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Smart Sales Call Questions

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Management guru Peter Drucker famously noted that in order to get the right answers,  it is first necessary to ask the right questions.  Whether the subject is love or money,  many of us do not ask direct clarifying questions because we are afraid of the answer.  It takes courage,  sometimes,  to hear the truth.  But in the end,  only the truth is useful. 

I recently found this list of sales call questions and they are a little scary because they cut right to the heart of a prospect’s motive and let you know what is real and what is not.   I vow to pose these questions in my next sales call because it is far better to know  what I’m dealing with.  Time is much too valuable to waste trying to wrestle an assignment out of a prospect who does not have the means or real motive to hire me.  Write these down and post them at eye level:

1.  In terms of time,  money and/or risk,  what business problem will working with me solve for your organization?

You’ll learn the reason the project is out for hire and assess your ability to do the job.  You’ll  learn whether or not there really is a project,  or if the prospect is merely checking out available talent.  Maybe the prospect only wants to compare the Freelancer they usually use to who else is out there?  If there is not a genuine problem to resolve with a timeline and budget attached,  then your prospect is only window-shopping and there is no contract here.

2.  How will you measure success 60 days after we begin working together?

The answer clarifies the goals and objectives you must meet if you win the assignment and also identifies the metrics that will be used to measure your progress as you work.  You’ll confirm that milestones and metrics have been set for the project and that it is real.  The prospect’s  seriousness and sincerity  (or lack thereof)  will be demonstrated in the response.  You will understand how you will approach the project and reconfirm whether you can meet expectations.

3.  How much better does my  “better”  have to be for you to bring me in on this project?

The prospect’s answer will reveal if he/she knows what they’re looking for in terms of whom to hire as a Freelancer.  Are the expectations reasonable in your opinion and do you have the wherewithal to meet them? Might you have to call in a subcontractor to meet a special demand or timeline?  You can assess the level of interest in your services and determine if you are a contender or merely filling out a list that must contain a certain number of names.

4.  How soon do you need to see progress or improvement for you to know that you’ve made the right decision in hiring me for the project?

Once again,  the prospect will show that he/she has thought things through,  has established clear and reasonable goals,  objectives,  timeline and metrics and recognizes success.  You’ll have another means to confirm that the project is real and there is something for you to pursue.

5.  What process will you follow in bringing me on as a provider of this service?

Process questions reveal how far ahead your prospect is thinking.  This question will demand that the prospect envision hiring you and think through what must be done to bring you on.  What budget is available and who else must sign off on your hire? If your prospect has only a fuzzy answer to this question,  then he/she may not have the authority to hire you.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

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Your Sales Pitch and What the Client Thinks About It

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Selling is a huge part of a Freelancer’s job,  because we don’t survive if we don’t sell someone on the idea of hiring us.   In other words,  a Freelance consultant is a salesperson first and foremost,  regardless of the services we provide.   We must keep our selling skills razor-sharp and be forever mindful of what a prospective client needs and wants.

Before you waste time making some grandiose presentation in your next prospective client meeting,   put yourself into the shoes of the person or team you’re trying to sell.   Because you’re in business too,  you know that every day  (or so it seems)  someone is trying to sell you something that you probably don’t need.

Take this reality test first.   Whenever you buy or sell anything,  ask yourself  these three questions,  which will be approached from your personal point of view when buying and from your prospect’s point of view when selling:

1.   What do I need this for?

2.   Why do I need yours?

3.   Why do I need it now?

These are simple and uncomplicated questions,  but they’re not always easy to answer.   When you can convincingly address these questions from the client’s perspective,   I guarantee that you’ll be able to sell them  (assuming that they have the budget).   This exercise forces us to a deeper,  less self-absorbed way of thinking about what we sell and how we sell it and will  result in a more effective sales presentation.

The first question,  “Why do I need this?”  forces the seller to expertly define the value proposition.   In the pre-sales meeting discussion,  ask questions that will help you understand why you’re being invited to meet with this prospect,  what the pressing needs and hot buttons are and what the client may be worried about.

Understand the objectives and how whatever it is you do fits into the big picture.   Begin to understand how what you offer can successfully achieve those objectives and ensure realization of the big picture goal.   Then,  figure out how to express the value of what you bring in language the client will understand.

