I came across a survey that I found very interesting and right on the money. The survey was run in several different parts of the country and even some parts of the world and the results were almost identical!

1) Follows Up on all Referrals. It seems to be a “no-brainer” to follow-up on referrals that are given to you but believe it or not this the number one reason we get more referrals. Don’t just receive a referral with a thank you but really follow-up on it. If you don’t get anywhere, contact the referral giver back and let them know what happened and ask for their help.
2) A Positive Attitude. Enthusiastic people and ones who look at the bright side before the dark are people others want to be around. Being positive is a trait that will help you look past things like, a soft economy, a new competitor and other walls that seem to be put up all around. The glasses you look through are up to you. Choose to be positive remember it is a choice.
3) A Good Listener/Asks Questions. There is a reason that you have 2 ears and one mouth, use proportionally. People bond with people that show a genuine interest in them. You show an interest by asking about them; their job, their family etc. It’s not about you, until it’s about them.
4) Trustworthy. Interestingly enough, people trust you when you show a genuine interest in them. Make sure you can go to bed at night knowing that you did the right thing. When you can say that, others will feel that as well. Trust comes from this concept.
5) Recognize and align yourself with others who you can give referrals to and understand the exchange of referrals and how it works, in other words, people who are good strategic alliances for you.

Keep these in mind and ask yourself, “Do I have all of these traits?”

Greta Schulz is Sales Consultant for Businesses and Entrepreneurs.
For more Sales Training Tips and Tools, please sign up for her free newsletter at http://SchulzBusiness.com or get more Free Sales Tips.com at http://FreeB2BSalesTips.com

Referrals, referrals, referrals…

Boy have I been getting a lot of questions about referrals!

- How do I get more referrals?
- Why would someone refer me? (good question)
- What’s the best way to get referrals?
- Don’t people get annoyed when I ask for a referral?

FOR THE LOVE OF MIKE, what is the big hang up with referrals?

Then it hit me…

I said to myself…”Self: They’re all thinking about it the wrong
way and they don’t know it.”

Your clients don’t refer you to do YOU a favor. They do it to make
themselves FEEL GOOD. It’s totally selfish.

Think about the last time you recommended a great restaurant to a
friend. You probably went on and on about how the edamame was
perfectly crisp and the pinot noir was especially smooth.

And you felt good inside because you were turning your friend on to
a great experience.

So…when you give great service and ask for referrals you give
your clients the opportunity to feel good. Why wouldn’t you want to
do that for each and every client?

As I outline in my popular 7 Deadly Marketing Sins e-book…there
are four reasons you’re not getting all the referrals you want:

1. You’re uncomfortable asking (hopefully I’ve destroyed that
mental barrier with the example above)

2. You don’t know how to ask. (the words you use make all the
difference)

3. You don’t know when to ask. Timing is everything. Too early and
you’re not proven…too late and they’ve lost the mood.

4. You don’t make asking for referrals part of your
marketing/selling/fulfillment system. i.e. A line item on the check
list of “103 Things we do for each and every client.”

Check out SteveGordonMarketing.com for more

Analysis: Basically, the prospect isn’t clear as to why she should see you. She’s been promised so much from so many over the years, but the results have typically been less than promised. You are viewed as an unwelcome intruder who must fight an uphill battle just to get the meeting.

Prescription: There are several things that you can do to give yourself an advantage. First, deal with the skepticism and doubt up front. Tell the prospect what you will not do. For example, “I will not waste your time making a bunch of promises about how my product can help your company. The fact is I’m not sure we can help you, but I’m calling you because many other companies like yours have found that our product has been a good fit for them. Do you think it would be worth 30 minutes of your time to evaluate something that has the potential to…(mention a pain you can fix or a benefit they might receive)? If at the end of the meeting you don’t think we have a fit, I’ll be on my way. Does that sound fair?” This can be done over the phone or even adapted to an email or a letter.

Another option is to tell them what they will learn by meeting with you. Make reference to a satisfied client who received measurable results from your product or service that are meaningful to this particular prospect. “At the very least, you’ll find out just how people in your business are successfully dealing with…and you’ll learn some realistic options to change how you …”

Remember, no one likes the typical sales BS and no one likes surprises. Be up front and tell it like it is, then deliver on your promises.

Lack of a sales process for your sales team means that there is no real plan when approaching, communicating, or working with a potential client. A great number of sales people feel that having a process is not necessary. They assume that their personality and getting the prospect to like them is all that it will take to close the sale. Years ago that may have been true. But today, we are in a much more sophisticated and fast paced sales environment. Yes, relationship building is an essential part of getting and closing business, but there is much more involved than just “warm and fuzzies.”

