Category Archives: Performance

How to perform – reliably

Swing and a Miss! My EPIC FAIL!

Swing and a Miss! My EPIC FAILSometimes even the best salespeople completely WHIFF an opportunity.

This happened to me yesterday. While it is SO embarrassing, I just have to share it with you. Perhaps I will save you from your own EPIC FAIL!

Also known as: How to Violate 10 Sales Principles in Less Than 30 Minutes.

Here’s the story:

I had a call set up with a company I have wanted to close for about a decade now. They are AWESOME and would be a huge feather in our cap. My manager really wants this deal.

The President of this company had reached out to me to set up the call with her trusted employee, Amanda.

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So, YAY! I have the opportunity.

BONUS: I did not DROOL on myself, so THAT was a victory (about the only one.)

FIRST VIOLATED PRINCIPLE: I was ATTACHED to the sale

When we get ATTACHED to a sale, we do some wonky stuff. In my case, I did some really weird things. First, I got myself really worked up and nervous about the conversation.

SECOND VIOLATED PRINCIPLE: I OVER-RESEARCHED the situation. I OVER-PREPARED. 

“What?”, you say? “Isn’t preparation a great thing?”  Well, it IS when you come from the context of caring about what they are dealing with. But, sometimes two things will happen when you over-prepare.

First, you may get  intimidated by the person you are speaking with. Their background and the way they show up on LinkedIn and Google may freak you out. That happened to me on this call. (Of course, this is ridiculous – I speak with CEO’s, Executive Directors, and BIG DEALS all the time – something just got me on my back foot. Hmmmm….)

Second, you may make assumptions about what the person wants or needs based on what you have read on their website. I did this exact thing. I really did not know what  Amanda wanted to talk about or why we were having the conversation.

THIRD VIOLATED PRINCIPLE: I assumed I knew what they needed and what they were dealing with. 

So, I went into the conversation making comments rather than REALLY getting into Amanda’s world and asking tons of questions.

FOURTH VIOLATED PRINCIPLE: I tracked her down.

SHE had set up the meeting with a dial-in number and Webex. She was 7 minutes late. So, I called Amanda at her desk to see if we were still on. She said “Yes, why don’t you just call my land line and we’ll talk”. So, I did and now I was worried if we would have enough time to cover everything.

“What?”, you think. “What’s the problem with that?” Well, this one is very subtle. By tracking HER down, I lost two things.

First, I lost the opportunity for Amanda to get in touch with me to right the ship. (Remember that RECIPROCATION is a powerful thing – when they OWE you because they messed up, you gain power in the conversation). She DID apologize and was gracious, but I had lost that magic moment.

The thing to do was wait 10 minutes, hang up, email Amanda and apologize if I may have messed up the time. THEN, SHE has to call me or email me and I can suggest that we re-schedule for a time that works better for her OR we can acknowledge that time is now short. And, I get to be GREAT with her.

Second, I lost my ability to participate as an equal in the conversation. By tracking Amanda down, I communicated to both of us that her time was more important than mine. I was on my back foot.

FIFTH VIOLATED PRINCIPLE: I violated my own emotional space.

(And this one is just TOO embarrassing, but I am going to give it ALL to you – even when I would rather not)

As we were getting re-related, I shared with Amanda that I was actually NERVOUS to be on the call with her because of how great and accomplished she is. (CAN YOU IMAGINE?) Yes, on one hand it looks like “being authentic”, but ONCE again, I communicated to both of us that she is more important than I am.

SIXTH VIOLATED PRINCIPLE: I did not seek to understand before trying to get HER to understand what I had to say. 

To kick off the call, Amanda mentioned that the contract with her current vendor was coming due and that she might be looking to make a change. Even though she knew a lot about my company already, Amanda admitted that she was sure that our services must have evolved since she last took a look. She asked me how we had evolved and how it might make a difference for her now.

Oooh, this is golden, but I massively WHIFFED here. I shared a couple of things that were new and exciting about the ways that we were helping other companies. Both TOP things I shared, she had no need for. So, the conversation was basically dead and Amanda now has mentally checked us off as not relevant.

UGH!

