Current Events Question

A good sales person always keeps their "ear close to the ground" and stays up to date on what's going on in their territory. If a new business is opening up or a new highway is going to be built they know about it. They also stay current on the national business and economic news. They know how to use this information to engage customers and get them thinking. Often prospects won't advertise simply because of a natural resistance to change. Talking about change reminds them that they can not stand still while the world around them moves on. I like to talk about the pertinent "news" item and then ask "How do you think this will effect your business?" You can also say "What changes will this force you to make?" or "How do you plan to take advantage of this?" These questions get the customer thinking about the future and creates an opening for you to propose a new program.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks

Jim Busch

Holding their attention with your body language

Many reps tell me that they have trouble holding the attention of their prospects and customers. Observing them in the field I can see why. Many reps lean on the customer's counter or slouch back and give their presentation. To hold people's attention it is important to use good assertive body language. Stand up straight, use your hand gestures to support what you are saying and make eye contact. Taking a more relaxed posture tells the customer that what you have to say is of no importance. When presenting you need to use every fiber of your being to engage the customer and hold their attention.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks

Jim Busch

What's behind that objection?

Someone once asked me "How do you know when a prospect is lying?" The answer "Their lips move!" While this might not be completely accurate, customers seldom give you the real reason they won't buy an ad. They may say they don't need it or that they don't have the money but this may not be what they're really thinking. In my experience Here are the questions customer ask themselves when they hesitate to buy something from you:

• What's in it for me? Where's the value?


• Why should I buy from this guy? Is he/she here to help me or just to sell me something?


• What's the big difference? What do they offer that I'm not getting from what I do now?


• How will spending this extra money help me?

Answer these unspoken questions and you are sure to get the sale.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks

Jim Busch

"Note"able Organitional skills

One of the most powerful tools in your sales arsenal is a simple pad and pen. Good note taking skills keep you organized and moving in the right direction. The #1 complaint buyers have about sales people is "they don't follow-up or follow through on what they say." I don't believe most sales people are intentionally lying when they make a commitment, I think they are just disorganized. They just forget to do the things they promised to do. Good note taking can eliminate this problem. Some people may be able to do this on their Blackberry or I-Pad but I think a yellow legal pad is still the most effective way to capture the information you need to fulfill your commitments. Here are a couple of thoughts on this subject:

• Keep your notes in one place. Keep everything together on one pad or notebook. Place the customer's name and the date of the meeting at the top of the entry. This will allow you to quickly review your day.


• Leave the left margin blank. When you make a commitment or the client says something you need to follow up on, place a star in that margin. Doing this makes finding the key items from your day quick and easy.


• Circle all critical dates. This will help you to schedule follow -up appointments and actions.


• Use your notes to recap your conversation at the end of the call. This will avoid wasted time and often triggers the client's memory so that you learn something else about the situation.


• Send a follow up e-mail restating your commitments and reminding the customer of theirs.

Taking good notes is not a waste of your time, in fact it saves time. Good notes prevent expensive and time consuming mistakes that come from misunderstandings or forgetting a crucial date. Good notes make living up to your commitments easy and set you apart from the average salesperson.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks

Jim Busch

What's under your arm?

Most salespeople are very conscious of "Dressing for Success." We try to dress professionally so that our clients and prospects get the right impression when we approach them. Surprisingly, few of these reps give little thought to their "kit," the materials they carry on a sales call. Research has shown that salespeople who use visuals to sell are more successful than those who try to talk their way to a close. You should prepare a well organized presentation binder to support what you are telling your prospects. This binder should be tabbed so that you can quickly find the information you need. Having a neat, organized sales binder helps your presentation to flow smoothly. This also tells the customer that you are well organized and professional and that they can count on you to get their ad right. Along with your sales binder, the other materials you need (Product samples, insertion orders, forms etc.) should be neatly arranged in folders in your briefcase. Remember everything you do and everything you bring to a sales call is part of the "total package" that the customer sees and uses to make a buying decision.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks

Jim Busch

What does the customer's office say about them?

