for ways to make a gradual change, and give him enough time to try. 4. Be non-evaluative. If you can say what you need to say without passing judgment, you’ll probably get a more positive response. Be careful with statements that start with “you” – they may sound hostile and accusatory to your listener. Main- tain a positive attitude toward the problem and focus on the benefits of finding a solution instead of the con- sequences of not finding one. Adopting a non-judgmental ap-


proach will also encourage your salespeople to work with you to solve problems instead of teaching them to view you as the enemy.


RECEIVING FEEDBACK When you’re the recipient of criticism, it’s important not to take it personally – and to separate what you hear from the decision to act on it. Many people react defensively to feedback partly because it sounds like a demand for action. Instead of getting hostile when your manager says, “I noticed your sales are down by 15 percent this quarter,” you could respond with questions about


SELLING TIP


Tips to Prepare for Your Next Sales Presentation


You’ve had your information gathering presentation and established rapport and credibility, so now what? What can you do to prepare for your next presentation (the one where you close the sale)? It all has to do with the qualifi- cation elements you choose, says a top sales consultant. “Qualification happens throughout the whole sales


process,” says the consultant. “If I’m giving a presenta- tion, I need to know what elements I’m presenting to; and, because there are multiple elements, I need to know what I have and what I am missing. I don’t want to present something that the buyer doesn’t care about.” The consultant says that, prior to any presentation, it is critical to understand the Pain, Power, and Fit qualification elements (developed by John Bowie, Sales Traction Inc.): • Pain: What is the prospect’s motivation to buy? Make sure prospects recognize their need to buy. The buyer must have a specific return on investment.


VIDEO: HOW CAN SALES LEADERS DEVELOP TOP SALESPEOPLE IN 2019?


how you can fix the problem. Then, your manager could provide specific suggestions on how to make more prospecting calls, set more appoint- ments, or improve your closing ratio. Make sure you thoroughly understand the feedback you’re hearing before you decide what you’ll do about it. When you receive overly negative feedback, keep your cool and real- ize that your “okayness” is not up for grabs. If you remain calm in the face of unnecessarily harsh criticism, you


should still be able to extract some useful information from it. Good feedback isn’t just about what you say, but how you say it. When handled properly, feedback sessions should educate managers and salespeople and strengthen the bond between them – not break it down. When you give criticism with sensitivity and accept it with an open mind and a desire to improve, the experience can be rewarding for everyone. 


• Power: Does the prospect have the resources neces- sary to make the deal come together? Are you speaking to the highest stakeholder? (Note: This is not necessar- ily the person who holds the highest title.) That person must have the intention to act. Does the prospect believe you can deliver the solution? The consultant suggests two ways to establish credibility during a pre- sentation: 1) Have a library of your past success stories. “These stories should be of similar situations where your solutions have helped people and companies,” he says. “Sprinkle those stories liberally throughout your presen- tation.” 2) “Make sure that the people you have success stories for are highly recognizable.”


• Fit: Does the solution I bring to the table fit what


the prospect needs to accomplish? Is my solution better than other solutions available to him or her? Does it even make sense to continue?


After evaluating these elements, decide if what you’ve got is critical to making this sale work. You need to ad- dress these elements, if you haven’t already, in your next presentation.


– RENEE HOUSTON ZEMANSKI


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