Always have one of these classic sales hot buttons ready to lead with, and another in reserve, before you dial the call to the prospect or Decision Maker ("DM") to ask for a meeting. (In many ways, these are similar to the brief "elevator speech" you should have ready; we talk about elevator speeches in another article.)

(As a matter of good practice, you should have these sales hot buttons in mind even before you first dial the prospect's secretary, so you will be ready when the screen puts you through.)

Sales hot button # 1: You are following up on a personal referral from someone the prospect knows and respects.

This particular sales hot button also tends to be a very powerful door-opener. But be sure to pronounce the referral's name and organization clearly, so the prospect makes the connection quickly. Here's a model to adapt:

"My firm has recently completed a project with Lucas Industries, and Mr. Lucas suggested that we contact you. He felt that we may have areas of mutual interest. Perhaps he has already talked to you about this?"

Sales hot button # 2: Highlight key relevant cases from your successful track record.

Again, be succinct. Talk "bottom-line." That is, emphasize what these cases imply you can DO FOR the prospect or the organization, not the technical details of the product or service you offer.

A sales hot button is just that: a button to push, not a long "information dump." If the hot button works, you'll know it, and then you can fill in the details.

These first models are appropriate if you already have experience that is directly on-target.

"We've been able to help a number of other law firms in the area reduce their overhead costs. This translates into an average of ten-percent greater profitability. I'd like to meet with you to explain how we may be able to help your firm, as well. "

Or, "As an art consultant, I work with several other people in the Great Falls area who are interested in art for both aesthetic and investment reasons. In about 15 minutes together we can determine whether this is appropriate for you."

Or, "I design training programs, and have recently worked with two large banks in the mid-west. As a consultant to these banks, I developed teller training that increased the productivity of tellers by over fifteen percent. I believe I can do the Same for your bank. I'd like to meet with you for a half-hour to explore the possibilities. "

But suppose you don't yet have independent experience to refer to? That is, what if all your work has been as an employee, and not as a consultant or self-employed? One approach is to modify your lead-in. Thus you could rephrase the last model above as,

"When I was at BigBank, I headed a team that developed teller training that increased productivity by …"

Alternately, if you have just set up your business and don't yet have successes to refer to, you can suggest a potential need area, leaving it to the DM to infer that you have the necessary capability for meeting it successfully:

"As you know, one of the most troublesome problems facing most law firms is how to store and access key data. We can offer you a solution that will both save your firm a significant amount of money the first year, and increase your access to this information. "

Or, "I'm an art consultant. I believe it would be worth your time to meet with me for a half-hour at your convenience to discuss a program I offer, as I think it may have significant investment potential for you."

Sales hot button # 3: BRIEFLY outline what you believe you can do for this organization.

Again, since sales hot buttons are to capture the DM's interest, emphasize what you can do FOR the prospect or the organization, not the details of what you DO. What people really set out to buy are results , not products or services. The product or service is a means to an end for them.

An effective sales hot button is a concise, "netted-out" statement, usually not more than a couple or three sentences. You will lose the prospect's attention if you are too long-winded. Here's a model to adapt:

"I'm calling because I have ideas to share on how my firm may be able to reduce your turnaround time on receivables."

Notice how this model sales script is designed to intrigue the potential client through a mention of an area of ​​interest – how you can speed up payments, and hence improve cash flow and profitability. It DOES NOT get into the technical wizardry of the software program you have developed and hope to install.

Your earlier homework in researching the organization may trigger some initial ideas on ways in which you may be able to help:

"My readings on the difficulties your firm is having in keeping up with demand for your products indicated to me that …"

Or, raise suggestions from your experience of how organizations like this may need help:

"I've been able to help a number of emerging firms like yours, and it's been my experience that you may be experiencing certain typical difficulties in this stage of your growth."

Do not get bogged down at this point in the details of how you will do what you propose to do: leave that for the face-to-face meeting.

Sales hot button # 4: Explain that you are calling to provide information the key Decision Maker requested earlier.

If you are calling in response to the prospect's request for information, that clearly is a door-opener. But as you lead with it, be sure to make the point clearly that you are following up at the prospect's own request.