What I COULD have done INSTEAD was say, “Well, there are TONS of new and exciting things, but I would really have to understand a lot more about why you are thinking of making a change and what is important to you. Do you have time to lay those things out for me and then, if we both feel it makes sense, I can tailor a demonstration to our conversation and we can get on another WebEx and I can show you around?” Then be quiet.

Nope. Didn’t do that.

SEVENTH VIOLATED PRINCIPLE: Make the same mistake twice in a row.

Amanda went on to say that while we might not be able to help with the first project, she and her President also thought that we might be able to help with another project they were working on.

AGAIN! I assumed what she needed and I launched into “selling” the way we help companies do similar things and I laid out some examples. Her new program did NOT have similar needs (because AGAIN I hadn’t asked her to be more specific – I ASSUMED based on my research, what they would want).

AGAIN, she marked me off as irrelevant for this project, too.

EIGHTH VIOLATED PRINCIPLE: I chased a “No!”

It continues to get more embarrassing. We were nearing the end of the conversation and I made one last assertion. “Well, I DO think, based on the things you have shared with me that it would be valuable for us to get on an online demonstration to further explore”.

That one landed like a BIG LEAD BALLOON. “Yeah”, she said. “Maybe.” “Let’s stay in touch because there may really be a way for us to work together, I just don’t see it now.”

WHIFF

It seems that I have virtually NO way to recover now. I will have to come up with some ways to seduce Amanda into learning more or giving me a chance to learn more if I want to keep this conversation alive. Right now, I am mostly just licking my wounds, but TOMORROW, I will call my mentor and get some good ideas. That is always a winning move.

NINTH NOT-VIOLATED PRINCIPLE: Always seek the wisdom of others when you get stuck! 

I will let you know what we come up with and what actions I take now. There are TWO qualified opportunities here and I will have to learn and grow myself to put myself in a position to try again! I would love your insights, too. Please comment!

TENTH NOT-VIOLATED PRINCIPLE: Never give up! 

Even though I am mortified, I will not let myself NOT learn the lessons here AND Amanda and I are not both convinced that there is not a way for us to work together. We will graciously follow it all-the-way through.

Even though I would rather crawl under a rock and just let this one go.

So, there it is!

AND NOW, A QUOTE THAT REALLY HELPED

Today, I saw this quote on Facebook from Michael Jordan. It made me realize that, even though I massively WHIFFED on this call, I can be satisfied that I keep giving it my all and failures are a part of my success. I hope you enjoy it, too!

“I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”

Michael Jordan

Love your WHIFFS UP! (And give me YOUR ideas about how to salvage the situation).

The Irreverent Sales Girl

What to do when you get kicked “down” the chain

What to do when you get kicked down the chainToday I had a meeting lined up with the head of the department who buys what I sell.

20 minutes before our meeting, she sent an email saying that she can’t make the meeting, but her employee (who she said is COMPLETLY involved with their programs) would be there instead.

Know how I responded?

I emailed back (cc: all)  “PERFECT! I am delighted to meet with Samantha…she is just the right person to take a look.”

(HINT: Always leave people knowing that everything is NO PROBLEM and JUST RIGHT – even though you may feel disappointed).

Wondering how to go from 5 to 6 figures in sales? Check out this Free eBook: http://ebook.solidsixblueprint.com/solid-six-ebook/

Actually, NOW, I had a HUGE advantage

I was talking with the person who USES my competitor’s product on a day-to-day basis. SHE is more familiar with the PAIN than anyone else in the company. I can develop this person to be a real fly-in-the-ointment of her managers if she wants to switch to our products.

BUT, Beware!

I didn’t assume a single thing about the sale. I started from scratch.

First, I laid out for Samantha why her manager had wanted to meet with me and why her manager had put it on the calendar.

THEN, I turned the focus completely to her. I asked Samantha what HER expectation of the meeting was. I asked her what, if anything, she knew about my company. I asked her what she did and what her role was (don’t pretend that your search on LinkedIn or her title tells you a single bit – ask THEM.)

And of course, the MAGIC questions:

“What would be the best use of YOUR time on this call? What do YOU want to see?”

The world opened up!

