Sales Training Blog | Colleen Stanley

Sales gurus spend much of their time showing sales teams and managers how to prospect, build relationships, close more business and lead more effectively. The purpose is to at least reach the ultimate goal: the sales quota. But often, we may forget an important component of this process that can motivate a sales force to achieve even more than expected. We forget that sales can also be fun.

I believe -- and have proven -- you don't have to sacrifice the fun quota to hit the sales quota. Here are several reasons you should want to achieve the fun quota at your company:

Put problems in perspective.
A few years ago, I was vice president of sales and marketing for a large manufacturing and distribution company. We periodically had trouble with production and distribution, attempting to keep up with annual growth of nearly 30 percent. One year, we did a particularly fine job of filling few orders on time because of process inefficiencies and the inadequate size of our warehouse. Our sales force was rightfully frustrated and upset. The national sales meeting was coming up, and I realized it could be the appropriate time and venue to address the attitude and morale problem.

It was time for a fun strategy.

Prior to the meeting, the company solved the order-filling issues by improving the technology and expanding the warehouse. So the reason for the sales force unhappiness was eliminated.
I could've opened the meeting by delivering a stoic speech on warehouse improvements and assuring my team of better days ahead. But I knew these people, and I understood they needed that little extra boost to get them re-energized and ready to sell again.

So I opened the meeting with a lively animated video of me stuffed into a small shipping container, leading them on a tour of the new and improved warehouse, with all its added amenities designed to help them fulfill their promises. The group cheered, laughed and, ultimately, went back to their respective territories to surpass even more sales goals.

Walk the talk when it comes to innovation.
You can't just tell people you're different. You must be different. We all have relentlessly pursued those elusive top prospects or dissatisfied clients who, regardless of what we do or say, we just can't seem to close the deal or bring them back. This is where a fun strategy replaces some of the high-level strategy.

A few years ago, a client of mine acquired one of its competitors. The clients of the acquired competitor were absorbed by the existing sales team. Unfortunately, some of these clients didn't like being absorbed and were refusing to speak with their newly appointed sales representatives.
It was time for a fun strategy.

In a brainstorming session, we came up with off-the-wall strategies to placate the disillusioned customers. One sales representative showed up to an appointment with a bull's-eye pinned on her jacket. Another rep who had trouble getting the first appointment showed up with ice cream cones at the front desk. Upset customers laughed -- breaking the ice -- and greeted their new representatives. New relationships started.

Have fun with failure and learn.
How many of you are tired of hearing: "You learn more from your failures than your successes. Don't take failure personally."?

Then why aren't we talking about these failures? Legends are built at great companies by sharing these stories and laughing at them. It's important to remember where we have failed and what we have learned, and enjoy a chuckle or two along the way.

I've shared several of my failure stories from my early years in business with clients. One of my favorites is about the struggle I had in learning how to create real pain and impact on a sales call.
Early in my career, I had an appointment in which I was committed to finding a prospect's "pain." In fact, I wasn't leaving until I found it. Well, I created pain, all right. After a three-hour meeting, the prospect escorted me out the door, informing me he was diabetic and could no longer wait to eat.

In so many words, he informed me I was a bigger pain than any problem he had just shared with me during our half-day sales call. Not my finest moment; however, I learned more that day than I could have learned in a dozen easy sales calls.

Business owners and sales managers: If you aren't sharing your war stories or providing a forum for fun and failure as well as success, you are sending an unspoken message that failure isn't OK unless you are the author of a motivational book.

When was the last time you actually had fun developing and implementing a sales plan?

It's time for fun strategy.

Billions of dollars are spent on sales training each year. About 10 percent of the information imparted by knowledgeable trainers and consultants is retained and applied to the real world. The intent of the company is usually good, to invest in its greatest asset: its people. So why isn't your sales training program giving you a greater return on investment?

Reason No. 1: Ignorance with good intent.
Many of you may be like me. I grew up in the world of impact training. At my previous company, we would bring in a crew of 20 salespeople for two weeks. We would start sales training at 8 a.m. sharp and break at 6 p.m. After two weeks of intense training, we would send new hires back into the field. Then we would wonder why the new recruits couldn't remember all the great information from their impact training.

Step out of the sales world for a moment. Have you ever watched an expert in their field perform, such as a musician, artist or athlete? I dare you to ask this expert if they learned their craft at a one-day seminar or two-week training program. Chances are they would look at you in disbelief, laugh and think you were joking.

Sales organizations want to be treated as professionals, yet, often don't do what true professionals do to become an expert in their fields. Instead, sales organizations hold one-day sales training workshops and expect the team to learn, retain, change and apply new information.

The fix: Go back to basics. For example, you learned some of the most useful things as a child. After all these years, you are able to retrieve grade school information and deliver it on a moment's notice. That is the power of reinforcement, ongoing education and training.
Organizations serious about creating permanent change need to be well-versed in the adult learning model, which focuses on how adults learn instead of what they learn.

