Tools of the Trade, a Sales Person’s View
You’re a professional problem solver. That’s what a sales professional does! The first problem that must be solved is to ensure that you’ve got the tools in place that you’ll need to be organized and successful and to survive the often rough sales world.
The secrets to a successful and lucrative sales career are as varied as where to vacation next time you earn some time off! Before you can examine the tools that will make your life easier, you’ll need to envision how far you want your career to go. What are your goals….where do you want to be in a year from now. Five years from now. Keep those goals firmly planted in your mind. Better yet, write them down and tuck them in your wallet so you don’t have to clutter your mind with them! Some years back, as a sales kick off, my manager handed every sales rep in attendance a piece of paper and a box of crayons. He had us each draw pictures of our goals and post them over our desks. When we were making our prospecting calls each day, we had those images of our goals right in front of us. We always knew why we needed to make just one more call…
Your toolbox needs to include everything that you’re going to need to be successful at your company today, and the company of tomorrow – the one you don’t even know you’re going to work with yet. It needs to include your own personal motivation. No one can motivate you….except yourself. Very key to remember this and carry it with you always. All the sales tools in the world are worthless without your motivation. Your toolbox needs to include your notebook to jot things down, it needs to include a really user friendly CRM (Customer Relationship Manager) package. It needs to include an ongoing list of suspects to turn into prospects. It must include access to the products and services that your company offers. It needs to include quick easy to read guides about those products and services. Gather some intelligence about your greatest competitor. Make a list of their weaknesses versus your strengths. (Note: ALWAYS speak in terms of the positive things you can offer rather than the negative things that your competitor offers). My tool box also includes a stack of index cards with different presentations on them. Some of my cards include the most common objections for my industry and an assortment of responses to them. Those cards include great questions to ask to determine my potential customers’ needs. Many of those cards include solutions that I’ve used for previous customers and can offer to new customers. Index cards are incredibly portable. They can go anywhere you do! Your toolbox also needs to include all of the presentations that you need at a moments notice….know where they are in your computer so that you don’t need to search! Organize your hard drive (and back it up regularly!).
A quick look at the tools if your company doesn’t provide the ones you need you might want to invest in them for yourself. This is only a summary, there are many great tools out there on the market. It’s not possible to list them all but the ones that are here we’ve used and been successful with first hand
List sources- the phone book just doesn’t cut it. Here’s a few companies that can help you get to the people you need to at the customer types your targeting. Like most things in life you get what you pay for.
The Book of Lists
Trade publications
TIP: On a budget or just naturally frugal, perfect! Many larger public library systems subscribe to these types of services. Many allow you access to the information only on library computers but it’s well worth a few evenings or Saturdays to save yourself thousands and test not only the quality of the lists but your assumptions.
CRM Packages- Many sales people view a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) package as big brother for sales management and while it can be that if used absolutely to its fullest potential it can make sure you stay on task not for others but for yourself. If used religiously and guarded with your life it is your doorway to every customer and prospect, each and every follow up letter, mailing campaign, meeting, opportunity, notes.
As with most things in life, these packages come in all shapes and sizes, some are best suited for company wide use. Others can support that but fit well into small organizations or even rogue sales people trying to improve what they do on their own. Things to consider…. are they online or offline products? Do they support marketing campaigns and how essential is that to what you do? Does the package integrate with your email package and calendar? Does it track the sales cycle by opportunity? What formats can you import your current data base from (excel, access, SQL, etc.)? What fields will it import? Can you generate or attach quotes so you have a record of the pricing handy at all times? Here are some good ones:
Siebel
Saleslogix
Things to do: doubt the effect a CRM package can have on your productivity? Try one for free, of course there is a catch, it’s only for 30 days but Salesforce.com gives a 30 day trial if you sign up on their website. Import some data. Spend a little time setting it up and use the tool, whether theirs is the right fit or not is up to you to decide but you’ll quickly get an idea of what a powerful sales tool a CRM package can be.
The Virtual Office – Madonna pined away nearly two decades ago “I’m a material girl living in a material world” well if the song was written today it would have to include something about the virtual world. Here’s a sales person’s challenge in a virtual world, customers are less loyal, better educated, they are more demanding and the selling day is no longer just 8 to 5. It is always the selling day thanks in large part to the internet.
