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Messaging during a coffee break: Self promotion - Let’s get the message out
By Karl Goldfield | July 3, 2008
Right to the point. More people would benefit from reading this blog. The guest bloggers and commentators add great content and feedback to compliment the posts that I put effort into sharing. Please help add more readers, thus more conversations, thus more brilliant minds helping each other. How, you ask can you do that? Great question:
- There are links on the bottom of this post (and all of the posts) to social bookmark it. Please at the very least Digg and Stumble the articles you like. This will get other like minded people reading them.
- Leave comments on posts. People like to hear what other people have to say, share your thoughts and get more feedback. Also, commenting on this blog will help your own blog’s search rank as I allow Google to follow comments.
- We now have a squidoo lens at http://squidoo.com/startupsalesmentor. Please go rate it and comment on the lens. This will help it get exposure there.
- Follow me on twitter at http://twitter.com/karlgoldfield
- Send me feedback on what I can do to help you at salesmentor@karlgoldfield.com
- And finally, forward posts, tell other sales people, get people in the mix! Let’s make some noise and really help each other in the 2nd 1/2 of 2008.
Oh, and one more thing! One of my articles was rated article of the week by http://top10salesarticles.com last week. Please go give it a read! Have a great holiday weekend and let’s catch up on messaging next week.
All the best,
Karl
startup sales mentor
Topics: Coffee break, Messaging, Sales Training, Top Sales Experts, Web 2.0, salesgravy, startup sales mentor | No Comments »
Messaging: Are they really listening, or looking to escape?
By Karl Goldfield | July 1, 2008
How do you know what message works? It is not very often your first interaction with a potential client is face to face. When it is, you are usually competing with the clatter of a networking event or dinner party. Yeah, yeah, Karl we know, so what is your point? Everybody knows we have eight seconds, and if we are good we have eight more, tell us something new.
Here it is:
Tell them something that matters. Your name, unless it is Barack or Hilary, in 2008, who cares. Your company? Unless you employ Ed McMahon, again, ho hum. The client you just helped, frankly they have heard it all before. What gets people interested is how you can effect their day to day. How can you make their job easier? What will get their peers, superiors, and reports to appreciate the decision to bring you into the mix?
People usually are led my management and training to make the following mistake:
In sales training focused on products, we learn that a certain feature can do something of value, but we get specificatios and details instead of a core statement of effect.
In sales trainings focused on understanding our prospects, you learn what questions to ask and how to engage in conversation. This is good training, but even when we get someone to start talking, how do we know if they really care?
Where we must begin to take our sales opportunities beyond the norm is with a message that makes sense to the listener while simultaneously sparking interest. We should begin with:
1. Research
Only when we know that the message is tailored to the person we are talking to ca we be effective. If you are calling CEO’s, know the state of their company. If profits are soaring, they are not listening to how you can increase sales, but they may want to hear about how you can maintain employee loyalty. If you are calling HR managers, know how many open requisitions for employmet they have, or if they have turnover issues.
2. Clarity
K.I.S.S. Keep it simple st—-! No one cares about ROI and TCO! People are sick of these silly expressions, and if you have a new acronym, keep it to yourself! Look, if they engage in this banter, the by all means get out your Sililcon Valley abbreviation kit and have at it, but until then, speak ENGLISH (Or your native tongue). Say things that cut and get rid of the um’s, you know’s, and that cancerous passive voice. As my good friend Tim Rohrer says, “No good sales plan involves hope.” Nor does it include might’s, may have’s, and then there are those other sweet little scaredy cat statements that mean absolutely nothing.
3. Brevity
If you take more than five seconds to get to the point;YOU LOSE. Read that sentence again, 1,2,3,4 and done. Every few seconds you must make a point, and one that matters. Then make another one and another one until it is time to ask a questions. Between points, keep your mouth sealed shut. Brevity on your part should inspire long winded dialog on theirs. Get them talking by saying something compelling then shutting up.
4. Passion
If you have not felt it yet, then I suck! People rarely walk away from me without knowing how I feel. If you are engaged in a conversation with me, you know my passions, and most of all you know what I believe in. This is what gets me going in the morning, and it is what allows me to sell. If I cannot transfer my passion it is either because I am not concentrating on my true self, or you are not ready for the message. After all if I make it compelling, succinct, and you can feel that I mean it, why would you risk not giving me eight more seconds.
Topics: Messaging, Sales Training | 4 Comments »
Messaging: Do you hear the words coming out of my mouth?
By Karl Goldfield | June 30, 2008
More often than not the sad answer is no they do not. We all hear the same song over and over again from sales managers, the trainers they bring in, and every blogger come consultant and vice versa. We get it, ASK MORE QUESTIONS and you will become successful. But honestly, how realistic is it to call someone, and without them knowing what the point of the call is, start asking questions?
I had a great trainer once who taught us to frame our calls.An example:
“Hi, Karl at startup sales mentor calling, I have a couple things I wanted to discuss and it should not take more than 5 minutes.”
He stated that this “framing” showed respect and allowed them to determine if it was the right time for an interruption. I used and taught this method to no end, and while it has some value in showing people respect, it does not get anyone to engage.
Other greats like Parinello and Konrath say start with who you have helped and forget going into who you are. Again, I agree with this sentiment and think it carries some weight to engage with people on how you have made a difference with others. The problem is, that it is not what we share, but how we share it that matters, and if everyone uses the exact same style, again the buying world is full of clatter.
So what can we do to avoid be interpreted like Jackie Chan’s character’s broken and inaudible English in Rush Hour? How can we cut through the noise of a busy persons day and be heard? What will make people stop what they are doing and listen? I would love to hear your ideas over the next couple of weeks as we dive into the importance of messaging. Please spare me the gimmicks and over the top statements as nothing turns your voice to a deafening white noise faster than the scent of B.S.
We will build core value on our message, and deliver it is short bursts. We will run through examples of taking the weak and making it strong. We will provide POP over polish. WE WILL GET TO THE POINT. Tell me, do you hear the words coming out of my mouth?
Topics: Messaging, Sales Training | 1 Comment »