How To Sell Show

HTSS48 - Games buyers play how to spot a bad buyers in sales - Scott Sylvan Bell

Red flags for salespeople when selling:

There are problems with buyers in sales. You will be able to see these problems before they happen when you live though enough deals. You may also learn what to look for in conjunction to your learning process.

If you want to learn how to be a closer in sales you will want to pay attention to the problems created from buyers.

The list of the red flags for salespeople:

The instant buy or being too excited about the sale may not really be the deal you think it is.  When a buyer is overly excited there is sure to be a problem after the deal is done. Most of the time the buyer will come back and complain they were taken advantage of. There will be times there the buyer wants to unwind the deal or renegotiate the terms.

Your buyer may throw out I don’t want to waste your time when you first meet with them. You do need to ask some questions about what is going on and why they mentioned the time wasting. Every industry has their own version of this statement. In car sales the buyer may say who wants to sell something today? There are huge red flags with this buyer and there will be surprises after the deal is done.

Sometimes buyers will try to intimidate you with proposals and or bids everywhere, This is meant to force you into deep discounts and negotiation most of the time. This is a whacky sense of sales justice from the buyer. This type pf buyer can range from frugal to coo coo crazy. You can call this tactic out for what it is with the people you meet with.

The too good to be true offer with a twist happens when the magical unicorn buyer shows up and is overly eager to make a purchase from you. There is normally a story that comes along with the buy. This buyer typically has back end problems and comes back and makes demands that are not easy to deal with.  

The mismatch in words and actions form some buyers will lead you to see the problems that are on the way. What is said is contradicted in either body language or in stories throughout the appointment or the call. Pinning this buyer down will not happen and most of the time there is some objection that mutates at he end of the call.

A weird form of red flags in sales come from the trash talker. This buyer may try to get you to agree to statements about the competition. One of the goals may be to get you to commit to not taking certain actions in the sales call.  

Pay attention to the stories from buyers

If you meet with a buyer who has really good story telling skills you will want to pay attention when they match up outrageous stories. These stories are used to draw you in and feel guilty or build the buyer up. This is a version of a guilt trip as well as a sales process. You will find this buyer can be sneaky and has a motive you must pay attention to.  

 

One buyer to pay attention to is the one where the story doesn’t add up.  You will learn this over time and it isn’t always easy to spot early on. With this buyer their story never really meets up to what a typical purchase is like and asking questions never leads to real answers.

You will want to trust your internal gut when doing deals. Some people are just bad natured and are not going to do a good deal with you. Some people will trigger you internal warning system and when it happens trust you are right. Bounce out of the call and try to figure out why from a coach or mentor.  

Red flags in sales are real for you

Some industries will tell their salespeople to take the role as a fake shopper. This is meant to figure out how you do what you do or to see your sales process. The answers and the interactions form this buyer are typically weird and do not make sense. The answers to questions are typically wrong.  

A huge red flag for you is in the wording of a buyers. If you hear Lawsuit and problem, lawsuit and problem, lawsuit and problem multiple times you will have issues. At some point this buyer is going to hire a lawyer to deal with you.

There are people who have rich friends, a nice or dying family member that is willing to make a purchase for them. Sometimes this person materializes but most of the time you will chase this buyer till the end of time to make a sale. This buyer typically wants the highest end product you have to offer with all of the bells and whistles. Another version of this buyer is the one who is going to get a large inheritance or settlement. There are times where these purchases come to fruition and a deal is closed. You can work this deal and make it happen.   

Scott Sylvan Bell

@scottsbell

#sales #closer #success #Sacramento #podcast #howtosellshow

This episode was recorded in Sacramento California

HTSS47 - Why you feel stuck as a salesperson and it isnt pretty - Scott Sylvan Bell

Why you feel stuck as a salesperson:

At some point every salesperson feels stuck in what they are doing and where they are at.  You may or may not know why you feel stuck but the problems created are real. You may feel anxious, depressed, desperation or even uncertainty.

These conversations may be overt and some of the problems may be covert. Some of these elements came from drawing out the conversations with salespeople over time.  

Nobody may be willing to have the conversation with salespeople. There may be salespeople that are scared to have conversations with managers and or coaches.  