The second question,   “Why do I need yours?”  is when the seller describes the unique differentiators,  the competitive advantages.  What would make the prospect pay you to supply this product or service?   Here is where we describe that which sets us apart,  why we’re better than the rest,  why it makes sense to go with us.  Answers to this question are formed in bullet points.   They are crisp and clear,  easy to express and remember.

The last question,   “Why do I need it now?”  is the most important of the three.   Here is where the seller states the most compelling  drivers—the need,  pain,  opportunity,  event,  etc.,  that will cause the prospect to make the decision to use your product or service and commence the buying process immediately and not at some yet-to-be-determined point in the future.

This question makes us think seriously about prime motivators and how to eloquently and succinctly express them to the prospect and make him/her want to do the deal right now.   Is the need for your product or service an immediate priority?

If you’ve taken the initiative to approach the client rather that the other way around,  you may find that you’re ahead of the curve,  that you’re presenting a course of action that the prospect isn’t prepared to take,  that he/she hasn’t yet bought into.  If that is the case,  you will have a long market education cycle ahead of you and may well end up empty-handed.   Conversely,  you may learn that you’re too late and the need for your solution has passed.

Nevertheless,   however you mange to get yourself in front of a prospect,   answering these three questions first will serve you well every time.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

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Challenge B2B Sales Assumptions

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A new hypothesis on how to succeed in B2B sales has exploded onto the scene and Freelance consultants had better take notice.  “The Challenge Sale”  (2011),  written by Brent Adamson and Matthew Dixon,  has turned received sales wisdom onto its head.  According to the authors there’s no such thing as Santa Claus,  the Easter Bunny is dead and relationships don’t mean much  when you’re trying to make a sale.

These  startling findings are based on extensive research.  Adamson and Dixon studied 700 sales professionals and then followed up with a global analysis of 6,000 sales people who make their living in complex B2B sales.  They first identified five selling styles:

The Hard Worker                      self-motivated;  goes the extra mile,  won’t give up easily

The Problem-solver                focuses on service issues;  detail-oriented;  excellent with post-sale follow-up

The Relationship-builder      very customer-focused;  generous with time and attention

The Lone Wolf                            self-assured,  follows his/her own instincts

The Challenger                           has a different perspective;  understands the client and his/her business;  loves to debate

When it comes to B2B sales,  Challengers blow everyone else out of the water.  According to the data,  40%  of top-performing B2B sales reps are Challengers.  A mere 7%  of Relationship-builders can claim that distinction.  How do Challengers do it?  They display six game-changing attributes and trying to be the client’s friend ain’t one of them:

1.  Offers the client unexpected options on how to get the job done

2.  Has strong interactive communication skills

3.  Knows the client’s value drivers

4.  Knows the organization’s economic drivers

5.  Comfortable discussing money

6.  Willing and able to pressure the client

The wily Challengers mix these attributes well and have come up with this recipe for the sales-winning cake they bake:

Teach for differentiation

About 53%  of what drives B2B purchase decisions  (like the awarding of project contracts)  is the Freelancer’s /salesperson’s ability to teach prospective clients something new,  to challenge their usual way of thinking,  the standard approach.  Challengers persuasively deliver information and methods that lead clients to see their situation in a new light that  (they think)  will help them improve competitive positioning,  make money,  save money or do whatever it is that they want to do,  all in a way they didn’t know was possible.

Tailor for differentiation

To win a contract today,  the Freelance consultant often has to build consensus and win over a group of stakeholders who have varying amounts of influence on the hiring process.  Job-seekers grapple with this reality also,  as they face down search committees that now control the hiring for nearly every position, no matter how lowly. 

Adamson’s and Dixon’s research shows that Challengers respond to this environment by treating each stakeholder as an individual client,  learning how each one’s role fits into the organization and tailoring a sales pitch specifically to that role and its attached priorities.

Take control of the sale

As our ailing economy drags on,  the authors estimate that 80%  of business is lost to no decision at all.  No,  it’s not your imagination.  Most sales  (or proposed projects)  really do just die on the table for lack of client follow-through.   When it comes to complex buying decisions,  clients have become paralyzingly risk-averse.  Many economists and business experts have pointed out that this practice does organizations more harm than good,  but there it is.  

Furthermore,   Freelance consultants also know that many,  if not most,  clients use the ailing economy as a pretext to get our expert labor on the cheap,  always scheming to wheedle a discount out of us when a contract does get offered.  Challengers are  not swayed by this tactic.

