ABOUT
SKIP ANDERSON |
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Skip
Anderson is a recognized authority on consumer selling. He is the Founder of Selling to Consumers, a sales training and consulting firm specializing in retail, in-home, showroom, real estate, and financial sales training.
Skip is a frequent speaker on sales topics such as "The Miracle of Prospect Engagement."
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SALES ARTICLE:
THE "TAKE ACTION / TAKE ACTION" LAW |
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High performance salespeople understand that their job is to get their prospects to take action. Ultimately, this "taking action" takes the form of the customer buying the salesperson's product or service.
Taking action can also take other forms, such as a prospect's agreement to accept a follow-up phone call one week from now, or a prospect's agreement to have an in-home consultation, or a prospect's agreement to share your competitor's pricing information with you.
The Law
Here's a law to live by. It's the "Take Action / Take Action Law":
"Salespeople who take action are move likely to get their prospects to take action."
Wildly successful salespeople understand that taking action is a key component to sales success. They know they have to take action to be able to successfully motivate their prospects to take action. As salespeople, we all want our prospects to take action, but we sometimes don't take responsibility for making that action happen. If you expect more action from your prospects, you need to take more action yourself.
Taking action could mean calling that customer you saw last fall who insisted they wanted to wait until springtime to put that addition on their home. Taking action could mean making the extra effort to extend your hand and introduce yourself when you approach a browsing prospect in your high-end retail store. Taking action could mean finally ordering (and reading) the sales book that your sales manager recommended to you two years ago.
At this very moment, there are thousands of salespeople who should be taking action of some type, but they're choosing inaction instead.
An Enemy of Sales Success
Inaction is the enemy of sales success. This affliction is related to other maladies of low-performing salespeople, such as waiting for the customer to buy, and not practicing their presentation, and not leaving early enough to arrive at a sales appointment on time.
I have a theory. I think salespeople who suffer from inaction know it. These anti-take-action salespeople know they should audio record one of their customer phone calls so they can hear how they sound to their customers, yet they don't do it. They know they need to create a better closing strategy because they know their ability to close a sale is one of their biggest weaknesses. Yet, they keep selling in the same manner over and over again hoping that the results will be different even though their strategy hasn't' improved a bit. They know they need to call Mrs. Jones because they told Mrs. Jones they would call today, yet they don't do it.
Forward Movement
In business, you're either moving forward or you're moving backward. In sales, moving forward requires action. Even baby steps are acceptable, but the minute the steps stop, your inaction will influence your prospects, and they'll be less likely to take action themselves.
Think about your heart (yes, the one that's right there under you ribcage). Either your heart is beating (which is action), or your heart is not beating (which is inaction). Where your heart is concerned, there is no middle ground. A heart in action will keep you moving, but an inactive one will kill you.
Get Busy
The same principle applies to sales success. There is no middle ground. Either you're taking action or you aren't.
As the character Andy Dufresne said in the movie The Shawshank Redemption, "I guess it comes down to a simple choice, really. Get busy living, or get busy dying."
What action do you need to take today?
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Read other sales articles by Skip Anderson
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FACING CHALLENGES IN YOUR BUSINESS?
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Utilize Selling to Consumers' consulting services to help solve your problems.
Selling to Consumers 651.681.8568
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IMPROVING YOUR PRESENTATIONS:
DO YOU KNOW WHERE TO START?
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If
we were to focus just on your presentation skills for a moment, and I
asked you what you need to improve, would you know what to tell me?
Would it be the speed of your speech delivery? Or the volume? Do you
have any funny quirks in your speech? (One of mine is that I say "great"
all the time). How about funny quirks in your body when you present
your product or service? Do you umm and ahh? Is your speech clear and
understandable? How is your eye contact when you're talking to a
prospect? Do you ever finish your prospects' sentences for them? Do you
respond appropriately to prospect's questions and objections? What does
your body language say about you?
If you're like a lot of salespeople, you don't have an answer to these questions. The reason is that you're focused on your prospect when you're in the midst of a presentation, not on your presentation.
That's normal, but it's also not a very good prescription for
improving your presentation skills. You probably need to do something
that will help you focus on your presentation so you can accurately identify your presentation strengths and weaknesses.
I suggest audio recording, or better yet video recording, several of
your presentations (in front of real prospects, if possible). If you've
never done this, you may be surprised about what you hear and see. An
individual has to be looking for areas for self-improvement to see opportunities for self-improvement.
This video illustrates the importance of actively looking for something: http://youtube.com/watch?v=Ahg6qcgoay4
- - - - - - - - - - Read sales commentary and a boatload of sales tips in the Selling to Consumers Blog Recent posts: Would you Like Your Logo to Effect Consumer Behavior?
Successfully Selling Your Design Precise Pricing Equals Higher Profits
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QUESTION AUTHORITY
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Questions from Readers
"I have this problem. I can't seem to control my talking. My sales manager says I talk too much and I'm turning off my customers. After hearing this a half dozen times in the last year, I'm beginning to believe him, but I still catch myself talking too much. Do you have any suggestions on how I can get control of this. It's almost like I can't help myself."
-Ben Holman
Dover, Delaware
This is a great sign. I received two questions this last month about the topic of salespeople talking too much. I love this topic because I think this is one of the big challenges the selling profession faces.
First, Ben, I congratulate you on having a sales manager who is trying to help you improve. That is a key trait of top-performing sales managers, so you're lucky.
Secondly, I congratulate you on identifying your problem and seeking a solution. The first step is to recognize that you talk too much. In fact, that's the biggest step in bringing about change.
Here are some suggestions for you to consider:
1. I don't know what kind of selling you do, but ask your colleagues for help. If you sell in a retail store, showroom, or on the phone, ask those around you to listen and observe you when you're interacting with prospects and customers. If they catch you over-talking, they could give you a signal, or tell you later. Your quest for improvement may even inspire others in your company.
2. Audio record yourself. Laws governing recording of conversations vary state to state, but if you can, record several real customer interactions. There is nothing like hearing yourself babbling on and on to get you to change your over-talking. If in doubt about legality, you might consider asking your prospect if it's okay for you to record your meeting (this makes it legal to record a conversation in many states). I've done it many times, and I don't recall anybody ever not giving me permission. I would just tell them that you're recording yourself for a self-improvement project. In my experience, people are willing to help.
3. Pause more often. Consciously pause at the end of your sentences, or before you start answering a prospect's question. Pausing causes you to be mindful of your speech patterns.
4. Use the 2-to-1 rule: For every two sentences your customer talks, you say only one sentence. Of course this isn't always possible, but it helps you become aware of your automatic tendency to over speak.
If you have a sales question you'd like us to answer in a future edition of this newsletter, please submit it to newsletter@SellingToConsumers.com. In your message, mention "newsletter question."
We regret that we cannot answer every question submitted.
Please include your first and last name and city. Please let us know if we have your permission to use your name if we publish your question.
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DO ANY OF YOUR RELATIVES
MAKE THEIR LIVING SELLING?
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Aunts? Uncles? Grandparents? Neices, nephews, kids, parents?
Maybe they could benefit from the sales training information in this newsletter. Be nice and forward it to your family, friends, and colleagues by clicking on the LINK at the bottom of the page.
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| BOOK IT |
What We're Reading
Made to Stick
by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
All about the art of making ideas unforgettable.
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JUST FOR FUN
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Compelling language is important in selling.
You might enjoy Matt Williams review of a Bic Pen on Amazon.com.
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THE QUOTE CRIB
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"I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do."
Leonardo da Vinci
Painter, Scultpor, Architect, Engineer
"Don't wait. The time will never be just right."
Napoleon Hill
American Author
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