You may also need to refresh her memory of the context in which that request was made:

"We met following my talk last week before the local CDE Association, and you asked me if I had ever heard of the method being applied to your industry. The question intrigued me, and I researched it, and came up with some interesting results. I'd like to meet with you to share these findings. Would an afternoon later this week, or early next week be convenient? "

There is tons of information on the Internet about how to get INTO pharmaceutical sales. What do you do if you want to get OUT? If you Google pharmaceutical sales or any topic related to pharmaceutical sales there is an endless (seemingly) list of websites, videos, articles and advice that will attempt to help you accomplish this. However, if you are like so many current pharmaceutical sales representatives, you are looking for a way OUT of pharmaceutical sales. The industry is declining quickly; a decline which started approximately 10+ years ago when all the Big Pharma companies started rapidly expanding their sales forces to increase “Share of Voice”. And, whose voice would that be, by the way? They surely never listened to the “voice” of their reps as they tried to explain that access was declining because too many reps were in the field. Now, the industry finds itself in a place of managed care challenges, limited to no access, and disgruntled and dissatisfied reps who are looking for a way out (that is, if their company has not already provided one by “realigning”, “rightsizing” or “reorganizing”). If you are currently working in the field, it is important to keep doing what you’re doing. Do not do anything that would raise any red flags about your dedication to the company or your position. Always be positive; stay current on assignments, projects and reports; and communicate with your manager on a regular basis.

The first step to get out of pharmaceutical sales is somewhat obvious: Figure out what else you want to do. Would you like to go back to school, embark on a new career, start your own business or become a stay-at-home parent? If you would like to go back to school figure out what area you would like to pursue. Maybe you want to stay in business and pursue an MBA or maybe you have decided to go the clinical route to capitalize on your pharmaceutical sales experience. You could even pursue a Ph.D, if you are interested in higher education or research. Your options are endless. If you would like to embark on a new career there are tons of FREE online career assessments available. I would suggest you take one; along with taking an inventory of your hobbies, what you enjoy most, your gifts and skills, as well as asking family members and close friends what area they think you might excel in. If you have been thinking/dreaming about starting your own business, explore your options. One perk of pharmaceutical sales is the ability to have a flexible schedule. There are many businesses you can start while still working in pharmaceutical sales, such as an online or internet business. Note to self: Be careful and be smart. If you have recently had children and would like to stay at home with them full time (many fathers are choosing to be stay-at-home parents these days) start looking at your household budget to see if this is feasible and if not, determine what adjustments need to be made to make this option a reality.

Step 2: Develop a plan to move toward your new goal. If you have decided to go back to school your plan should include researching various programs, schools and funding/scholarship options. It would also make sense to attend information sessions at various schools once you narrow down your choices. If you have decided to pursue a new career your plan might include updating your resume to fit the new career you are seeking, drafting a cover letter to briefly highlight your reason for making a change and what you have to offer, brushing up on your interviewing skills and searching for a new job. There are several great job search engines and don’t forget LinkedIn. If you have decided to start your own business your plan may include researching how to start a business, any licenses you may need or if you need to incorporate, and others who are currently operating the type of business you would like to start to gather additional intelligence or to possibly become a mentor for you. If you have decided to become a stay-at-home parent your plan may include creating a new family budget, researching benefit options (if you have been the primary breadwinner), selling household items for additional income and most importantly, saving.

Step 3: Work your plan. It is important to have goals and deadlines for any plan. Put a timeline in place and work your plan until you reach that goal.

Do not give up! Ask for help from others if/when you need it. Anything worth having will take some effort, but you can do it. If you had what it took to get INTO pharmaceutical sales, then you certainly have what it takes to get OUT.

We found that as many as 50% of the people coming to dealerships do not go through the sales process because they are lost in the very first step – the Meet and Greet. This happens when the salesperson says “can I help you?” or “What can I do for you today?” and the customer responds with, “I’m just looking.” Too many times this dialogue ends with the salesperson saying something like, “Ok, if you find anything you are interested in or have any questions let me know – I’ll be right over here.” If this happens 50% of the time and could be eliminated 100% of the time – sales can potentially double if all of the other steps of the sales process can be accomplished by that salesperson. The first thing attendees will learn is how to help the shopper shop on your lot for the purpose of continuing to move that shopper “through the sales process” in order to..

