Sales 2.0 Conference

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Sales 2.0 Conference
Success in Real Time
May 5-6 2014
San Francisco Four Seasons Hotel

We are pleased to invite the customers and friends of Flannery Sales Systems to join us as our guests at the Selling Power Sales 2.0 Conference May 5 and 6 at the beautiful Four Seasons Hotel. There is no other event offered that provides the vast array of information for Executive Leaders, Sales Managers, Salespeople, or anyone in an organization responsible for a customer facing role.  Respond to John by May 1 to receive your free Guest pass code, a $895.00 value. There will be no shortage of great ideas to take back to your office to begin creating additional value for your teams and customers.  Guest passes are available on a limited basis, first come first served.

We hope to hear from you soon.

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Stay focused on the Prize in Q2: 5 habits of successful sales teams

Wouldn’t it be nice if success was simple?

There is no one-size-fits-all for success in work or life. But, there are great ways to help bring success to you and your team, like forming habits. Imagine if your sales team got into certain habits like using LinkedIn as a social selling tool to facilitate reaching their weekly and monthly quota. According to GetResponse, top sellers use LinkedIn on average of six hours a week, sending the most emails between 8am and 3pm. Let members of your sales team find what works for them, but in the meantime, here are five habit guidelines that could lead to success.

1.   Have a mission

The more thorough and detailed your plan, the faster and easier it will be for you to actually carry it out and get the results you want. It’s especially important when leading into Q2 as you may have new client goals you’re working towards. According to the The Marketing Donut, 80% of sales require about 4 follow-up calls after the initial meeting. But, did you know that most sales people give up after the first call? If you have a specific sales number or target planned out, you can then start focusing on top-line growth by mapping out the necessary steps it will take to get there.

2.  Stay organized and opportunity focused.

Have your plan ready in your back pocket, but don’t forget to focus on the here and now. Successful sales teams have a long-term plan as well as a short-term plan. Look at the opportunities that lie ahead and plan accordingly. Planning ahead doesn’t only include looking at budgets, charts, and strategies; it also includes having the right people on board. It is like baking a pie. You know exactly where you want to get to, but do you have all of the ingredients ready to get there?

3.  React quickly and adapt

When one thing doesn’t go as planned, or if there is a miscommunication and something goes wrong, don’t start flipping desks and slamming fists. Sit down, take a deep breath and find a solution. As a leader, you set the tone in a bad situation. If you’re calm and rational about a mishap your staff will follow suite. If steam is coming out your ears as you’re running around in a panic, your team will do the same.

To illustrate our point – as many companies are experiencing major changes in their industries, Hallmark has proven that there is still opportunity for growth. Just because a company has been around for 100 years, doesn’t mean that it’s out-of-date. Hallmark is a huge company that has been around for over a century and continues to stay on top. Years ago they revolutionized the greeting card industry when they saw an opportunity online to sell e-cards. Don’t be afraid of the changing times, it’s easier to adapt than you may think.

4.  Keep communicating

Your team is the backbone to your business. Don’t be the leader that stands up top ruling over your team. Be the leader that helps pull the team forward together. The people around you need to know what is going on. Schedule a weekly meeting (only about 5-10 minutes) to fill everyone in on any current updates, problems or obstacles. One of the most important motivators and factors leading to job satisfaction is when employees are kept in the know.

5.  Keep the team happy and motivated

Unhappy employees don’t make great motivators or spokespeople for your business. Be a strong leader for your sales team and lead by example. How do you want your employees feel? Make them feel that way with the constant reminders. A report from last month in The Sales Experts found that approximately 91% of satisfied customers say they’d give referrals. The happier your sales team is, the more likely customers will fall into this 91%.

Leading into Q2 can be a stressful time as clients turnover, new quarterly goals are set and the thrill of the New Year has worn off. Hopefully, these 5 habits can help you transition smoothly into the next quarter. What other habits do you think should be utilized for a highly successful sales team?

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Bringing College Students Up to Speed on the “Real World” of Sales

SDSU Mktg Class Apr 9 2014It is always enjoyable to come back to be a guest lecturer at San Diego State University, my alma mater, and spend time in the classroom with students. The perspective is enlightening, as it doesn’t seem that it was that long ago when I was a graduating senior. It was.