The real reasons why you feel stuck as a salesperson:

The fear of rejection in sales is more real than you think even for veteran salespeople. There are some salespeople who are so scared to even walk into a sales presentation. Most salespeople delay the sales presentation so they don’t have to have the money conversation so that they don’t have to deal with the rejection. If you ever want to learn how to be a closer in sales you will need to get past the fear of rejection. If you have too big of a fear of rejection you will remain stuck.

If you are not making enough money in the world of sales but it comes down to your sales skills. You have to be willing to  put in the hard work and the effort. By not developing skills enough you will have some internal regrets that nag at you. If you see others closing and you are not able to make the money or close deals it’s a double whammy. If you haven’t put in the work your presentation skills are not as good as they could be.

Internal sales sabotage

It is possible to work for a bad company and or sell a bad product. It could even be that the company plays games. You may be lying to yourself about the situation. There may be the feeling that you don’t want to leave. You can create sales sabotage about the bad feelings you have in regards to the company. These feelings will build up and leak out to the buyer. You may not think they see or feel what it going on but they do.

You may hear the phrase show me the money and it could be more true than you think. If you have been bad with money or when through and emergency in your life you can hold too much personal debt. This debt can weigh on your mind and cause you stress. Most salespeople are not good with money management. It is easy to overspend when getting a huge commission check. It is also easy to develop bad habits while being in sales.  

One way salespeople get stuck internally comes down to comparing yourself to others. You don’t have all of the lie experiences that another salesperson does. There will be things you are great at and things you do not do well. Someone else is looking at you thinking the same thing when you are closing deals. You can get caught up in your head about how deals are sold by others and how much they are making. This has the ability to destroy you if you get too envious of what they are doing and making.   

If you don’t have good time management skills I is easy to let deadlines slip away and then lose deals. When you see a deal fall through the cracks it can be frustrating for sure. Instead of doing paperwork or closing deals you get caught up on the internet, on the phone, playing a game or any other task.  

It isn’t a sales call it’s a performance

You cant have the feeling of rejection if you have not done your job properly. Most salespeople do not understand you can have regret for not asking for the sake and not ever be rejected. Getting to the end of a sale knowing you did not do your job is a horrible feeling.

There are times where you want to blame others for deals not closing. If you blame everyone else for your problems there is no ownership. Without admitting there is an issue you will have a tough time getting to the next step in the world of sales. If you have a sales slump it is easy to blame others or want to.

Some people just hate their job

You may hate sales and don’t want to do it but you feel like you have to. You can have pressure from outside people or you really like the idea of being in sales. This is hard for some people to admit but sales may not be for you. There are plenty of reasons to be in sales and plenty of ways to learn how to sell. Deep down inside if you hate sales it may be tough for you to dig out of these feelings and emotions. It may be best for you to find a person or Doctor to talk to about your problems.

Scott Sylvan Bell

@scotsbell

#sales #closer #success #Sacramento #Podcast #Howtosellshow

This episode was recorded in Sacramento California  

HTSS46 - Why salespeople hate sales trainers - Scott Sylvan Bell

Why salespeople hate trainers explained

If you are around sales long enough you will hear people explain how much they hate sales trainers. There are quite a few reasons why sales trainers are disliked and dreaded to watch. Some of the reasons will make sense and others items may take a little explaining.

The roots of sales trainers

When salespeople look at most sales trainers there is an automatic disdain. The reason for this contempt of a sales trainer comes down to the problem where most sales trainers couldn’t sell so they switched up their game. To put this bluntly most sales trainer couldn’t close deals so they shifted to teach sales. Because the salesperson couldn’t close how could they teach salespeople how to be successful? There is a saying of “those who cant teach”

The process may work

There may be another problem and it is that the process being taught can only work for the salesperson teaching it. When salespeople see the training and see that it is personality based more then skills based the attention span is lost.  

It may even be the “sales trainer” has plenty of war stories but no real content. These stories are told over and over again as a way to build a legend.

Most of the time “sales trainers” use old school sales tactics that no long are effective. The closers in the room see the problems for what they are and the issues they create.

