolated from the product
creation process, or turnover of talent may be
higher than expected.
• Poor design may be evidenced by warranty
claims or frequent product revisions. Personnel
may be poorly motivated or poorly led. Design
may be a marginal player, not well regarded
by marketing or production. CV’s of the staff
may show limited experience or expertise, and
investment in technology may show lack of
senior management support for the function.
• Unacceptable design may show unfilled
vacancies, low morale and poor facilities.
Rework or production problems may be caused
by poor design and other functions may buy
in design expertise. The function may be
11 / www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz
musT read
paul rogers is a freelance procurement consultant. To find out more visit www.paulrogers.pro
a second, third or fourth tier activity, with
weak leadership and recognition that ʻthere
is a problem.
Valerie’s team would then design an apprisal
process that identified the indicators of capability,
calibrated the scoring system, and then reviewed
the suppliers against a common set of dimensions.
Most supplier appraisals involve a combination of
desk research using mainly secondary sources and
field research using primary sources of information.
In this case, a visit would be needed to meet and
interview the design stafff and other stakeholders.
JIGSAW PUZZLE
Supplier appraisal is like piecing together the pieces
of a jigsaw, and the key pieces are:
1. Technical capability, i.e. can the supplier
perform, meet the client’s standards?
2. Commercial capability, i.e. can the supplier
supply at a cost that the client can afford?
3. Financial capability, i.e. will the supplier still be
trading in six months time?
In particular, the answer to the last question above
is much harder than it looks, because we usually
review historical financial information which means
we are looking in the rear view mirror. Some simple
ratio analysis such as liquidity analysis can help
identify early warning signs, especially if you look at
two or three years data to find a trend.
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU
Firstly, know your prospect! If you are dealing with
Peter it may be harder to desensitise Peter to the
commercial aspects of your value proposition, but
as you meet many more Peters than Valerie, this
won’t be a surprise to you. If any prospect comes
to visit your operations, it is a great opportunity
to build rapport and to understand their drivers,
as well as receive feedback on how they judged
your company.
Valerie will send you an agenda for what they want
to see. Anything other than the standard “Cook’s
Tour” should indicate what they are interested in
reviewing. Make sure that staff on the itinerary
know that the visit is happening, and that they
can ask questions as well. Organise a ‘welcome’
meeting and a ‘wash-up’ meeting to answer any
final questions. Ask for feedback; how did you rate
agaisnt the buyer’s evaluation criteria? Where could
you improve?
For professional buyers, supplier appraisal is a key
process. It creates a level playing field helping to
ensure that only competent suppliers are engaged.
It creates an image of the buying organisation in
the market, and it can inform negotiation targets
and supplier development programs later on. For
sales people, the sales process is being increasingly
displaced by the procurement process, and supplier
appraisal is a vital hurdle to overcome to get
through to the next stage of the process. If you
‘can’t win it unless you’re in it’, best to find out what
are the rules, and make sure that you are a player. If
you don’t, you’ll only end up disappointed!
www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz / 12
WHY TRANSPARENCY
DEMANDS TRUTH You can’t fake it
13 / www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz
The sales game is changing so quickly it is
hard to keep up with the rule changes.
Is throwing a double six still the best extra
turn? Likewise, what our clients expect of us is
evolving at an equally stimulating rate. I think the
fundamental shift started with the advent of the
Internet and in particular Web2 technology.
There was a time when your business was like a SUV
with dark tinted windows. No one could see inside.
You could literally do anything inside and the world
just simply did not know how you run your business,
treated your clients or even treated your staff. It
was like being able to sing terribly out of key with
nobody the wiser.
All of a sudden the Internet removed the tinting on
our windows and people can now actually see inside
as you ride by singing. Then, Web2 not only took
the tinted windows away, it kicked you out of the
SUV! Now you find yourself on the bus along with
everyone else. You are now under huge scrutiny 24
hours a day from everybody - including your clients
– and not sure if you should hum, let alone sing.
Such scrutiny means there is nowhere to hide
as potential buyers can check your website, on-
line feedback, blogs and comparison pages from
supposedly unbiased sources. Or they can ask their
social networks for anybody who has heard about
you or used you before - and they will trust one
word from someone they know more than anything
you can produce.
There is no more suffering in silence – oh no! It
is easy to voice dissatisfaction in so many highly
visible places very quickly. There are many examples
of people getting a million views on YouTube within
days. Such a viral complaints process means that
bad news is no longer told to just 13 people but
now to perhaps 1.3 million people.
