I just got off the phone with a former sales associate. He made a statement that, at first, I took at face value. However, this comment is eating at me: "Sales is getting harder all the time."
Is selling getting harder, truly?
Do you agree? Or do you disagree?
After pondering the idea, I've decided that selling is NOT getting harder. Selling in the new millennium is just different. For example, fifty years ago, people used the typewriter to write a sales letter. If they wanted to contact a prospect, they basically used one of several methods: in-person, over the phone, writing a letter, sending a wire, playing golf together, conventions, or over a meal.
Today, we have more tools: online social networks (LinkedIn, ecademy, Plaxo, Facebook, etc.), email, the telephone, voicemail, in-person, writing a letter, sending a FedEx, conventions, golf, or over a meal.
Our tools to contact and track prospects may have improved, but there are more people selling to our prospects every day. So, in my mind, the tools equalize with the quantity of people selling to the prospect: zero-sum-gain there.
In order to sell, we've always had to be intelligent. We've always had to listen to the prospect, ask smart questions about their business, do our homework and research on the prospect's company, and provide solid solutions. Price is always a variable issue that is relative, as well.
So, considering all things, I don't think selling is harder than ever before. It isn't easier, either (exception: people who can automate their entire sales process when they are selling an online product).
The selling profession is still challenging and a dynamic way to earn a living. I believe the opportunity always exists for the salesperson who is innovative, works hard enough, and targets prospects that maximize their time. I've always been great at following-up, and I'm tenacious. But when I add innovative techniques, and when I target prospects that produce big wins, I always win big. Can you relate?
If certain prospects aren't buying, switch to prospects who CAN buy right now. It's like moving your boat when fishing to find a better hole to fish in. Right?
My advice is to avoid the naysayers who say "we can't sell in this economy" and instead put your ears back and go do what you've always done best, only better. The odds are you'll have a banner year.
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Jan 21, 2009
Is Sales Getting Harder?
Jan 7, 2009
Hope For Gain: The Savvy Entrepreneur Series
If you're seeking to improve success with any sales endeavor, you need to embrace the two biggest motivators: FEAR of LOSS and HOPE for GAIN.
I've already explored FEAR of LOSS earlier (click here to read).
In this article, I'll discuss HOPE for GAIN.
Think about the last thing you bought to improve your life or business. Was there not some aspect of why you bought that item related to increasing your ability to do something, enjoy life more, or experience something new?
If we buy a new car, we almost always seek more air bags, cup holders, gadgets (like my sunroof in my Tundra), sliding windows, more horsepower, better gas mileage, more storage space, SOMETHING MORE. These are all examples of HOPE FOR GAIN.
When I sell my service to companies helping them gain organic search position with their websites, yes, I do use FEAR of LOSS (by asking "How do you feel seeing your competitors with these phrases and you're not there?") but moreover I use HOPE for GAIN by promising to put their landing page in Google's Top 10 results for the phrase they seek. It's a challenge no single company has mastered, but I can realistically say that I'll capture Top 10 over 50% of the time with my methods. And, that leads to more traffic. More traffic leads to more people who click "BUY NOW" on the web page, right? Beyond that, converting more of those leads is also a HOPE for GAIN, too.
When I sold computer service and support, I would use HOPE for GAIN by promising their computers would stay up longer, that we'd respond faster, and that it would cost less money. Those are all examples of hope for gain. I would suggest that by using my competitor, they would increase exposure to slow response time, which is using FEAR of LOSS. See how those two motivators, when used together, become highly powerful?
The majority of Americans vacation, on average, 12 days a year. Yep, that's right, less than 3% of the majority of American lives are spent on vacation. Sad, isn't it? (Notice the use of LOSS there)... well, I'd use that statistic as a motivator when I sold vacations, and indicated that by COMMITTING to a PLAN there was implicit HOPE FOR GAIN of more dreams, going more places, spending time with those they love most, exploring the world, and seeing nice places by buying a vacation program. Those benefits all indicated HOPE FOR GAIN. The benefits extended to other aspects of living: people who vacation more are more productive at work (GAIN), more healthy (GAIN), and live longer (GAIN). See how it works?
How to use HOPE FOR GAIN:
First, make a list describing what are you selling. How do people benefit from buying what you sell?
Next, make a second list extending how they benefit even in other related areas by benefiting from what you sell them. This is the extended list.
Last, put these together in an order of priority that addresses your prospects biggest need first, second biggest need second, and third biggest need third. Keep in mind that smaller prospects have different needs than larger organizations. Selling a company a fleet of cars is definitely a different GAIN pitch than selling a single car to a young woman still in college. And, selling that single woman in college a car will use a different "GAIN" pitch than selling a luxury automobile to a wealthy entrepreneur.
Clearly, a person will buy a Toyota Corolla for different reasons than they will buy the Tesla Roadster. One is economical and simply wheels to get you there while the other is about speed, prestige, and flash. Both people GAIN. They just gain in different ways. So, make sure you utilize the differences in gain to your advantage and then target those benefits to the buyer most likely to buy for those reasons.
