The Three Most Important Metrics to Measure

What are your three most important metrics you measure to track and predict revenue?

That was the question I asked my LinkedIn "Inside Sales Management Group," and the answers I received were quite interesting. Whether you're a business owner, sales manager or even a sales rep, you know that metrics are a crucial way to measure your performance, predict revenue, and evaluate progress made. But which metrics are the most important? Before I give you my answer, let me share some of the answers I received:

One answer was:
1) Opportunities created,
2) # of times contacted, and
3) conversions, deals closed.

I thought that was an interesting answer, especially the "# of times contacted." While I understand the opportunities created and conversion or deals closed, I don't know that I'd include # of times contacted as one of the three most important metrics to measure. Obviously it's important to know how much time a sales rep is spending chasing a sale, and also how effectively they are closing on each call, but I think there is a more important metric that I'll share later on.

Another answer was:
1) Opportunities created,
2) Calls made on the accounts, and
3) Quality of the call.

This was obviously in relation to account management calls, and once again opportunities created was listed number one. The thing that I found interesting with this answer was quality of the call. As you'll see later in the article, quality of the call, and, more specifically, how that quality is measured, is one of my top three metrics.

The most interesting answer came from VP of Sales, DJ Farnworth. Here was his answer:

1) # of open deals (times)
2) Historical win rate (times)
3) Historical ave. deal size = Pipeline. DJ said:

"One metric I've found very effective is: (# open deals) X (historical win rate) X (historical avg. deal size) = Pipeline. This takes some of the moving variables out of measuring just the numbers that are in the existing open deals and is based on past performance which should better indicate likelihood than a probability entered by the sales person."

What I liked about this answer is that it seemed to most accurately predict the upcoming pipeline. I've sat in a lot of pipeline meetings, some worldwide even, and almost everyone in the room knows there is a lot of 'wood' that isn't going to close. Getting an accurate account of what is truly likely to come in seems hard. This formula seems easy. You should try it.

O.K., now for my answer:

1) # of opportunities,
2) Close percentage
3) Script grading adherence evaluation per closing call.

#3 (Script grading adherence) is based on recording each call and grading adherence to your best practice script and scripted rebuttals. The reason is if a rep is winging it, they won't get better and you can't coach them. The manager's job is to teach the best practice approach and then coach to it. Then you measure who is adhering to it and who isn't. Every other metric (number of calls, number of contacts, trending to revenue for the month), etc., flows from that direct metric.

I always like to talk metrics with managers to see if they are measuring this very important component. Bottom line is if your reps aren't using the best approach and handling objections and sales situations effectively, then the other metrics won't improve much. If you ask them to make more calls, all you will get is more bad calls.

I'd love to hear about some of your favorite metrics, so visit our site and submit some. In the meantime, begin listening to how your reps are performing during their call, and begin improving their delivery and technique. That's how you automatically improve all the other metrics.

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Mike has been voted one of the most Influential Inside Sales Professionals by The American Association of Inside Sales Professionals, and is THE recognized authority in the industry. Mike is hired by business owners to implement proven sales processes that help them immediately scale and grow Multi-Million Dollar Inside Sales Teams. http://www.mrinsidesales.com/

5 Secrets of Successful Opening Scripts

Cold calling is tough, I get it. Even if your marketing department is generating so called "warm leads," the resistance of people who receive an unsolicited call can be fierce. Heck, you probably don't like getting calls from home improvement or alarm companies when you're at home either, do you?

So what can you do to make your calls sound different? What can you do to give yourself a fighting chance to engage your prospect and perhaps even begin a conversation? And what can you do to prepare for the inevitable objections, stalls and put offs you are going to get?

While I could talk to you for hours about all the techniques and skills you can develop and use to be more successful at cold calling, here are 5 secrets that will go a long way towards getting you in the door, building quick rapport and qualifying your prospect:

Secret #1: Clearly identify yourself and your company right from the start. Try:

"Is this John Sanders? Hi, this is John Smith with Industrial Cleaning."

While this might sound like a no-brainer, you'd be surprised by how many sales reps are still trying to trick people with false openings, or by just giving their first name. Prospects, just like you, know a sales gimmick when they hear one and will blow you off the moment they suspect one.

Secret #2: State the reason for the call quickly and ask a question to engage them:

"Briefly John, we're offering a special on warehouse cleanings. Have you ever worked with a cleaning company before?"