"Training fails because trainers and organizations do not understand how the adult brain processes information," said Pam Gordon, president of Pam Gordon and Associates, which teaches companies how to better train their employees using adult learning methods.
She says that for the knowledge to really take, "participants need to engage in a minimum of seven practice sets over 21 days to make sure the information has been stored and can be retrieved."

Reason No. 2: No training focus on beliefs and attitudes.
Let's say a company has invested time and money in a sales training program. Its sales team is talking the same language and has a process that can be duplicated, and the sales tactics are sound. So why isn't the salesperson out prospecting, calling the "C" suite and talking money before presenting any type of solution?

It could be because the sales training program didn't cover the driving force behind any successful person: their self-confidence. The salesperson is either intimidated or doesn't feel worthy to make the call. Unless the true issue is addressed, no sales tactic or plan ever will be executed.

The fix: Make sure you are working on the right end of the problem. When a salesperson has learned the knowledge, can apply it in a practice set but still doesn't do what is needed in the real world, you have a conceptual roadblock to deal with versus a technical roadblock. Unfortunately, sales managers and trainers keep throwing more product knowledge and skill training at the salesperson, when the real focus of coaching should be on building their self-confidence when calling on people of power and authority.

Reason No. 3: Sales manager or firefighter?
Companies hire sales managers and turn them into operations managers. The manager is busy putting on a firefighting hat, filling out reports or attending endless meetings when they should be in the field training and coaching their sales team.

Neil Rackham, author of "Major Account Selling," conducted a study of 1,000 salespeople. Sales teams involved in a consistent, ongoing coaching program generated 17 percent more revenue than the uncoached sales team.

The fix: Change the job description and accountabilities of the sales manager to reflect what is really important in their position: coaching their team. There is only one way sales skill levels grow: through consistent reinforcement, feedback on performance and practice. Sales training works only when three ingredients are present: A sales training program that works (outside of the classroom), commitment from the participants to learn and practice, and reinforcement by the sales management team.

To be effective as coaches, sales managers must incorporate the adult learning model into their training program and learn new skills associated with training and coaching. These are very different than the selling skills that often get a person promoted into sales management.
Knowledge is power only when it can be applied.

Good Selling,

Colleen Stanley

Labels: "impact training" "sales meetings" "sales management" "emotional intelligence selling"

What do sales and law have in common? Not enough. I am married to a prosecutor, and the more I learn about his business, the more I realize how much the sales profession can learn from the legal profession.

What would happen if we adapted best practices from law to sales? What would happen if your sales team had to present its latest proposal to a sales jury of 12? Would the sales jury determine, beyond reasonable doubt, that there is enough evidence from the prospect to:

• Determine if the problem presented by the prospect is a big enough problem to fix?
• Invest time and money in fixing the problem?
• Make necessary changes to go to the next level?

If your answers are no, you may be open to learning about skills taught in Sales Prosecution 101.

Skill No. 1: Skepticism
Trial lawyers are trained in gathering information. They are trained to question everything twice. An investigator brings a case to a prosecutor. The prosecutor questions the investigator. The police department brings a case to a prosecutor. The prosecutor questions the police force.
Why? They are making sure the evidence presented is solid, without holes.

Salespeople by nature are not skeptical. They are trusting and optimistic. When the prospect throws out a problem, the salesperson automatically believes them. They start buying "the buying signal." As a result, they stop questioning, start believing and begin presenting solutions to a prospect that hasn't produced enough evidence the problem is big enough to fix. The result: No conviction, no close.

Sales managers can help their team develop this skeptical mindset by being skeptical. Ask:

• Why do you believe this is a big enough problem for the prospect to fix?
• What happens if the prospect doesn't fix the problem?
• How much is the problem costing them? Today? In one year?
• Why are they looking to solve the problem now?

Skill No. 2: Critical thinking skills
Prior to marrying a prosecutor, I thought law school was all about learning the law. I since have learned it's more about learning to think and apply knowledge. The information age requires that the sales force of the future possess critical-thinking skills.

In the old days of selling, salespeople were valued because of their product knowledge. Today, product knowledge is viewed as a commodity. The Web has made it easy to access information at a low cost.

Prospects need and value sales consultants who take a plethora of information, create a new solution and help them look at their business from a 360-degree view. In other words, they are looking for a trusted adviser relationship, not a sales relationship.

Sales managers help develop critical-thinking skills and trusted adviser relationships by asking their sales team to focus on big-picture questions vs. problem-focused questions. A trusted adviser knows the following about their prospect:

• Best customer profile.
• Trends in the industry.
• Biggest competition; new players on the horizon.
• Marketing strategy.
• Products or services providing the greatest growth for the future.
• How it is positioning itself in the market.

Skill No. 3: Seek the truth
Prosecutors will ask the questions, apply critical-thinking skills and seek the truth. If a prosecutor discovers there is not enough evidence or proof to take the case to trial, they don't.
The sales profession has a reputation of not caring about prospects and trying to sell at all costs. The salesperson earns this reputation by presenting proposals when there isn't enough evidence the problem is big enough to solve, or trying to sell a solution that is not the company's expertise, such as sales trainers teaching time management.

