Last week I woke up early to go take a spin class at my YMCA.  The same YMCA where I teach spin on Thursdays, but this was a Tuesday.  I went to just go take a class.

Class starts at 5:45 am.  At 5:43 am, it was obvious that there was a scheduling screw up, the instructor was not there.  Everyone in the class knows me, so they all looked at me and said “get up front and teach!”  Luckily I had my iPod, so I moved my bike to the front, connected the iPod, picked out a prior class I had taught and started.

However, this meant I did not have my printed song list and class plan.  In fact, I didn’t know what song would play next until we all heard the first few bars of each song!  Interestingly, the class was fantastic, the music was good, the class very attentive and appreciative of me jumping in, even though nothing was planned.  There seemed to be extra thank you’s from the attendees to me after class.

I was surprised by this.  But as I have thought about this for a few days, it hit me that because I did not have my script, I had to really listen and focus and pay attention.  I had to listen to the song very carefully, and quickly, in order to formulate a plan for that song.  I had to watch and listen to the students more carefully than normal, to make sure that my ad lib “improv spin class” was hitting the mark for them.

What a great reminder for us when we are with our clients and customers.  Now, I am NOT advocating not planning for sales calls, or having an “improv sales call”!  What I am advocating is listening more, really hearing what your client has to say and then reacting in that moment to their response. 

I had to listen to the song and react and stay in the moment in that spin class.  We need to do more of that in our sales calls and presentations.  The class was no longer about “my script”, but about the music and the students.  Our sales calls need to be less about “my company/my product” and more about the challenges and issues and problems of the client.  What is really getting in the way of success for them, what obstacles can they not figure out how to get rid of? 

Ask yourself this question, can the customer tell that you know what their issues are by what you are saying, by the questions you are asking, by how you are reacting and responding to them?  If not, maybe, try turning your script over one time, ask a question and then listen, really listen and focus on the customer and what they are saying.

Who knows, maybe the thank you’s and smiles from my spin class will be the same as new business for you!

Persistence.  We all know we should be persistent, we want to be persistent, but often the rest of the world gets in the way of being persistent.  I have always felt that persistence was perhaps the most important aspect of being successful in sales or being successful in anything.

Today, within one hour, I experienced two great stories of persistence.

One from my mastermind fellow member, Ken Futch.  Ken Futch is a master speaker, story teller.  He can weave hilarious stories around important points that keep you mesmerized and glued to your chair, listening to every word and following every move he makes.  But he is not only great on the platform, but he is persistent in his sales and customer service.  Check out this great story from one of his clients.  Ken tracked her down after she had left her previous company, much to her surprise.   And now, I would bet, he has a lifelong customer and supporter that will bring him repeat business!

Second story.  I just got a phone call from the front desk clerk at the Doubletree Hotel in Ft. Erie, Ontario at Niagra Falls.  I have been conversing with her since last Thursday.  The hotel bill was not hitting my AMEX account.  I needed to see the Canadian dollars to US dollar conversion for my expense report.  Lots of calls, lots of confusion, bank transactions, AMEX transactions, but through it all Chondra kept calling me back to tell me she was on it.  Unfortunately my bill got submitted a second time to AMEX.  But before I could see that, she called back today to tell me that they were going to credit me for the incorrect second bill.

She called me, proactively!  Didn’t wait for me to call and complain, she called me, set my expectations correctly, and let me know what they were doing to solve the problem.

Wow!  Three days she stayed on top of this.  Now, I am a huge fan of hers, the hotel in Ft. Erie, Ontario and the Doubletree chain!

Ken and Chondra showed persistence.  And for that, they both have created customers for life.

Everyone one of us has bought something. Food, clothes, cars, houses, electronics. That of course means that many of us have also sold something. You cannot buy something unless there is a seller, right?
 
The buying and selling process has also spawned an entire genre of “experts” to help teach us how to be a more effective seller, or a more informed buyer. Right here in Atlanta, Clark Howard has become famous as someone who helps us become smarter, more informed buyers.

In fact, I am an expert on selling. I spent 25 years managing sales teams and now my business is focused on helping salespeople get better at selling.  The vast majority of the training and teaching for both the buyer and seller centers around one important aspect, Price! As buyers we all want the cheapest and best price right? Nod silently if you ever went out to buy something and you said, “Honey, let’s go out and buy something and pay way over list price for it!”? Of course you have never said that! For all of you sales people in the world, every morning you wake up and say, “How can I hold my price as close to list price as possible?” 