Help the customer shop smartly

Allow the salesperson and customer a chance to build rapport so that follow up and referrals can occur,

and, help turn shoppers into “Buyers” by putting everyone through the five step sales process.

MEET AND GREET

Choose a greeting that will not END with the customer shopping by themselves.

Example: “Hello, Welcome to ABC Nissan! Thanks for coming to visit us today. My name is Sam and whether you are just looking and have a few questions or you find something you like and want to take it home, I CAN DEFINITELY HELP YOU TODAY”. “Are you looking for a truck, SUV or car today?”

To keep control you have to keep asking questions.

If you use the suggested greeting provided here and the customer says “I am just looking” – Smile – Restate – your greeting starting with;

“I completely understand and that is why I said…whether you are looking and have a few questions or you find something you like and want to take it home, I CAN DEFINITELY HELP YOU TODAY.” – “Are you looking for a truck, SUV or car today?”

REMEMBER YOU ABSOLUTELY CAN. (Memorize this script for a greeting).

Mental focus in this step SMILE, SMILE, SMILE AND SMILE SOME MORE. Realize that you can help someone in any stage of their shopping experience, AND ALWAYS LOOK THE CUSTOMER IN THE EYE! You always need to have a smile on your face when meeting customers. A smile on your face will tend to get the same response from your customer. A smile will increase the opportunities of the customer liking you. A salesperson needs to make eye to eye contact with the customer in order to get their attention. NEVER WEAR SUNGLASSES WHEN MEETING A CUSTOMER! If a customer cannot see your eyes then you cannot make “CONTACT.”

THE SHOPPER – Sometimes you will be faced with the customer that insists that they are only there to shop. How do you effectively respond to this statement and bring the customer back into the SALES PROCESS without the customer becoming offended.

ROLE PLAY:

” Hello, Welcome to San Diego Nissan! Thanks for coming to visit us today. My name is Sam and whether you are just looking and have a few questions or you find something you like and want to take it home, I CAN DEFINITELY HELP YOU TODAY. Are you looking for a truck, SUV or car today?”

“We are just shopping.”

“I completely understand and that is why I said…whether you are looking and have a few questions or you find something you like and want to take it home, I CAN DEFINITELY HELP YOU TODAY.” – “Are you looking for a truck, SUV or car today?”

If customer is negative or unresponsive to your first two attempts, the customer may still say something such as:

“Like we said, we are just looking.” 2nd time.

“All I will do today is assist you in gathering information. I’m sure you have taken the time to consider what is important to you such as equipment, model, price, color, trade-in value, financing options, payments, etc. What is the most important thing to you for your next purchase? Payments, price, color, room, horsepower?

Listen – then ask…What…Why…How… to get all of the information needed. What price range or monthly payment range were you considering?

– Were you looking for a sports car, sedan, van, truck or SUV?

– What colors were you considering?

– Do you have a vehicle that you are planning on trading?

– Do you know how much you owe for your trade? To whom?

– Do you have financing pre-arranged or would you like for me to provide you financing options and information?

– How long have you been shopping?

– What other models are you considering? Have you driven them?” (Key question for selling “your” test drive,).

What is the definition of a SMERFE sales manager?

Well to understand what a SMERFE sales manager is we must first know what the letters stand for.

S = Social

M = Military

E = Education

R = Religious

F = Fraternal

E = Entertainment

Some basic examples of SMERFE Clientele that I would categorize are:

Social – Family Reunions, Wedding Groups, Traveling Sports Teams, Funerals

Military – Reunions, Programs, FEMA, Government

Education – Events, Conventions, non profit, seminars, student tour and travel

Religious – Conventions, Meetings, prayer groups

Fraternal – Schools, Colleges, Universities, Fraternities

Entertainment – Entertainment Groups, Tour & Travel

SMERFE Sales Managers need Personality.