Samantha told me EVERYTHING she was dealing with as the end-user of our competitor’s product and EXACTLY what she wanted from our time. It was delicious. And, she felt important. Because she is.

The meeting went EXCEPTIONALLY well. Because Samantha felt like it was a big deal that I’d gotten kicked down the chain, she gave me everything I wanted to know about her company’s pain points.

She left the call EXCITED and wanting to hear more.

Now, what I’ll do…

I will now call Samantha’s boss and tell her how great is was that she put me in touch with the perfect resource. I will summarize our call and WE ARE FURTHER ALONG than we would have been, otherwise.

Never forget the power of RECIPROCATION

Samantha’s boss turned the tables on me. And I was GREAT with her. And, I was GREAT with her trusted-employee. Now, she owes ME graciousness. It works like a charm.

Believe me, I am 10 times more likely to close this deal than I was when I woke up this morning.

I NOW  have an internal advocate, a decision-maker who “owes” me and more information about what they are REALLY dealing with than I would have EVER gotten in the meeting I thought we were going to have.

MORAL OF THE STORY: Your job is to always be great with everyone and everything. The rest will sort itself out!

Pretty easy, right?

Love ’em UP!

The Irreverent Sales Girl

People are either amazing or they suck!

And mostly it depends on how I THINK about them! People are either amazing or they suck

When I take a call from someone who is a pain. They become a pain.

When I take a call from someone who is great — and they are working through concerns that are important to them. They become great people who are dealing with real concerns.

Wondering how to go from 5 to 6 figures in sales? Check out this Free eBook: http://ebook.solidsixblueprint.com/solid-six-ebook/

When I take a call from someone I love. They become someone I love even more.

Can you get the common denominator?

How I THINK about someone is who they become. Period.

Look for yourself. Where are you pre-assigning how a person is based on how YOU THINK about them? Can you CHANGE the way you think about them? (HINT: The answer is either “Yes” or “It’s worth a shot”)

This is not a woo-woo conversation. This is your bottom line. This is your profitability.

If you THINK people are great, they will become great for you, and MUCH more likely to do business with you.

Love the way you THINK UP!

The Irreverent Sales Girl

A smile beats a cheerleader? What?

I was in a Zumba class today. HI-larious! A smile beats a cheerleader? What?

My second class ever. I am TERRIBLE.

Yes, I actually tried out to be a cheerleader in high school. So glad it is not on tape.

I am the EPITOME of no co-ordination or rhythm. You will never see a video, but I assure you, it is disturbing on many levels.

YET, Tonight…

I was in my second Zumba class EVER.

Practically everyone in the class knows the moves. I don’t.

Practically everyone in the class is 500 times more coordinated than I am. Oh geez!

BUT,

I thanked the Instructor at the end of the class. Wanna know what SHE said?

“You were the best one in the class tonight.”

What, what?

YEP!

She said, “Everytime I looked around, YOU had the biggest smile on your face.”

I said, “I couldn’t get one move right.”

She said, (WAIT FOR IT) “Are you kidding? You totally nailed it! Only two classes?”

Wondering how to go from 5 to 6 figures in sales? Check out this Free eBook: http://ebook.solidsixblueprint.com/solid-six-ebook/

MORAL OF THE STORY…

Play full out with a big, fat smile on your face and no one will know that you are terrified inside! It’s not the dancing that matters, it is how you play!

Go play!

Love ’em UP!

The Irreverent Sales Girl

You will NEVER change, but…

you can grow!

Loved this article from Jen Kim at Psychology Today: http://m.psychologytoday.com/blog/valley-girl-brain/201307/why-we-are-the-way-we-are

It reminds me. I struggle all the time with things that I’m s’posed to be. Don’t YOU? And it just gets in my way. When I let myself just swing out and be me…the world pays attention! Pretense is dropped. Connections are made. (And I close hella more deals!)

What happens when you STOP TRYING TO CHANGE and you just allow yourself to grow instead? You will never change, but...

What would happen to your sales if you just took yourself as you are and delighted your customers?

What would happen to your family if you just swung out and be’d (yes, be’d is now a word) yourself?

