Weighted Issues in B2B Sales

Most sales people approach the sale from their perspective. But as I have mentioned earlier the sale will only be made if they approach the issue from the buyer’s perspective.

The DMU (decision making unit) usually would work by assigning weights to three parameters associated with the product or the service being purchased. The three factors are price, service levels and quality. A sale would be made if the total of the weighted average is the highest or lowest (depending on how the weights have been assigned) for the seller.

Now let me elaborate on this

(more…)

Union speak: An irish mind that reminds me of Minnesota sales training

When I started blogging I spent as much time learning the craft as I did writing and posting articles. So much of this time was spent reading other sales blogs, blogs about blogging, blogs about marketing and entrepreneurs. Then, six months in I read a great post on Life Hack that challenged me to read more books. The post was so compelling and a few years back I had dropped my healthy habit of reading several books a month.

Well at that point, I was working on dialog with several other bloggers, understood how to optimize my blog and all the other great tricks of the trade. So, take the challenge I did, and to take it further I started reviewing 2-4 books on my site a month. That way could I commit to such an endeavor and still channel it into the blog. Well, I stopped networking and reading other business blogs, and frankly I regret it.

(more…)

Sales Training: A group of sales bloggers has united

Time to let the cat out of the bag. For the greater good of sales people everywhere, a group of 10 of people focused on sales training and development have united forces to compile and share the best sales content available on the web. We are still finalizing our name and our new blog site, and here is the jist.

Every quarter we will offer an E-book with an article from each of us focusing on a specific theme. Since each of us has a different niche in sales training and education, and all live in different parts of the world, he plan to deliver dynamic perspectives on subjects, instead of giving you a linear opinion on a topic. The first E-book will be out at the end of the summer, and it will be a free download for all list or RSS subscribers. I will share the topic in the same post that I announce the new site. My gut says, in a week or two there will be news.

Addi tonally, every two weeks we will have a blogging topic. Each of us will write a post on that topic during that period again offering you many sides to the same coin. Our aim is to elevate the possibilities and engage in dialog with our readers that helps them grow as sales people.

Here is the bio of each member on Brad’s Sales Management blog:

http://www.salesmanagement20.com/profile/TiborShanto

http://www.salesmanagement20.com/profile/CraigElias

http://www.salesmanagement20.com/profile/TimRohrer

http://www.salesmanagement20.com/profile/JimKlein

http://www.salesmanagement20.com/profile/SkipAnderson

http://www.salesmanagement20.com/profile/NeshThompson

http://www.salesmanagement20.com/profile/KarlGoldfield

http://www.salesmanagement20.com/profile/IanBrodie

http://www.salesmanagement20.com/profile/ColinWilson

http://www.salesmanagement20.com/profile/bmtrnavsky

As leaders in sales training, sales plan designers, pipeline experts, sales management consultants, business consultants, (man the list goes on) we intend to deliver something different than the other group blogging sites. If you have any ideas for topics or concepts you want us to explore, speak now or forever…ah you can share with us whenever you like. Sales training in the form of articles and blog posts is my favorite part of this Web 2.0 world.

Messaging: Prose and poetry, write like you mean it or do not write!

Sales tip for those who like to move fast. If you can not write, have some one ghost write for you(marketing, a buddy, your spouse, anybody!). Otherwise take some lessons or hire a copywriter. There are many who would argue that proper English is dying, and in the modern days of Twitter, SMS and IM we all write in a mini version of real communication. When it comes to consumption of the now, and the social aspect of real time communication, I could not agree more.

WHEN IT COMES TO THE EMAILS YOU SEND YOUR POTENTIAL CLIENTS, YOU SHOULD WRITE HOW YOUR ELEVENTH GRADE HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER TOLD YOU TO WRITE. That is right, I am screaming this at the rafters. Let me calm down.

When it comes to e-mail, and letters, and quick notes, your words in print are the equivalent to how you are dressed in your prospect’s mind’s eye. Would you show up for a meeting in your beach shorts and a tank top? Would you skip the mirror and show up unshaven, shirt buttoned incorrectly (See Jerk on left), and expect to win business?

(more…)

Off topic: A late night rant about sales training

The corporate world is changing at a pace that can not be comprehended by people that have yet to embrace the realities of the Web 2.0 world. Things that most sales people do not pay attention to, like SOAP (Service Oriented Architecture Protocols), and Ruby on Rails or PHP and CSS are not household names. That said, they are effecting everything from how quickly you know what is happening on the other side of the world, or that all night IM session your 14 year old is in the middle of. It is instant access to flight information, or channel management and inventory control in seconds not days. Bottom line, people that embrace technology are moving faster than those who do not. Is faster always better, no, but in the corporate world, effectiveness and efficiency in tandem RULE.

So, a word to all of those that train. Mr. and Ms. Salestrainer, it is time to teach people to be more effective by leveraging the new technology of our virtual social existence. I have had to adapt, and believe me I was the crowned prince of 150 dials a day and a pipeline that was an equilateral triangle standing on its point. Your writer naileed quota after quota by casting that giant net and yanking what would slide up and in. SO LISTEN TO ME WHEN I TELL YOU THAT IT IS OVER!!!!

(more…)