Rather,  s/he sidesteps requests for price cuts and re-directs focus away from price and onto the value of the product/service.   Challengers know that a solid value proposition makes clients more willing to pay a premium.   S/he sells their service’s  (or their product’s)  unique ability to meet or exceed expectations,  meet crucial deadlines,  solve a difficult problem,  or save/ make money for the organization.

Adamson and Dixon claim that the combination of teaching,  tailoring and taking control draws on constructive tension throughout the sales process.  Challengers teach clients how to build consensus for the sale  (project)  by engaging the right stakeholders with the right message.  They don’t cave in to pressure to cut their price.   Moreover,   they do it all in a respectful,  never aggressive manner.   Are you ready to Challenge?

Thanks for reading,

Kim

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Probability Prospects

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You’ve just been introduced to a person who was not only happy to meet you because you have the chops to take on a hot project that’s on his/her radar screen,  but also has the authority to green-light your hire.  Oh, happy day!  You’re thrilled to do the card exchange as your newest prospect asks you to make contact so that the two of you can talk specifics.  You can almost taste the billable hours,  but how excited should you be?  Statistical probability can help you put a dollar value on your happiness quotient.

I found this intriguing formula that uses sales outcomes historical data and probability that allows you to calculate the expected value of your next prospect.  As has been noted in numerous posts and no doubt reflected in your own experience,  there is a randomness to networking and Freelance consulting.  In our effort to bring much-desired predictability and financial security to our lives,  the Freelancer’s  (and all salesperson’s)  objective is to control variables,  positively impact outcomes and therefore win more projects and generate more revenue.

Let’s say you’re talking to a prospective client about a project that you estimate should be worth $10,000.00.  The operative word is should.  $10K is the potential value and not the real value until and unless one is awarded the project.  If you don’t win the project,  then it’s worth zero.

Your project’s worth is impacted by the probability of successful close.  The following formula allows you to calculate the potential value of the prospect and the project throughout the various stages of the sales process.  Both the steps in the sales process and the values assigned at each step in the process are based on historical data provided by a large corporate sales force.  To refine the accuracy,  identify the steps in your usual sales process and record your sales success rates at each stage of your sales process.

I.     Identify the steps in your sales process

  •      Invitation to meet and discuss the project
  •      Initial appointment / discussion of of needs and benefits
  •      Verbal proposal / assessment of needs and benefits
  •      Invitation to submit written proposal

II.    Determine the probability of a successful outcome at each step

  •       Invitation to discuss project                                                      2%  success probability
  •       Initial appointment / discussion of of needs                       8%  success probability
  •       Verbal proposal/ assessment of needs and benefits      25%  success probability
  •       Invitation to submit written proposal                                 65%  success probability

III.   Calculate the dollar value at each point of the sale for a proposed $10K  project

  •        Invitation to discuss project                                                     $   200.00
  •        Initial appointment / discussion of needs                           $   800.00
  •        Verbal proposal / assessment of needs and benefits      $2,500.00
  •        Invitation to submit written proposal                                  $6,500.00

The key to customizing the outcomes probability formula for your business is keeping detailed records of  sales presentations from which to compile your statistics.   In other words,  here is yet another reason to document your business transactions so that reliable data will be there to guide business planning.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

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Sales and Networking Resolutions for 2012

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Welcome back for the final installment of New Year’s resolutions.  To keep yourself motivated to do what you resolve to do,  be aware that the key to success with any resolution,  personal or business,  is willpower.  Once you’ve set your goal,  then it’s all about execution.  Willpower—call it commitment or perseverance if you like— is the x-factor that most often separates winners from losers  (although good luck helps, too!).

Invite success by instituting systems that will keep you on your path.  Always develop strategies and an action plan for each resolution/goal.  Write up your resolutions and action plan timetable and tape it to your office wall.  Enter action plan activities and tasks into your calendar.  Attach notes to your file cabinet or refrigerator.  Reward yourself when key milestones are reached.

Resolve to network with purpose

A colleague named Lisa is very proud of her networking schedule.  She brags about attending five or six events every week.  The girl is everywhere.  A colleague named Erika is out and about less often.  She attends an event about once a month and works on getting to know the right people and building relationships over time.

So which Freelance consultant has the better reputation and bigger billable hours?  Erika does,  by far.  She works with name brand clients and she always seems to have a job in  (or has just completed or is about to start).  The last time Lisa and I spoke,  she told me that she hadn’t had a client in about six months.   So what’s up? Apparently,  Erika has figured out a networking strategy and activities that bring opportunities.  Lisa’s  “networking strategy”  seems to leave her with nothing but a bar tab and a tax write-off for event admission charges.

