memorable sale A Grave Sale
JERRY STACKS
Early in my career as a life-insurance salesman, my territory ran adjacent to a large cemetery. One day, while canvassing, I met a lady who said she wanted her husband to “take a policy.” She pointed to a path leading into the cemetery and told me to follow it until I came to a man who, undoubtedly, would be her spouse. As I navigated the narrow walkway, I saw up ahead dirt flying out of a hole in the ground. When I reached the excavation site, I asked the digger if he was Mr. Calamari. “That’s me,” he replied. I explained my purpose for the call, we discussed a term life policy, and I handed down an application for him to sign. On the reverse of this application was a question for the agent to fill in. It read, “Under what circumstances did the applicant give his signature?” The answer: “In a cemetery, in a grave.” I’m sure the folks at the home office wondered about that one for days.
‘‘
Few things can help an individual more than to place responsibility on him and to let him know that you trust him. BOOKER T. WASHINGTON
TRAINING TIP Sales Training: Where to Begin
First, the manager must analyze the demands of the job and assess his or her salespeople’s effective- ness. Determining the size of the gap between job demands and skill level is the starting point. The manager then must answer this fundamental question: “Is this gap a training issue?” Assuming it is, the manager should prepare a list of behavioral objectives. Behavioral objectives describe what the manager wants to see the sales team do differently after the training program is complete. Should team members be better closers? Make more calls? Prepare better presentations? Better counter stalls and objections? The training program should be tied directly to these objectives.
For salespeople, there are four
areas to work on: 1) people, 2) orga- nization, 3) selling, and 4) product and systems.
PEOPLE
Empathy is a fundamental quality of successful selling. Understanding
human motivation and interpersonal dynamics enables salespeople to analyze the customer’s emotional needs in a sale. Fear, change resis- tance, power, and control are much easier to work through when a sales- person has been trained to do so. Verbal and nonverbal communi- cation round out the people skills that salespeople need. Asking the right questions is only half of the equation; active listening and non- verbal savvy is the other.
ORGANIZATION For salespeople, organization skills fall into two categories: self and territory. Effective salespeople are organized. Even rudimentary time- management skills have a dramatic impact on a salesperson’s results. Goal setting is essential to focus. Setting and focusing on priorities adds another dimension of effec- tiveness. Territory management, account classification, and time allocation complete the organiza- tion skill set.
SELLING Level 1 skills are the most rudimen- tary things you teach salespeople. They’re the fundamentals and include preparing for calls; making appointments; getting past the gate- keeper; making the call (opening, probing, presenting, and closing); resolving price objections; following up; writing sales letters; etc. Level 2 skills are developmental. They give your salespeople the edge. They include negotiating, value-added selling, proposal selling, key-account planning, and presenting to groups.
PRODUCT AND SYSTEMS Most companies excel in this category. Salespeople need to know why their product is better (or worse) than the competition’s, who they should call for answers to tech- nical questions, when paperwork is due, discount schedules, etc. Remember, your company will succeed only to the degree that your salespeople succeed.
– THOMAS C. REILLY SELLING POWER MAY 2015 | 5 © 2015 SELLING POWER. CALL 1-800-752-7355 FOR REPRINT PERMISSION.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36