Listen to the Customer

Blessed with the "gift of gab" are you? That's nice. But true sales professionals know that before they start gabbing to customers about their product features or anything else, they need to listen to what the customer has to say - and demonstrate that they're paying attention.

Customers won't buy from you if they don't like you, trust you or respect you. And they are far more likely to buy when you can position your product or service as a solution to what they perceive as an important need. Listening is the key sales skill that allows you to earn customer's trust and uncover their needs at the same time.

Customers care more that you understand their needs than that they understand your products.

Who decides whether you're a good listener? The customer does. And since customers can't read your mind, they can only judge by the behavior you show them. Here are five primary indicators that determine whether customers will perceive you as a good listener:

What kind of questions do you ask? Open-ended questions (as opposed to "yes" or "no" questions) encourage the customer to talk. That must happen before you can listen. Most salespeople ask far too few open-ended questions.

How do you demonstrate your interest? Focus your questions on the customer's interests, not your own. Why are you talking about your golf game if this person doesn't play?

Do you take notes? If you're so interested in what the customer is saying, why wouldn't you take notes?

Do you summarize what you hear? If you think you have uncovered an important need, restate it to check your understanding. This not only wards off confusion, it shows that you're paying attention.

Do you use what you've heard in your presentation? Your product pitch comes after you've listened, not before. And when you make your presentation, every feature and benefit you discuss should be tied to a need you uncovered by asking questions. That is the true test - and the true payoff - of your listening skills.

Customers won't buy your products unless they first "buy" you. And no matter how charismatic you think you are, you can't sell yourself to people who think you aren't paying attention to their concerns. Never mind being interesting. Be interested.

In The Field:

A sales representative for an electrical-equipment company landed a $77,000 order thanks to the listening skills he learned with the Action Selling Sales Training Program.

On a call to an electrical contractor, the sales rep used open-ended questions to uncover the key needs driving the purchasing decision: The contractor needed to buy supplies at a price point that wouldn't exceed the amount he had quoted for materials on a particular job, and he needed to buy them fast. The sales rep listened carefully, restated the needs to check his understanding and quickly submitted a bid tailored to those very requirements. It's hardly surprising that his was the winning bid.

Differentiate on How You Sell - Not What You Sell

Kelly has asked me to explain our experience in sales training within the computer industry. I was an IBM Business Partner in the 80's. I owned a company (Currentech) that was one of the top 25 IBM Resellers in the US. Currentech was founded in 1982, a pivotal year in the industry as IBM had just announced its first PC. IBM decided to authorize over 2,000 dealers nationwide. I had 40 competitors in my backyard (Minneapolis). Most were significantly larger and better financed. Large competitors bought IBM products at C level while I bought at B Level (a 7% higher price).

Survival meant growing faster than others in order to achieve and maintain C Level. We sold the same "boxes" and similar "value added" services. Fortunately, for me and Currentech, I decided that we needed to find a way to differentiate from the competition around something other than our products and services.

I decided that we would have "The Best Trained Sales Force in the Computer Products Business." We would not differentiate around "what" we sold. We would differentiate around "how" we sold. We began a rigorous training schedule focused on developing our selling skills.

Within months we were outselling our competition up and down the streets of Minneapolis/St. Paul. We gobbled up nearly every large account. Our growth was 6 times the industry average.

Obviously, we had to do many things right to have this experience. But, after selling the company in 1989, I looked back on what allowed us to experience the success that we had. The single most important thing that we did was the training of our sales force on selling skills. In 1990, I decided to document what we had done and package it so other companies could develop their selling differential like Currentech had done.

The result is Action Selling. During the past 16 years, The Sales Board has been developing and enhancing this important sales training product. Today, it is the best sales training program in the world. Does it fit the needs of the computer industry? Absolutely! Will it allow you to grow faster than your competitors? If you implement Action Selling based on our training methodology, I guarantee it.

Best of luck to you, Steve. You are connected to a great Sales Executive in Kelly Sherer. She won't steer you wrong.

Good Action Selling!

Duane Sparks
Chairman, The Sales Board
Author of Action Selling
Read my newest book Questions: The Answer to Sales.
Available at The Sales Board Sales Training Site

Effective Sales Training Program in Action

If you are in a commodity business, competing with rivals who sell on price alone, it is especially vital to tell your customers a powerful “company story” that explains why they should do business with you. For National Camera Exchange, which competes in the commodity-oriented business of photographic equipment, differentiating itself from the myriad of price-only suppliers is a daily challenge.

National Camera’s added-value proposition lies in the expertise and consulting skills of its sales force. Its equation for success or failure is simple: If the story of that consulting capability isn’t told effectively, the company loses to lower-priced competitors. Sales and training manager Sean Morgan says that the Action Selling Sales Training Program made a world of difference.

“Since more of our salespeople are telling our company story, we are posting higher numbers, and they look less like a roller coaster,” Morgan said. “When the customer needs an education on camera equipment, it is critical to sales success to show them how National Camera is a good match for their needs.”

Sales Training Program - n The Field

A sales representative for an electrical-equipment company landed a $77,000 order thanks to the listening skills he picked up in an Action Selling™ workshop.

On a call to an electrical contractor, the sales rep used open-ended sales questions to uncover the key needs driving the purchasing decision: The contractor needed to buy supplies at a price point that wouldn't exceed the amount he had quoted for materials on a particular job, and he needed to buy them fast. The sales rep listened carefully, restated the needs to check his understanding and quickly submitted a bid tailored to those very requirements. It's hardly surprising that his was the winning bid.