It’s interesting,  because it was Lisa who schooled me on the importance of having a networking agenda:

  • Get a client
  • Get a referral
  • Get information

Unfortunately,  the girl does not follow her own advice well enough.  While it’s advantageous to have a presence among peers and potential clients and also check out a fresh venue now and again,  it’s more important to know who will be in the room and understand why you should spend time and money to be there.

Swanning around town is not a viable networking strategy.  The process obviously is random and we never know when and where our next good client will appear—maybe in Pilates class?—but you still need to institute a system and go fishing where the fish you can catch will be.  Review your networking strategy and its ROI.   How did it contribute to your sales pipeline and what was your conversion rate?  Which events might you add or delete?

Take time also to refine the verbal package that is your elevator pitch.  Are you communicating the right info about your talents and services that grabs the attention and respect of potential clients? Do you know what their hot-button issues will be in 2012?

Resolve to show more than tell

Clients want relevant information about your services and how they will drive objectives.  They need to be assured that bringing you in on a project will make them look smart to both subordinates and superiors.

Rather than just droning on about how wonderful you are,  show prospective clients what you can do for them.  Set up this process by doing some research on the organization and its mission and customers.  Get a working knowledge of how your expertise will be useful.

If possible,  tell a story of a similar project you’ve successfully worked on,  to paint a picture that helps the client visualize how what you do fits with their needs.  With that approach,  you may even be positioned to up-sell services they didn’t know they wanted.  Present yourself as a trusted resource who is there to promote the client’s interests.

Good luck with your resolutions and thanks for reading,

Kim

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Make the Most of Prospect Meetings

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Lucky you!  You networked your way into a meeting with a prospective client.  Now make sure you don’t blow the sale.  Here’s a sales meeting checklist that will help you prevail:

1.     Do your homework.  Beyond the information about the prospect’s needs and priorities that you learned in early conversations,  be sure to supplement client info with a visit to the company website.  Familiarize yourself with products and services,  identify benefits that your services are positioned to bring and formulate the value proposition you will articulate in the meeting.  While on the website,  check out the CEO and other top officers.  If it’s a not-for-profit group,  check out who’s on the board. Perhaps you know or have done business with a VIP?  Finally,  do an internet search and read any articles that have been written about the organization in the last 12 – 18 months.

2.     Set realistic objectives for your meeting.  At the minimum,  verify your understanding of the prospect’s need for your services and learn if there is an upcoming project for which you may be considered.  If a project has been scheduled,  inquire about the timetable and what you must do to obtain the contract (like submit a proposal).  Further,  it’s also wise to  inquire as to whether others will be invited to submit proposals,  so you’ll know the competitive landscape and know how hard you’ll have to work to land the assignment.

3.     Have the right presentation materials.  Have color-coordinated,  good quality printed collaterals that communicate not only the necessary information that a client will need to evaluate your products and services but also a professional image that will reinforce your brand and sell for you after the meeting ends.  If you’ll present a Power Point,  make sure your slides are easy to read,  clear,  concise and relevant.

4.     Rehearse your presentation.  If possible,  videotape yourself as you practice using your printed materials and/or Power Points,  to perfect your pacing and make sure your tone is appropriately upbeat.  Moreover,  be sure to anticipate questions and/or objections and practice answers that will reassure your prospect.

5.     Notice your surroundings.  Are there golf or tennis trophies in the office,  or good art on the walls?  If you can comfortably weave in an element or two,  it will be a good way to personalize your presentation and acknowledge and validate accomplishments or items of which your prospect is obviously proud.

6.     Notice your prospect.  Does your prospect appear to be paying attention to you?  Are there smiles and nods of agreement,  or a bored look,  or even a scowl on the face?  If it’s the latter two,  then you must stop and ask your prospect to tell what he/she finds troubling,  because you clearly have an objection to resolve and you’re nowhere until you do that satisfactorily.

7.     Ask qualifying questions.  Make your presentation a conversation and not a monologue.  Ask questions along the way to discover and confirm your prospect’s needs and listen to the answers.  Incorporate those answers into the rest of your presentation.  Remember to confirm that your prospect is the real decision-maker:  “Are you the person who will make the final decision?”