A SMERFE Sales Manager must be friendly, caring and dramatic. They are creative, fun and get along with everybody. They must be very patient and more forgiving than any other position. They are much different from a Corporate Transient or Corporate Group Sales Manager.

To be a good SMERFE sales manager you have to develop a rapport with your clients. Get to know them, and find out what their needs are now and in the future. Always make them your first priority. Make them feel at home in your hotel.

Set up appointments with other Group Sales Managers, ask to meet with them and ask them to refer you to their inquiries and clients. It doesn’t always work, but if you don’t ask, you will never know.

Always introduce yourself as the Group Sales Manager. Ask if it would it be beneficial to both of you to begin a referral program.  Who is going to say no? Your titles are the same making you equal in status, and any referrals you ultimately receive can only mean more business for your hotel.

Knowing what being a SMERFE sales manager means is your first step to making your hotel stand out above the rest.

The statement of intent is an excellent sales tool for establishing a number of things right at the beginning of your sales presentation. Firstly and most importantly it is used to calm your clients down and make them feel more comfortable about being on a Timeshare or Holiday Club presentation.

Once you have collected your clients from the reception, have them seated correctly in the warm up area and ordered their drinks, you should give them what is known in the Timeshare Industry as “The Statement of Intent”. Or “Breaking of the pact”

Your clients are probably very nervous, either because of a past personal experience on a Timeshare presentation, or because of all the bad press and warnings they have read or heard about what happens when you attend a Timeshare sales presentation.

The easiest way to alleviate their fears is let them know exactly what is going to happen during their presentation. People only fear the unknown. So if you let them know what to expect and in what order. They will normally calm down immediately.

A good statement of intent should go something like this:

“Ok John and Mary, while we’re waiting for our drinks to arrive let me tell you exactly what’s going to happen while you’re with me here today”. “Firstly I’m going to ask you to help me with a brief holiday survey about where you’ve been in the past, where you would like to go in the future, and what you’ve liked or disliked about some of the holidays you’ve taken in the past. It’s a very important part of my job as the information people like you give us, help my company to keep up to date with the ever changing holiday trends and stay ahead of the competition, then I’m going to show you around the resort and you will see why we now have so many members in my holiday club and you’ll realise the benefits that my members get from being part of such a large and well established holiday company, at the end of my presentation you will be given the option of either saying no thanks, in which case I will make sure you get any gifts you have been promised and a taxi back to your hotel, or you can choose to join the other thousands of families who said yes and are now enjoying the many benefits of being part of my club and I will make sure my manager is available to sort out the best possible deal at the best possible price, either way the choice will be yours.” “All I ask is that you allow me to do a full presentation and answer all your questions before you make your choice.” “Is that fair enough?”

Now get all parties to agree and shake all their hands. At this point you must confirm that they are OK for time, that they’re not rushing of to meet any one in half an hour and they haven’t left Grandma alone on the beach in full sunshine.

Apart from relaxing your clients and making them more open minded, you will have also got rid of the time problem. If they start pushing you to speed things up you can just remind them that they agreed to allow you to do a full presentation and you shook hands on it.

Your clients will have agreed to give you at least ninety minutes. It’s up to you to turn that ninety minutes into a three hour presentation that ends in a deal!

They won’t even notice the time if you, entertain them, win them over, and close them using the “Simple Selling Skills” you’ll be learning when you keep dropping by my site on a weekly basis.

See you next week.

Sales attract customers like honey attracts bees. It’s no secret that people love discounts and are more likely to shop huge when a deal is offered. However, the balance doesn’t only tip in the favor of buyers. In fact, businesses can also gain more by going for a couponing campaign. It started back in 1887 when a cola giant offered the first-ever coupon. Since then, the company can be called the father of couponing. Learning from its strategy is what allowed other companies to understand the vast merits offered by the technique.

When the first ever coupon was introduced, it was a BOGO offer that didn’t only mean that customers could get more for less. With an increasing amount of customers wanting to make the most of the deal, retailers required more cola. This fueled the company’s business and furthered its success. Moreover, as more people visited Cola selling stores, the local pharmacies’ owners enjoyed the benefits too.