Like many people, I feel as much at home in my office as at my house. My space reflects my personality and my interests. A quick scan of a person's workspace can tell you a lot about them. When approaching someone with a very "personal" workspace (Lots of pictures of kids, flowers etc.) you should talk about helping their customers. A person with an "ego-centric" workspace (Trophies, awards, pictures of them with celebrities) will respond to a message about "making people take notice" or beating the competition. A person with a "data rich" workspace (Many reports and printouts, charts and graphs on the wall) will want to see your circulation numbers and will respond to comparisons of cost per thousand. Finally, the person with a "cold" workspace (Few personal items, organized with everything in reach) will want to get right down to business without wasting time on "chit-chat." You should probably start the call with "I don't want to waste your time so let's get right to the point." Taking the time to observe a person's workspace and using the information you gain from doing so can save time and help get a call off on a good footing.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks

Jim Busch

Ask for their opinion

When closing ,we ask a customer to make a decision to buy your product. The problem with a direct close is that it makes it easy for the customer to say no. I like to use a softer trial close by using the words "in your opinion." When I think I've uncovered the customers problems and offered a good solution for them I ask this question to gauge the customer's readiness to buy: "In your opinion, do you think running (recommended product) would help you (solution to their problem)." If they answer in the affirmative you can move on to an assumptive close "Well then we just need to do the paperwork." If they aren't sure you can ask them about their concerns and continue your fact finding until you have a solution they will like. By asking for their "opinion" you don't prompt the solid "no" which can bring the call to an end.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks

Jim Busch

Headline Idea #1

When trying to come up with a headline or copy for a customer here's a good question to ask business owners: "When you first meet a new customer what questions do they ask about your business?" Remember for every on of their customers who come forward to ask this question there are many others who will not make the effort. By answering these questions in the ad, many more people may be motivated to visit the business. An ad should tell the business's story to consumers. Once you know what potential buyers want to know , you can tell a story that speaks directly to them.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks

Jim Busch

"How Much" Buying Signal or Trap?

When you introduce yourself to a prospect and they ask "How much is an ad?" It that a buying signal or are you being set up for a fall. I 999 out of a 1000 times this is a set up. If you told the prospect "I can get you a full page for a nickel!" Their response will be "THAT'S TOO MUCH!" This is a way to set you up and get rid of you. How do you respond to the "how much" question? Here's what I say: "Mr. Customer, I'm glad to hear you are interesting in advertising but I'm not sure how much an ad would be. Before I can give you a price I need to know a little about your business so I can give you a quote. Let me ask you a few questions and I promise I'll give you some pricing before we're finished." Don't let the customer set you up for a fall.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks

Jim Busch

The two breath rule

Good listening skills are critical to success in any kind of sales. Here is a simple trick that can help you be a better listener. When you are speaking with someone, after they finishing talking wait two full breathes before you say something in response. There are several reasons for doing this. First, this ensures that they are truly finished and not just catching their breath or collecting their thoughts. This way you will not inadvertently "talk over" the other person. Pausing also allows time to formulate a good response. This allows you to actually listen to what they are saying instead of thinking about what you are going to say while they are talking. Pausing also lends credibility to your statements. A more deliberate conversational pace shows that your responses are well considered. Remember before opening your mouth--breath in--breath out--breath in breath out! Keep Smiling, Keep Selling! Thanks Jim Busch

Look busy

This past weekend I traveled to San Antonio Texas to speak at the Texas Community Paper Association conference. One of the other speakers was my friend Mike Blinder. Mike had a lot of great things to say but hear is one that really struck me: "Busy people always respect busy people." I see a lot of reps who do not value their own time and this sends the wrong message to clients and prospects. If you tell the customer, "I have a lot of people to see today so let me get right to the point" you send the signal that you are busy and successful. If you say "I can be there when ever you want", or "sure I can wait an hour to see you", you tell the customer that you are desperate and maybe they shouldn't advertise with you. If you don't respect your time, the customer certainly never will. Keep Smiling, Keep Selling! Thanks Jim Busch

I've been framed.

I just read about a study where college students where given lists of words to read. One group was given a list of words linked to rudeness (insult, offend etc.) and the second group read a list of "polite" words (Complement, Thanks etc.). The subjects were then asked to walk down a hall where one of the researchers "accidentally" bumped into them. The people who read the rude words responded rudely and the members of the second group responded courteously. Psychologists call this "priming" and it has a big impact on sales. We should prime our customers with "value" words to make them more inclined to buy. On the flip side we should be careful that we are not "primed" by the negative thoughts and objections we hear over and over. Being aware of "priming" is a key to being successful in sales. Keep Smiling, Keep Selling! Thanks Jim Busch

The secret to success in sales

Here is an important thing to remember if you are a sales person:

"People like to talk a lot more than they like to listen!"