Wondering how to go from 5 to 6 figures in sales? Check out this Free eBook: http://ebook.solidsixblueprint.com/solid-six-ebook/

Imagine the Ferrari that is driving down the street wishing it could just be that solid family car, the Volvo. Ridiculous, right? (Example stolen from The Landmark Forum). While the Volvo is wishing it could be the sexy, sleek, and sought-after ride that the Ferrrari is! HI-larious!

As Marie Forleo says, “Keep going for your dreams because the world needs the gift that ONLY YOU HAVE!” (www.marieforleo.com)

Love yourself UP!  (And the world will, too!)

The Irreverent Sales Girl

How low do you go?

Reading the title, youHow low do you go? might think I mean price… I do not.

I am talking about technology today. Sometimes HIGH technology thrusts you forward. Sometimes the lowest technology keeps you connected.

Here’s the thing about technology… it ONLY works if it is working for you.

We find ourselves in a world of INCREDIBLE tools.. tools that will explode us to the top of the sales world, if only we can use them well.

Some of us are ACES at breaking through with new tools (read: www.DanWaldschmit.com, or even, Nancy Nardin http://www.smartsellingtools.com/about.html). Dan and Nancy are  MASTERS at quickly assessing new tools and applying them.

ME?

Wondering how to go from 5 to 6 figures in sales? Check out this Free eBook: http://ebook.solidsixblueprint.com/solid-six-ebook/

I’m a bit low-tech.

Yet, I am ALWAYS NUMBER ONE in sales!

All I am saying here is USE WHAT WORKS!

You would crack up if you saw my sales tools. A whiteboard of checklists and an Excel spreadsheet.

Today, in technology, I am a fan of:

The Smartphone: (I can answer emails immediately from my phone)
LinkedIn (I can do very quick research)
Google and Google Alerts (obvious)

Here’s where I win, though – EVERY TIME

I know what works for me and I do it RELENTLESSLY.

1) I am on time
2) I send hand-written Thank You notes (a rarity)
3) I track my activity

Of course, I do not ignore the new tools, I want to learn more. I just can’t be DISTRACTED by every little thing that rears it’s new head. Can you?

My question is: Are you trying to make new technology work for you OR are you making sure YOUR tools work?

There is room for all of it!

Love your sales UP!

The Irreverent Sales Girl

 

 

Dear Irreverent Sales Girl – from “Call Me in Six Months”

I received a question today from a reader (please send me YOUR questions, they will likely be published and you will become famous!)The 3 Simple Ways to Set Yourself Up For A Sale In The Future

Here is what this entrepreneur asked:

QUESTION:

“Dear Irreverent Sales Girl,

I have developed a software product that is designed for sole-practitioner-business-coaches. It is so popular that 2-3 times a month I get approached by organizations who really like it but need a more enterprise-wide solution (i.e. teams of coaches).

Wondering how to go from 5 to 6 figures in sales? Check out this Free eBook: http://ebook.solidsixblueprint.com/solid-six-ebook/

I have plans for expanding my product to offer an enterprise version, but it’s still months off and it would be irresponsible to make any solid promises regarding specific timelines. I explain as much during phone calls, and my candor regarding how I don’t have anything to sell them right now is always appreciated.  We always end on a sort of “Great, we’ll be back in touch” or “keep us posted” note.

 

I can’t help but think I could be doing things a lot better for cultivating a connection for a sale down the road, when I DO have a product ready for them

 

.
What can I do to make the best of genuine interest now for an offering I will have later?

 

~ Call Me in Six Months”

Brilliant Question!

ANSWER:

Dear Call Me in Six Months:

First, let me commend you on a few things that you have done very, very right!

* You have created a product that is useful to your marketplace. Kudos!

* You are discovering a new niche (and possibly one with more money to spend!)

* You are telling the TRUTH and gaining credibility

* You are taking the time to develop what will WORK, rather than trying to kluge (yes, that is a word) a product just to sell it now – when you know it will not live up to your standards or theirs.

What is funny is that you gave yourself your own answer – in your sign-off … I will end with that revelation in answer #3. Let’s talk through the 3 simple ways to set yourself up for a sale in the future.