The shorter the opening you can come up with, the better. The problem with most sales people is that they launch into a full blown pitch at the beginning of the call without engaging the prospect. This turns prospects off, and the sales rep doesn't learn anything about the prospect's needs. Asking a quick qualifying question at the beginning gives you information you can leverage, and by asking about their experience with your specific product or service, it sets you up nicely to talk about your offer.

Secret #3: Describe your offer in a sentence or two:

"Great, so you know some of the things a cleaning service can offer. While our service is similar to (the company they mentioned), there are a few important differences..."

Be careful not to pitch too much here. Again, a couple sentences should be enough to give them basic information like price, features and other important differences. Now, be prepared for the brush off!

Secret #4: Know how to side step the most common objections you get:

"I understand that cost is a concern, and many of the companies we do business with had the same issue. And that's why we've come up with special packages designed for small business like yours that are both affordable and flexible."

Your rebuttals need to be scripted out, memorized by your sales team, and delivered in a natural, relaxed tone. They also need to acknowledge what your prospect has just said, and give them a way to justify considering your proposal and get them wanting to know more.

Secret #5: Always insert a trial close in your first call:

"From what you've told me, I think you'd be a good fit for what we offer; let's go ahead and set up an appointment for someone to meet with you to discuss your needs."

There are a variety of trial closes you can use, including ones for setting an appointment, and all the way up to asking if a prospect would consider taking the next step if he/she likes what they see. These need to be carefully scripted to avoid using worn out sales techniques like, "Well, if you like what you see, this is something you'd move forward on, right?" That kind of language only turns people off and identifies you as a hungry salesperson.

While these five secrets form the backbone of any good opening script, there are other crucial elements needed here including qualifying questions to identify buying motives, decision makers and decision process, etc.

The bottom line is that you must script out your opening call to avoid sounding like everyone else and to give you the best chance of making a connection and furthering the sales process. Using these secrets is a good place to start.

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Mike has been voted one of the most Influential Inside Sales Professionals by The American Association of Inside Sales Professionals, and is THE recognized authority in the industry. Mike is hired by business owners to implement proven sales processes that help them immediately scale and grow Multi-Million Dollar Inside Sales Teams. http://www.mrinsidesales.com/

The Top Characteristic of Top Sales Producers (Part One)

If you're reading this article right now, then chances are you want to perform better in your sales career. It shows that you're willing to take the time to search out tips and techniques that will give you an edge over your competition. That's a good thing.

But are you ready to really commit to doing the things that will catapult you into that rarified air of top sales producers?

And chance are, you know who these top producers are. They're the ones who are always at or near the top of the sales production list every month, always winning the sales contests, and who always seem to be in a good mood. They're positive, confident, and they have that feeling that no matter what happens to the leads or the economy or the company, they'll find a way to succeed.

Years ago I heard a sales motivator say that if you are willing to the do the things that most sales reps aren't willing to do, then soon you'll be able to do and have and enjoy the things that most sales reps will never be able to.

When I heard that statement, I was a struggling sales rep, and I was sick and tired of being sick and tired. I was at a crossroads in my career, and I was either going to find a different way of making a living, or I was going to go back to school and get out of sales altogether.

What I chose to do was commit to being one of the top producers. I heard another motivator say that if the grass looks greener on the other side, then you need to fertilize your lawn. He said that you don't have to change where you are to succeed, but rather you can bloom where you're planted.

And I had many examples of that in the company where I worked. There were 25 sales reps, and while most of them had varying levels of inconsistent success (I call those the 80% of the any sales team), there were also the top producers who consistently were at the top of the sales charts. They were the ones who made the most commissions, drove the nice cars, went on the fun vacations.

These top producers were also the ones who made it look easy. They never seemed to struggle; instead, they seemed to intuitively know what to do. It was inspiring and intimidating at the same time. It wasn't until I finally made a commitment to be one of them that I saw how much time and discipline and effort they put into being the best.

While it did take time, money and lots of effort for me to go from where I was as a struggling sales rep, with commitment and determination I became the number one sales rep at the company in 90 days. And the habits I developed allowed me to be the number one rep out of five branch offices just nine months later.

And you can do it, too. The good news is that success leaves clues, and if you're willing to invest the time, money and effort into completely changing your results, your life and your family's life, then you can. You can bloom where you're planted, and you can start enjoying the things that top producers take for granted - the things that most sales reps will never get to enjoy.