8.     Present case studies.  Case studies demonstrate the ways in which you can successfully meet client needs.  Prepare two or three that you can discuss and in the process,  build confidence in your capabilities.  Case studies are also a wonderful way to position yourself against competitors.

9.     Summarize your key points.  Place special emphasis on issues that are dear to your prospect,  as revealed in the answers to the qualifying questions you asked earlier on.

10.    Take action.  Ask for the business!  “I’d like to work with you.  Have I answered all your questions and put any reservations you might have to rest?  Do you feel ready to move forward?  When can we get started?”

Thanks for reading,

Kim

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No More Self-Sabotage

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You’ve got the expertise and the enthusiasm.  You may have a few key relationships.  But for some annoying and worrisome reason,  your Freelance consulting practice is not realizing its financial potential.  No doubt a sluggish economy is a factor,  but might there be another factor as well? Could a fear of failure —or success— be keeping you from laying claim to your just rewards and causing you to subtly and persistently sabotage your business?  Take a look at these items and see if you recognize your behavior:

I.     Fear of selling

Many people fear and loathe selling.  Selling oneself can be overwhelming and may even seem impolite,  like bragging.  I spent many years in sales and yet confess I get sick of it myself.  But the fact is that if one is in business,  then one is in sales,  so you’d better get used to it.  Sales takes self-confidence and the right message.

Realize that friends and family want to know what you do so they can refer you to prospects.  Prospective clients want to know if you have the expertise to help them to achieve their organization’s objectives.  You must create a clear and simple message to facilitate that process.

Make a list of 2-3 competencies for which you are typically hired,  or would like to be known for.  Attach a compelling benefit to each one,  to emphasize the reason that you should be hired to perform that service.  Next,  describe 2-3 clients who typically hire you,  or for whom you feel your services are especially well-suited.  Your task is to create a 1 minute maximum elevator pitch that communicates what you do,  for whom you do it and the benefits derived.

Write it up and express your sales message in language that is comfortable for you and will be understood by those who can hire you.  Learn also to ask for the business:  “Do you have use for this type of service”?  “Do you have a project in mind? Would you like to set up a time to talk specifics”?  “Is there a budget for this project? Are you ready to move forward”?  “I would like to work with you.  Do you feel ready to  talk about how we can get started?”

II.    Fear of charging fees that reflect your value

Particularly in this economy,  many Freelancers feel too intimidated by the fear of rejection to ask for the money they deserve.  Many clients are,  unfortunately,  prone to minimize the price they will pay for your services,  even if they have the budget.  It is a buyer’s market.  Admittedly,  compromises may need to be made when it comes to setting your fee.  Nevertheless,  you must not undermine your sense of the value that your expertise brings and do what is necessary to obtain your just financial reward.  See my October 11 post for more tips on pricing.

III.   Performing too much pro bono work

Especially when starting out as a Freelance consultant,  the temptation is to throw oneself into either deeply discounted or pro bono projects as a way to gain experience,  create referrals and build a client list.  Judicious use of those methods may apply at any time in a Freelance career,  but be sure that you’re getting something of value in return.  Promises of future paid work are mostly empty,  I’m sorry to say.  Once such  “clients”  have learned that they can get your talents for free,  they will be reluctant to pay you for work.  They’ll just look for another hungry Freelancer to sucker.

IV.    Failure to get press

Are you speaking on a panel,  teaching a course or presenting a workshop? Are you taking a leadership role in a local business association,  chamber of commerce or charity event?  If so,  you must write up a press release and send it to the business editors of local newspapers and blogs.  Follow up by telephone to make sure that the notice was received and answer any questions.

Offer to take the reporter to lunch or coffee,  to start building relationships with the press.  If an article is written,  first thank the reporter and then post the link on your website,  Facebook page,  LinkedIn page and/or Twitter feed.  Good publicity enhances your bona fides and often translates into increased business and additional requests to speak or teach.  Publicity enhances your reputation and helps you to obtain the fees that you know you deserve.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

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Pareto’s Principle, or the 80/20 Rule

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In 1906,  the economist and sociologist Vilfredo Pareto examined wealth distribution in Italy and found that 80 % of that nation’s wealth was controlled by 20 % of the population.  (In the U.S. as of 2009,  the top 5 % of the population controlled 63.5 % of the wealth and the bottom 80 % controlled 12.8 %.  Source: The Economic Policy Institute Briefing Paper # 292,  March 23, 2011)  Pareto dedicated his career to exploring the nature of individual and group social action,  along with studying the distribution of wealth in society.  Pareto’s discovery came to be known as Pareto’s Principle,  colloquially known today as the 80/20 Rule. 