So there it is; the classic conflict of buyer and seller. This conflict if not managed properly, can have dire consequences. One of the two parties in the transaction can walk away very unhappy. Let me illustrate for you.

I recently visited China. While in Chengdu, the capital of the Szechuan province, my brother and daughter and I went down to the local Chengdu street market. Here they sell everything imaginable and a lot I never expected to see. Trinkets and jewelry and furniture and art. Hats and books and t-shirts. And money. Yes, you can actually buy old Chinese money that is no longer in circulation. There must have been millions and millions of old Chinese money that you could buy for $10!

My daughter wanted a ring. My brother taught her how to bargain with the Chinese vendors who spoke no English. First, the vendor will grab your arm and pull you into their stall. Then they watch your eyes and as soon as your eye lingers on an item, they grab it and smile and punch a number into their cell phone, this is their opening price. My brother suggested that you offer a price that was about 70% lower than the price they wanted. You grabbed the cell phone and punched in your number. And this cell phone number punching price negotiation would go on until you either bought the item or you walked away. He suggested that after 1-2 rounds of price haggling, that you do walk away. Then the vendor would chase you down, cell phone in hand with a price pretty darn close to your last offer. Soon my daughter used this expert process and she purchased her ring for about $3 dollars US.

My brother bought a few things using this same expert process. I didn’t have anything in mind to buy until I spied this very unusual clock. It was a clock embedded in a glass round ball. It was very heavy with big Roman numbers, the clock was made by Omega and the face said it was made in Switzerland in 1882. Yeah right! I knew it was not Swiss and I knew it was not made in 1882, but I just thought it was cool looking and would look great on my desk as a terrific reminder of my China trip. The first offer was 600 RMB’s, about $100 US. Ridiculous I scoffed, and I walked away. The next stall had the same clock, again 600 RMB’s. I punched in 100 RMB’s or about $15. Ridiculous she scoffed, and she waved me off.

For those of you who sell software or hardware or some tangible item, this is for you.  If part of your sales cycle, sales process, is some kind of “demonstration”, then this is for you.  For years when I first started selling software, the big event was the “demo”.  Getting the prospect to agree to a demo.  Getting a good audience and crowd for the demo.  All of the demo logistics…..how many demo’s in a day, who would get invited, the size of the room, the projector, the screen, the demo materials…..all we talked about was the demo.  We had convinced ourselves that we would win or lose the deal in the “demo”.  Who would do the demo?  Did they have enough experience, how were their “demo skills”?

Does any of this sound familiar?  Now, I am not saying the product demo is not important.  It is.  I am not downplaying the importance of planning a good demo, having a good demo person, a good demo script. 

But what I am saying is that there is more to the sale, there is more to the meeting that includes the demo.  What I am saying is to change how you approach and think about this meeting.  Think about this meeting as a presentation….a business presentation, that just happens to include a product demonstration.

In addition to the demonstration portion of your presentation, make sure you cover these three things in addition (as well as integrate them into the product demonstration):

1.  Link your product features and benefits to the clients needs and pain points.  Be very clear about what you know about the client and their pains.  Be even more clear as to how your product links not only to solving their problems, but how your product links to their higher level strategic, political, financial and cultural pains.  Just solving the low level operational business issue is not good enough.  You must link to these higher level pains and issues.  If you don’t to the linking, either your prospect will, or even worse, your competitor will!

2.  Provide solid proof statements from customers and other third parties.  Don’t depend solely on your great presentation skills, look and feel of your product or your terrifc charm!  Bring in testimonials from customers who have solved the same problem that your prospect has.  Have some fun with this, so try and use something other than a quote on a powerpoint.  How about a 20 second video clip or a 30 second audio clip.  Or, bring in a customer to the meeting.  I have done this a few times in my career with fantastic success and impact.

3.  Lastly, you must show how your product will help your prospect differentiate themselves from their competitors.  This step is almost always overlooked.  Sure, we talk about differentiation, but typically when we do, we are differentiating ourselves from our competitors.  Customers expect this.  Sure you have to beat your competition, but do it by showing your prospect how they will beat their competitor.  It’s not about you……it’s about them!

If what I have said is still not resonating with you.  Ask yourself these questions:  Does the best product always win?  Does the company with the best “demo” always win?  Have you ever won a deal when you knew your competiton had a better product?  Have you ever won a deal after a “demo” that really wasn’t your best?