I guarantee that if you adopt this one characteristic, then nothing will stop you from succeeding....

Top Characteristic of Top Sales Producers: Make a commitment to doing whatever is required of you to be a top producer.

Let me illustrate this with a story. Earlier this year, I was asked to give a keynote speech for a company of a little over 100 sales reps. Before I do any of these kinds of talks, I always ask to do a phone interview with their top producers. I reached out to their top sales rep, a woman working in Canada who had been with the company for just 15 months.

What was interesting about this sales rep was that she had come from a completely different industry - not sales - and yet in the course of about a year, she had become the top sales rep for all of the U.S. and Canada. As you can imagine, I was anxious to speak to her.

What I found out is what I always find out about top producers. When she joined the company, the first thing she did was make a commitment to work harder than another any person there, and to learn and practice the top principles of qualifying and closing sales.

I asked her how long she worked and she told me she regularly worked ten to twelve hours a day. I asked her about her family and kids and she said that's what weekends were for.

When asked how many cold calls she made in a day, she told me about 100. The average sales rep in the company made about 25. I asked how she could make so many calls and still run appointments, and she said she began early, and made calls throughout the day - while waiting for an appointment in the field, after and between appointments, and then she made some more in the evening when others have long left the office.

When we talked about the specifics of the sale and how she qualified, she told me she gave her pitch on the first appointment call, told the prospect that she would then show them exactly what she just described and that at the end she would ask for a yes or no. "Will you be able to make a decision at that time?" was her last question on the appointment call.

Once on site, if the prospect tried to delay making a decision, she reminded him/her that they promised to commit at that time - yes or no - and she then began closing for the sale using proven, scripted (memorized and delivered naturally) closes that worked the majority of the time.

If the prospect simply wouldn't commit, then she asked them to have a decision made by the end of the day (or next morning if an evening appointment), and she then called back for the yes or no. If it's a no, she moved on.

When you break down what this number one rep did (and continues to do) to be so successful, you'll find that she does "what most sales reps are not willing to do." First, she's made a commitment to working harder and smarter than all of the other reps in the company. When most sales reps are still at home drinking coffee, she is making calls. When most sales reps are shuffling their leads or thinking about lunch, she's still making calls.

When other sales reps are semi-qualifying their prospects and then showing up and hoping and praying someone will buy, she's already asked for a buying decision before she even gets there. And when many sales reps are put off with a stall at the end, she begins closing when she gets an objection.

Because of this commitment to be the best, she closes more sales than any other rep in the company (again, of 100+ sales reps). And this enables her to make double what the average sales rep makes, and triple what a third of the struggling reps make.

When I was at this annual sales conference, the company was giving out the awards, the bonus checks, and the family vacations and other perks. This top producer got all of these rewards, accolades and pats on the back. The other top producers (nine of them) got various awards as well. The other 90 sales reps? They got increased quotas, increased pressure and after three days at the conference, they went back to their jobs to struggle along for another year....

The bottom line in any career or profession is that the top performers are committed to putting in the time and effort to be the best. They are willing to pay the price for success by staying after practice to keep working, by putting in the time for film study or playbook study, and they are willing to do whatever it takes to perform at the top of their game. This is true of top athletes like Michael Jordan, Peyton Manning, Tiger Woods, etc., and for top concert musicians, professional dancers, and virtually any other professional.

As someone once said, "The extra mile is never crowded."

If you will commit this one characteristic, then you will be able to live, have, enjoy and do the things that most sales people will never be able to have, enjoy and do.

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Mike is the go-to inside sales trainer and phone script writer in the industry. He is hired by business owners to implement proven sales processes that help them immediately scale and grow Multi-Million Dollar Inside Sales Teams. If you're looking to catapult your sales, or create a sales team that actually makes their monthly revenues, then learn how by visiting: http://www.MrInsideSales.com

Voice Mail: 5 Proven Techniques That Get Your Calls Returned! (Part Two)

Last week I gave you the first Three Proven Techniques to help you increase your chances of getting your calls returned. Now let's look at the final two:

Proven Technique Number Four: Combine your voice mails with an email campaign for maximum effectiveness. The number one law in all marketing is repetition. That's why Coke-a-Cola still buys millions of dollars of ads every year.