The entertainment aspect

Some companies look at the training process like entertainment for the employees. Every quarter a new sales trainer is brought in to entertain and the sales team picks through the content for high level information.  This turns into training soup for the salespeople. This confusion of a Frankenstein sales process leads to deals being lost. The salesperson cant get the process right and the trainer cant show why.

80/20 sales truths

Most salespeople are horrible and they will stay horrible. Companies typically bring trainers in for the 80% that will not train themselves. The closers are stuck in a room with salespeople who really don’t care about their future and are stuck in meetings while they could be closing deals. Most training is set for the lowest percentage of salespeople that will never make it. This burns out the salespeople who could be doing something else or working on their skills.  

Sales basics mastery is important but there is a point where redundant sales training gets old.  

These weak salespeople are unwilling to be uncomfortable and or are stuck their old ways.

The regret of sales performers

Salespeople who get stuck in sales meetings with weak sales trainers end up resenting the meetings they have to work through. The time could be better spent with a team that is going to actually do something with the content. Salespeople know they could be closing a deal instead of being stuck in a room with someone who doesn’t know how to sell.

Scott Sylvan Bell

@scottsbell

#sales #closer #success #Sacramento #Podcast #Howtosellshow

This episode was recorded in Sacramento California

HTSS45 - How other salespeople steal your deals - Scott Sylvan Bell

How other salespeople steal your deals every day

Other salespeople steals your deals in multiple ways. Some of the lost deals are on you and you must own it. Being in sales is tough, you have to have a thick skin. Being in sales for the long term is not for the weak.

When it comes down to is sales is not fair, it never will be. Its not you against everyone else, its you against you fist and you must understand this concept.

You do have to fight for position in the office and you also have to fight for deals out in the field. Some salespeople don’t want to believe how hard being on top is. Some salespeople don’t want to see that they have to work hard for deals or they will lose them. If you want to learn how to be a closer in sales you must see how your deals are stolen by others and when you let the deals be stolen.

Internal games for sales and how you lose deals

If you have a poor belief about your products and services it will be tough for you to close deals. Your buyer will feel when there are internal struggles with you. This sales sabotage may not be 100% visible but your buyer will feel it and give you objections.  

There are times where you have not mastered your skills and you are not prepared to be in sales presentations. Learning how to sell isn’t easy, This takes time, energy and effort to learn the sales process.

There is not place in sales to be lazy. Some salesperson at the top of their game will take your money. If you are lazy and give a weak presentation you will lose deals. When you mail it in or sand bag it count your commissions being lost.    

There is a saying and it is sell on price die poor. If you sell on price or you think people buy on price there will be some deals you close but there will be plenty of money you leave on the table. The money left on the table isn’t just the lost deals it is also commissions.

Once a product or service is sold you must be willing to go back and check on the client. There are times where salespeople lose reoccurring deals because they are lazy and will not get back into see a client. There are also lost deals that could be found through referrals and testimonials.  

The fortune is in the follow up and if you don’t use some sort of CRM or data base to keep track of potential deals and clients you will lose out.  

If you don’t market your services on your own and expect someone else to do all of the work for you there will be problems. Learning how to build a sales funnel is the minimum requirements for doing business at this point.  

External ways you lose deals from other salespeople

In the office there are thieves and take your leads and or ups. These salespeople are in every industry and service. This game of losing leads is something that happens and you have to fight for your position. If you say nothing or do nothing you will lose out on sales and position. You will be seen as weak by the sales team.

You will have people on your team and they play mind games and talk trash. These are the type of salespeople that get in your head so you lose deals. The hope is to pull you away from a lead that can be closed so they can be on top or stay on top.

It never fails that managers and salespeople build a team. These teams are used to cause problems and for protection. If the person is on a team they see you as a threat and go after you in overt and covert ways.  

Learning how to market is one of the best ways for you to stay relevant in sales. You competition will learn marketing and sales funnels and take leads right out form under you.  

Some salespeople are underhanded. They sabotage your deal and or jobs. This means they say or do things for the buyer so you cant close the deal if you are not on top of the games being played. They may find problems with your product and highlight them, they may show your price before you get there and they may even lie about what you have to offer.  

