"I Do!" Design An Offer That Commences The Sales Marriage By Lee B. Salz

The offer phase of a sales talent screening program takes preparation and finesse. The good news is that there are many parallels to sales that can be applied to this phase.

After a lengthy screening process, the hiring committee feels they have found the right sales candidate for the company. Now comes the tricky part, how do you design an offer and go through the offer stage of the process without damaging the relationship with the candidate? Damaging?

Many companies are not prepared to go through the offer step of the process and, due to that, damage the relationship with the candidate. This leads to one of two unfortunate conclusions. Either they lose the candidate or the candidate comes on-board, but with scar tissue. Applying some of the best practices from the sales world into a sales talent screening program helps to avoid that scenario.

The offer stage of the hiring process parallels the proposal phase of sales. Best practices in sales say that you don't present a proposal until a thorough needs analysis has been completed. If a sales person is presenting a proposal to a prospect, he has acquired the information needed to design a solution, has discussed budget, has a full understanding of their solution requirements, and has set an expectation on pricing. This is certainly the case if the sales person is going to be successful in winning the account.

Looking at this process in contrast to the offer stage of the sales talent screening program, many of the same best practices from sales hold true. During the screening program, information needs to be gathered from the candidate to determine their financial requirements. Unfortunately, many sales talent screening programs focus exclusively on screening the candidate for fit, but do not consider the needs for the offer phase of the process. This leads to a last minute scurry to mine the information from the candidate or they design the offer blindly. Neither of those are best practices for the offer stage.

In sales, it is said that if you are going to lose, lose early. This prevents you from making a huge investment in a relationship that will not generate revenue. The parallel to screening sales talent is understanding the financial requirements of the candidate early enough to stop the process before over-investing in the relationship. There is no point in continuing a process with a candidate that requires a compensation level 25% above what you can offer. This probably seems logical, but hiring executives rarely focus on this as a de-selection element early in the process.

Just like discussing pricing with a prospect, the financial needs discussion requires finesse. The candidate knows that you are asking questions about their financials, just like a prospect knows a sales person is fishing for budget information. The better-skilled sales people tell their prospects, "I don't want to waste your time by getting you excited about a solution that will not fit in your budget constraints…" In much the same way, this discussion can be had with the candidate, "I don't want to excite you about an opportunity that might not be a match for your financial needs.

As you look at making a change in position, what thoughts have you given to your compensation requirements?" With continued finesse, you can dig further into the mix of salary versus commission. Some candidates may rebuff this discussion as they feel the information will be used against them. In some instances, they are justified for having that concern.

Hopefully, that is not the case in your company. We'll come back to this point later. The bottom line is that the two goals of this phase are to gather information that allow you to formulate an offer and to de-select those candidates whose requirements exceed your financial package.

In sales, the proposal phase should not be like a magic show. The prospect should not be shocked by what is included in the proposal. In essence, the proposal is the documentation of what has already been discussed. No surprises. The same holds true for candidates. The time to review the compensation plan details is not after they are hired, or even at the offer stage.

The compensation plan should be reviewed at the point where you have a genuine interest in pursuing the candidate and they have a complete enough understanding of the company that they will be able to comprehend the compensation plan.

One of the core requirements associated with any process is that it is measurable. The offer phase of the sales talent screening program should be measured statistically to determine effectiveness. The key statistic is number of offers made versus ones that are accepted. If the acceptance level is less than 80%, the process should be reviewed by asking the following questions.

1. At what point of the process are the candidate's financial requirements reviewed?

2. When it is known that the candidate's financial requirements exceed the package, is the candidate removed from the process?

3. At what step is the compensation plan reviewed with the candidate?

4. In what level of detail is the compensation plan reviewed with the candidate?

5. How often is the initial offer to the candidate rejected, and subsequently, negotiated successfully?

The last bullet in the list above ties back to my opening position about damaging the relationship. Again, this ties back to lessons that can be learned from sales. Many years ago, a procurement training specialist shared a pearl about the counsel he gives to sales people who ask about pricing strategy. He said, "Provide us with the best pricing that you feel comfortable providing and either way you are happy."

This always puzzled sales people so he explained further. "If you provide your best pricing and are selected, you are happy because you won the account. If you are not selected because we found lower pricing elsewhere, you are happy because you would not have been happy at that price point. Again, either way you are happy."