Since then, the use of couponing in marketing has only climbed up. In the digital realm today, more people want online discounts that encourage savings.

Wondering how offering coupons can skyrocket sales?

Increases brand awareness

Coupons create buzz. They make more people know about a brand. More people are likely to visit a site or a store that is offering a discount. The marketing campaign is something people don’t just get involved in themselves; they also talk about it and get more people involved. It’s how a business can create its presence in a competitive environment subtly. A survey showed that 22% of buyers were likely to share the news of local deals and discounts with others and 91% of the purchasers who made use of a company’s coupon visited again.

Raises customer count and loyalty

When your business offers a coupon or a code, customers are more likely to visit. Not only would this improve the customer count but also customer loyalty. Most businesses set sale marks by offering monthly, quarterly, biannual or annual sales. As customers learn to expect discounts, they tend to visit more often. In doing so, they often make more undiscounted purchases as well as they see what you have in stock. As brand awareness is created, more buyers visit. The strategy works indirectly to improve sales and is a smart move specifically in times of the business’s financial decline.

Takes the costs down

Coupons are similar to print ads. As mentioned above, they stir brand awareness in a positive direction and also lure in more customers. By doing so, they work as advertisements and reduce advertising costs. Moreover, they can also help save more. For instance, when an online company offers a discount on payment through bank cash transfers, it reduces the costs incurred on transactions made through other sources such as credit or debit cards. This saved money equates to higher revenue and can be reinvested for triggering further sales.

Helps free up room

No customer wants to see the same items sitting on shelves every time he revisits. Similarly, no brand would want to showcase older items. However, tossing old products in the storeroom is often not an option as that would mean they won’t sell at all which has an obvious negative impact of the financial scale of a business. By offering a clearance sale or a coupon on items that are taking their time to leave with buyers, a business can free up room. This freed up space can be used to bring the latest products to customers. Therefore, enticing offers help sell out excess inventory which ups sales by making space for trending products.

Assists in keeping up with the competition

Coupons help smaller brands compete in a world where bigger brands rule. The strategy attracts a chunk of the customers of bigger businesses. Take, for instance, a new label that is trying to raise its head in the competition. A couponing campaign would bring in customers and improve sales as buyers are offered similar products at better prices. In another situation, an established brand can keep up with other brands of the same niche by offering discounts to maintain its customers rather than lose them to a company offering better prices and discounts.

Enables a company to plan better

A couponing campaign allows a company to collect customer data. By studying the characteristics of the buyers that are attracted, the company is able to plan better future marketing campaigns. It gives a business a clearer idea about its target audience. This improves sales as a business does a better job at marketing which is one of the pillars that it relies on. Therefore, the next deals and products offered can be better suited to meet the requirements of this particular segment of customers to take up sales.

To sum up, coupons and promo codes are a quick way of bettering the performance of a business in the sales department. Specifically, internet marketing. They bring more customers in, help compete better, and thus, raise sales.

Wouldn’t it be great that every time you made a sales presentation, write a letter, send your sales literature or place an ad that you knew, with some certainty, that you could get your prospects to take action and respond to your offer?

Well, to put it bluntly, it’s not that difficult if you simply apply the basics of marketing. Unfortunately, marketing is one of the least understood and arguably one of the least underutilized, course of action, in business today.

Marketing has and will continue to make the difference between the survival and extinction of a business today. Treading our way into the future with the overwhelming velocity of day-to-day change in this wildly unpredictable changing marketplace, with shorter product life cycles, require businesses, small or large, to have an edge or lose share of market to the competition.

Having the edge today will involve refining your marketing with a holistic approach and razor-sharp strategies that accelerate your business growth. The more I research and study how businesses stay alive and well — the more I am convinced and respect that strategic marketing is the forerunner to optimizing our selling performance.

Think of it this way: Visualize an umbrella – and label it “marketing” and “strategy.” Next, under the umbrella see advertising, branding, public relations, etc. Label those items, “selling” and “tactical processes.”