Such transparency demands truth. It is no longer
an option in sales. When everything you say and
do is on public display it becomes a mandatory
By Bill James & Daniel Batten
You are now under huge scrutiny 24 hours a day from
everybody - including your clients
www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz / 14
Bill james was the NsaNZ New Zealand Business speaker of the year 2012 and is one of only nine certified speaking professionals in New Zealand. He is known for finding the business, opening the door and making the connection. To find out more visit www.billjamesspeaker.com
daniel Batten is a true linguistics champion and marketing thought leader who can take your marketing message and organisation beyond its current ceiling. www.beyondtheceiling.com
requirement. With clients able to comment and
report on ‘un-truths’ or something they perceive
to be in conflict with other information, your only
option is to be truthful and transparent.
This requires true intent on the part of all involved
at every level of the organisation. The true intent
to REALLY put the customer first, not just give this
sentiment lip service.
Now I can hear you all saying ‘but we are customer
focussed. They are our reason for being here.’
Really? Perhaps a few quick questions to see how
you rate might be enlightening;
1. Many organisations have a vision statement, or
mission statement. Would customers say the
same thing if you asked them to make your
vision statement for you?
2. The company board or governing body is the
seat of corporate intent. Is it focussed on the
balance sheet and bottom line profit or tracking
customer excellence of experience?
3. Could your board identify the Return on
Investment on a great customer experience?
4. Does your marketing team focus on
simply selling product or are they trying to
empower the customer to make the best
educated decision?
5. Does your sales team love their customers or
achieving sales targets? When the customer
is not there, is the conversation around “Got
one across the line” or “Made another client
happy today?” Do they have customer focus or
commission breath?
6. Is the way you talk to customers face to face
the same as the way you talk about them to
your colleagues behind their backs?
While the questions are obviously polarised to the
extreme and the reality is somewhere in the middle,
which side of the middle did you land on more
often than not?
Here is the real message – it has to be GENUINE
intent. You cannot fake it.
Have you ever been served by someone you knew
did not care? Or someone has lied to cover up the
fact they did not know? You can think of examples
right now – right?
Do you think the people you serve and sell to can
also tell, or do you think you can hide it when no
one else in the world can? Get serious. We have an
inbuilt instinct that detects when someone is not
being totally honest with us – we just know. And we
turn off and disconnect from that person.
They can spot it in you too. Intent has to be genuine
or it will backfire horribly on you and simply confirm
to the client that you are not to be trusted.
Such transparency demands truth. It is no longer an option in sales. When everything you say and do is on public display it becomes a mandatory requirement.
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www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz / 16
NZSM: Rob, tell us a little about your own
background/experience in sales?
RB: I came to New Zealand seven years ago
from London where I worked predominately in
the not-for-profit sector, devising and delivering
work-based training. I have extensive experience in
management and understand that good leadership
is vital, especially for sales teams.
NZSM: So how/why did you get into this
business?
RB: I became inspired by Brian Tracy’s work in
professional achievement, sales skills and leadership
a couple of years ago and I credit Brian’s teachings
with improving my focus and clarity toward reaching
my personal and professional goals. One of my
ambitions was to run my own consultancy company
so when the opportunity to become an accredited
Brian Tracy licensee in New Zealand became
available last year, I knew that this was the right fit
for me. My business, KND Consultancy, offers Brian
Tracy’s world-class seminar programs which have
over four million graduates world-wide.
Throughout my career, I have attended many
training courses and I found most to be average.
With the few training programmes that did inspire,
I discovered that there was no buy-in from the
upper-management at the companies. Even though
I returned to work enthused, the organisation had
not integrated the philosophy of the training, so I
sometimes felt up against a brick wall when trying
to implement new improvements.
Q & A WITH ROB BERG Owner of KND Consulting
www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz / 16
Q & a
In contrast, I find that everyone from front-line
workers to senior managers is immediately able
to take the Brian Tracy training on board. The
programmes have a positive impact on company
culture and boost morale with an emphasis
on motivation, excellent time-management,
identifying and eliminating low-value tasks and
increasing productivity.
NZSM: Who should be using the training?
RB: At KND Consultancy, we concentrate on the
sales sector because we know there is a necessity
for effective sales training in New Zealand and we
are confident that our sales programmes fill this
requirement in our sales industry. The Brian Tracy
material is applicable to all levels of sales staff
experience and sales managers.