Consider this when making an offer to the sales candidate. Develop an offer based on what was learned from the candidate that represents the best offer you are willing to make. Early in the process, tell the candidate that you don't negotiate offers, but rather put your best offer on the table upfront. It demonstrates a professional message to the candidate and reduces their fear of attempts to lowball them.

When companies negotiate offers, while they may "win" the candidate, they damage the relationship. This person is on-boarded with the worst scar tissue of all, a lack of trust. The sales person will always be on the look out for the company to try to cheat them.

As with any component of the sales talent screening process, preparation is the key to success. Organize your team and design a process that achieves your desired results. This will allow you to create longlasting, fruitful sales marriages.
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Lee B. Salz is a sales management guru who helps companies hire the right sales people, on-board them, and focus their sales activity using his sales architectureR methodology. He is the President of Sales Architects, the C.E.O. of Business Expert Webinars and author of "Soar Despite Your Dodo Sales Manager." Lee is an online columnist for Sales and Marketing Management Magazine, a print columnist for SalesforceXP Magazine, and the host of the Internet radio show, "Secrets of Business Gurus." He is a passionate, dynamic speaker and a business consultant. Lee can be reached at lsalz@SalesArchitecture.com or 763.416.4321.

-Do you have any thoughts or experiences related to this topic that you would like to add?

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The Secret Peril That Causes Sales to be Lost By Lee B. Salz

One of the biggest mirages in sales is the proverbial rubber stamp. Sales people believe that they have won the business, but have left a deal-killer in play.

It's September, also known as back to school time. My neighbors and I escort our children to the bus stop for the first day of the new school year. However, we're puzzled about the location of the bus stop. It isn't in the same place that it was in prior years. Instead of the children walking down the street, just a few houses, they now had to cross two, very active streets to get to the bus stop.

Vigilant, we parents made calls to get the stop moved back to where it was before. It seemed to be a fairly easy process. We called the administrator who coordinates the bus stops and he easily acquiesced. The supervisor of the bus drivers visited the bus stop and agreed with us about the safety concern.

The administrator told us that the paperwork just needed to get signed by his boss, but to let the driver know the decision was made to move the bus stop back to the old location. Victory was ours. Or was it? We left someone out of the process and what occurred next will sound painfully familiar to any sales person who works in a complex, multi-buyer, sale.

After the conversation with the supervisor and administrator, we went to what we thought was the new, old bus stop. The bus turned down our street, we gave our kids a farewell kiss, and awaited their boarding of the bus. Here comes the bus. There goes the bus. The bus driver drove past us as if we weren't even there. Needless to say, we were furious and got on the horn.

All roads led to Jack (name changed) who is the ultimate decision-maker on bus stops. He had not been consulted on any of these discussions or decisions and was blind-sided by this situation. "I see no reason to change the stop from where I assigned it, he barked." We immediately knew this was going to be problematic. With the urging of the school and the parents, he agreed to "re-assess" the bus stop.

Following his re-assessment, he called each of the parents to inform them of his decision. "Well, I don't think the bus stop is unsafe, but I'm going to move it." Don't think for one second that he used this opportunity to say that the parents' solution was better than his. Instead, he didn't move the stop to the requested location. He moved it across the street from where we asked him to assign it. He even changed the entire bus route to accommodate for his solution, a tremendous amount of work for a small issue.

However, assigning bus stops is Jack's domain. He owns it. He's responsible for it. He is in control. No one is going to tell Jack how to run his business. He is a thirty-year expert in bus safety. However, this wasn't a decision on expertise, it was old-fashioned bravado, ego. And, it is not limited to bus stops. It impacts every sales person who needs to engage multiple people in the buying process to get the account awarded to them.

As I hung up the phone with Jack, it dawned on me. I coach sales people on how to work strategically in an account and we failed miserably in this circumstance. One of the perils I share with sales people is leaving the ultimate decision-maker out of the solution development process. Think about a sale that you lost, that you thought you were going to win. And, you thought you were going to win because you had a great relationship with the administrator. You and the administrator had crafted the entire solution in such a way that he could march into his boss's office for the proverbial rubber stamp.

Many years ago, I learned, painfully, that there is no such thing as a rubber stamp. Many sales people hear "rubber stamp" and feel confident that they are working with the right person. "The sale is mine!" If anything, the rubber stamp is simply the fuse on a stick of dynamite. Better get under your desk, your deal is about to implode!