“Marketing,” — the strategy — is what favorably positions your company products or services in the mind of the customer and is aimed at stimulating a desire and demand on the part of the customer to make a purchase.

“Selling” — the tactical processes — are tools used to educate, inform, influence and persuade purchasing actions from the customer.

Both marketing and selling must lead the customer to action. For example: Advertising is salesmanship in action. Radio, television, newspaper, direct mail (electronic or paper) and magazines should all be constructed in the same demanding way that a salesperson makes a presentation to a prospective customer.

The same skills, habits and attitudes that are required of a salesperson for influencing action, on the part of the customer, should be directly aligned with all your various tactical processes.

For example — The successful salesperson must:

1. Develop and build rapport

2. Understand customer needs

3. Emphasize tangible benefits

4. Skillfully move a customer toward a purchase

5. Keep the prospective customer “engaged” in the purchase process

6. Strategically link a product or services to a customer’s most important needs and issues

7. Detail the product or service to motivate the purchasing action of the customer

Each advertising piece that is used in your marketing arsenal – newspaper ad, magazine ad, direct response mailing, public relations campaign should make a complete and compelling case for your products and services in the same way that a salesperson would do in person.

1. Do your ads (metaphorically) talk to your customers – do they build a rapport?

2. Are your brochures, letters, newsletters, ads and public relations material believable and emotionally peak the curiosity of people to want to learn more?

3. Is your marketing targeted toward perspective customers that have a real need for your products and services – have the money and willing to spend it?

4. Does your marketing materials educate and emphasize all the tangible benefits to keep the prospective customer engaged and motivated to take a purchasing action.

Today is not the time to be timid in your marketing. People need a nudge in making decisions. They want and expect to be told how to take action to obtain your products and services.

Take an assessment of your strategic marketing and selling action mentioned above and in addition see if you are:

1. Educating your customers about the unique advantages your products and services offered:

a). Service guarantees

b). Technical or manufacturing support

c). Warranties

d). Durability and dependability

e). New product developments

f). Upgrades and product enhancements

g). Delivery

2. Asking strategic questions for:

a). Linking products or services to customers needs

b). Providing solutions for their problems

c). Manage customer relationships

d). Keeping your customer and prospective customer engaged in the buying process

3. Active Listening for:

a). Emotional triggers

b). Logical reasoning

4. Handling objections to:

a). Minimizing concerns

b). Overcome obstacles

5. Presenting benefits that:

a). Motivate your customer’s loyalty and purchasing action

b). Advantage your products and services over your competitors

Now is the time to pull out all your marketing materials, ads, sales scripts, brochures, presentation materials, marketing channels, and yes, check your attitudes, habits and skills – it’s time to be innovative, nontraditional and bold in your thinking and business endeavors.

In our most recent blogs, we’ve been reviewing Negative Reverse Selling and how it is very effective in creating great bonding and rapport with sales prospects. Negative Reverse Selling is a way of saying and doing the opposite of what the prospect expects from a salesperson, disarming them and creating trust with them. One of its more compelling techniques is called strip-lining, a method of using reverse questions to get the prospect talking, and you keep “throwing more line and let them swim”. However, you need to do this step right or it could backfire on you. When you do it correctly, prospects feel like they are in control of the conversation, and you have a better chance of making a sale. Practice this step frequently in low risk situations before using it on your biggest and best prospects.

What should you practice? Getting the fit right means executing as follows:

• Neutral prospects get very hard strip-lines, such as, “It sounds like you’re very happy and I should leave. Before I go, what do you like about who you’re doing business with now?”

• Negative prospects get hard strip-lines, but not as hard as neutral prospects. For example, “Based on what you just said about your current vendor, it makes sense to me why you’re not interested in switching your business to another company. We get great feedback like that from our customers, too, but your vendor sounds really good at what they do. I don’t know if you can do any better than that. There doesn’t seem to be much opportunity for us to work together here, is there?”

• Positive prospects get strip-lines that are just a light tug: “Thanks for reaching out to us. I have to say, your friend Bronwyn gets almost all the credit for having a great experience with us. She was very good about explaining the application problem, and that really helped her have a happy outcome with us. Since I don’t know your application, I’m not sure if I can help you at this point. Could you be nice enough to tell me about it?”

