August 2020 - The Sales Strategist

what’s the price ?

Posted on August 31, 2020 by Martin Eade

What’s the price?

This would have to be the most asked question of sales people around the world and on a lot of occasions they are the first words from the buyers mouth, the buyers greeting, what’s the price ?

If you answer this question you have nowhere to go, no power, no leverage, the client owns you, the deal is now transactional.

So how do you answer this question without upsetting the client and without mentioning the price.

Buyer – “What’s the price”?

Sales person – “Hey great question and happy to answer that. Before I do I will let you know ours is a premium product or service and it is not for everyone. To see if we may be a good fit to work together i will ask you some questions”

You are then asking questions of the buyer that will highlight their pain point and , to see if they will in fact be a good for to work together.

You now own the frame, the conversation and the power.

The buyer is not expecting cheap as you have mentioned “premium” product.

You have proven your willingness to walk away “and its not for everyone”

And people chase that which moves away

Use this technique the next time you are asked “what’s the price”

Here is another article you may be interested in how do i overcome a price objection

Lead conversion, not lead generation.

Posted on August 31, 2020September 1, 2020 by Martin Eade

Start investing in Lead Conversion

Despite how business acts, it is lead conversion, not lead generation that is the most important metric. And the simple reason is this.

lead generation is sexy, lead conversion is not.

The numbers – Lead generation

Australian companies spend approx. 15.6 Billion dollars a year on advertising, 50.7 % of which is in digital.

On top of this, on average, Australian business spends $200 to $300 per day on social media content across all platforms (Facebook, Linkedin, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, Tiktok, etc)

Business is spending a fortune generating leads, and as a sales guy that’s great, we need leads coming in the door.

The numbers – Lead Conversion

By contrast there are no figures for how much Australian business spends on lead conversion. On turning the precious leads they have spent so much on into cash.

The closest is on average, Australian business spends $458.00 per year on training each member of its team across all areas. And these numbers include defence and government departments.

MOST CONCERNING 41% of business in retail spend nothing on training their teams.

So as conversion rates decline companies spend even more generating leads.

HOLD UP

How about companies invest just a little in lead conversion, in training their teams how to communicate with todays buyer.

And by a little, 1.5% of each team members salary would be a great start, allocate that to a sales workshop, sales seminar or sales training course.

It takes only a small increase , under 5% to have a major impact on your bottom line.

In this simple example 50% improvement to turnover AND profit.

You generate 300 leads a month and your lead conversion rate is 10%, that is 30 sales a month.
Lets average the sales at $1000.00 and a margin of 20% and the client purchases 2 x per year.
At a 10% conversion rate your revenue is $60 000.00 (30 leads x $1000.00 x 2 x PA) and gross margin of $12000.00

At a 15% conversion rate your revenue is $90 000.00 (45 leads x $1000.00 x 2 x PA) and gross margin of $18000.00 – a 50% increase.

read this if you are looking to select a sales training course that works

How do I use zoom to increase sales ?

Posted on August 30, 2020November 11, 2022 by Martin Eade

How do I use Zoom to increase sales ?

In 2020 our world changed forever and with it the way we do business, smart business are asking “how to I use Zoom to increase sales”?

For 36 years I have been travelling across the city, the state the country. Sometimes around the world to visit clients and sell, Qantas loved me !

Now travel is out for the foreseeable future but I still have a new market in the USA to establish on behalf of an Italian manufacturer. I have been forced, like you, to pivot and I love it.

So how do I use Zoom to increase sales ?

I look at it like this, Zoom allows us to bring our buyers to us. It enables us (business owners) to control the agenda and it gives us the control it can be difficult to achieve in some corporate HQs.

Here are some tips to increase status and sales via zoom

Embrace new technology like Zoom.
Invest in a “store front” your zoom backdrop is now, in my view equally as important as your website.
I hate virtual backgrounds, they don’t work and look cheap.
Do not conduct a zoom meetings with animals, kids, spouses.
No backdrops that are lounge room, open doors or kitchens.
Invest in a professional zoom “studio” for under 5K you can be set up.
If this investment is beyond you make it about the sound, get a great headset or external mic and don’t rely on a $20c microphone in your laptop.
Send email and or text reminders to your client.
NEVER be late on a zoom call.
NEVER wait more than 5 minutes.
Limit your calls duration.

Get to the point – be direct “Hey so we don’t waste anybodies time let’s get to it and to utilise our time together I will be direct”.

If the buyer turns up to the call and they are in a café or noisy space where neither of you can concentrate, re schedule.

When you follow these simple steps you will have exhibited a high degree of professionalism and established status as someone who is serious about business.

If you would like more information like this check out this blog on how i can increase sales.