Here is what happens behind the scenes as your administrator visits with his boss. "Mr Jones, I've found a new supplier for our widgets. The sales rep is terrific. We've worked together and developed an ideal solution that makes everyone's life easier and we'll save 10% on our spending." "Put it in my inbox," says, Mr. Jones. Days become weeks as the administrator pings Mr. Jones about his rubber stamp, but no signature is forthcoming.

Finally, Mr. Jones develops an interest in his widget purchasing and surfs the web for potential suppliers. He meets with three of them and finds one to his liking. "This supplier is going to save the company 10.25%". Guess who got the deal? However, the sales person never knows about this because the administrator is too embarrassed to call him. After all, the administrator said this was just a rubber stamp, you had been awarded the business. Communication with the administrator goes dark; he just stops responding to your emails and voicemails.

What sales people often forget is that as you go up the corporate ladder, business leaders maintain accountability for the lower rungs of their responsibility. Thus, they want to feel as if they are involved in the solution development phase, or at least be offered the opportunity to participate. When administrators fly into their office with what they feel is a great decision, they are rebuffed.

And, for one core reason, EGO! While the administrator's plan may very well be a great one, it is met with resistance for the simple reason that his manager was not invited to participate in the process. When he finally becomes interested enough to look at this issue, his goal becomes proving that there is a better deal to be had. In essence, this approach creates a saboteur of your deal.

If you are the sales person dealing with the administrator, how do you have the conversation where you share the concern of their manager not being involved in the process without offending? It takes a tremendous amount of finesse and strategic planning.

However, if you truly have your client's best interests at heart, it is easy. This is the ultimate key. If you are committed to ensuring that your clients achieve their goals, you can have this conversation. After all, you know that they won't get what they want if you continue down this path.
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Lee B. Salz is a sales management guru who helps companies hire the right sales people, on-board them, and focus their sales activity using his sales architectureR methodology. He is the President of Sales Architects, the C.E.O. of Business Expert Webinars and author of "Soar Despite Your Dodo Sales Manager." Lee is an online columnist for Sales and Marketing Management Magazine, a print columnist for SalesforceXP Magazine, and the host of the Internet radio show, "Secrets of Business Gurus." He is a passionate, dynamic speaker and a business consultant. Lee can be reached at lsalz@SalesArchitecture.com or 763.416.4321.

-Any thoughts or experiences related to this topic that you would like to add? Be a hero and help you fellow sales professionals by sharing in the comments section below.

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Handling the Cold Potato By Kelley Robertson

Do you have prospects that seem to give you the run- around? They expressed interest in your product or service when you first contacted them but now they don't return your calls, reply to your emails or seem interested in making a buying decision.

Persistence is an essential trait that successful sales people possess. The ability to stick with a specific task, continue in the face of adversity, or use different strategies to achieve your goal is critical if you want a long-term career in sales and business.

However, there is a distinct difference between this and beating your head against a wall trying to convince a prospect to buy your product or service.

Recent conversations with some of my newsletter subscribers reminded me how often people get caught in the trap of thinking they can (or should) close every deal that comes their way. Simply put, there comes a time when you have to let go and give up.

However, if you're not quite prepared to do that, here are five suggestions that may turn that cold potato into a hot one.

1. Consider creating an email list and adding those people into a monthly email campaign. Some of them will have their situation change and still others are simply very busy with something that is more urgent. Without monthly email follow-up, you can lose the people that were temporarily distracted as well as those whose situation changed.

2. If you have another contact in the company ask them for input or to find out why the decision has been stalled. This is particularly effective if you have developed a good relationship with that person especially if they can act as your champion or cheerleader.

3. Develop a 'keep-in-touch' campaign to keep your name in their mind. They may not be ready to buy now, but their situation could change in the future and you want them to remember you. You can stay in touch via postcards, letters, articles, newsletters, etc.

4. Befriend the decision-maker's executive assistant and tap into that individual's insight and knowledge. In some cases, the E.A. can help you find a different way to approach the executive. In other situations, they might be able to give you a reason why the sale did not happen or even what you could do differently in the future.

5. Ask yourself 'How important is this sale?' If your answer is 'very important' determine what other actions or approaches you are willing to take to make the sale happen. If this was the most important sale of your career would you give up or would you find a creative way to pursue it?

When a hot prospect turns cold and you have done everything possible to move the sale forward but they aren't responding it's time to drop that cold potato and focus your attention on other opportunities. It is essential to recognize that you only have a limited number of hours in a given day, week or month. That means you need to invest this time wisely because once it is used up you can't get it back. Spinning your wheels trying to convince an unmotivated prospect to make a decision may not be the best way to use your time.