If you answered yes, then deep down you know there is more to winning than just a good “demo”, you need a comprehensive “presentation” to help you win!

If you want more good ideas and suggestions, keep reading my blog.  But add Coach Scotty Miller’s blog to your blog schedule, http://scottymiller.wordpress.com/.

Everybody likes to be in control, right?  One of the challenges in any sales process is to try and get in control of the sales and buying process.  Well, at least try to get in control of as much of it as possible.  To do this right, you need to create a winning sales plan that includes a great sales strategy full of the right tactics to beat the competition, win the political battle within the customer and get the deal closed.

In a complex sales environment, this strategy and tactics may take months or even years to play out and come to a conclusion with a signed contract.  During this time, your sales team may meet with and deal with a buying team that might include up to 30-50 members, or even up to 100 members in large complex organizations.

Think about it.  Dealing with as many as 100 people who have evaluated your product from a technical, financial, and product fit perspective.  You have shown them your product multiple times, maybe answered an RFP that is measured in pounds when complete and taken them to see one or more of your customers using your product.  And, they did that with your company and perhaps two or more of your competitors.

So now you have won the deal!  Ask yourself these questions:  Was the vote to select your firm and product unanimous?  Did everyone want you?  Was there any “collateral damage” inside the buying organization at the end of the buying and sales cycle.  Are there still some key stakeholders that did not want you to win, but wanted one of your competitors to win?  If so, are any of these stakeholders in key positions?  Are any of these stakeholders in a position to make or break the implementation phase of your product and solution?

If you answered no to any of these questions, then you are kidding yourself.  The single biggest success point in your implementation is the transition from the sales cycle to the implementation and customer support phase.  It’s our job in sales to make sure this goes smooth.  It is our responsibility to make sure that we educate our implementation and support teams on everything we know about our new customer.

Think about how much you know about this customer at the end of the sales cycle.  You know all the key stakeholders.  You know who wanted you to win and you know who wanted the competitor to win.  You know who has the power and who does not.  You know who has a big title but no power, who has a lot of power and a small title.  You know all of the various levels of pain within the organization.  You know what low level operational pains need solving, AND you know the high level strategic plans that need implementing.  By now, you should know as much about this new customer’s organization as they do.

You need to share this with your internal team in the handoff from sales to implementation and customer support.  This handoff is critical to long term success.  It is not your product or your great implementation methodology that will make or break you.  What will break you now, is not sharing everything you know with your own internal teammates.  Show them “where the bodies are buried”.   A bad handoff is the single biggest point of failure for the implementation.

Just because the contract is signed and you got your commission check doesn’t mean your sales job is over.  If you ever want to sell this customer something else down the line (and I am sure you do!), you need to make sure your product gets installed correctly and the customer is happy.  So stay involved, stay engaged and help make this client transition handoff smooth and effective.

If you like these thoughts and ideas, my friend Scott has great ideas as well.  Read his thoughts on winning in the complex sales arena at: 

Over the last few months, it seems that all anyone is talking about is the economy, bank failures, sub-prime loans, stock market declines, the price of a barrel of oil and unemployment numbers.  And yes, if you listen to the media, read the papers and magazines, it can get pretty depressing.

I recently asked my network of sales professionals what were the top three challenges that they were facing in hitting their sales quotas.  I did get some insightful comments.  But I also got a lot of negative, depressing comments about the economy and budgets being cut and quotas being too high.

Here is my thought, now, more than ever, we need to stop thinking about ourselves, worrying abour ourselves and hunker down and spend more time focused on our customers.  The old saying “It’s not about me, it’s about you” is true.  Yes, it is hard not to get worried about sales and company income and personal income.  But we must spend more time digging deeper into our customers business and finding solutions to help them solve their problems, find solutions to help them enhance their products, so that they can sell more. 

The value add is not really your product or your company or the brand.  The value add is you.  The difference between you and your competitor is not the lastest widget, it’s you.  The most successful sales organizations are the ones that understand that the way they sell is the largest difference between success and failure.

So, maybe, stop reading the papers.  Stop watching CNN.  Start reading your customers web pages, annual reports, 10-K reports, press releases and brochures.  Reach out and meet more people than you know today in your customers.  Ask more questions.  Ask better questions.  Start helping them find something that will differentiate themselves from their competitors.  I think if you do that, your sales will appear and you will hit your numbers, and the doom and gloom in the media will wash right over you!