In all three examples, you’ll find three components. Look at each of them, and you’ll see how strip-line responses are structured.

1. The first component is a build-up (a compliment or validation of the prospect’s point of view). In the above, an example of that was, “It sounds like you’re very happy.”

2. The second component is a takeaway (a conclusion that goes in the opposite direction to what the prospect expects). In the above, an example was, “… and I should leave.”

3. The third component is a question (a continuation of the discussion). In the above, an example was, “Before I go, what do you like about who you’re doing business with now?”

Looking at the example above for positive prospects, notice the buildup portion of the response validates how well things went “with Bronwyn” and gives most of the credit to her: “Thanks for reaching out to us. I have to say, your friend Bronwyn gets almost all the credit for having a great experience with us. She was very good about explaining the application problem, and that really helped her have a happy outcome with us.”

The takeaway portion includes words to the effect that you’re not yet convinced you can help the prospect. “Since I don’t know your application, I’m not sure if I can help you as well at this point.”

The third part, the question, is pretty obvious; you ask a question to start to understand the application, the problem, and ultimately the prospect’s pain: “Could you be nice enough to tell me about it?”

When you strip-line a prospect using all three components of the technique, you are likeliest to uncover the most meaningful information. You now know what a good fit looks like. What does a bad fit look like? Let’s say a prospect calls your office and says, “I’ve heard really good things about your company. A friend of mine, Bronwyn, told me all about you, and I’m very interested in doing business with you.” Obviously, that’s a positive prospect. It wouldn’t be appropriate for you to do a hard strip-line since the prospect is almost ready to buy. Saying to the prospect, “You must have used some other vendors in our space. Why wouldn’t you want to use them now?” will not only confuse the prospect, but would probably ruin the sale. So that’s a bad fit. Instead, you’d want to use the approach I shared with you above, the one that begins “Thanks for reaching out.”

Sometimes the prospect says something that more or less does the buildup for you. In that case, you don’t need to do it, but you still need to do the takeaway and pose the question. For example if the prospect says, “I heard really good things about your company,” you could strip-line by saying, “That’s nice to hear, but we’re not for everyone. Would you like to tell me why you thought it might have been a good idea to call, and hopefully we find out that we’re a good fit”?

In summary: Strip-line very hard with neutral pros-pects, even sounding like you are getting ready to leave the sales call or implying that you think the sales call is over; strip- line hard with negative prospects; strip-line lightly with positive prospects.

Strip-lining is a great way to uncover pain because it’s extremely disarming and helps build trust. When you do it right, it doesn’t sound like you’re selling. Prospects feel like you truly embrace and care about their goals and pain. (As, of course, you do!) If you don’t uncover pain with strip-lining, then perhaps that particular prospect doesn’t have enough pain to do business with you. Strip-lining combined with other pain-finding Sandler approaches will put you in a different league from all those other salespeople who traditionally start with the hard sell, list off features and benefits, and offer prospects free quotes.

Is copier sales a good industry?

In a previous article I told you all of the wonderful reasons why you should consider a career as an account executive in the copier industry. By now you might be thinking that there are no disadvantages to a career in copier sales. But, you would be wrong. Allow me to play devil’s advocate and provide you with the following caveats:

1. There is not much social status afforded to a copier sales rep. You are ranked somewhere between a used car salesman and a telecommunications rep. Your friends won’t think your job is cool. But, that’s O.K. When they are still eating Top Ramen for dinner you can roll up in your brand new BMW and offer to take them to dinner and pick up the tab since you have achieved the financial stability that probably still eludes your friends three years after college graduation.

2. The job is hard. Really, really hard. But, not for the reasons you think. The combination of an awful lot of freedom coupled with the absolute necessity of a disciplined mindset can be a dangerous combination for most people. I knew a manager that used to say, “we give you just enough rope to hang yourself around here”. This meant that no one is watching your every move, but, by the time it shows up in poor sales performance, you don’t have enough time to improve the situation before the company is showing you the door.