How Do I Select a Sales Training Course That Works?

Posted on August 30, 2020November 29, 2022 by Martin Eade

How do I select a sales training course that works?

I have been in sales for over thirty-six years and often found myself asking the same question, “how do I select a sales course that works ?”. I believe sales to be the most noble of profession’s, our interactions can change lives and make the world a better place.

And yet for an industry that is one of, if not the, largest on the planet there is no globally recognised qualification in sales.

Sometimes you are fortunate to find a mentor in the business that you get a start with that will take you through the basics of how to sell, but for the most part you learn through getting out there and hearing “No”… A Lot!

You try a lot of things, talk to people, modify your pitch and either the frequency of “No” reduces or you loose all confidence and get another job swearing never to get back into sales again.

Ironically a lot of these people end up starting their own business and guess what you need to be able to do when you start a business?

You guessed it. Sell.

Back when I started selling in the 1980s I was not taught how to sell, I was told how things worked or shown what they did, but never how to sell.

In fact I remember the very first sales call I ever made.

I had driven into the golf club at Te Kauwhata in New Zealand and jumped out of my car, an over confident 20 something and the course super at the time Richard Perry came out to greet me.

“What do you want” he inquired inquisitively “I want to sell you something” I answered “What do you want to sell me” he asked “No idea” I said

I look back and laugh now as Richard actually did buy something, he brought a lot of things, but not that day, that day he chose to show me the course and teach me a few things about what other golf courses may need. My training had started

Fast forward nearly 40 years and still to this day a larger proportion of sales-people around the world are left to find out figure out how to sell on their own.

Back in the 1980s Tom Peters was huge on the international selling circuit with his book “in search of excellence” it was first sales book I had ever purchased and later on that decade Stephen Covey was big with his book “the 7 habits of highly successful people” – I remember attending a day he put on in Sydney.

Neither were strictly sales books, but they got me started, yet i still had one question. How do I select a sales training course that works.

In the decades since I have invested, I would estimate, well over a hundred and fifty thousand dollars attending seminars, buying books, subscribing to courses and attending events.

And I have received value from each event I have attended. But my experience could have been so much better, Here is what I have learnt

The problem with sales training is

You get motivated to go
During the event you become a sponge and soak everything up
You take home screeds of notes
And then the motivation dissipates
There is no accountability to take action
There is rarely if ever any follow up
And unless you pay for the premium tickets no interaction with the presenter
You certainly don’t get to talk with them about your business as the presenter has a 1 to many delivery method.
The presenter is usually not actually selling and doing deals anymore and sometimes the content can be out-dated

Just like when you are learning sales, you are again left on your own. (see related article sales training near me)

These are the type of events I invest in now.

I now know the best way for me to learn is if the events have a structure that continues once the workshop, seminar or conference is over. This is my list of “must haves” related to How do I select a training course that works.

The event is designed to be presented 1 to few (ideally less than twenty)
You can have an open dialogue with the presenter during the event
You can workshop on the day techniques relevant to your business, with feedback
You get to set KPI’s
You are held accountable for achieving these KPIs
You get a follow up connection with the presenter for feedback
You have an ability to contact the presenter for written follow up
The presenter is currently in the real world selling
They have skin in the game – a guarantee of some sort

For me if all these boxes are checked, whoever is the presenter understands the psychology or a salesman.

And while that’s no guarantee of success, it’s a hell of a good start. (click here to view a similar article why sales training fails)

How do I overcome a price objection?

Posted on August 29, 2020November 10, 2022 by CSQD

Looking to overcome a price objection?

How do i overcome a price objection is the most common question that sales people around the world would ask And it is as a result of the most common question buyers ask, and it would be asked millions of times each day. Its almost the mating call of the buyer!

“What’s the price”

Answer the question and you are left trying to overcome a price objection before you even start. Sales Workshops, sales seminars and sales training courses will then arm you with a bunch of techniques to overcoming the price objection but by then it is too late.

If your buyer is talking price then you have not created enough certainty in the buyers mind that you are a good fit for them, the process then becomes transactional.

The buyer now has all the power, the result normally being heavy discounting, extended terms, reduced margins or all three.
The price objection has now hit your business where it hurts.

Business owners it is time to take your power back.
The simple premise is a mindset and a way of communicating that filters through every sales discussion you have with a client.

I choose to deal with you, you don’t choose me.

“If low price is what you are looking for, great, tell me, I will help you find it”

“If you want cheap that is not what we do, let us know how that works out for you”

“If price is your most important selection criteria we wont be a good fit for you”

The Psychology of selling is more important today than ever in human history as if you know how to communicate you know how to sell.