Web services- have web presence? No and you’re still in business? Companies like yahoo can get you a domain (XYZ.com) and a web hosting and email service for less than 10 dollars a month. Invest in yourself and get out there but business is so beyond that now. Have a business card. You need one to leave behind right? Can your customer not just learn how great you think you are from your website but get actual useable information like product guides, specifications or pricing ordering and delivery information from you web site? If the answer is no and they can from your competition, that needs to change. Immediately!
On demand & Printing Services – print what you need when you need and pick up professionally printed and bound presentations rather than struggling with toner ad a broken printer the night before you large bid is due. Most major office supply stores and shipping chain outlets (Fed Ex Kinko’s for example) have quick turn around high volume capabilities.
Toast Masters- can’t present, want to practice or want to get better. Go to toastmasters.com find a local chapter and check out a meeting
Ezines- fast, efficient and believe it or not effective…if you do them right. Want people to read your emails use a permission based system that confirms people want to receive your mailing and who can easily unsubscribe if they change their minds. A lot of the big web companies like Yahoo, Go Daddy, and Microsoft among others offers online programs that allow you to up load your data base. Create online registrations that can be linked right off of your website and gather key customer data beyond name and email address but interests. All of this can be had for under 25 dollars to a few hundred a year based on the size of your lists and the frequency of your mailing. (make sure you can export your names of new registrants to put them into your CRM package for follow up).
Content is king in this world so it’s occasionally OK to push a promotion or price but to have value and give your customers what they need deliver is what matters to them. You can even create multiple mailing and segments through your sign up tools to tailor content to different job types or customer interests.
Computers, Cell Phones, Black Berry’s and PDA’s – A necessity in today’s world. Enough said.
The telephone – Make sure that your Customer can always reach you. If you’re going to be away from your telephone for an extended period of time, let your voice mail message reflect that so that the caller can have an idea of when to expect a return call. Above all, return the call.
Spread sheets The tried and true way of keeping track of your stuff….the people you’re calling, the numbers you’re producing, the distance to your goal, the people you still need to reach out to.
Mailing lists – Always have a list of people to contact ready to go for tomorrow’s prospecting hour. (Remember, we committed to setting an hour aside every day for this activity!). Have the information ready to roll so that you don’t get sidetracked during your prospecting hour making up lists. Your mailing list should also include people that you want to be in touch with. When you have an event coming up, or a new product to introduce, this should be the first place that you go to get your message out there. Ideally, this list is incorporated into your CRM package.
Presentation Tools & Presentations – Have you created presentation tools that effectively prove what you can do for your Customer? Are they in a place, where at a moments notice, you can present you, your Company and your value to a prospective Customer and his team? Is the information within the presentation current or you using something that was created years ago? Does your presentation make your customer want to work with you or is just slide after slide of “fluff”. When the rubber meets the road, the presentation that you deliver could be the differentiating factor between you and your competition. Make sure that yours is the best it can possibly be.
TIP: Know your presentation inside and out. We’ve said it before, but it’s worth repeating. You never know when the piece of technology that you’re presenting on fails and the show must go on….make sure that you’re confident about the information you’re delivering and can deliver it with or without your laptop, a projector or any other electronic device.
Account Plans – Spend a little time investing in your potential customers. Figure out what you need to know from them. Assess how much they invested in you in the past month, quarter, year (you can do account plans in any increment of time). Determine who else in the company you need to be working with. Understand what other products or services you can introduce them to. Remember, always leave a reason to call back. Your Customer will appreciate the time that you invested in them going through this process and feel that they truly matter to you. You’ve once again shown your value, simply by investing some time in them.
Business Plans – Every successful business has a plan. A plan that’s fluid enough to change with the ebb and flow of the industry. Plan your goals for the next quarter. Determine who you want to be working with in terms of new and existing Customers. Work your plan.
FOLLOW UP – Most sales people neglect this critical step. Sales Professionals understand the importance of this. Follow up on the quote that you submitted. Follow up on the last order that you shipped out. Follow up on the last service contract that your Customer purchased. Remember, service contracts are usually in annual increments. You’re already adding to your sales bucket by providing a service contract this year to your Customer. Next year they need to renew it.
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