Sales Training Success Story

Brian:
I thought you would appreciate some feedback from my first week’s experience with Action Selling! This is a bit long but I am so darned excited and enthusiastic about this that I have to get it off my chest!

In a nutshell Brian I can summarize in a few short words ‘AWESOME”, ‘INCREDIBLE’ and ‘FANTASTIC’. Over my 40 year working career I have taken many, many courses. But let me tell you, this is the first one that truly delivers immediate results when applied! I have been astonished this week at how fast I got results! The following is a sample of some highlights from this week.

Automotive Solutions
By asking questions and more questions and planting ideas I uncovered a need for a Smoke Machine. Long and short of it I sold him an EVAP222 plus the fluid to go with it!
I also gained an agreement to take the owner to visit my Tech-Net customer (Byron Auto) where we learned of other equipment needs. Today I quoted him on four more pieces of equipment: Motorvac Oil Clean, Carbon Clean and Coolant Changer (approx $10,000).
Unbelievable results that I cannot take credit for! I must give the credit to Action Selling and asking questions! It works!

Brake Kits
I sold 10 brake kits in total this week to the following shops; Jim’s Service, Automotive Solutions, West End Auto Care, Byron Auto, Hanford, McEwen/Hartley, Nationwide Tire. I got these because now I am Asking for the Commitment!
Fordham Truck
This is a fleet service center. In addition to getting them to set up an account, I determined they also do complete engine overhauls. I got their commitment to use our machine shop for machine shop work!

Kenworth
I've been working this account for the last couple of months trying to get their machine shop work. But this time I went in with a Commitment objective to get them to commit to using us. …… and guess what ….. by presenting our solution and asking for commitment….. he said “I WILL COMMIT TO USE CARQUEST MACHINE SHOP ON MY NEXT CYLINDER HEAD”.
This will be both a new account for us and a new Machine shop customer! Awesome stuff this ACTION SELLING! ….. much faster results and shorter lead times!

Nationwide Tire
The service manager was not happy with us on a previous situation. I've tried several times to overcome his resistance. This time using Action Selling and asking lots of questions I regained the account!
He asked us to build an engine for his race car!

Lambeth Service Center
This account I got set up a couple months ago and have been trying to get them to buy from us. They are a staunch CWS user for 25 years.
When I called this time I had a Commitment Objective to get their next order.
I asked why they haven't tried us yet. I learned he has called a couple of times and our prices were extremely higher! My questions determined that when he called he didn't identify himself by shop name and was given Cash 1 pricing!
When I explained it, I told him that this is a positive as it proves that CARQUEST does not sell to cash customers at his Dealer prices! Basically if we can't identify you as a dealer, you don't get dealer pricing! He was quite impressed!
I asked him for their next order…….. HE SAID YES! … Awesome!

Teeple Tire (Goodyear)
This is another new account I visited twice this week.
The first visit I sold them on Labor Estimator for their Fastlink! On today’s visit I got them to call us for a $300 fuel pump!
Conclusion

This is only a sampling. There are more. My main message Brian, is that I am a believer in the ACTION SELLING process! One week has shown me the power in it’s application. THE ACTION SELLING PROCESS MADE SALES FOR ME.
I love ACTION SELLING. It is fantastic!!!!!
Hope this helps other Sales Pros become believers too……..Mal

Sales Training

Hello Fellow Salespeople!

Recent research shows that nearly 80% of salespeople do not understand what their primary purpose is. Your principle mission is to Gain Commitment. The confusion stems from the variety of tasks we as salespeople are asked to perform. The end result is that 62% of salespeople make calls where there is no attempt at Gaining Commitment.

One of the most important reasons why this occurs is most salespeople do not establish what we call a Commitment Objective for every sales call. This is the number one mistake that all salespeople make. Well, it's time to change that! Do yourself a favor and invest some time in your professional sales development...you owe it to your career.

Good Action Selling!

Sales People Gaining Commitment

Our recent research shows that nearly 80% of salespeople do not understand what their primary purpose is. Your principle mission is to Gain Commitment. The confusion stems from the variety of tasks we as salespeople are asked to perform. The end result is that 62% of salespeople make calls where there is no attempt at Gaining Commitment.

One of the most important reasons why this occurs is most salespeople do not establish what we call a Commitment Objective for every sales call. This is the number one mistake that all salespeople make. Well, it's time to change that!

Commitment Objective: A goal we set for ourselves to gain agreement from the customer that moves the sales process forward.

No sales call should ever be made without a Commitment Objective. If you do not have a Commitment Objective firmly planted in your mind, you will wind up being one of those 62% that don't Ask for Commitment.

Contact us to learn more about helping you Gain Commitment.

Sales Training Programs

The Action Selling Sales Training Program

"This sales training program will significantly change your perception of selling, increase your sales and improve your team's success."

Action Selling is a sales management process that combines the Five Critical Sales Skills with relationship skills into a high-impact, non-manipulative procedure that is guaranteed to be effective for virtually any sales application.

With the experience of training and certifying over 200,000 salespeople in more than 2,000 organizations, The Sales Board staff, the Action Selling Certified Sales Training Program and the Action Selling Sales Books will help you close more sales, make more money and bring about dynamic change within your sales organization.