It's the same with getting your prospects to notice you. The most effective way is by using a two month long campaign that goes like this:

First: Try to reach someone for a couple of weeks without leaving a VM. Week One: Leave one VM and follow it up with an email that same day. Then leave a second VM that same week. Week Two: Send email #2, then leave a VM at the beginning of the week and on that Friday. Week Three: Send an email at the beginning of the week and at the end. Leave a VM in between. Week Four: Send another email on Tuesday, and leave a VM on the Thursday. Month Two: Send either one email or leave one VM per week for four weeks. Also: Call in between and don't leave a message.

Anytime between week two and three, one of your emails needs to be the "Should I Stay or Should I Go" email. If you've not heard of this email, then your return contact rate is about to go up by 60%! It goes like this:

Your subject line is: (Prospect's First Name) Should I Stay or Should I Go?

Body of email:

Dear _________,

I haven't heard back from you and that tells me one of three things:

1) You don't have a need at this time or you've already chosen another company for this.

2) You're still interested but haven't had the time to get back to me yet.

3) You've fallen and can't get up, and in that case please let me know and I'll call 911 for you...

Please let me know which one it is because I'm starting to worry.

Honestly, all kidding aside, I understand you're really busy, and the last thing I want to do is be pain in the neck once a week. Whether your schedule has just been to demanding or you've gone another direction, I would appreciate it if you would take a second to let me know so I can follow up accordingly.

Thank you in advance and I look forward to hearing back from you.

Kind Regards,

If you're smiling from reading this, so will your prospect! Again, this is a high percentage email that gets a response about 60% of the time. Compare that to your current results.

Proven Technique Number Five: If your VM and email campaigns don't work, then consider going that extra mile - as a top producer once said, "The extra mile is never crowded." Even though a prospect may not be in the market now, as we all know, things change. And when they do, you want to be top of mind so they're thinking about you when they are finally ready.

The most effective way to do this is by sending physical greeting cards. And the easiest way to do that is by using a company I use called Send Out Cards. (You can learn more about them here: www.SendOutCards.com/mrinsidesales )

I've been using SOC for years and they have made me a lot of money in sales to prospects I wouldn't have gotten if I hadn't been drip marketing to them regularly. I love SOC for many reasons including:

1) It's extremely affordable to send a high quality card with a real stamp 2) It's easy and fast - you create the cards in advance and they send them automatically without you having to do anything! 3) You can build "campaigns" so you can send cards at any interval you choose (and you can build lots of campaigns). 4) Every card is completely customizable - you can choose from 15,000+ of theirs (and include your own message) or you can completely create your own with your own images. 5) It's highly effective. In fact, did you know that the number one salesperson in the world - according to The Guinness Book of World Records - is a guy named Joe Girard? He was a car salesman and he sold an average of six new cars EVERY DAY! How did he do it? He sent a card to every customer and every prospect every month (and one for Christmas), 13 cards in all.

Joe was so successful, that people had to make appointments with him to buy a car!

The good news is that sending physical greeting cards works in your business as well. And www.SendOutCards.com/mrinsidesales can make it easy and effective for you.

So there you have it: The Five Proven Voice Mail Techniques to get your calls returned. Follow them and you'll be much more successful than you are now. Don't follow them and, well, you already know how that goes...

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Mike is the go-to inside sales trainer and phone script writer in the industry. He is hired by business owners to implement proven sales processes that help them immediately scale and grow Multi-Million Dollar Inside Sales Teams. If you're looking to catapult your sales, or create a sales team that actually makes their monthly revenues, then learn how by visiting: http://www.MrInsideSales.com

Voice Mail: 5 Proven Techniques That Get Your Calls Returned! (Part One)

If you're struggling to get your voice mails returned, then you're not alone. Industry stats show that less than 10% of voice mails to new prospects are returned. Because of this, finding the right voice mail message, and knowing a few proven techniques, can be the key to not only making contact with those hard to reach sales leads, but also in developing relationships and getting new accounts.

Here are five proven techniques that give you the best chance of getting your voice mail messages returned:

Proven Technique Number One: Don't even leave a voice message! Sounds strange, huh? Well the truth is the best technique to follow when trying to reach a prospect for the first time is to persevere and call five or seven or even ten times first before leaving a message. Your goal is to catch them picking up the phone and having a conversation rather than leaving multiple unreturned voice mails.