I was out with a sales rep today who told me that many customer's won't give him 30 seconds. Once I saw him in action i understood why--he never asked a question but just babbled on about our products. People are only interested in your product if they think it can benefit them. You have to uncover problems and opportunities by listening to them. I visited several of his "quickie" customers and engaged them in some lengthy and useful conversations. They opened up when I showed some genuine interest in them. Like everyone else we like to talk, but if we want to make money as salespeople, we need to suppress the urge to open our yap! Keep Smiling, Keep Selling! Thanks Jim Busch

Information Gathering Phrases

Before we can sell a customer we need to collect information about their business and their problems. Here are some of my favorite phrases to get (or keep) customers talking:

• Could you give me your perspective on...


• Tell me more about...


• Would you elaborate on...


• Could you give me an example of...


• What else should I know about...


• What else would help me understand...


• Talk to me about...


• How do you handle...


• How does _________fit into the picture?


• Tell me about your experience with...

Use these to get the information you need to make a sale.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks Jim Busch

May I help you?

Here is a simple fact of life--most people don't like to be told what to do, even if what they are being told can help them. This fact makes offering advice to a customer tricky. Professional counselors use a technique to overcome this challenge that works just as well for sales people. When offering a suggestion or advice ask for permission upfront. For example you can say: "Are you open to some suggestions on your ad?" or "I have a few ideas to help you market your business, would you like to hear them?" Customer's seldom if ever refuse you permission to proceed and this method makes them receptive to your ideas. This comes off as less pushy and more consultative.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks

Jim Busch

Never use the "A" word

I try to avoid using the word "Advertising" on a sales call. This word has a bad connotation with customers. They see advertising as an expense. I prefer to say "tell your story to the public," or "put informqtion about your business in front of potential customers." These phrases are much more descriptive and less threatening to your prospects.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks

Jim Busch

The key to closing

I spent a good bit of the day planning a training session on closing tomorrow. I actually don't give too much thought to this subject. As a young sales person I was taught a lot of closing techniques. Clever ways to trick customers into buying. I came to see over the year that if the rep asks good questions, discovers the customer's needs and then makes a good case that his product can solve the customer's problems I find the sale just happens. The biggest problem reps have with closing is that they try to close too soon. That they try to close before they have identified a problem and offered a good solution. Reps should think about closing with every question they ask. In sales, as in life timing is everything.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks

Jim Busch

Think Fast--You customers do!

In his book "Blink" author Malcolm Gladwell addresses the subject of "rapid cognition." Researchers have found that people tend to form opinions of others within 2 seconds. This means customers have made up their mind about you before you ever have a chance to speak a word. This is why, like a stage actor, you have to be hyper conscious of your "entrance." You should walk into a customers business like you are there for a reason. You should step confidently and smile. Hunched shoulders or a halting speech will leave the wrong impression. From the moment you get out of the car you are on stage! Doing this has the collateral benefit of increasing your confidence. There is evidence that if you fakes it until you make it, your positive body language will transform your outlook.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks

Jim Busch

The 3 "V's"

Sales people are professional communicators. Everything we do and say delivers a message, positive or negative, to our customers and prospects. The "3 V's" are the primary components of communication with the people we meet. They are Visual--Verbal and Vocal.

Visual is how we look, how we dress, and how we move. Sales people should think about dressing professionally and how they move. Of particular importance is a good smile

Verbal is the words we use. Our words should be grammatically correct, we should avoid jargon and speak in the language of the customer's business.

Vocal is often overlooked by many communicators. How we say something is almost as important as how we say it. Listen to your customers and match their verbal rhythms. Vary your tone for variety and emphasis. Listen to professional speakers (actors, politicians etc.) to learn how they control their voice.

Since communication is central to a sales career, we should constantly be aware of how we deliver our messages and constantly look for ways to polish our skills

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks

Jim Busch

Mutual Admiration Society

I have been working with one of our reps in her territory. We have done major presentations to several of her customers. We used research to educate them about the market and gave them some advice on their marketing and some creative ideas for their ads. We acted as true consultants and provided these customers with some useful information. These presentations not only ended in some nice sales but also changed the reps relationship with the customers. She told me that since our presentations these customers always welcome her when she visits them and they even return her phone calls promptly. These customers no longer saw her as an annoying sales rep but as a valuable resource for their business. To get respect you need to earn it.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks

Jim B