How To Deal With Red Flags By Mike Brooks

One of the biggest mistakes 80% of salespeople make when qualifying is to overlook or not react to obvious Red Flags prospects give during the initial call.

In their haste or desperation to “generate a lead" or to “fill their pipeline," most sales reps hope that the possible objection they just heard will miraculously go away once the prospect sees their information or product or service, etc.

But you all know from experience -- it never does. In fact, the law for calling back leads is that:

“Leads Never Get Better."

What appears to be an objection or deal killer always is.

Someone wrote me once about a prospect who wasn't calling him back only to find out the prospect was leaving the company. He wrote me and said, “I guess intuitively I knew he wasn't the right guy to make the decision anyway."

And I'll bet he knew intuitively because he heard (but didn't question!) the Red Flags that came up during the initial qualification call.

So how do you deal with obvious Red Flags? Do what the Top 20% -- as soon as you hear something that triggers your intuition or that gives you that sick feeling in your gut, stop and ask the tough questions!

Here’s how you do it:

If someone says that they usually buy from ________, but would like to see your information, ask:

“Why would you switch vendors?" Or

“How many other companies have you looked at in the last six months?"

And then: "And how many did you go with?"

If someone says that they will pass it on to ________, say:

“Thanks. So that I make sure I'm not wasting her time it's best that I speak with her for just a few minutes. Can you please tell her that (your name) is holding please?" (If you're then told they are not available, make sure and get their direct line or the person's extension and keep calling until she picks up.

If someone says that they'd be glad to look at over, ask:

“Great, after you do, if you think that it can help you (or your business, etc.), when would you move on it?"

And so on.

The bottom line is that if you want to close like the Top 20% then you have to start questioning the Red Flags.

Remember: It's better to disqualify the non buyers early then to spend your time and energy chasing and pitching people who are never going to buy.

Plus it means that you have more time to find real buyers.

So this week, write up questions to the Red Flags you currently get and begin using them! You'll feel so much stronger as a closer, and you’ll begin making more money. Believe me, it’s a win/win.
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Mike Brooks, Mr. Inside Sales, works with business owners and inside sales reps nationwide teaching them the skills, strategies and techniques of top 20% performance. If you're looking to catapult your sales, or create a sales team that actually makes their monthly revenues, then learn how by visiting: MrInsideSales.com

-What are your thoughts on the ideas above? Do you have anything you'd like to add along the lines of what was discussed?

PS. If you're looking for a motivational speaker for your next company meeting or sales rally that is sure to inspire your sales team to great heights click here!

Who Really Achieves Success in Sales? By Mark Hunter

Success in sales does not go to the one who has the lowest price.

Nor does success in sales go to the one who has the best customers.

And, success in sales does not go the one who has the most intelligence.

Who really achieves success in sales? The people who practice integrity with every person with whom they come in contact. There is no substitute – no alternative – to consistent integrity.

Eleven years ago, I left my corporate career working in sales management for a Fortune 100 company. I began traveling the globe, working with salespeople across more industries than I can even begin to count. Over the years, I've personally met with thousands of salespeople, each with their own level of success and failures.

I also have met with hundreds of sales managers, VPs of Sales, CEOs and others from the "C-Suite." All those interactions and opportunities to learn about so many industries has revealed to me more than ever what it takes to remain at the top.

People who are at the top year in and year out are those who walk and breathe integrity in everything they do. This is true in good economic periods and bad economic periods, through global upheavals and company chaos. The consistent factor to success is not an external circumstance, but rather an internal commitment to a high level of integrity.

These are the people who do not necessarily close every deal or land every new big hot account that comes along. However, in their actions and attitude, 365 days a year, they walk with integrity.

How would you define integrity? I would define it as adhering to strong moral and ethical standards, regardless of the situation or result of such commitment. In other words, integrity is not a commodity you can casually use when it benefits you, and carelessly throw aside when it doesn't. Consistency is one of the hallmark signs of true integrity.

As a consultant for more than a decade, I have had the opportunity to watch several people over the course of not just weeks or months, but years. If you have been in sales a long time, you too have had the unique perspective of spotting the people others trust and want to follow.

Sometimes this person holds official capacity as a leader, but often the "leader" is not high up in an organization. Regardless of a leader's "official" position, they likely wield much influence because of their integrity.

Integrity starts with allowing yourself to be personally and publically accountable for everything you do and everything you think. In fact, integrity is more about holding yourself personally to a higher degree of accountability, because the real onus of integrity is how it guides you each day in your actions and activities. Accept 100% responsibility for how you carry yourself and do so with a high standard.