Try calling at different times in the day, and even several times on Friday. Fridays are the most relaxed days and most people are getting ready for the weekend instead of gearing up for the week. The worst day to leave a voice mail? Monday.

One caveat: For those of you who are worried that when you do finally catch someone who picks up the phone and is upset that you didn't leave a message (yet they saw you called several times), be prepared with a good script! Something like: "I didn't want to bother you with several voice mail messages, so I decided to just try to catch you instead. Anyway, I'm glad I did...."

Persevering in this way is the best way to actually get someone on the phone and because most sales reps won't do it, you're going to be way ahead if you do.

Proven Technique Number Two: You must script out an effective voice mail message in advance. Nothing will get your message deleted faster than the sound of an unprepared and unprofessional message filled with um's and uh's.

As soon as a busy prospect hears that kind of message, especially from someone they do not know (and from a sales person on top of that!), they automatically reach for the delete button. Don't you?

In addition, you want to make sure your scripted voice mail has these three elements: 1) Put the focus on your prospect - NOT on your product or service. 2) Don't ever say, "I'd like to take some time to learn more about you..." 3) Leave your number SLOWLY and twice.

As you'll see in the following examples, most sales reps leave a message that is all about them - this never works. Second, sometimes they think that by wanting to "learn more about how you handle.." they think that they are putting the prospect first. WRONG. All the prospect is thinking is they don't want to take valuable time to educate you so you can sell them.

And three, the worst technique of all is leaving your phone number so quickly that you force your prospect to replay your message over and over again just to get your phone number. Yeah, right, like anybody is going to do that...

Here is an example of what to do and what not to do:

Proven Technique Number Three: Turn a bad VM message into an effective one:

The WRONG way to leave a VM (and unfortunately, how most people do it):

"Hi this is (Your Name) with (Your Company), and we offer shipping supplies and packaging for all your shipping needs. The reason I'm calling is to learn a little more about your business and to find out more about your shipping needs and see if we can save you some money. If you would call me back at (888) 555-1234 that would be great. Look forward to hearing from you soon."

This message checks all the "do not do" boxes I've listed in technique number two. It's all about the caller; it wants to take time from the prospect so they can "pitch" more, and the number was only left once.

Here is the RIGHT VM to leave:

"Hi (Prospect's name) this is (Your Name) with (Your Company). We offer discounted shipping supplies and packaging, and if you're like most companies we work with, then you're probably paying too much! Our clients save between 10 to 15% each month and get better service guaranteed. To find out how much you can save, just give me a call at (SLOWLY Leave Your Phone Number.)

Once again, my name is (Your Name), and my toll free number is: (Leave Number Slowly Again). If I don't hear back from you in the next couple of days, I'll reach out to you again. If you'd prefer to be taken off our list, or if you'd prefer to get some information by email, just give me a ring and leave me a message. Talk to you soon!"

This VM is effective because first of all it is focused on the prospect and what's in it for them (10 - 15% savings). The phone number was left two times slowly. But the magic technique was:

You gave your prospect a way out! You let them know that they can simply call you back, leave you a message (so they won't have to speak with you nor be pitched when they call), and they can remove themselves from being called by you again if they aren't interested! This is good for you, too, as you won't waste your time with uninterested prospects.

One note: If you find the above message too long, then edit it! Script your VM the way you like it and then use it consistently. In fact, spend some time now reworking your existing voice mail message so that conforms to the rules above.

Techniques number four and five will be revealed in next week's article!

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Mike is the go-to inside sales trainer and phone script writer in the industry. He is hired by business owners to implement proven sales processes that help them immediately scale and grow Multi-Million Dollar Inside Sales Teams. If you're looking to catapult your sales, or create a sales team that actually makes their monthly revenues, then learn how by visiting: http://www.MrInsideSales.com

The Three Times to Handle an Objection

Most sales reps hate getting objections. When they get them, their hands start to sweat, their heart takes the elevator down into the pit of the stomachs, and they start wishing they had gotten that graduate degree and avoided sales altogether.

This is how most sales reps react when they get objections, but not the top producers. Top producers view and react to objections very differently. To start with, because top producers thoroughly qualify their prospects up front they generally uncover and deal with many objections during the qualifying stage. Objections like, "I'll have to show this to my partner," and others are already known and dealt with.

In addition, top producers have taken the time, long in advance, of scripting out two or three different rebuttals to the objections they get, so when they do get them, they know exactly what to say to overcome them. In other words, they are rarely caught off guard, because they know what to say to deal with them.

