resources | sales skills tips
 
Treat objections like an old friend.
Most sales people think of objections as their enemy.  But the most successful sales people welcome objections with open arms.

When a prospect gives voice to an objection, you have engaged them successfully.  In today’s high pressure business life, many clients are afraid to speak their minds because they don’t want to take time to deal with the response.  Many clients think they know what your answer will be, and they just want to get out of your meeting and on to their other priorities that day. So they don’t voice the real issues…and you don’t have the opportunity to address the issues and win the business.

Reward your client for speaking their mind by acknowledging the importance of the issue.  You might tell them they are smart for thinking of that.  Ask a question to get more information before you try to respond.  This will buy you time to think, and will help make sure you address what they really mean.  For instance, if a client says your magazine is too expensive it’s important to know if they are referring to value based on out-of-pocket, or CPM on circulation or total readers…or even against a specific target audience.

Sales people should imagine themselves treating each objection, or comment, like an old friend.  Give it a hug, and ask it how it’s doing.  Sales people who put out the welcome mat for objections learn what they need to know to successfully close new deals.  Their clients will say they are good listeners.  Management will say they are good sales people.
 
A question is your best answer.
Whether selling or negotiating, sales people often feel ‘on-the-spot’ to answer an objection, a question, or a negotiating demand quickly.  It’s easy to feel pressure to give the response immediately, and to feel pressure offer the answer you think the client wants.  But rather than answer, it is almost always best to ask at least one question first, maybe more.

Your questions allow you to better understand clients’ needs or concerns, qualify their importance, and determine if there are likely to be more questions or objections coming.  The best practice is to ask a question about the question, and to take that opportunity to get all the questions on the table by asking if there are others.  Then ask a closing qualifier question like: ‘If I can get satisfactory answers to these questions can you give me the order (or get me a meeting with your boss or client)?’  The answer to that question will give you the road map to a closing, and will give you the information you need when you work internally to gather the information or answers.

Most sales people are skilled conversationalists, and are comfortable with the give and take of a selling conversation.  But when the pressure is on, as a sale gets closer or in negotiations, it’s easy to forget to stay relaxed and conversational.  Answering a casual question or a negotiating demand with a question has several advantages.  First it buys time and takes the pressure off you while you think about the best answer.  Second, it teaches you more about the client’s concerns, direction, or seriousness. And third, a qualifying question will help you manage the interaction to a conclusion.
 
A much easier way to climb the (sales) mountain.
How much easier would mountain climbing be if you could always start at the top?  You would rappel down, and have the aid of the rope during the climb up!  That principle applies to selling to organizations too. 

Many advertising sales people start their client relationship at the bottom because it is easier to get that person to return a call or take a meeting.  Client or agency staff at the bottom flatter themselves that they are decision makers because they have been assigned to gather information or even assemble a recommendation.  Some sales people flatter themselves that they are talking to decision makers too.  But good sales people know that approval at higher levels is required to close a sale.  So we know we’re going to have to influence those at the top of the hierarchy.

Sales people who start at the bottom must scale the heights of the organization the hard way… always stretching to safely – diplomatically -- ‘go over the head’ of your contacts. 

Sales people can do what mountain climbers can’t: start at the top.  By starting at the top, sales people open up a channel of communication with, and stay connected with, the senior executive who’ll approve the plan.  Even if you don’t get a meeting on your first call, the personal assistant will be much more likely to give you the direct dial, or the email of the VP of Marketing, and so on down the line.  Then, when you make the call to the lower level buyer you have a referral…rather than a cold call.

And a savvy sales person can keep the top door at the top open a crack by sending a thank-you note, including some information of value, and explaining your plan to work with the staff to develop a plan that you hope will be presented to back to the top executives for approval.  Sometimes you’ll be so lucky that the senior executive will ‘buck’ you item down the chain with a note saying ‘lets look into this’ or ‘I’d like your opinion on this.’  That will further open doors for you.
 
Clients think you have an agenda.  So have one!
How often have you ended a meeting or a phone call knowing you didn’t cover the things you needed to?  Perhaps you failed to communicate key concepts, or didn’t leave enough time (and opportunity) to listen to the client?  How valuable to your sales efforts would it be to say -- implicitly – to your contacts; “I value your time and have invested time to make sure you get the most out of our appointment.”  Setting an agenda at the beginning of every substantive phone call or meeting does just that. 

If you say “I have prepared a brief agenda, let’s review it quickly and make sure we’ll cover all the things you are concerned about,” you’ll be set up for success.  After you tick off the 3 or 4 items you propose to cover you can ask your first probing question:  “How does that sound?  Is there anything else you’d like to be sure we cover?”

By proposing an agenda at the beginning, you will be able to start listening early in the selling process.  And perhaps you can get an easy yes when you ask: “Does this cover all the things you’d like to cover?”  You’ll also be telling the prospect that you have built time in to hear their concerns, issues, suggestions, questions, etc.  That way they can relax and concentrate on your pitch, knowing you’ll give them time to speak.

Savvy sales people know that the first step of a sales conversation is achieving a rapport with their client or prospect.  You can be business-like and personal by saying “I have prepared a quick agenda of what I think we need to cover, and would like your reaction to it, but first, how are your kids?”  That way, you can get the pleasantries out of the way without losing control of the conversation.