When it comes to strengthening integrity, here are some points to consider:

* No one can be forced to operate with integrity. It's completely an internal choice that is reflected in external actions.

* It's never too late to start. If you have struggled with integrity in the past, begin today to set a new course. In small ways and big ways, begin to line up your actions and attitudes with a strong moral and ethical standard.

* Accept the fact that you may not close every deal, because you are not willing to compromise your standards.

* The real measurement of integrity is what you do when nobody is looking and when nobody will ever find out what you have or have not done.

* Learn from those around you who live and breathe integrity. Become a student of their approaches and reactions – not just when the circumstances are good, but particularly when the circumstances are hard. As much as you can, surround yourself with these people. More than likely, they will not only have the highest degree of integrity, they will also be the most optimistic.

Whether you have been in sales a short time or for years, you owe it to yourself to achieve a level of success that is rooted in integrity. That kind of success cannot be matched. You will find yourself experiencing long-term success, and best of all, it will come in ways you least expect it.
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Mark Hunter, "The Sales Hunter", is a sales expert who speaks to thousands each year on how to increase their sales profitability. For more information, to receive a free weekly email sales tip, or to read his Sales Motivation Blog, visit TheSalesHunter.com.

-What are your thoughts on the ideas shared? Is there anything along these lines you you would like to add which would be helpful to your fellow sales professionals?

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Should I Promote My Top Sales Person to Sales Manager? By Lee B. Salz

Before moving your top sales person into sales management, there are some key considerations.

Early Greek mythology tells tales of sailors lured by Sirens. Their sweet music mesmerized the sailors and led them to believe that the illusion was reality. Ultimately, those sailors who blindly followed the tunes crashed their ships on the rocks and their boats sank.

Sirens lure business executives and small business owners too. The song that the Sirens sing has one line… "Promote my top sales person, put six people underneath them, and generate six times the sales." And, like the sailors, many business executives and their companies have been led into harm's way.

A promotion? The first issue with promoting your top sales person into sales management is that it's not a promotion at all. The promotion perception is the first way the Sirens get you. Sales management is not a job elevation, it's a job change. If you consider this move as a promotion, you probably send a congratulatory email and hold a luncheon for the new sales manager. A nice handshake is offered and the new manager is sent to achieve grandeur. This approach delights the Sirens and your ship is sunk!

If you handle this as a job change, your approach is completely different. Since this is a new job, you provide training and mentoring as well as monitor their performance. As the manager of the new sales manager, your role is to help them successfully assimilate into their new role.

Top Seller = Top Sales Manager? Before we go any further, we need to take a step back. The second way the Sirens trick you is they lead you to believe all great sales people can become great sales managers. Some certainly do. And, some pretty good sales people become rock star managers. And some great sales people fail miserably at sales management.

Before moving your top sales person into the sales management ranks, consider the ramifications of this move. You are taking your rainmaker out of the sales game where they've generated millions of dollars for your company. While your hope is that your theory of "disciple selling" (placing six people underneath the new manager and getting six times the sales) becomes proven, that is rarely the case. If it was so easy to clone a rainmaker, every company would do it. Quite frankly, the "disciple selling" dream is flawed. Again, you've been duped by the Sirens. The sole reason to place someone in the role of sales manager is that you feel that they have the potential to succeed in that capacity.

What does all of this tell you? You need a process and methodology to evaluate sales management candidates...just like you evaluate sales candidates. And, even though the rainmaker got on your radar screen because they blew out their quota, their sales management candidacy should be handled the same way you would if you were considering an external sales management candidate. Don't skip any steps in the evaluation process!

Profile the Role. This evaluation starts with the development of your profile of the ideal sales manager for your company. Think about what it takes to succeed in the role and document those elements as part of your profile. Once you've prepared your list, identify each element as either required or desired.

With your profile developed, the next step is to develop a screening process that allows you to compare and contrast the candidate with the profile. It is critical during this process that you ascertain why this successful seller aspires for management and ensure that you set clear and accurate expectations of a day in the life as a sales manager in your company. In addition to interviews, you may want to consider tools to help identify a synergistic match like personality and proficiency assessments.

If your rainmaker succeeds in the evaluation process, you've found your sales manager. If not, don’t lose the revenue! Keep this seller selling!

Positioning Your New Sales Manager to Succeed. With your new sales manager hired, there are four keys to making the venture successful.