Third, because top producers know what the objections or stalls are likely to be in advance, and since they are prepared for them with solid scripts and techniques to overcome them, they are able to take advantage of the timing of "when" to handle an objection. Unlike most sales reps who feel they have to handle an objection the moment they get one (and hence instantly lose control of the call), top producers realize that they have three options as to when to handle an objection. They are:

1) When it comes up. Again, because top producers know what to say and how to effectively deal with objections, they have the choice of handling the objection when it comes up or of postponing it for later.

The first choice may be to handle the objection when it comes up. This is usually good if the prospect is rejecting a product or service at the beginning of the pitch because they haven't been through all the details (features and benefits) of the pitch yet.

The way to handle this is to use a script, of course. But the key is to handle the objection and then move back into the pitch. An example would be if a prospect objects to the price at the beginning. It might go like this:

Prospect: "This is out of our budget - the price is just too high." (Or any other objection.)

Rep: "You know, it might seem that way now, but the price actually breaks down to about $2.00 per (lead, incident, etc.), and when you look at it that way, it becomes very affordable - especially when you see how much time and effort it saves you. Let me just show you a couple of things..."

In this example, the rep answered the objection but instead of checking in with the prospect to see how the close landed, they instead kept control of the call by continuing on with the pitch.

2) The second option to handling an objection is to postpone it till the end of the pitch. This is ideal if the prospect seems willing to keep listening but is stuck on an issue or two. The important thing is to acknowledge that you heard the objection and promise to handle that at the end. It goes like this:

Prospect: "This is out of our budget...," (Or any other objection.)

Rep: "I can understand that but let's do this. Before you make any decision on this, let's talk about all the things this can do for you first, and then you'll be in a much better position to decide if this is worth it for you. I even have some payment options that might make the decision easier for you as well.

But first, let me show you this..."

What you're doing here is delaying answering the objection and thereby retaining control of the call. The nice thing about this is that by the end of your pitch, many times the prospect won't even bring up the objection at all! You'd be amazed by how often that actually happens once you begin using this technique.

In addition to this, if you know what the objection(s) are at the beginning of the pitch - or in the middle - you can begin pitching and building value around the known problem area (objection).

Postponing answering the objection like this is a great way to get your pitch in, keep control of the call, and prepare yourself for what you know might be coming at the end.

3) The third time to answer an objection is...never! That's right. So many time prospects will test you and try to put you off with many questions, stalls and objections that it's just best to not respond at all. Here's how you do that:

Prospect: "This is out of our budget..." (Or any other objection.)

Rep: "Some of our clients felt like that until they heard about..." (Now give a benefit or two and keep pitching).

This way you've acknowledged the objection but you remain positive and so sold on your solution that you let your enthusiasm drive the call - and often times your prospect's mindset. It is said that enthusiasm sells, and that's true in many cases. The problem with most sales reps is that as soon as they hear an objection they start to give up.

But by acknowledging, remaining positive, and continuing on with your pitch, you can often override any initial objection and get further into your pitch. In fact if you've done this before, then you'll often find that the prospect changes to a different objection the next time they bring one up!

These three times to handle an objection also work for questions as well. The important thing to remember is that it is up to you as to when to break your rhythm and deal with an objection. The whole point is that you must remain in control of the call.

Try using the techniques and scripts above during your upcoming week of pitching your product or sale. You'll be amazed by how much easier your sale becomes - and how many more deals you'll get.

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Mike is the go-to inside sales trainer and phone script writer in the industry. He is hired by business owners to implement proven sales processes that help them immediately scale and grow Multi-Million Dollar Inside Sales Teams. If you're looking to catapult your sales, or create a sales team that actually makes their monthly revenues, then learn how by visiting: http://www.MrInsideSales.com

The Key to Building Real Value

You hear it all the time - if your price is higher than your competition you're told to "build value." You're instructed to stress the quality, the warranty, the features, etc. But your prospects have heard all that before, haven't they? Want a better way?

Let's face it - if services or products are more or less the same, then prospects will buy from the people they like, know or trust. Your enthusiasm and belief for your product or service is a big factor in getting your prospects to place an order with you over your competition. Knowing this, I've often used the following script to not only build value in my product or service, but also to build value in the most important part of my product - myself. Here's what to say:

If your prospects says, "I can get cheaper," or "Well the XYZ company has something similar for less money," or anything like that, say:

"You know _________ I'm aware of all the other options for this (product or service) and I'll tell you now, if I thought any of them were better for my clients, I'd be working there and selling that.