In the office there are internal issues. The people in your office complain about what you are doing and or how you work. These games cause problems for you if they are not stopped or if you get caught up in them. Part of these internal office issues come from spreading rumors

You can lose deals in sales and not even know it

There are multiple ways for you to lose deals in sales. You can have internal threats from yourself. You can also have external threats for coworkers or the competing salespeople. Whatever the case you must be prepared for the games that are played.

Scott Sylvan Bell

@scottsbell

#sales #closer #success #podcast #howtosellshow #Sacramento

This episode was recorded in Sacramento California

 

HTSS44 - How to unmotivate salespeople and lose deals - Scott Sylvan Bell

How to unmotivate salespeople

Your actions as a business owner or a manager can unmotivate the salespeople who work under you. There are times where these mistakes are made on accident and times where they could be helped. Salespeople who are not motivated tend to lose deals and sell at lower prices.

The management problem

When a salesperson has a bad manager it makes it tough to close deals for a motivational stand point. There are managers that salespeople will not have respect for since they really are not good at sales. When you find bad management to run a sales team there is sure to be problems.  

How salespeople are paid

The way salespeople are paid can get salespeople into the role of closing deals. When salespeople feel that they are not going to make what is owed to them they are not thinking about closing deals. If the mind of the salesperson wanders in the sales presentation there are chances there will be problems with the sale. If salespeople do not make what the rest of the industry makes it will be tough to attract top performers.

If the compensation plans are played with salespeople lose faith in a company and what will be done for them. When money is removed from checks or out of the commissions it causes problems as well. Everything a salesperson needs to think through besides the sale in a sales call causes long term problems for a company.

Painful actions in sales

Its tough enough to close deals, it is even tougher when ownership or management knit picks what they do.  There is a certain level of mental toughness that selling takes. There is also problems when salespeople have the office talk trash on them behind their backs.

The sales team

When ownership or sales managers do not side with salespeople when it needs to be done there is faith lost in protection. Some owners and managers will take the side of a buyer to not have to deal with them. It is important to protect those on a sales team.

Scott Sylvan Bell

@scottsbell

#sales #closer #success #podcast #howtosellshow #Sacramento

This episode was recorded in Sacramento California

HTSS43 - Traits of good sales managers - Scott Sylvan Bell

Ideas for managing salespeople better  

There are multiple ways to look at what a sales manager does. A good sales manager is an asset to not just the company but also the sales team. When you have a good sales manager you should pay attention to their traits.

Sales managers can either be good or bad. There are plenty of challenges with being a sales manager. Some of the challenges come from external issues and some of the problems come from internal drivers.

Top sales management skills and traits

One of the toughest things sales managers face is leading by example. To be good at managing it take leadership skills. These skills can be learned over time and most people do not have them naturally. A good sales manager will lead by example to the people who they work with and who work for them.

Salespeople love recognition  

One way to motivate the salespeople on a team is to congratulate them for good deeds. Public recognition is one of the greatest ways to build momentum for a sales team. Top salespeople love to brag just as much as regular salespeople. When a person can get in front of a team and thump their chest an internal drive may be created.

Giving the public recognition in front of a sales team mixed with the ability to express themselves in front of the group does help make a difference.

A well placed piece of recognition one on one goes a long way as well. This can be done face to face or over a call.  

Show me the money

Salespeople are also driven by money. A surprise bonus is one way to get the attention of the team. When its time for salespeople to get paid it is important to make sure they get their money. If a salesperson is worried about their commission in a sales presentation they will lose their focus on their client.

Making sure games are not played with money is one of the best ways to lead a sales team and show them they are safe in closing deals.

The greatest traits of a good sales manager

Let the team know they are safe to ask for help. New salespeople struggle out of fear they will look dumb so they don’t answer questions. It is important to squash ball busting when someone asks for help. If a salesperson is really struggling they can be brough in off time and not hold up a whole sales meeting.

Defend the sales team in front of others and make sure they see it or hear about it. Basketball coaches who get the Technical in front of the bench can rally the troops.   

Fighting for commissions when there is a gate keeper or bean counter trying to take their money shows you understand that their work is important.  