NZSM: Tell us about the training programmes
RB: The sales programmes focus on gathering
leads, prospecting, preparing for sales meetings,
setting goals, establishing efficient systems,
overcoming objections, closing business and the
importance of selling on quality compared to
price. Sales managers can benefit from the High
Performance Strategic Leadership course which
covers hiring, motivation, communication, planning,
strategy, delegation, effective leadership, fielding a
winning team and increasing revenue.
The training has been developed to incorporate
all learning styles. The interactive, multi-media
seminars are in modular format and include
Brian Tracy on dvd, complementary workbooks,
individual and team exercises, discussion groups,
Q & a
follow-up coaching and audio cd’s for
continued learning. The materials are
continually being updated and there is
an online training option which will be
available soon.
NZSM: What’s the one thing that
sales people must consider when
choosing this kind of product service?
RB: As Brian says, “If you want to
earn more, you have to learn more.”
For sales people who are serious about
improving your sales results, we can
show you how.
A sales manager must consider if they
are satisfied with their team’s current
sales figures. If you want a motivated
sales team, improved lead conversion
www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz / 18
ratios, lowered costs, increased revenue
and a way to measure and improve results,
a Brian Tracy course offers you all this
and more.
NZSM: What’s different about your
business product?
RB: The feedback from the over four
million graduates world-wide of the
Brian Tracy training programmes has
been overwhelmingly positive with
many commenting that the impact was
immediate. We are not just another training
organisation because we take a holistic
approach to training and development.
We offer an extensive range of products
including assessment and hiring tools,
training products in all key areas, and
follow-up programmes. We can service clients
throughout New Zealand and we guarantee results.
We are confident we have the best offering for sales
training in New Zealand with proven, sustainable
results. We provide a customised approach to your
specific needs. We are very detail-oriented and we
aim to exceed your expectations.
NZSM: What’s your sales secret for the readers
of NZSM?
RB:
1. Make a decision today to join the top 10% of
earners in your field
2. Identify your single weakest skill and work to
become absolutely excellent in that area
3. Surround yourself with positive people
4. Visualise yourself as one of the top individuals in
your profession
5. Practice positive self-talk continually
6. Write out your goals every day
7. Take the necessary steps toward achieving
your goals
8. Do more listening than talking
9. Keep focused on what you want to achieve
10. Take a Brian Tracy sales course to improve
your skills.
Find out more at www.kndconsultancy.co.nz
Q & a
19 / www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz
If when you leave a voice message you find your call is not
returned then pause before you make the next call.
You should of course be prepared to speak when the phone
is picked up, but if you are trying to get access at executive level,
you could be trying a long time. You should therefore be equally
prepared to leave a message. Rambling, hesitation, and poor
choice of words are all sure signs of a lack of preparation. Your
call is unlikely to be returned.
So before making those important calls:
• Think through your voice message. Write it down and get
it right.
• Practise reading it aloud. Record it and play it back to
yourself. How does it sound? Would you return the call?
QuIcK fIX
IT’s NoT WHaT you sell, IT’s HoW you sell.
QuIcK fIX
LEAVING EFFECTIVEVOICEMAILS
20 / www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz
BUILDING SUCCESSFUL SALES BUDGETSFrom the bottom up
The process of building a successful realistic
budget with your sales team can be very
positive if you handle the process to get
their buy in.
Budgets that are imposed by the accountant or
manager from the ‘top down’ by taking last years’
results and adding seven percent, do not get buy in
and are often ignored or disrespected by sales staff.
However, your sales people will have ownership of
budgets that they participate in setting. A customer
result driven budget will show you the extent of the
knowledge your sales team has of your top 80%
of customers.
To set a participative ‘bottom up’ budget, start by
calling a meeting of your team and show them last
year’s results per customer in each territory. Outline
2 mINuTe Top-up
By Richard Gee
21 / www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz
any major new product releases for the year and maybe any changes that could impact on sales. Design
a form with four columns headed: Customer now / Exceeds last year / Stays same / Declines. Then get
your sales team to input each customer name and previous year revenue from their customer base. Then
get them to look at each customer and based on their knowledge of what the revenue will be for that
customer in the coming year, decide whether the customer will grow and explain why, or stay same and
why, or decline and why.
This will build up a customer based budget picture, and sometimes the reps present can help each other
out if they have knowledge about a particular client. The sales person will quickly show their intimate
knowledge of the customer to you and should make sound estimates of budget spend for the next year.
Ownership is immediate and this budget
will be obtained. Once the review is
complete, a pattern for each territory will
show. Then ask your reps where they will
make up the revenue that will be lost from
declining customers? They then make a list
of “new” prospects in their pipeline to fill
a gap and get a sensible budget. To this
budget you can add the impact of new
products, services or territory changes to
get a sales figure.