Many people fail to realize just how valuable their time is. If you spend an inordinate amount of time trying to close a sale that has a low probability of success, then you are not generating a high payoff on your time. That means you need to engage in activities that will have the highest payoff. A simple rule of thumb to follow is asking, "What is the best use of my time, right now?" You should also consider the potential value of each sales opportunity.

Chasing a high-value sale is a better use of your time than following up on a sale that is of low value (revenue and/or profit). A good friend of mine used to go after every sale that came his way. However, after several years of chasing leads that led to few sales, he now targets his efforts on the high- value opportunities. This has substantially increased his revenues in a very short time.

While it is mentally difficult to drop a potential sale, this strategy will free up your time to focus on higher quality leads which will lead to higher sales.

When you have done everything in your power to capture that sale but it has completely stalled or hit a dead end, then you need to make an all-important decision. Is it worth your time and effort to continue following that lead? Only you can make that choice.

(c) 2008 Kelley Robertson, All rights reserved.
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Kelley Robertson is a professional speaker and trainer on sales, negotiating, customer service, and employee motivation. Receive a FREE copy of "100 Ways to Increase Your Sales" by subscribing to his free newsletter available at his website. Visit KelleyRobertson.com. He is also the author of "The Secrets of Power Selling" and "Stop, Ask & Listen-Proven Sales Techniques to Turn Browsers into Buyers." For information on his programs contact him at 905-633-7750 or Kelley@RobertsonTrainingGroup.com.

- Any ideas you'd like to share that would be helpful to your fellow sales professionals?

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Understanding your customers and building long-term relationships By Henry Pellerin

Driving a flashier car or having the nicest custom-tailored suit is not going to help you beat your sales quota this month. The best way to increase sales and build life-long relationships with your customers is to understand the factors that affect their world, and gain insight into what they think about you.

The following information provides a window into your customer’s brain, and will help you understand what makes them tick and how you can turn that knowledge into sales.

What are the factors impacting your customers right now?

Walking into a sales call without understanding the concerns of your customer is like jumping out of a plane without a parachute… it is not going to end well.

But going into that call with a good understanding of your target’s industry, and the challenges they face can provide an opportunity. Specifically, you can put yourself in context of those challenges. Show the customer how you meet a specific concern that is impacting their business.

Among common concerns of today’s businesses are:

* Economic uncertainty
* Customer issues
* Supply problems
* Human resources
* Globalization pressures
* Manufacturing issues
* General life stress

Before you walk into a sales call, take the time to think about these factors. Find a way to position yourself in such a way that you are actually helping solve these problems. The customer will appreciate the depth of your knowledge, and look to you as more of a trustworthy figure.

Important statistics about your customer and the sales process...

Now that you have a much better idea about the concerns of your customers, and the things that keep them up at night, let’s take a quick look at how they view the sales process, and what keeps them from handing that check over at the end of your presentation.

* 83% of sales professionals fail to differentiate themselves from the competition
* 65% of sales professionals surveyed feel they are working harder, but closing fewer sales.
* 86% of sales professionals ask the wrong questions.
* 81% of lead opportunities are lost during the initial contact.
* The average length of a sales cycle has increased by 20%
* 65% percent of the time a sales person spends will not result in any new business
* 79% of Messages Left for Prospects go Unanswered
* The average closing ratio is 25%

What is interesting about these findings is that they run counter to how salespeople see their own performance. These are the same areas that most salespeople view as strengths! It is important to look at these numbers from this perspective -- and make adjustments accordingly.

Becoming the trusted advisor ...

In order to build a long-term relationship with a customer, a salesperson must climb up the ladder of trust and value to. There are three basic categories of how customers think about their potential business partners:

o Vendor – A vendor is little more than the person we buy stuff from, and if there were other options we would explore them. All this guy cares about is making a buck.

o Supplier – Supplies products and provide a mediocre level of value, but the price is hard to beat.

o Trusted advisor – The best of the best. Without this person our business would struggle.

In order to achieve a productive, mutually beneficial long-term relationship with our customer, we must strive towards achieving trusted advisor status! Many will not get there, but the dogged pursuit of this status will drive outstanding relationships.

Trusted advisor status is the pinnacle of sales success, it is the top of the mountain that few people reach. Not because it is unattainable, but because it takes effort and there is no instant gratification for your efforts.