If you are privy to information it is beyond essential to hold confidences and not share what has been told.  

Answering the phone call, text message or email when a salesperson needs help can lead to more closed deals. This also means being willing to help close a deal in person, over the phone or through assistance.  

The training of sales representatives

If a sales team votes on the skills of a new sales representative after they are trained it can remove some friction. Test the new guy or girl in front of the team and let the team vote if they should get leads. This means you let the new sales representative role play as proof they belong. This is a way to get buy in the new sales representative is not chewing through leads that could have been sold by a better salesperson. (check your local laws for this event)

When you bring in good trainers that can actually help. When you push out bad trainers the team can see you understand what they go through.  

Limiting meetings that are unnecessary can also build moral on a team. There is no real money to be made from sitting through countless sales meetings. If a skill is being trained for that is a different story. All meetings should always work off an agenda even for outside trainers and vendors.  

 

How to have the tough conversation

A good sales manager will be able to have a conversation about any topic. When a salesperson gets a meeting schedule sent to them they already know there is trouble. It is important to have a tough conversations the right way. This means it is all about the conversation and talking through the problem. Yelling and screaming doesn’t work nearly as well as a conversation about expectations and how they were not met.

Tell the salespeople the problem and hold them accountable. One way to make this happen is to put the onus on the salesperson and make them come up with their game plan. If the plan doesn’t work modify it. The salesperson should sign off on what they agree to and understand timetables as well as what is expected of them.  

Get the poison out

The last thing you want from a salesperson is to walk out of a sales meeting and take out their problems on a new lead or a client. One of the ways to deal with the bad feelings after a meeting is to let the salesperson say what needs to be said and get everything off their chest. You will see a moment where there is a shift in the body language.

The permission to speak freely session allows the salesperson to walk out of a meeting and not complain to the rest of the sales team dragging them down as well.  

This is not the only list

This episode is not the end all be all of what it takes to be a good sales manager. There are plenty of other ways to help a sales team move forward.

Scott Sylvan Bell

@Scottsbell

#sales #closer #success #Sacramento #podcast #howtosellshow

This episode was recorded in Sacramento California

HTSS42 - Selling multiple items to one person - Scott Sylvan Bell

Sell to those that bought already

Most salespeople and companies chase after new clients through impression and clicks this is costly. One of the best ways to increase sales is selling to those who have made a purchase previously. The constant chase of impressions and clicks will lose clients over the long term.  

The world of marketing

When you look at direct marketing there is a phrase and it is recency, frequency and monetization (RFM). When you have a captive buyer it is best to keep selling to them as long as they need the product or service. Where companies go wrong is they don’t have an add on offer or products to sell after the first purchase.

Why you need to data mine

One of the best ways for you to look at what to sell next is to data mine purchases. You look at what people buy and how they buy it through some detective work. You do need to come up with a strategy to make this work. This means you take notes on what people buy and what they buy next in the series. You run specials just before the time frame of them buying the next item. This almost comes across like you are reading their mind.

What if you cant get the data?

There are times where you cant get the information that you need from a buyer for various reasons. You must think through a process to gather the information you need. It may be that you run a discount strategy offset by the cost of acquisition it would normally take to purchase a new client.  What kind of discount could be used instead of buying a new lead on the open market?

You can gather data points from your buyer as you talk to them in the buying process. Get emails from people, you will want to do the right thing and keep this legal, get permission where necessary. You can buy a list or you can learn how to build your own.  

Your observations matter

When you are in your sales process you will want to take detailed notes. What comes to mind is previous purchases and what will be purchased next even if it is your product. You can find ways to partner with people for before you sell and after you sell.  

Sell until they tell you no

One of the ways to increase your sales is to take the data you get and create packages that coincide with the purchase. It starts with you asking and getting used to the conversation of add on sales.  

Once you have made a sale your buyer has already reduced resistance. You have more items you could offer the buyer if it helps them.  Be smart about this and do not take advantage of people once they have bought from you.