3. You must be able to survive on a meager base salary for at least six months to two years until your commissions start rolling in. Most base salaries in this industry are $20,000-$30,000 plus benefits.

4. It could seriously take you two years to build a territory that rewards you with a copier sales salary of $60,000-$80,000 annually. This salary range assumes that you are really good at what you do and are at least at 100% of your annual sales quota. This leads us to our last point:

5. The company might not give you two years to get it all together. Generally, after your first year in sales, if you are not at 100% of your annual sales quota your sales manager “will free you up to pursue other opportunities”. In other words, “you’re fired”! Make no mistake about it, your sales quota is not your goal, it is your minimal requirement. Actually, you are expected to exceed your annual sales quota.

So, is copier sales a good industry? All in all, the copy equipment industry offers more advantages than disadvantages. If you consider yourself ambitious, energetic and in possession of superior people skills and exceptional communication abilities, this just might be the career for you.

Whenever you have a sales call scheduled with a new sales prospect – treat it like a golden opportunity.

Because in fact this first sales call, could be a golden opportunity for you. What if your new sales prospect has the potential to become your largest customer.

What would the lifetime value of your largest customer add up to?

Here are seven things you must do before calling on every new sales prospect.

Thing you must do # 1:

Be sure to do your homework and that means making Google your first stop. Do a search on the person’s name, the company name, and the name of their best selling product. You might be surprised with the results you get.

Thing you must do # 2:

Now this is a little thing that can have a big impact. It can create a powerful first impression for you.

Go to an office supply store and buy a dozen red file folders. While you’re at the store buy Avery product #8366 which are white file folder labels. Prepare a label with the name of your new sales prospect.

Imagine your prospect’s reaction to seeing his name on this red file folder. He will immediately consider you professional, organized, successful, and different from most other salespeople he has experienced in the past.

A little thing with a big impact.

Thing you must do # 3:

You must have a written sales call objective for your first sales call. Your written objectives for this sales call can include: to build rapport, establish credibility, to ask 3-5 open-ended questions, to identify one common interest you share, and to secure agreement for your second meeting.

Your written sales call objectives will scream “Professionalism.” By contrast most salespeople arrive like a tourist just taking in the sights – pity the poor sales prospect who must put up with this display of mediocrity.

Thing you must do # 4:

To get the ball rolling, building rapport and establishing credibility, I suggest you prepare and practice 3 – 5 open-ended questions.

Nothing shows your interest more than the questions you ask – so be sure to ask good questions.

You can start with… tell me about your business… what are your responsibilities… in addition to you who else is involved in making decisions for… what are the biggest challenges you’re facing growing your business?

Once again asking these questions will demonstrate your interest and professionalism and differentiate you from most salespeople.

Thing you must do # 5:

If you enjoy playing the telephone tag game you can immediately proceed to # 6. It’s absolutely amazing how many salespeople neglect to secure the meeting time and date for the second meeting.

Once you have qualified your sales prospect as a potential customer don’t forget and never hesitate to ask for the second meeting. Do not attempt improvisation. Prepare and practice how you will ask for the second meeting.

Thing you must do # 6:

This next thing is especially important if you happen to be a serious person. Before you get out of your car check your rearview mirror to make sure you’re smiling.

Trust me, when you’re caught in traffic, running a little late, just ended a telephone call with a disgruntled customer – please don’t think you have a happy face on. Check your mirror to check your smile.

Thing you must do # 7:

Try this affirmation on for size “This will be my best sales call ever to a new sales prospect.”

Right after you check to make sure you’re smiling saying this affirmation fills your mind with positive thoughts and words squeezing out any potential negativity.

You may not realize this but you are in complete control of your thoughts. And of course you know how you think is everything!

There’s a huge difference between self-doubt and self-confidence and both are controlled by your thoughts.

This affirmation creates the perfect mindset for a very successful sales call.

Just try it once and see how much better you feel.

Now you know the 7 things you must do to prepare for your first sales call. Believe it or not you now have a 7-point system for making sales calls on new prospects.

Use this system to make every sales call better than the last one.

Let’s go sell something…