Summary: In order to achieve long-term success in any market, we must:

* Understand the customer’s situation
* Realize that customers view us differently than we view ourselves.
* Work hard to become the trusted advisor!

Understand your customer even more by clicking here...

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I Propose: Help Writing Sales Proposals By Kelley Robertson

Many companies and their decision-makers require written proposals, and if you are like many sales people, you probably shudder at the thought of this request. However, writing a good proposal doesn't have to be painful providing you keep a few points in mind.

First, recognize that closing the sale in a business proposal is a process, not an event. It doesn't occur just because you have asked for a commitment or because you have presented all the features and benefits of your product or service. When a customer or prospects agrees to do business with you after reviewing your proposal, it means that you have addressed their key issues and demonstrated exactly how your solution will benefit their company. This requires a bit of strategic planning.

Unfortunately, too many sales people spend too much time talking about their company, product or service at the beginning of the proposal. The drawback with this approach is that decision-makers are extremely busy which means they don't want to waste their time reading something that has little or no relevance to their situation.

Salespeople will argue that this information is critical and that they need to present it in order to show how their solution is appropriate to the customer's situation. While this is true, it is essential to direct your initial focus on the customer and demonstrate that you have a good understanding of your prospect's issues and concerns.

Great proposals often start with an executive summary which highlights the prospect's current situation or problem and how this issue is affecting the company. This means you need to ask your prospect key questions during your conversations. In the hundreds of sales training workshops I have conducted over the years, I have discovered that the vast majority of sales people fail to ask their prospects sufficient insightful, thought-provoking questions. As a result, they fail to understand the negative impact of a particular problem on the company's business. However, stating the impact of the problem in your proposal can reinforce to the decision-maker, the importance of implementing a solution.

Closing the sale in a proposal means positioning your solution and demonstrating exactly how your prospect will benefit by using your product or service. Far too many sales people forget this critical element. They discuss many of the features and benefits of their solution but they fail to outline the impact of their solution on the prospect's business. The challenge is that the majority of sales people do not discuss this with their prospect. Therefore, they cannot address it in their proposal.

Reduce the prospect's risk. Many people would rather tolerate working with a vendor who is not performing well rather than make a change because of their fear of the unknown or the pain that is often associated with making a significant change. I once retained the services of a particular individual even though I was not completely satisfied with his work simply because I dreaded the hassle of finding a new vendor. If this is a potential concern of your prospects, then offer some type of reassurance or guarantee to reduce or eliminate this fear.

Closing the sale in a proposal also requires some form of action or commitment. Ending your proposal with a feeble statement such as, "If you have any questions please let us know" is not effective. It is essential that you clearly outline the next step(s) you expect from your prospect along with a time frame.

Lastly, keep your proposal as brief as possible. Unless your solution is extremely complex, you need to keep it short, clear and concise because executives simply don't have time to read a fifty-page document. Besides, short proposals are usually much easier to read and understand. I recall the very first proposal I was required to present. Because I didn't know any better, I only included information that I felt was relevant to my prospect and was able to outline a thirty thousand dollar project in just three pages. After we reached an agreement I asked what influenced their decision and was told, "Your proposal was easy to understand."

The bottom line? If you have asked your prospect enough of the right questions and positioned your solution in a manner that demonstrates exactly how your solution is the best one for your prospect, and removed the risk, you increase your ability to close the sale.

(c) 2008 Kelley Robertson, All rights reserved.
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Kelley Robertson is a professional speaker and trainer on sales, negotiating, customer service, and employee motivation. Receive a FREE copy of "100 Ways to Increase Your Sales" by subscribing to his free newsletter available at his website. Visit KelleyRobertson.com. He is also the author of "The Secrets of Power Selling" and "Stop, Ask & Listen-Proven Sales Techniques to Turn Browsers into Buyers." For information on his programs contact him at 905-633-7750 or Kelley@RobertsonTrainingGroup.com.

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How to Sell to Anyone By Kelley Robertson

Let's face it. We all have those difficult customers to whom we are required to sell. From the demanding, abrasive buyer to the individual who never seems to make a buying decision, we encounter challenging people on a regular basis.

Part of the reason this happens is due to the disconnect we have because of conflicting personalities. This article will look at the four key types of people and how to improve your results with each.

Direct Donna... Donna is very direct in her approach. She tends to be forceful and always wants to dominate or control the sales call. Her behavior is aggressive, she points at you while she talks, interrupts you to challenge you, and she seldom cares about hearing the details of your new product or service. Instead, she demands that you "cut to the chase" and "tell me the bottom line." Donna is very results- focused and goal-oriented and hates wasting time.