Scott Sylvan Bell

@scottsbell

#sales #closer #success #podcast #howtosellshow #Sacramento

This episode was recorded in Sacramento

HTSS41 - In home sales jobs may be the hidden gem in sales - Scott Sylvan Bell

Why in home sales is a good career choice for the long term

Its surprising how many people look down on in home sales as a not real sales profession. For some reason outer salespeople do not thing that in home salespeople need the same skills don’t have to close deals.

The income for in home sales:

You may be surprised to find out most top salespeople make more than Drs and or Attorneys. It does not matter the trade, there is plenty of money in solar, roofing, plumbing, HVAC, remodeling and other skills. Most companies want you to make at least 100k per year.

In home sales benefits:

When you have in home sales basics mastery down you can move from city to city anywhere you want in the United States and even abroad.  

Most companies are looking to train if you are new and want to learn. It takes about 12 – 24 months to get good with the right training. There is a learning curve for the industry you chose. There are a few well known sales systems that have been pre built and will allow you to have some sort of sales structure.  

There is demand  

There is always a demand no matter the economy for most of these industries. If you know how to sell already it is easier to find a job. Once you learn one industry you can sell in others. You may even get recruited to work somewhere else.  

The bad when it comes to in home sales:

There are items that are negatives for sone people when it comes to in home sales.

There is the drive time and the travel that can cause problems .  

The hours that need to worked to get to The appointments. Some salespeople will refer to these crazy hours as difficult to deal with and balance family life.  

You deal with way shady salespeople in every industry but since there is no barrier to entry some of the people are downright scumbags.

Some salespeople get caught up in price and that is there go to move for selling.

Scott Sylvan Bell

@scottsbell

#sales #closer #success #podcast #howtosellshow

This episode was recorded in Sacramento

HTSS40 - How to communicate better with questions and stories - Scott Sylvan Bell

Questions and stories can be used for persuasion  

The ability for you to use questions and stories together in sales are the dynamic duo of persuasion. You will find that when you ask questions they make people think. The person does not have to answer the question but with silence they do have to run the answer in their head.

You can leverage asking questions to your advantage when you do it right. You have to be careful since  you are not arguing a case in front of a jury. The way that you ask the questions do matter. You have to learn how to use your pitch and tone as well as silence to help you persuade better.

When you are using questions to persuade you will want to pay attention so what you are asking does not become argumentative. The key for you is curiosity above all else. If you are asking questions to help someone through curiosity you can gather information other salespeople cant get.  

How to use questions to persuade others

One way for you to work through better questions is to take notes and pause an extra while when writing down the information.

You can use body language to your advantage by tilting your head foreward when asking a question and raising your eye brows.

The fortune is in the follow up

You will want to learn how to ask better questions than your competition. If you are asking the same things the conversation will get boring if you are one of the later salespeople to meet with the buyer.

The fortune is in the follow up is a saying you will hear in sales. The fortune for you is in the follow up questions you ask after asking the original question.  

You can use drama moves to find good follow up questions. Look at the high point of the drama to get both regular questions and follow up questions. When people talk to you also look for good questions they ask you and build a file of questions for you to modify latter.

There will need to be a few different types of questions to ask:

Situational questions: – If something happens what will you do? Has there ever been a time where that has not worked out?

Clarification questions: – Help me understand, I am a little confused, when you say that do you mean?

Reversing questions: I am not quite sure what you mean? Could you ask me that another way?

Where questions go wrong

There can be a problem with your question process when the timing is off. This means you are asking questions too quickly.

Your pitch and tone can be wrong and create a defensive position.

One of the worst ways to ask questions is where the answer is already known and it puts too much pressure on the buyer.

You go wrong by leading:

• You have to agree with me, so what is the answer
• What do you think about
• Don’t you agree

Stories can be used to persuade more effectively:

Stories when told well captivate people and can be told again to others.

When stores are told they have to have a point and relate to the buyer. If the story is off topic you will take your presentation off topic.

One of the greatest things about stories is that people can remember stories, especially the ones you want them to. When you think through your sales process you can use stories to evoke emotions.  

When telling stories pitch, tone and timing matter. Your buyer or client can be engaged better when you put the right inflections into what is happening.  

A story should have a problem that leads to a climax and a resolution that you have to offer that can benefit the buyer.