Make sure you get your sales team to
sign the bottom of the budget planner
sheet then you have total proof of their
commitment to chasing sales. Every month
or every three months, ask them to review
progress against budget per customer and
praise, warn or challenge the results you
see. For a copy of a budget planner sheet
visit my website.
Enjoy your budget planning and get the
buy in from participation.
richard gee is the author of NZ sales management – a practical approach, practical marketing in NZ, and other books, plus is an International speaker and sales trainer. To find out more visit www.geewiz.co.nz
2 mINuTe Top-up
www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz / 22
authors: Jeffrey Gitomerpublisher: Bard Pressprice: $32.99 from www.mightyape.co.nz
There are universal laws of selling that
determine whether you succeed, or don’t
succeed - whether you earn enough to enjoy
the lifestyle you want or struggle to make ends meet.
When you align the wind with your sails, you move
effortlessly across the water. When your sails are out
of alignment, you flounder and go nowhere. If you
align your thinking and actions with these powerful
laws of selling, you will be more effective and
efficient. You will encounter less friction, require less
energy, and get bigger results faster.
Gitomers’ 21.5 Laws are the rock foundation
of selling. They may be invisible but they are
undeniable - and unbreakable. If you’re just getting
started in selling, you will find the Laws invaluable.
Whether or not you learn them and follow them
will make or break your career. If you’ve been in
sales for a while, you will find yourself saying, “I
haven’t been doing that” or “I knew that! How did
I forget?”
When we break the Laws we pay the price. Our
sales suffer. Our bank account takes a hit. It’s an
effort to get out of bed and make a sales call, to
do our best work - work that is aligned with the
Laws. Use Jeffrey’s Laws of Selling to recharge your
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21.5 uNBreaK-aBle laWs of
sellINgproVeN acTIoNs you
musT TaKe To maKe easIer, fasTer, BIgger sales....
NoW & foreVer
resource corNer
23 / www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz
Does your organisation have a code of sales ethics? We’ve developed this one especially for NZ Sales Manager readers.
Please feel free to adopt for your team or organisation!
When dealing with me:• You will find honesty and integrity.
• You will be listened to. I will seek to understand.
• You will be told the truth, how it is and as it happens.
• We will be working towards mutual gain.
• You can expect me to follow through on the promises I make.
• You can expect me to be committed to my own personal development.
• You can expect me to be an ambassador for the sales profession.
THe NZ sales maNager code of professIoNal sellINg
Talk to us to nd out how we can help you grow in 2014!Contact Ross Wilson on 021 152 8400 or email [email protected] for a no
obligation discussion about how we can help you achieve your sales goals in 2014
www.growingorganisations.com
25 / www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz
daTe Name place compaNy lINK
Friday 25th November eat That frog! Auckland KNd consultancy
www.kndconsultancy.co.nz
Tuesday 3rd December sales Basics Auckland geewiz http://www.geewiz.co.nz/seminars-
and-workshops/course-details
Tuesday 3rd December cold calling and prospecting
Auckland Top achievers sales Training
www.topachieverssalestraining.co.nz
Wednesday 4th December leadership With results Auckland geewiz http://www.geewiz.co.nz/seminars-
and-workshops/course-details
Thursday 5th December sales process Auckland Top achievers sales Training
www.topachieverssalestraining.co.nz
Thursday 5th December Business Vision day New Plymouth The marketing company
http://events.themarketingcompany.
co.nz/courses/5-business-vision-day
Saturday 12th December sales Training course Hamilton Top achievers sales Training
www.topachieverssalestraining.co.nz
Wednesday 16th December -
Thursday 17th December
superior selling skills Auckland KNd consultancy
www.kndconsultancy.co.nz
caleNdar
Why does stray need mobiles?Our tagline is “off the beaten track” so we’re not staying at your main destinations. We’re getting out there to the extremities of New Zealand and our sole way of being in contact with our drivers is through phone communications. We have changes happening all the time and we need to be able to contact our team in real-time.