To achieve the best sales results with this individual you need to be more direct and assertive. Tell her at the beginning of the sales call or meeting that you know how busy she is and how valuable her time is. Tell her that you will "get right to the point" and focus your conversation on the results she will achieve by using your product or service.

Resist the temptation to back down if she confronts you because you will lose her respect. To Donna, it is not personal, it's just business.

Lastly, be direct in asking for her business-you don't have to dance around this issue.

Talkative Tim... Tim is a gregarious and outgoing person but very ego-centric. He is often late for your meetings and his constant interruptions and long stories cause your sales calls to go beyond the scheduled time. He appears to be more concerned with listening to himself talk which is frustrating because you don't always get enough time to discuss your solution.

Relationships are very important to Talkative Tim so invest more time in social conversation. Even if you don't see the point in this, he will appreciate the gesture and will like you more. This person often makes buying decisions on intuition and how he feels about the sales person.

Be careful not to challenge Tim because he will feel rejected and when this happens he will "shut down" and become unresponsive. During your sales presentation, tell him how good your solution will make him look to others in the company or how his status or image will improve. In other words, appeal to his ego.

Steady Eddie... Soft-spoken, Eddie is a "nice" fellow who seems more focused on his team and coworkers than on his personal results. He is very quiet compared to some of your other prospects and can be difficult to read. But most frustrating is his reluctance to make a buying decision. Eddie's mantra seems to be "I'm still thinking about it but thanks for following up."

Structure and security is important to these people and it is difficult for Eddie to make changes. He often contemplates how the decision will affect other people within the organization. That means you need to slow down the sales process, demonstrate how your solution will benefit the team, and remove as much risk from the decision-making process as possible. Soften your voice and make sure your sales presentation flows in a logical manner. Use words like "fair" "logical" and "your team" in your presentation.

Analytical Alice... She reads every point and specification about your product or service and regardless of how much information you give Alice, she always wants more, including written guarantees and back up documentation. She is very difficult to read and it is extremely difficult to get her engaged in an open conversation because personal feelings and emotions do not enter the picture when Alice makes a decision.

Whenever possible, give Alice a written, bullet-point agenda of your meeting-beforehand. Ideally, email it to her a few days in advance so she can prepare herself. Make sure it is completely free of typos, spelling mistakes and punctuation errors. When you meet, follow the agenda in perfect order and if you make any type of claim, have supporting documentation available for her to read.

While the approach to use with each of these people may not make sense to you or seem completely rational, it is critical to recognize that how you naturally and instinctively sell may not be the best way to get results with someone else. Modifying your approach and style, even briefly, will help you better connect with your customers and prospects which means you will generate better sales.

(c) 2008 Kelley Robertson, All rights reserved.
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Kelley Robertson is a professional speaker and trainer on sales, negotiating, customer service, and employee motivation. Receive a FREE copy of "100 Ways to Increase Your Sales" by subscribing to his free newsletter available at his website. Visit KelleyRobertson.com. He is also the author of "The Secrets of Power Selling" and "Stop, Ask & Listen-Proven Sales Techniques to Turn Browsers into Buyers." For information on his programs contact him at 905-633-7750 or Kelley@RobertsonTrainingGroup.com.

Sponsor: Looking for a inspirational speaker for your event, company meeting, or sales rally -- contact motivational speaker Josh Hinds.

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The Silver Bullet in Sales -- Yes Virginia There is a Silver Bullet By Craig Elias

We have been conditioned to believe that in sales there is no such thing as a silver bullet. I can tell you that there is. It is called timing -- getting in front of the right buyer at exactly the right time. Research shows that you are five times more likely to make a sale when you have the right timing.

Timing and Buying Modes...

To have the right timing you need to understand that, no matter what you sell or to whom, buyers are always in one of three buying modes:

1. Status Quo: Status quo is when a buyer believes the product or service they are currently using meets, or exceeds, their current needs.

2. Window of Dissatisfaction™: A Window of Dissatisfaction occurs after a buyer realizes that their current solution no longer meets their needs but before they start the process of searching for alternative solutions.

3. Searching for Alternatives: Searching for alternatives is when a buyer realizes their current solution no longer meets their needs and is actively searching for alternative solutions.

Buying Modes and Trigger Events...