Problems with stories

If you tell stories with too many facts or too detail rich it creates problems. Stories that are tough to follow will miss the point for the buyer. Persuasion is simplicity and confusion will lead to objections.

Good stories will bypass the critical factor as long as they are not too over the top. If a story is too unbelievable your buyer may get caught up in thinking none of what you say is true.

Stories for objections:

You should have story for every common objection where the client won by using your services. When you take the time to look at your objections and what stories you can use there are great benefits:

• Your overcomeing of the objection is emotional
• Your story does not sound like everyone else
• The answers are more memorable

When possible you should practice stories and also listen to people tell stories. One of the best things you can do after you hear a story is to diagram them out and see if you can retell it better.  

A good story will have friction and one way to do this is start from the middle and crate curiosity. This curiosity should be about the tension in the story as well as the resolution.  

Learning how to ask good questions and even tell good stories takes time.

Scott Sylvan Bell

@scottsbell

#sales #closer #success #podcast #howtosellsow

This episode was recorded in Sacramento California

HTSS39 - If you are a closer you are the prize - Scott Sylvan Bell

If you are a closer you are the prize

One of the toughest conversations in sales is about commissions. Companies think that they have the leads and you are the beggar with nowhere to go. Hands down in the world of sales if you are a closer you are the prize and not the other way around.

When you look at the field of salespeople 80% of salespeople are not very good and 20% are the closers. The 80/20 rule in sales plays out in every industry and with every group of salespeople.  

At most on a team you will find that 35% of the sales team is good and the rest is poor at what they do. When you look at the math it plays out this way 80% - 15% = 35% of the world of sales is closers to getting good. 65% of salespeople are not what should be on a sales team.

The real problem the bottom performers:

Most salespeople are not very good and waste space in an office, this means they are a liability to the office. The real problem comes from the management and how they don’t know how to sell.  

Most sales managers came up in sales and were mid level or they couldn’t make it work in selling. These “sales managers” don’t know what to do or how to treat people especially the performers. In a way they are jealous of those who can close deals.

Companies sometimes don’t really want a sales manager, they want someone they can push around to get their way. Most of the sales managers are mice and not men, they toe the line for executives or owners

Some executives really want all of the control and don’t want the teams ran how the managers want them to be done

The real power is in closing deals

You have more power than you think when you are a closer. You have to look at the math it takes to work leads. If a salesperson runs 100 leads and can only close 30 of them they are a lesser salesperson than someone who can close 50 leads. A weak salesperson is a liability to a company. There is added costs for a company when they don’t have people who can close deals.

Only in sales are top salespeople not treated like the champion that they are.   

One of the worst things is when top salespeople are made to do “push ups” when the rest of the team cant close deals.

You have to be willing to have the conversation with ownership or management about the cost of being a better salesperson. You have the be prepared for them to tell you that is what you are paid for. You have to be able to counter their conversation with facts and knowledge

You need a game strong plan

There may be a time for you to look at leaving a company. You will be in a better position if you are ready to in case this happens. You should always have a back up plan, you must have people to talk to in case there is a problem.

Part of being prepared is to have a resume ready to go and updated. This is something you may need in case of a company downsizing or closing the doors. You don’t know if a company is solvent or if they will sell.  

One of the things salespeople do not think through is the requests they could have. You should have your list of 10 items that are your “wish list”  knowing these items can be negotiated.  

Be willing to walk away from a bad company or a bad deal. You may have a company come at you where they want to modify your compensation plan to save them money, you have to see what ploy this is as a realignment of a compensation plan is never to your benefit.

There are plenty of jobs out there for top salespeople. These jobs many not be in the industry you are in right now. Sales basics mastery is good for any product or any industry.

Your skills are needed somewhere and it isn’t always where you are working right now.

The 2 problems with closers

There are 2 problems when it comes to walking away:

1. You get caught up in your ego and go too far when your feelings get hurt
2. You jump from company to company too quickly. Walking from a job becomes easier with each interaction.

Scott Sylvan Bell

@scottsbell

#sales #closer #success #podcast #howtosell

This episode was recorded in Sacramento California