What Was your old provider like? There were large phone bills and if we had a problem like a phone outage it seemed they were either busy or they weren’t organised, and couldn’t get back to us. It was very frustrating and it became a constant problem within the business.
and What impact is 2degrees having? It saved us $60,000 in the first year. In the second year, it’s going to save us that again. All this will go back into marketing campaigns or growing other parts of the business. The other impact is having an Account Manager I can get hold of to get solutions to my problems when I need them.
hoW is the coverage? The coverage is fantastic. Regularly, I’m on road trips across New Zealand and off the beaten track and haven’t experienced issues with coverage. With our old provider there were a lot of black spots around Auckland and I don’t get those with 2degrees. And the bus drivers could be at Cape Reinga, they could be at Stewart Island, they could be down the West Coast; so in all sorts of different coverage areas and 2degrees works well for us.
3 x $89 plan 37 x $49 plan 1 x $149 plan
What difference do mobile devices make?Our drivers are now able to use their smartphones and other mobile devices to show videos, photos and information about other tour packages and options available, like our operations in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. We couldn’t do that before and it has made a huge difference. Of course, they’ve now got email and internet access too.
hoW reliable is the netWork?Since I’ve been with 2degrees I’ve forgotten about reliability issues because there are none. Previously I regularly had issues. I would be on the internet and it would drop out and when I sampled a 2degrees SIM card in there, I was amazed at the speed, how much quicker it was. I would regularly be on the phone with the last network and it would just drop a call. I don’t get that any more. As I said, the word reliability has disappeared from my vocabulary because it is so reliable.
case study: stray
[email protected] 022 BIZ (249) 2degreesmobile.co.nz BUSINESSbetter
For video case studies about Stray and other businesses who have made the move to 2degrees Business, please visit 2degreesmobile.co.nz/business
“ I’ve forgotten about reliability issues because there are none.”Stray Limited is an adventure bus company taking travellers to out-of- the-way places around New Zealand. We caught up with Operations Manager, Brett Hudson to talk about 2degrees and their business.
StrayAdventure Travel
50 staff41 mobilesAround NZJoined 2012
Brett Hudson Operations Manager, Stray
“You need damn good partners for successful business, and 2degrees I put in that category.“ Brett Hudson, Operations Manager
27 / www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz
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 monthly!
“Our attitude towards others determines their attitude
towards us. ” - Earl Nightingale
THe close
Why does stray need mobiles?Our tagline is “off the beaten track” so we’re not staying at your main destinations. We’re getting out there to the extremities of New Zealand and our sole way of being in contact with our drivers is through phone communications. We have changes happening all the time and we need to be able to contact our team in real-time.
What Was your old provider like? There were large phone bills and if we had a problem like a phone outage it seemed they were either busy or they weren’t organised, and couldn’t get back to us. It was very frustrating and it became a constant problem within the business.
and What impact is 2degrees having? It saved us $60,000 in the first year. In the second year, it’s going to save us that again. All this will go back into marketing campaigns or growing other parts of the business. The other impact is having an Account Manager I can get hold of to get solutions to my problems when I need them.
hoW is the coverage? The coverage is fantastic. Regularly, I’m on road trips across New Zealand and off the beaten track and haven’t experienced issues with coverage. With our old provider there were a lot of black spots around Auckland and I don’t get those with 2degrees. And the bus drivers could be at Cape Reinga, they could be at Stewart Island, they could be down the West Coast; so in all sorts of different coverage areas and 2degrees works well for us.
3 x $89 plan 37 x $49 plan 1 x $149 plan
What difference do mobile devices make?Our drivers are now able to use their smartphones and other mobile devices to show videos, photos and information about other tour packages and options available, like our operations in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. We couldn’t do that before and it has made a huge difference. Of course, they’ve now got email and internet access too.
hoW reliable is the netWork?Since I’ve been with 2degrees I’ve forgotten about reliability issues because there are none. Previously I regularly had issues. I would be on the internet and it would drop out and when I sampled a 2degrees SIM card in there, I was amazed at the speed, how much quicker it was. I would regularly be on the phone with the last network and it would just drop a call. I don’t get that any more. As I said, the word reliability has disappeared from my vocabulary because it is so reliable.
case study: stray
[email protected] 022 BIZ (249) 2degreesmobile.co.nz BUSINESSbetter
For video case studies about Stray and other businesses who have made the move to 2degrees Business, please visit 2degreesmobile.co.nz/business
“ I’ve forgotten about reliability issues because there are none.”Stray Limited is an adventure bus company taking travellers to out-of- the-way places around New Zealand. We caught up with Operations Manager, Brett Hudson to talk about 2degrees and their business.
StrayAdventure Travel
50 staff41 mobilesAround NZJoined 2012
Brett Hudson Operations Manager, Stray
“You need damn good partners for successful business, and 2degrees I put in that category.“ Brett Hudson, Operations Manager