1. Support. The first is dealing with the sales team. Yesterday, she was a peer. Today, she is the manager. The new manager needs your help in developing managerial respect. The reaction to the new manager will be mixed. Some will be fully supportive, but there will also be some on the team who are jealous and attempt to undermine her efforts. The key message for you to deliver to your new sales manager is that she has your unwavering support.

2. Mentoring. Your new manager needs a resource to guide them through the neophyte status…a mentor. Don't just look within the organization for a mentor candidate. Many sales management consultants mentor and develop new sales managers. The role of the mentor is to bridge the managerial knowledge, skills, and experience gap.

3. Training. Chances are that your new sales manager has never been taught how to hire a sales person, have a difficult conversation with an employee, or develop a sales compensation plan. These are all skills that can be taught. If you aren't will to provide the new sales manager with skills training, don't put them in the role. They will fail!

4. Expectation Setting. Your new sales manager should be provided with a scorecard that tells them how they are going to be measured. In most companies, sales managers are measured on revenue…but that is only one component of the scorecard. Based on the role and responsibilities of the sales manager, the scorecard could include metrics like profitability, cost of sales, turnover, sales cycle, forecast accuracy, etc.

Sales is one of the few professions where moving into management isn't always the best path for the sales person or the company. Make sure the person you put in this critical role is the right sales manager for your company.

After all, while this person may not be directly generating sales, they are the one responsible for the company achieving its revenue goals. Don't let the Sirens lure your business into trouble. Develop the systems to help you make the best decisions.
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Lee B. Salz is a sales management strategist who specializes in helping companies build scalable, high-performance sales organizations through hiring the right sales people, on-boarding them effectively and efficiently, and aligning their sales activity with business objectives using his sales architecture® 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 can be reached at lsalz@SalesArchitects.net or 763.416.4321.

-Do you have any other ideas that would be helpful as they relate to hiring or promoting a salesperson to the role of sales manager?

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Four Ways to Handle the “I’m too busy” Brush Off By Mike Brooks

Let’s face it – we’re all busy. This is especially true if you are cold calling and are lucky enough to actually get a decision maker on the phone. Just like you, they’ll be in the middle of at least three things and be on their way to or from a meeting.

Because of this, one of the most frequent objections they use these days to brush you off the phone is the, “I’m too busy/don’t have the time objection.”

Now here’s the thing: while this may be true, it doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t need or aren’t interested in what you have to offer. Like all initial resistance statements, what you must do with this objection is to quickly control the situation, assess whether or not your prospect is or can be interested, and then find a way to quickly qualify them.

Sound like a lot? It is if you’re not prepared with proven and effective scripts like these:

Here are four ways to handle the: “I’m too busy, don’t have the time”
brush off:

Response #1: “I know that feeling; my desk is full of things I need to do, too. I’d be happy to schedule a time to call you back, but I don’t want to bother you if you’re really not interested. Let me ask you a quick question and be honest with me: If I could show you a (system/product/service) that is proven to (reduce your overhead, generate more sales, etc.), would it be worth it for you and I to take for just 5 minutes to see how it could work for you?”

If NO: “No problem. Before I go, who else do you know that might be able to use a system like this?”

If Yes: “Terrific. Do you have 5 minutes right now?”

If No: “I’m looking at my schedule, what is a good time later today?”

Response #2: “___________ you probably get a lot of calls like I do, and my initial reaction is to say I’m too busy as well. But I can explain this to you in just 3 minutes and if you think it can help you we can schedule more time later - and if you don’t we can part friends, is that fair?”

Response #3: “I’m with you. Before I schedule time to get back with you, just a quick question: Is it a priority for you to (fix or improve what your product or service will do for them) this quarter?”

Response #4: “I’m glad you’re busy, that means that you don’t have the time to waste looking at things you have no intention of taking advantage of. Quick question: If I could show you a proven way to (get the benefits of your product or service), is that something that you would invest 5 minutes learning more about?”
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Mike Brooks, Mr. Inside Sales, works with business owners and inside sales reps nationwide teaching them the skills, strategies and techniques of top 20% performance. If you're looking to catapult your sales, or create a sales team that actually makes their monthly revenues, then learn how by visiting: MrInsideSales.com

-Do you have any other suggestions for dealing with prospects who give you the "I'm too busy" response (note: it's worth considering that the best response, assuming the person is actually busy, and it's truly not a good time for them, may be that you simply honor their response and secure a time to follow back up at a more convenient time. Doing so might actually give you a leg up over the folks who are simply being pushy)? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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