"When I got into this industry I did my own research, just like you're doing, and I looked for the company that not only offered the best (product or service) but also delivered the best customer service and follow-up.

After all that, I chose (your company) because they give my clients the best overall value and the best experience. And that means they continue to do business with me and refer new business to me as well.

__________, if there was a better product or company for you to be doing business with I'd be there and we'd be talking about that. But there isn't.

"Bottom line -- if you want the best overall value, results and experience with this (your product or service) then do what I did - choose (your company) - You'll be happy you did. Now, do you want to start with the X size order or would the Y size order be better?"

This technique builds value in the most important part of any sales transaction -- you and your belief in your product or service. If you didn't do research, then let the prospect know why you did choose your company and what you like so much about working there and offering that product.

Adapt it to fit your personality, product and company, and then get in the habit of using it whenever you feel the need to build more value.

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Mike has been voted one of the most Influential Inside Sales Professionals by The American Association of Inside Sales Professionals, and is THE recognized authority in the industry. Mike is hired by business owners to implement proven sales processes that help them immediately scale and grow Multi-Million Dollar Inside Sales Teams. http://www.mrinsidesales.com/

Two Simple Questions to Close More Business in 2015

Everybody has heard the expression: "If you want different results, you have to start doing things differently." This is why all our New Year's resolutions include doing different things: Not eating that donut in the morning; going to the gym after work instead of out to dinner; helping out more around the house, instead of relaxing with our feet up after dinner, etc. Remember, "If nothing changes, nothing changes."

When it comes to closing more sales, what are you planning on doing differently? Are you going to come in earlier? Make more cold calls? Follow up with more customers? Ask for the upsell more often? While all these things will help, I'd like to give you two simple questions to begin asking during your qualifying and closing calls that can - and will - make a huge difference in closing more sales.

As many of you may have heared, the close is set up and, to a large part, determined by how good a job you've done during your qualifying call. Know the answers to the "qualifiers," and you can be assured you're dealing with a qualified lead. Anything less, and you run the risk of pitching unqualified leads - and that frequently means you're just spinning your wheels.

Assuming, however, that you are dealing with a qualified lead, here are two questions you can insert in your calls that will have a dramatic effect on how much more business you close in 2015:

During the end of your prospecting call, simply ask this question: "(Prospect's name) thanks for sharing all this information with me. So I can best prepare for our presentation next week, let me ask you this: What is the one thing you'll be looking to learn more about that will determine whether or not you choose to put us to work for you next week?"

Then hit your MUTE button and LISTEN. If they don't answer fully, simply un-mute and say, "OH?" and MUTE again.

Feel free to change this question to something suits you or your product or service better (like: "(Prospect's name) if you were to lock onto one factor that will weigh most heavily on who you choose to go with for this, what would you say it is?"). Regardless of what question you feel comfortable with, get into the habit of asking it at the end of each and every qualifying call.

Next is what to say during the close. So many recordings of actual closes I listen to as part of my coaching and training consulting end in the same way: with the common stall of: "Let me run this by my V.P./owner/manager/boss, etc." How many of YOUR presentations end in this way? More importantly, how do you respond?

Here's the second question you should be using in these situations: You: "(Prospect's Name), I'm glad you brought that up and let me ask you: How long have you been working with (the V.P./owner, etc.)?"

Prospect: "Oh, about 3 years."

You: "Great. So you've probably got a good idea of what he's said in the past when you've run something like this by him. Let me ask you: given what you know about his priorities and where he's leaning towards something like this, what do you anticipate he'll say (or do)?"

Now, hit your MUTE button and listen for how this close is likely to go down. Once again, if you get a vague answer, simply un-mute yourself and say, "OH?" and MUTE once again. Next, depending on the answer, your next goal is to use layering questions and appropriate responses to isolate the real objection and move closer to the sale.

Like any and all techniques I recommend, don't just take my word for it. Instead, use and practice these in your day to day calling and see for yourself how effective they are. Remember, though, the key is to use your mute button to let your prospect get everything out...

Closing more sales in 2015 is not only possible, but it's going to happen to many sales reps and companies this year. But it will only happen if you keep to your New Year's resolutions to do some things differently. I hope these are two new techniques you'll begin using this week.