Sales managers can grow the integrity of their team by coaching the salesperson to "call it." If there is not enough evidence being shared by the prospect, seek the truth. Be up front with your prospects and state, "I am not hearing enough reasons for you to switch. What am I missing?"
Or, "I have to be up front with you. It sounds like you need this. That is not our specialty. I will be happy to refer you to someone that can serve you better."

You may lose the sale today, but you will build a relationship forever. Be skeptical, develop your critical-thinking skills and seek the truth. Your team will uncover more evidence and better evidence, and prove beyond reasonable doubt your solution is the best.

For your next sales meeting, schedule an evening watching "Law and Order." It could be your best sales training class to date.

Good Selling,

Colleen Stanley, Chief Selling Officer

Labels: "sales training" "sales training programs" "sales success" "how to succeed in sales" "emotional intelligence" "emotional intelligence in sales"

We have sent men and women to the moon and we can e-mail across the world. So why can't we figure out how to manage and lead sales teams? One word: process. Most companies operate without integrating three key processes needed for building high performance sales teams:
1. A hiring process.
2. A sales process.
3. A management process.

I often use (and overuse) athletic analogies to make my point in building high-performance sales teams. I believe the world of athletics has done a better job of establishing and using processes in building top-performing teams than business has in building top-performing sales teams.
Let's examine the three processes.

Recruiting (hiring):
Top sports coaches are disciplined in their approach to building teams. They have determined their "need to have" versus "nice to have" criteria. For example, my nephew plays pro football for the Carolina Panthers. While Bruce was in college, the scouts were not willing to sign him until they were convinced that he could reach 300 pounds. Bruce was a great player, which was nice. However, the NFL is disciplined about its need to have 300-pound players.

Many owners and sales managers have not determined the "need to have" for excellence on their teams. Do you need someone with a finance background? Do you need someone who has built a sales territory from scratch? Do you need someone who thrives on new business development versus account maintenance?

Sales managers often settle for nice instead of need. The result can be mediocrity -- not a great strategy for growing companies. Be disciplined when identifying your "need to have" in building your sales team:

1. Hard skills - If you are selling a highly technical product, you may need to have someone that possesses the technical knowledge in order to succeed in your business. You may need someone with major account-selling experience due to your customer profile.

2. Competencies - Identify key competencies needed for this specific position. A highly competitive territory may need a person with tenacity, resilience and initiative. An established territory may need high relationship attributes.

3. Behavior style - Determine the type needed at this time in your company. Do you need a salesperson with a high sense of urgency or one who will work at an even, steady pace?

Playbook (sales process):
"I didn't hire a rookie. I expect them to know how to sell." The is second area of breakdown in building high-performance sales teams: no sales playbook or expectations for sales excellence.
What would happen if Broncos Head Coach Mike Shanahan allowed each of his players to run his own playbook? There would be a lot of running around, with few touchdowns.

It looks the same in business. Sales representatives are running around, calling on unqualified prospects and not accomplishing the goal. Because a sports team has a playbook, coaches can look at post-game films and determine what plays worked, where breakdowns occurred and what to focus on in practice.

Without a sales playbook, the sales manager doesn't know where the sales representative needs to improve or what part of the sales process is not working. A sales process that worked five years ago may not work today.

If sales managers want to build high-performance teams, they must take time to document the company's sales process. This may be a four-step or a 10-step process, depending on the industry and product. Creating a template of a sales process can often take a full day of brainstorming with your team. You must identify and start building best practices in three key areas: activity, knowledge and skills.

What is the activity needed to build and grow business? What are the necessary steps in the sales process? What knowledge is needed for effective client management? If you are not willing to document, be ready to settle for a lot of running around with few touchdowns.

Coaching (sales management):
Training and coaching skills are essential to growing people and teams. Sales managers often get stuck in their manager role and spend too little time in their training and coaching roles. This is the equivalent of a sports coach spending time in his office during basketball practice.
Sports coaches are excellent at having a playbook and making sure their teams execute it. They accomplish this through drills, practice and more practice. They understand that top-performing teams know the plays so well, they can execute without thinking.

Sales managers often receive pushback from their teams when it comes to running practice and drills, i.e. role playing. The excuse given by the team and accepted by the sales manager is "it is not real."

My response is the same: "Neither is basketball practice, but it is as close as you are going to get to the real thing. Stop practicing in front of your prospects." Start running practice sessions with your sales team. Managing numbers and dealing with operation issues are important. However, I haven't seen a sales team improve skills from either of those areas.

Practice sessions can be held at sales meetings, one-on-one coaching sessions or field coaching during a sales call. The point is to let your team know that yours is a culture of continuous learning and improvement. After all, NFL players show up every day for practice, and they have been playing football for years.

Hire the right stuff, build a sales playbook and coach your team to the next sales Super Bowl.

Good Selling,

Colleen Stanley
Cheif Selling Officer, SalesLeadership, Inc.

Labels: "sales process", "sales success", "Sales Success" "price shopping" "price objections" "sales activity" "how to succeed in sales" "sales training" "sales training programs"