Buyers shift from the buying mode of status quo into the Window of Dissatisfaction, and from the Window of Dissatisfaction into searching for alternatives because they experience a Trigger Event, or a series of Trigger Events. You will sell more, sell sooner, and sell at a higher price when you can identify the Trigger Events that shift buyers into the Window of Dissatisfaction and get to these highly motivated buyers before your competition.

Trigger Events and Prices...

It’s important to understand the impact that Trigger Events have on prices. As a rule, buyers pay for perceived value – the perceived difference between your solution and their current solution – and a buyer’s perception of value changes as Trigger Events shift buyers from one buying mode to another.

When a buyer is in the Status Quo buying mode, their perceived value of their current solution is high. This results in the perceived difference in value between your solution and their current solution not being enough to motivate them to buy from you. When you try selling to buyers in the buying mode of Status Quo, you are likely to spend a lot of time selling with little or no chance of actually making a sale.

When buyers experience a Trigger Event they move into the Window of Dissatisfaction and their perceived value of their current solution is significantly reduced. Now the buyer’s perceived difference in value between your solution and their current solution increases to the point where you are much more likely to make a sale. By being first with buyers who recently entered the Window of Dissatisfaction, not only are you more likely to make a sale, you are also likely to have a shorter sales cycle, and when you win the business it’s likely to be at a much higher price.

When buyers are not intercepted by a savvy sales person, another Trigger Event or a series of Trigger Events will cause them to become so dissatisfied with their current solution that they pass through the Window of Dissatisfaction and start searching for alternatives. Now the perceived value of your solution is reduced to the difference between your solution and the next best solution proposed by a competitor. When you try selling to buyers who are searching for alternatives you are less likely to make the sale and IF you win the business, you are likely to have a much longer sales cycle and a much lower price.

The Real Value of Leveraging Trigger Events...

The Real value of leveraging Trigger Events is you spend more time selling to buyers who are in the Window of Dissatisfaction. When you sell to buyers who are in the Window of Dissatisfaction you are most likely to get loyal, appreciative customers who will represent 80% of your profits and gladly provide you with a reference, or that most treasured thing in sales, referrals.

If you miss the Window of Dissatisfaction and try selling to buyers who are already searching for alternatives, you are more likely to get those peripheral, disloyal, price sensitive, customers who will be 80% of your headaches, represent only 20% of your profits, and are unlikely to be a reference or give you referrals.

Three Types of Trigger Events...

Trigger Events that shift buyers from Status Quo into the Window of Dissatisfaction fall into one of three different categories:

1. Bad Experience: The buyer has a bad experience with a product/service, people, or a provider: E.g. A product/service change creates dissatisfaction and the buyer gets ready to move on.

2. Change / Transition: The buyer has a change or transition in people, places, or priorities. E.g. A change in the buyer who purchases your product or the person who sells your product to the buyer.

3. Awareness: Buyers become aware of the need to change for one of three reasons: Legal, risk avoidance, economics. E.g. Buying from you is less risky than continuing to buy from their current supplier.

Identifying the Best Trigger Events for What You Sell...

Every day, decision makers experience Trigger Events that shift them into the Window of Dissatisfaction and turn them into highly motivated buyers. In order to get to these highly motivated buyers before your competition you need to identify the specific Trigger Events for the products/services that you sell. One way to identify the Trigger Events for what you sell is to do a Won Sales Analysis.

Here is something I find very interesting, when you search Google for the term sales analysis - by using quotes around the words “sales analysis” - you’ll find somewhere around one million pages on how to conduct a “sales analysis”. When you want to understand how you lost a sale and you search Google for the term “lost sales analysis”, you will find around 1,000 web pages.

When you want to understand how you won a sale and you search Google for the term “won sales analysis” you will find, on my last check, less than 100 pages. Of all the pages on the Internet that talk about sales analysis, less than 0.1% talk about how to analyze the sales you lose and less than .01% talk about how to win more business by analyzing the sales that you have already won.

When you want to conduct a Won Sales Analysis to identify the Trigger Events that lead up to you winning new customers, and who are most likely to become your future customers, you’ll find the current version of my Won Sales Analysis template at www.WonSalesAnalysis.com.