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Mike has been voted one of the most Influential Inside Sales Professionals by The American Association of Inside Sales Professionals, and is THE recognized authority in the industry. Mike is hired by business owners to implement proven sales processes that help them immediately scale and grow Multi-Million Dollar Inside Sales Teams. http://www.mrinsidesales.com/

How to Build Instant Rapport with "C" Level Executives

I was asked by a client to make some cold calls into an upper "C" level suite to set appointments for his outside sales team, to show the inside team how it's done. His inside team first of all had trouble getting these busy people on the phone, and then getting past the first paragraph of their script before getting cut off.

I had listened to these calls and immediately recognized the problem: the reps weren't taking the time to immediately assess the prospect's mood and connect with them, therefore they were coming off like sales reps -- and the executives who they did reach weren't having any of that...

If you call into the upper "C" suites, here is what I did (and you should be doing) to connect with and give yourself a chance to have a conversation with them.

1) First of all, before you leave a voice mail, try calling three to five times to try and reach them first. Vary the times of your calls, and on same day and on different days, to see if you can reach them.

I have done this for many years and it's amazing how lucky you'll get if you just persevere.

2) When you do get them on the phone, immediately assess their style of communication by how they answer the phone. Are they in a hurry? Are they a driver? Or, are they laid back? Relaxed and at lunch?

It's crucial that you match their pacing and their energy or else you'll just telegraph that you're a sales rep who is going to waste their time.

For example: When one COO answered the phone, he was short and somewhat demanding. I immediately said: "John, thanks for picking up the phone, I'll make this brief..." Then I went into a two sentence value statement and asked him a question. He was appreciative that I didn't begin reading a sales pitch at him and gave me a considered answer to my question.

3) This is important: If you find someone who seems somewhat laid back or at least not in a hurry to bite your head off, then connect with him by talking about something else - briefly - before you pitch him.

For example, I called into a company and the hold music was the rock song, "Sweet Home Alabama." When the prospect picked up the phone, I immediately complimented him on the hold music and asked him if that was his personal choice. He said it came with the phone system and we talked about the song briefly. Only after that did I tell him who I was and begin my pitch.

This technique also works well with subjects like the weather (is it hailing there, too?), and the day of the week "I hope Monday is treating you O.K." or "I don't know about you, but I'm happy it's Friday..."

By the way, it's always best to lead off with these kinds of rapport building techniques before you announce your name and company name. If you announce first, then you've put the "salesman" target on your forehead and it's too late. But the key is you must have the right personality to do this with. If you try this with a driver, your call will end right there...

4) Be absolutely prepared to overcome the "I wouldn't be interested," blow off. You must have an effective comeback to that blow off memorized and be ready to rapid fire it off, because if you get that from a "C" level exec, then you've got a nano-second to recover.

I like something along the lines of: "That's fine and I'm not trying to sell you something today. Instead, I think I have an alternative solution for you r (XYZ), and just want to find the best way to show it to you - believe me, you'll be happy you learned about it..."

5) "Briefly" is a word that gives you the best shot of giving your next couple of sentences. Try: "_________, thanks for taking the call, briefly, what I'm calling you about is...." And then make it BRIEF. Get to a question quickly to either engage your prospect or give him the chance to tell you he's still not interested or he's not the right guy/gal, etc..

The point is to engage your prospect - not talk at them.

6) Let your prospect talk! After you've got your two sentences in (better make them good!), it's time to let your "C" level executive talk. DON'T interrupt. Hit your Mute button. These guys and gals are used to talking and to having people listen. If you do that, you'll gain their respect and they'll give you a chance to speak when it's your turn (usually).

The point of all these tips is that you have to connect with your "C" level exec and meet them on their level. You can't just go into your pitch at your own speed and expect them to politely listen. They won't.

But if you follow the above techniques, you'll at least separate yourself from all your competition who is calling them, and you'll have the best chance of actually connecting with them and having a chance to get your value statement across.

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Mike is the go-to inside sales trainer and phone script writer in the industry. He is hired by business owners to implement proven sales processes that help them immediately scale and grow Multi-Million Dollar Inside Sales Teams. If you're looking to catapult your sales, or create a sales team that actually makes their monthly revenues, then learn how by visiting: http://www.MrInsideSales.com