The 3 Simple Ways To Set Yourself Up For A Sale In The Future

#1:  Schedule an hour with the person to do an informational call. You have a crazy advantage here. You have NOTHING to sell , so there will be no pressure. Make sure this is a call that is SEPARATE from the one in which you have gained their trust by telling them you don’t have what they need … right now. If they are serious, they will commit the time.

On this call, get the answers to the following questions:

* What, specifically interests YOU about the software?

* What challenges are you dealing with that you think the software will solve?

* How are you addressing those challenges now?

* What goals do you have currently that you think the software can help you achieve?

* When you see our enterprise solution … and you like it … who else helps decide if you will buy it?

* Are you familiar with how your company buys a product like this and how does that process go?

* What other solutions are you considering right now?

* Do you have budget for this kind of solution, or would it help you to start getting the costs associated with the software, so that you can build it into your budget for the future?

* Schedule a call for six months from now – see #3 below

#2: Set up a reminder for yourself to contact that person once-every-three-weeks. Keep yourself top-of-mind, but not pesty!

The customer will remember that you care. Each contact should be to either:

* Celebrate advances in the development of your enterprise solution

* Ask them how they are doing against the goals you discussed in the first conversation

* Both of the above

#3: Ask them to schedule a call with you for six months from now (see how you answered your own question!). This will accomplish the following:

* It will push you to be ready with an enterprise-wide solution

* It will demonstrate that the customer is truly interested (if they won’t commit to a conversation in the future, they are only vaguely interested)

* It will (in many circumstances) save you from trying to track them down again when you are “ready” (remember, priorities change, but when people put something on the calendar – it makes them think differently about their relationship with you – they are more invested.)

If you are TRULY ambitious…

Create an “Under Construction” newsletter – or some such thing – that you send out to tell people about you, your company, your successes, and what is coming next!

Most of all, of course, keep a database of these marvelous people with detailed notes about your interactions.

SO, “Call Me in Six Months”, I am delighted you asked.

Let’s ask other readers: What do you think “Call Me in Six Months” should do? I can’t wait to hear your answers!

Love ’em UP!

The Irreverent Sales Girl

 

 

Being Responsible v. Being Successful

I loved this video today via Marie Forleo:

Favorite quote: “Responsible people keep promises to other people, Successful people keep promises to themselves.”

Enjoy!

Wondering how to go from 5 to 6 figures in sales? Check out this Free eBook: http://ebook.solidsixblueprint.com/solid-six-ebook/

Love your success UP!

The Irreverent Sales Girl

A joke for you!

A biologist, a chemist, and a statistician go hunting. A joke for you!

The biologist aims at a deer and misses 5 feet to the left.

The chemist aims at the same deer and misses 5 feet to the right.

The statistician exclaims, “We got it!”

Wondering how to go from 5 to 6 figures in sales? Check out this Free eBook: http://ebook.solidsixblueprint.com/solid-six-ebook/

Your task:  Apply to sales….What do you see?

Love it UP!

The Irreverent Sales Girl

You can’t bamboozle your customer! PUH-LEEZE!

You can't BAMBOOZLE your customerI was in a sales training and the sales trainer LAMENTED that times have changed.

It USED to be that the salesperson had the inside scoop

NOW, the buyer can find everything they really need to know on-line.

WAIT! He was LAMENTING this?

Is that really who we’ve become as salespeople? The ones who can sell if our buyer doesn’t have enough information? UGH!

It reminded me of a keynote I heard from the CEO of Seventh Generation. 

He said that his company POSTED a list of the DEFICIENCIES of their products.

Wondering how to go from 5 to 6 figures in sales? Check out this Free eBook: http://ebook.solidsixblueprint.com/solid-six-ebook/

Which, initially, had their salespeople shaking in their boots.

Sure enough, the competitors would come in with the printed list of Seventh Generation’s Self-Admitted deficiencies…..

But, you know what happened? The customer would turn to them and say….”where is YOUR list?”

HA! 

Your customer is smart and informed. If you can’t deal with it, go sell something that can stand up to scrutiny. You’ll have more fun!

Love ’em UP!

The Irreverent Sales Girl