Conclusion:

There is a silver bullet in sales, its called timing -- being first with buyers who recently entered the Window of Dissatisfaction. You can create timing by identifying, finding, and capitalizing on the Trigger Events that shift buyers into the Window of Dissatisfaction and putting in place ways to repeatedly get to these recently motivated buyers before your competition. By being first with these highly motivated buyers you will sell more, sell sooner, and sell at a higher price.
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The creator of Trigger Event Selling, Craig Elias has received coverage on NBC news, in The New York Times, The National Post, Sales and Marketing magazine and won a $1,000,000 prize in a billion dollar idea competition. For almost 20 years Craig used Trigger Event strategies to be a top sales performer at EVERY company he worked for. You can contact Craig by phone (+1.403.874.2998), Skype (Craig.Elias) or web.

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Close More Sales By ‘Seeing’ The Window of Dissatisfaction By Craig Elias

Have you ever noticed what happens when you buy a new car? Once you buy it, you start noticing lots of the same car on the road. What's that about?

Or consider this: Jack and Tonya learn from Tonya's doctor that they're about to have their first baby. Now, everywhere Jack goes, he sees pregnant women. Fast forward nine months: Tonya has given birth to a beautiful baby girl. Now Jack stops noticing pregnant women so much and starts seeing babies everywhere he goes.

This is called selective perception. It's proof positive that events in our life change what we see. When we buy a new car or our wife gets pregnant - our brain becomes programmed to notice more of that thing. In essence, we ask our brain to "put new cars or pregnant women on our mental radar screen." The event of reading this article means you yourself are engaging in this process … by putting one of the most powerful concepts in sales on your "radar screen." It's called the Window of Dissatisfaction™.

People who 'see' the Window of Dissatisfaction tend to:

* Close bigger deals,
* Close deals faster,
* And win core, loyal customers who will gladly act as a reference and provide the most treasured thing in sales - referrals.

If this is what you want, then read on to learn about -- and start seeing -- the Window of Dissatisfaction.

The Three Buying Modes...

Most salespeople are quite familiar with two of the three common buying modes:

Status Quo - "What we have is sufficient, and we see no reason to change. We will keep buying from this supplier … or keep doing nothing."

Searching for Alternatives - "We are actively looking for a new supplier, and probably talking to multiple candidates."

In between these two, however, lies the third buying mode. The one with the greatest opportunity, namely the …

Window of Dissatisfaction: "We know we have to do something about X, and we've put it on our `to do` list, but we haven't yet found the time to take action."

In other words …

When you sell to a buyer after they realize what they have is no longer sufficient but before they have started the process of searching for alternatives, you have found them in the Window of Dissatisfaction!

Example: A friend of mine sells writing services to professional speakers. He helps them turn training programs into manuscripts, which they then turn into self-published books. His best clients are people who have not yet self-published a book, or reached out to anyone about doing so, but have publishing a book on their list of "things to do." When he runs into a speaker who does a lot of speaking, but does not yet have a book to sell … my friend knows he's found a buyer in the Window of Dissatisfaction - and his next loyal, high-value customer.

Take a few moments to reflect on the new customers you acquired in the last year. Jot down their names. Now break your list down a little further. Of those buyers, which ones came from situations where you a) found it very easy to make the sale, b) enjoyed a short sales cycle, c) sold at a higher-than-average price, and d) ended up with a core, loyal customer who really saw "eye-to-eye" with you - and was willing and eager to sing your praises to other people? Put a check mark by those names.

In all likelihood, you "got to" those with check marks by their names when they were in a Window of Dissatisfaction and your product or service resonated with the buyer's selective perception.

The very act of thinking about these buyers makes it easier for you to recognize the Window of Dissatisfaction and get it on your mental "radar screen"! Once you recognize a Window of Dissatisfaction, and relate it to your own best customers, you will start noticing it everywhere.

When you notice the Window of Dissatisfaction, you've got the beginnings of a competitive edge - an "unfair advantage" that will increase your close ratios, shorten your sales cycles, and increase your average deal size. In short, you will excel at sales when you can identify, focus on, and sell to buyers in the Window of Dissatisfaction … before your competition. So take a look at your new best customers … and soon you will start seeing The Window of Dissatisfaction everywhere!

Visit WindowOfDissatisfaction.com if you would like to learn about, identify, and capitalize on, a unique selling window called the Window of Dissatisfaction.
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The creator of Trigger Event Selling, Craig Elias has received coverage on NBC news, in The New York Times, The National Post, Sales and Marketing magazine and won a $1,000,000 prize in a billion dollar idea competition. For almost 20 years Craig used Trigger Event strategies to be a top sales performer at EVERY company he worked for. You can contact Craig by phone (+1.403.874.2998), Skype (Craig.Elias) or web.

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