Pareto determined mathematically that while numerous factors are connected to any given outcome,  only a select few are able to impact that outcome in a significant way.  Anecdotally,  I think most would agree that the principle holds up in real life.  The 80/20 Rule has been widely applied in business and several truisms have been noted, including:

  • 80 % of your sales are generated by 20 % of your customers
  • 80 % of your profits grow from 20 % of your working hours
  • 80 % of your sales come from 20 % of your product/service line
  • 80 % of customer complaints emanate from 20 % of your customers

Are you trying to get in the door with certain clients who will award to you the projects and billable hours that will allow you to achieve your profitability goals?  Of course you are!  Maybe it’s time to apply the science of Pareto’s Principle to the pursuit of an expanded client list and limit the randomness of networking and prospecting.  As Pareto discovered,  it’s vital to identify those critical few variables that provide the majority of leverage,  or problem-solving power,  when trying to achieve objectives.  In this assignment certain assumptions will be made,  such as the strength of your value proposition and your understanding of who would be an ideal client.

Get the critical few variable identification process started by listing all possible factors that influence your ability to sign a client.  Next,  pare the list down by filtering out the “trivial many”,  as Pareto termed factors that will have minimal impact on the desired outcome.  You’ll end up with about a half dozen critical variables,  powerful factors  that when impacted,  i.e. leveraged,  in the right fashion by the right person will influence the outcome and get you an audience with the decision maker who can award you a plum contract.

Ponder the critical variables on your priority list.  They have the power to either clear your path or block your success indefinitely.   Which critical variables,  if any,  might you be able to leverage on your own?  Which are beyond your reach and require the intervention of an ally?  Are any variables likely beyond the control of anyone save the client?  When you’ve determined which critical variables might possibly be leveraged by either yourself or an ally,  then consider carefully which of those factors will be most easily leveraged and how you should proceed.  You’re looking to leverage 20 % of the critical 20 %,  if you know what I mean.

On my priority list,  there are seven items.   Three critical variables appear to be within my control or that of an ally and four appear to be outside of my ability to impact  (including budget limitations).  Introductions and endorsements to the right people are both my barriers and critical success factors and I see a possibility for leverage.

Over the past 6-8 weeks I’ve had two endorsement/introductions to potential clients,  plus a promise from an influential advocate to try to help me resuscitate a client relationship that derailed because of competing organizational priorities and budget limitations.  At the end of July,  I will attend a conference where I hope to meet a certain prospect and I hope that the right person introduces us,  i.e. someone my prospect knows well and who will provide an endorsement for me.   I am working the 80/20  Rule,  planning to leverage critical variables wherever possible.  Wish me good luck!

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Sales , 2 Comments

Use Case Studies and Make More Sales

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If you read last week’s posting (and I hope you did),  you probably figured out which selling style you tend to use.  I’m the Consultative type and I hope to catapult myself into that invincible Expert group sometime soon.

However,  as the description of my selling style accurately points out,  I’ve got some remedial work to do.  I am not a natural when it comes to either telling a good story or rolling out a case study when in a sales conversation.  My strength really is to function as a problem solver,  describing to the client how my expertise will ensure that their objectives will be achieved.  So I wondered if perhaps readers of this column might also appreciate a primer on how to introduce case studies or useful stories when trying to sell a prospect?

Think of a case study as a formal and more detailed version of a good story.  Case studies examine how clients have successfully used your product or service.  While a story is an informal telling of what motivated the client to use your product/service and the outcome of that decision,  the story can be just as compelling and persuasive.

Consulting firms make excellent use of case studies and they are often featured on company websites.  Cases detail the challenge a particular client faced,  how that challenge impacted business,  how it was identified,  how the decision to address it was made,  who made that decision and (most importantly) how the consulting firm’s services were implemented to effect a successful resolution.

You can do that,  too,  by documenting your own successful projects.  You can write up a couple of cases to feature on your website or in your newsletter.  If you choose to give actual client names,  remember to obtain written permission.

The beauty of case studies is that they encourage prospective clients who read them (and there’s a fairly good chance that they will) to envision themselves hiring you to meet the need or solve the problem.  Write your case studies so that they paint a clear and compelling picture of the project or dilemma that the organization faced and how the situation was resolved,  with your expert intervention.