Yesterday was no exception. I spent a couple of hours with Scott Manning’s Business Marketing class on the SDSU campus. The students in the theater-style classroom were full of interest and questions as we discussed the profession of Selling. This class is one of the Sales Specialty classes offered at SDSU, through the Marketing Department, in the College of Business.

For the students in attendance who are pursuing a sales career upon graduation, I shared insights into changing buyer behavior and how, as sellers, to stay aligned with buyers. The primary message delivered is that sellers must be prepared to have relevant conversations with prospective customers on how their product or service can help to increase revenue, decrease cost, or reduce risk.  I demonstrated through the use of a story and a solution sales approach, how my prospective customers, sales organizations, benefit from a customized sales process program, designed and implemented to drive revenue.

The students’ approach was refreshing, without the baggage we often find with seasoned sales reps in the field.  We poked fun at stereotypical bad selling behavior and how old-style selling has died a lonely death, as we discussed current topics of “cold calling” and social selling.  We shared, that over time, good-selling behavior is important when encountering a new opportunity because of the impact of that beginning in later stages of the sales cycle, specifically the negotiation and close.  Something that has not changed is the importance of having a keen focus on the customer and thoroughly understanding what is important to them as we progress through their buying process.

It was the sixth or seventh time back on campus for me, to speak with a class.  While the buildings have been upgraded, and the students keep appearing younger, it felt like home again.

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Lead by Example and Your Employees Will Do the Same

A great company culture can mean the difference between success and failure for your company. You want a culture that inspires, encourages and motivates your team. But, a great company culture doesn’t happen because your values are posted on your website or in a frame hanging on the office wall.  Values aren’t about lip-service.  They are about action.  Action not of just one person. It takes the entire leadership team to actively work towards the culture you are striving for. Your culture will develop by doing living the values together.

As a leader in your company, you can demonstrate your ideal culture through your actions. Lead by example so your team will be on the same page, working for the same goals, with the same aspirations and ideals. Embody what you want your team to be. Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, does a great job of keeping his employees on the same page with his 14 leadership principles. Bezos is a very to-the-point CEO who follows these principles in his decision-making. They are a key reason he has been able to build a passionate and driven team that has led Amazon to be one of the country’s most successful businesses.

So, how do you get your employees all on the same page? Lead by example with these five tips.

1. State a clear mission upfront for your team to strive towards.

If there is a goal that every member of the team works toward collectively, the team will naturally become closer. People will think of themselves as a collective unit versus each individual. The culture created from this mission will drive your team to success. Having team-wide, or even company-wide goals will help turn your company vision into action.

2. Set goals each month, or even each week, and those who meet them get recognized.

While working towards a mutual goal is productive, setting smaller monthly or even weekly goals will help your team take the right steps towards meeting the larger goal. These goals focus on each individual, which will prove their potential and the value they add to the team. It also motivates each team member to work harder and push his or her colleagues to be better. According to Inc.com, a survey of small business owners by Staples found that more than 80% don’t track their business goals. Of that 80%, about 77% of those leaders have not achieved their company vision either. So, setting goals can really make or break your team. Reward those that meet their goals.

3. Watch what you say and listen to your team.

These go hand in hand for leaders. If you’re using curse words in the office, you can guarantee your staff will begin to feel comfortable using those words as well. When you take a two hour lunch break each day, your staff will recognize that and do the same. Is this the type of environment you’re striving for? If you are constantly making negative comments and disregarding your team’s input, you won’t be respected in the way you want to be. In fact, you probably won’t be respected at all. Most likely your team will be unhappy, which won’t bring in the achievements that you want. Listen to your team and use their input. Just because you lead the team doesn’t mean your opinion is the only one that matters.

4. Be consistent and persistent.

Stay true to your ideals while striving to be better. Show your team that you don’t have to change the way you do business or go against your morals to be successful. Make sure you remain consistent between team members. No team member is better than another and each deserves the same amount of attention. Being persistent will also help your team be better. If they always see you working hard, they will work just as hard to prove to you how valuable they are for the company.

5. Get excited! Even about the littlest of things.

Whether a team member found a future prospect or sealed a deal, celebrate their success! Your team works hard – don’t let the little things go unnoticed. Offer incentives like Starbucks cards to those that achieve their periodic goals. Create an employee of the month program that calls out a team member for something they did that goes along with your values.  Even posting a simple post-it note to their computer screen saying “Great job!” can keep their morale high. You want each member to know how much you value their efforts and their importance to the team.