Best of success to you in improving your sales using HOPE for GAIN.
Read FEAR of LOSS here.
How have you used FEAR of LOSS and HOPE for GAIN to improve your selling? Weigh in below.
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Sep 22, 2008
Fear of Loss: The Savvy Entrepreneur Series
The two strongest motivators in selling are the FEAR of LOSS and HOPE for GAIN.
When you're making your sales pitch, how often do you utilize FEAR of LOSS to persuade people to buy your product or service?
While many people claim that "fear of loss" is a negative tactic, it nevertheless is proven effective by many of the most effective salespeople throughout history.
Military Generals use fear to intimidate their opponents. Politicians use fear to throw their opponents "under the bus" and win elections. Business leaders use fear to position their company as the "gorilla" and their competitors as "chimps". Salespeople use fear to undermine the strength of competitors and maximize their own product's benefits to a prospective customer.
I recall a saying in the high tech industry, where it was widely known in the early 1990's that IBM, the large technology service provider, utilized FUD (fear - uncertainty - doubt) tactics to create doubt and undermine credibility of their competition to such a high degree they could charge 30 - 200% more than competitors for essentially the same levels of service. They also won business that otherwise might have gone to a competitor.
Examples of ways you can use FEAR of LOSS to position yourself as the best choice include:
"How can you be sure your current provider will be there when you need them?"
"Who will answer the phone at 3:00 a.m. when the system goes down?"
"What training have they received on the products they recommend?"
Some ways you can demonstrate you meet the fear or concern include:
"You're on our mind: With our "alert-status" 24/7 service and 4 hour response, you can rest assured your system's care is in good hands. Not only that, but our "proactive care" program will make sure you have fewer needs for alerts or downtime in the first place."
"You come first: With our "executive alert" plan you will know you always have top priority with our company."
"Your needs - delivered professionally: our people are trained on the systems you use. As a result, we're able to deliver more knowledge, keep your systems running with the least amount of hassle. This will keep your team focused on your business, and both save and help you make more money doing what you do best."
These are examples of marketing statements within the high tech industry that would position one company above another.
Individual competitive situations can get even more nasty. I once saw my coworkers work hard to win a large mainframe support contract - or so they thought. The agreement was signed by the CIO (Chief Information Officer responsible for technology at the prospective company) earlier in the day. During the "celebration dinner", the CIO received a phone call. When he returned to the table, he bore a troubled look on his face. "Fellows, I'm not sure how to say this, but I've been overruled and we're going with IBM," he said. He then explained that IBM made it clear that they might not be so agreeable to offer the code for their new chip if they weren't responsible for supporting the mainframe service. They cast doubt on whether updates would happen in a timely manner and basically said the customer would be a fool to switch vendors. They delivered this message by calling their "friend" on the board of the prospective customer. That board-member then overruled the CIO. That's how high IBM's relationship went. And that is how powerful the fear-tactic ended up costing a multi-million deal for a sales team that they'd seemingly won just moments earlier. Months of hard work and countless hours went down the drain.
Fear of loss is a strong motivator. Fear, properly applied, will help you win more often. Make sure both your marketing and sales pitch utilize this tactic.
Up next: HOPE for GAIN.
How has fear worked for you or against you in business? Comment below to contribute your experiences.
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Sep 15, 2008
Carmine Gallo: 7 Secrets of Inspiring Leaders on ARRiiVE Innovations In Business Show
Join us for the ARRiiVE: Innovations In Business Radio Show tomorrow on "7 Secrets of Inspiring Leaders" with special guest, Carmine Gallo of Gallo Communications:
When: September 17, 2008 at 2:00 PM PST / 5:00 PM EST
Topic: "7 Secrets of Inspiring Leaders"
How to Participate:
Call (724) 444-7444, enter show 37798 # 1 #
Description:
Fire up your colleagues, customers and employees by learning the language of motivation. In his new book, Fire Them Up, Carmine Gallo reveals the 7 keys all inspiring communicators share. He has spent two years interviewing extraordinary leaders and entrepreneurs like Starbucks CEO, Howard Schultz, Ritz-Carton President Simon Cooper, Google Vice President Marissa Mayer, and many others. Learn how these men and women use language and presentations to engage their leaders.
Carmine Gallo's Bio:
Carmine Gallo is a communication skills coach for the world's most admired brands. As a former journalist for CNN, he leverages his skills as a journalist to help company executives tell their stories through presentations, pitches, and media interviews. He is here to discuss the insights he learned after interviewing more than two dozen well-known business leaders and entrepreneurs for his new book, Fire Them Up!
Fire Them Up is available at all major bookstores and online at Amazon.com, BN.com or through our partner company AspireNow's Amazon Bookstore.
Sign up for Carmine's newsletter by sending an email to: vanessa@gallocommunications.com. Put "newsletter" in the subject.
Call in - it's simple & easy, fun & educational to join the call and ask your questions!!