Case studies and stories engage prospects because they add flesh and blood to your sales pitch.  Now the two of you have something to talk about and you can speak not merely in the abstract,  but in the sometimes messy reality of how business really gets done.  The sale becomes personal.

The features and benefits that you discuss have life in them.  The prospective client  identifies with what you offer and how that fits into his/her agenda.  Your perhaps nebulous sounding array of services appear tangible and useful.  Now that prospect is much more likely to join your client roster.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Sales , , , 6 Comments

What’s Your Selling Style?

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I will teach  “Become Your Own Boss:  Effective Business Plan Writing”,  a three part workshop  (total 6 hours)  held at Boston Center for Adult Education 122 Arlington Street Boston MA on three consecutive Thursdays 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM February 17 – March 3.  Register at http://bcae.org, course #420174 or use the direct link:

http://tinyurl.com/BCAE-business-plan

Like it or not,  every business owner and self-employed professional is in sales.  Selling skills are survival skills and they play a pivotal role in keeping one in business.

A Freelancer’s sale has two discrete parts.  In the first part of the sale,  it is necessary to sell oneself: credibility,  expertise,  dependability and agreeability.  We must convince prospects that we are capable professionals who are trustworthy and therefore eligible to be considered for hire.  In the second part of the sale,  our objective is to persuade said prospect to actually hire us for a specific project and award the contract (and pay on time, too!).

Selling skills are quite individual and each of us has a signature style.  Experts claim that only three selling styles consistently produce successful sales.  In fact,  based on observations of 800 sales professionals engaged in various types of selling situations,  63% of selling styles are prone to undermine the sales process and result in fewer successful sales.  Ouch!  Let’s take a look at some typical sales approaches,  some top-notch and some deadly:

THE BEST

The Expert

These pros know how to make selling seem effortless.  They have superior product knowledge.  They are on top of what is happening in the marketplace.  They know how their product stacks up against the competition.  They know the customer they’re selling to and they understand that customer’s objectives and concerns when using their product.  As a result,  they know which features and benefits to highlight,  how to best answer questions and objections and how to generate more sales.

The Closer

Depend on the Closer to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.  They’ve got the magic words that can salvage a sale that is in danger of going down the tubes,  because they are particularly adept at finessing objections.  On the flip side,  their smooth-talking style can sometimes turn off clients.

The Consultant

Salespeople who employ this style are known for their superior listening and problem solving skills.  Consultants excel at positioning their product as a solution that will meet client needs.  Their shortcoming is that they tend to neglect valuable case studies and client success stories that can help clinch still more sales.  This type has the greatest potential to ascend to the Expert group.

THE REST

The Storyteller

Storytellers love to provide case studies because they are talkers and they love a good story!  Problem is,  they often talk past the sale and waste much valuable time in unproductive sales calls.

The Focuser

Members of this group are earnest,  enthusiastic,  know their product inside-out and believe in it deeply.  Typically,  Focusers are new to sales and therefore lack the experience that promotes confidence.  Focusers often exhaustively detail every product feature and benefit,  because they haven’ t yet learned to ask the customer questions about his/her priorities.

The Narrator

Narrators know the product cold and they’re well-versed in the nuances of the competitive landscape,  but they are overly dependent upon a sales  script,  so they deliver  the dreaded  “canned”  presentation.  Many (but by no means all) Narrators are new to sales.  They,  too,  lack confidence and cling tenaciously to marketing materials as they present.  Members of this group do not respond well to challenging questions or objections.

The Socializer

Socializers may initially charm clients with friendly banter about various interesting and amusing subjects,  but these folks forget their objective and don’t know how to get down to business.  They make few sales.

The Aggressor

As far as practitioners of this selling style are concerned,  a sales call is primarily a price negotiation.  They are sometimes able to score big wins and they rarely concede much.  Unsurprisingly,  clients can be turned off  by their often combative approach.

So how can you join the Best Salesperson group?  Incorporate these strategies into your next sales presentation:

  • Stay on message.  Every sales presentation should convey a single major theme.
  • While conveying that key product message,  limit yourself to three main points that focus on customer priorities and preferences.  Let your words paint the picture of how your product/service can deliver what the client values most.
  • Use case studies or a story that illustrates how a client with a similar profile and objectives successfully uses your product/service.  Present a case study that is clear,  concise and compelling.  Use the story to encourage the client to envision building a successful business relationship with you.

Thanks for reading,

Kim