You should understand and use a process when selling. A process will not only help you close more business, but better, more appropriate business. Selling cycles can be long because we often allow them to be. Having a process for doing business is taking control of the business, not the prospect dictating how it will work. The system is really a better, up front and honest communication process. There are typically steps involved in this process. The steps are merely guidelines for you to inject your own personality and style.

Obviously referrals are the best way to get business. Most people approach referrals as a reactive condition. In other words, if it happens, they follow up on it. It is important to establish a process for getting more referrals proactively, so you can count on them as a part of your overall strategy.

A sales process is important to establish because it allows you to be in control, you can set realistic goals and achieve them, and you always know what’s next in the process when you’re with a prospect.

A process consists of things like getting past the gate keeper, turning introductions into appointments, consistently getting to the “real issue,” and having a clear next step for the salesperson and prospect. If your company is unable to utilize a sales process, your team will normally fall into the “let me think it over” cycle. More than likely, when a prospect says they want to “think it over,” your sales team will feel compelled to give some free consulting. Often organizations salespeople will spend an inordinate amount of time putting together elaborate proposals or presentations that will not result in sales. This is also what happens when they have lots in their sales funnel but very little actually closes and results in a sale.

The following data is based on research findings conducted by Nightingale Conant in conjunction with other sales and learning specialists. 2,663 sales organizations took part in the survey. This survey was originally published to help Sales Directors understand the issues that prevent optimum sales performance results.

ISSUE 5 – NOT HAVING THE RIGHT MANAGEMENT PROCESSES IN PLACE
Explanation: Your managers aren’t managing properly.

Reasoning: Maybe you have the wrong person in the sales manager position. Just because John Smith was your sales superstar, doesn’t mean he can wear the “management hat.” The skills required to manage, mentor, and develop a sales team are totally different from those required for selling effectively.

The other thing that seems to be contributing to this issue is that as a whole, sales managers don’t feel they have sufficient time to train and develop their people. This means the sales people are all pursuing success individually in their own way. Remember, your sales force is an asset, not a liability. Investing time to train and coach them properly will only help that asset grow.

ISSUE 4 – FAILING TO FOCUS ON THE ACTIVITIES OF SALESPEOPLE
Explanation: Your salespeople either don’t have enough activities or not enough in the right areas.

Reasoning: A common reason for this issue is simply not putting in the man-hours. Many salespeople just aren’t doing enough; not making enough calls, not setting enough appointments, not enough networking. Not only that, but most salespeople have a hard time indentifying people who have a legitimate need for their product/service (a TRUE prospect). Without a way to determine the difference between a suspect and a prospect, sales people end up wasting their time on someone who isn’t ever going to buy from them. Also, salespeople often find themselves caught up tending to tasks from existing clients instead of using that time to build new ones.

ISSUE 3 – LACK OF ESSENTIAL SKILLS
Explanation: Your sales team lacks the raw knowledge to sell effectively.

Reasoning: In the ‘good ole days,’ companies like Hewlett Packard and IBM put their sales people through an extensive 12-18 month training program. Now, sales people are lucky to get a half-day training; and more often than not, it’s based primarily on product knowledge. So how can we expect top results out of our sales people if we as business owners provide less upfront training to develop their skills?!

ISSUE 2 – LACK OF ONGOING REINFORCEMENT
Explanation: Your salespeople aren’t getting the “continuing education” they need.

Reasoning: Adults learn through repetition. Even if there is an “initial training program,” there’s a very high probability that the skills learned will fade away over time without reinforcing them. We’re human; it’s not uncommon to pick up bad habits and fall back in to our “comfort zone.” More importantly, sales strategies and technology is changing so rapidly, it’s become imperative to reinvent your approach and sales strategy in order to stay on top of your game.

ISSUE 1 – A POORLY DEFINED SALES PROCESS
Explanation: Your salespeople have no process to follow.

Reasoning: Even companies that have a top-of-the-line product know that the product won’t sell itself. At the very least, companies need experienced salespeople who understand their product and have a feel for the market that needs it. But even with all of those fundamentals in place, you’re still not guaranteed sales. Though many organizations know the significance of the term “the customer is most important,” just referring to a general “consultative approach” with no clear and formal process will get you nowhere.

If you recognize some of these issues in your sales force you are certainly not alone. You have probably cut down your sales force to the minimum anyway. So have you kept the best people? If so, spend time to train and manage them properly to get the most out f them. If you don’t have an ace team, go out and get one and make them the best they can be. Now is the time.