Leadership sets the tone in every business. A positive company culture is worth putting in the extra effort, even when you feel like you have no time and are bogged down with work… Just take a moment to recognize achievements large and small.  As a leader, you have a responsibility to inspire and motivate your team. This isn’t something that will happen over night, but will take time and the right amount of effort. The company culture really starts with you, so lead by example and watch the positive change that will enfold.

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Management Must-Do’s From the Front of the Line for First-Line Managers

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The responsibilities of first line Sales Managers in a sales organization are many. Although the buyer/seller engagement gets most of the attention, the second most important relationship in sales is between the seller and his or her manager. Do the Sales Management behaviors you have in place put you in the back or front position in line? Are you proactively leading from the front of the line, or trying to push your team from the back?  Which position would be the most advantageous for you and your team?

In many organizations, first-line managers take pride in the fact that they are “behind” their team; available whenever they are needed to come in and close a deal, anxious to discuss what went wrong after a loss, and anxious to inquire, “How’s it going?”, to show interest, at any given time during the sales cycle. These are examples of pushing from the back of the line. Being at the front of the line is more beneficial to Managers and their direct reports. Consider these 4 Must-Dos to make sure your first-line managers lead from the front of the line.

1. Manage Expectations – This concept is the polar opposite of figuring out what went wrong after losing a sale. Clearly defined sales process expectations are valuable in winning a sale. Ken Blanchard, author of the “One Minute Manager” makes the following statement:   “As a manager, I’ve found that people are amazingly good at meeting my expectations, but only when they understand exactly what those expectations are”.  Determine and set clear expectations for your team at every stage of the sales cycle and they are more likely to plan ahead to achieve a more productive sales engagement, increasing the probability of a win.

2. Review and Plan – This is where accountability comes in. A verbal summary of a conversation between a sales representative and a prospect, is only subjective, without customer validation. Require a consistent follow up to each sales call which includes a brief written summary of the conversations participated in and clear “next steps” agreed to, indicating a progression forward. This meeting summary will serve as a validation to the prospect and to the manager of the prospect/seller engagement. The prospect’s opinion is the most important validation that “everything is going great”….or not. Schedule weekly performance assessments with each member of your team to encourage skill attainment and to address skill deficits.

3.  Coach and Confirm  – Once skill deficits are uncovered, use the following tips for managers in leading a coaching session:

  • Be honest, open, respectful
  • Give feedback in private (praise in public)
  • Review expectations
  • Be specific about deficit components
  • Ask for their perspective on deficit and possible causes
  • Ask for their ideas for skill fulfillment
  • Be prepared with some suggestions
  • Determine clear next steps and follow-up

4. Reinforce – Make sure your selling behavior is something worth emulating for all of those in line behind you. Remember the child’s game of “Follow-the-Leader”?  Management behavior will reinforce habits that are good or bad. It’s a typical human behavior that hasn’t changed over the years.  As you lead, they will follow.  Are your managers on the right path?

Get behind your sales team by doing an “about-face” and leading from the front of the line. Manage expectations, review and plan, coach and confirm, and then reinforce.  If you have been at the back of the line pushing your reps along, it is never too late to do an “about-face” and start leading!

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Gold Medal Performances in Sport, Business, and Friendship

Kerri Pottharst in Manly Feb 26 2014

This return trip to Australia has allowed my family and me to rekindle 20 year old friendships and establish wonderful new connections. Last evening was no exception, as we had the pleasure of meeting again with my friend Kerri Pottharst, her husband Max, and son, Tyson.

After blowing her knee out playing professional indoor volleyball in Italy in the early 90’s, Kerri Pottharst ended her “hardwood” career, moving to the sand, for less pounding on her joints.   She overcame great adversity to win a Gold Medal in Beach Volleyball, at the 2000 Olympic Games, in her hometown of Sydney.

I met Kerri playing volleyball on Bondi Beach in 1992, and although we were on the same beach, her level of the play and mine were miles (or kilometers) apart.  My amateur status was not anywhere near her acumen, but a common bond was formed through another good friend, Margo Malowney.  Margo also played in the Beach Volleyball Olympics in Atlanta in 1996, representing Canada.  The three of us met in Sydney in ’92 and have remained friends since, over miles, oceans and hemispheres.