A sales workshop, sales seminar or sales training course that can assist you with your pitch, to see yourself as the prize and that will create certainty in the buyers mind is far more effective that a bunch of pre canned responses to a price objection.

Like this? You may enjoy this article on – Why sales training fails

How can I increase sales?

Posted on August 29, 2020November 29, 2022 by Martin Eade

Looking to increase sales?

How can I increase sales is a common question that is tackled by sales workshops, sales seminars and sales training courses around the world.

There is a whole industry, of which the Sales Strategist is a part of that sets about assisting businesses to increase sales.

And no matter which company or facilitator you choose, investing in sales training is a heck of a good start.

The question of how can I increase sales will vary depending on your business, your market, your product, the sales skill level of your team and many other factors but the biggest thing I see is….

A lack of a sales process

So many companies will pick up the phone, visit a client or have an interaction without a sequence of “next steps” that you take your client through that involve micro commitments from your client to advance them through your funnel and sales process.

A sales process that from the initial phone call only focusses on the sale, with a bunch of activity in between is no way to increase sales.

Depending on what product or service you sell, your sales process will look different, selling a $150 000.00 piece of capital equipment will have a different process to a $2.0 million dollar luxury home or a $300.00 skin care treatment.

But they will all have a process that could be from 4 to 20 steps for complex deals that take months to close.

And if you do have a process and deals fall apart, you know exactly where the buyer disengaged that during the de-briefing process can be addressed and fixed.

A sales process, if you do not have one is a great place to start when you are asking yourself how can I increase sales.

I would choose a sales workshop, sales seminar or sales training course who can work with you post event (and there will be many of them) as perfecting a process will require work and commitment from you and direct one on one facilitation from the Sales Strategist you work with.

Like this? check out why sales training fails

Sales Training Near Me

Posted on August 24, 2020March 13, 2024 by CSQD

It is a common question, where is the best sales training near me?

The good news is by using technology you can select from sales training courses, sales workshops and sales seminars from around the world, no longer are you bound by your city, your state or even your country.

This opens up a world of opportunity to have you and your team trained by a facilitator who is a great fit for your business, that can help you increase sales rather than limiting you selection.

Here are a two key criteria I would use.

I would only choose a facilitator that presents Live.

There are many sales workshops, sales seminars and sales training courses available and a number of them are presented via webinar or as a paid participant in an online and pre delivered fashion. These offerings are likely OK but for me, live is always best, direct engagement and feedback. It also enhances the potential of you being on a sales workshop with other business owners from around the country and the world that you can network with.

Sales training near me now has a different feel right?

Live and virtual workshops that are presented via zoom, skype or Hopin as example would be ideal.

The business world has changed as has the way we sell and what better way to see how this technology works than by experiencing it yourself.

Technology like zoom also enables you to engage directly with the facilitator adding value to your sales workshop, sales seminar or sales training experience.

No longer be bound by searching for nearby locations. Open up the world of possibilities that is now at a click of a mouse, live and virtual.

Before you select a course i would highly recommend you read why sales training fails

Why Sales Training Fails

Posted on August 24, 2020August 29, 2020 by CSQD

With such an abundance of sales training courses, sales workshops, and sales seminars available why is it that some sales courses work while other sales training fails?

The answer of course is complicated, the facilitator may not resonate with the audience, the attendees are not committed to the process, the course contents are old or outdated but in my experience there are three main areas to look for when choosing a sales programme that will greatly reduce the likelihood of sales training fails.

1. Select a sales training workshop with a structured follow up programme.

Attending a sales workshop is great start but unless it includes some degree of follow up chances are the benefits of the course will be short lived. Any new technique you learn, in anything requires repetition, practice and accountability.

If you can find a sales Workshop, a sales seminar or a sales training course that has one or more of these it has a much higher chance of success.

2. Select a sales training workshop with direct one on one feedback.

Sales is a personal thing but there are some premium workshops that have smaller groups that enable the facilitator one on one interaction with the participants giving them the ability to help you with your custom pitch.

Not only is this highly relevant to your business it keeps you engaged during and after the event and will significantly reduce the prospect of making the list of sales training fails.

3. Select a facilitator who is actively selling in todays market (that is not a sales training course)

In 2020 the world changed as did the way we sell. If your facilitator is teaching and workshopping techniques from 2019 the chances are these may be relevant but not effective as they have not been “battle tested” in your marketplace.

A sales facilitator who is pitching, persuading, influencing and selling in the same market you are engaged in will have extremely relevant and tested techniques that will work.

If you can find a sales workshop, sales seminar or sales training course including these three criteria it has a high chance of increasing your sales.

If not, this is why sales training fails

Check out Sales Training Near me.

Month: August 2020