Both Margo and Kerri have gone on to successful careers in business, which is no surprise, based on their dedication to the hard work that it takes to get to peak performance.  Kerri is a motivational speaker based out of Sydney (www.kerripottharst.com) helping companies set their vision for success. Margo is currently the Vice President of Marketing for an environmental restoration firm in Toronto.

Back in 1992, upon my arrival in Australia, I knew ONE person.  To look back on my 3 visits here, my gratitude abounds for the lifelong friendships established through a wonderful sport, in a beautiful part of the world.  The best to you and yours, Kerri and Margo, until we met again.  Cheers, mates!

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Join me in Riga, Latvia, April 23-25, 2014 for ELIA’s Networking Days!

 

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Flannery Sales Systems will be participating in this year’s European Language Industry Association (ELIA)’s Networking Days in Riga, Latvia.  For those of you who aren’t familiar with Riga, it is the capital and largest city of the Baltic states, located on an ancient natural harbor formed by the Daugava River tributary of the Baltic Sea.  The richness of the architecture and landmarks unique to this historical city will be enhanced by ELIA a rich program of events associated with the Networking Days.

Top on our list of “things not to miss” in Riga, will be John Flannery’s Networking Days session entitled:  “Differentiate Yourself (your company) by the way that you sell”.  John Flannery, President, Flannery Sales Systems works with his customers globally to develop specific revenue generation programs based on sales process. He also provides supporting implementation services to help companies maximize their investment and drive results.  John’s topic “Differentiate Yourself (your company) by the way that you sell”, has specific relevance in the language services industry today in a competitive marketplace where how you sell may be your biggest differentiator.

For registration and more information, visit:

http://www.elia-association.org/index.php?id=ndrigreg0

 

Join me in Riga – the site of the European Language Industry Association (ELIA)’s Networking Days, April 23-25th 2014.  

 

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3 Ways to Align Communication with Corporate and Customer Needs

Sales leadership is always on the hunt for new sales tactics and strategies to transform their sales team into the dream team. When you take away sales training and costly CRM’s, what resources are left? Free (or almost free) tools and tactics are coming to light with the new age of selling. With a culture consumed by social media and the idea of marketing combining forces with sales, the industry’s relationship with its prospects is being challenged. Here are three, cost-efficient tactics to help improve the performance of your sales team and ultimately fill the pipeline:

1.    Social Selling

Free, simple and effective are three words to describe social selling. Encourage your sales team to leverage platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter and Google+ to listen, engage and establish relationships with prospects. Hootsuite does an incredible job of outlining the pillars of social selling; the process is as follows:

  1. Listen and learn
  2. Research and relate
  3. Engage and impress
  4. Collaborate and close

Take advantage of everything social platforms have to offer. Get into the conversation; encourage your employees to respond to posts on the LinkedIn and Twitter newsfeeds. This is an almost effortless way to engage with prospects in the social community. Speaking of effortless, LinkedIn offers something called the Daily Digest which is an alert that it sent to you daily informing you when a contact changes jobs, gets a promotion, or even tells you when it’s their birthday. Similar to LinkedIn’s Daily Digest, Newsle is a free online tool that connects to your Facebook or LinkedIn accounts and alerts you when one of the people in your network are in the “news”.

These are all opportunities to engage, which can have a big impact for a small about of work. Just remember, social engagement is the gateway drug to lead generation.

 

2.    Partner with Marketing

Does your sales team understand the role marketing plays in the success of the business? Marketing exists to make the sales process easier so the company can hit its bottom line. Break the communication barrier and explain to your team where marketing fits into the sales process.

Sales can provide marketing with valuable information, including hindrances, prospect objections, customer feedback and market activity. With this information marketing can create programs and materials to streamline the sales process (follow-up emails, communication scripts, collateral, etc.). Working together can prove successful for both departments and the company as a whole.

 

3.    Identify Your Purpose

How does your business change the life of your customer? Everyone on your team should have an answer to this question. What are your customer’s issues? How will your product make their lives easier? Can you list product benefits?

  1. Among the obvious reasons, your team should be able to communicate an understanding of customer pain points when speaking on behalf of the organization. It’s easier to believe in something if you are able to relate to it; case in point, if you can’t relate to the customer then they surely won’t be able to relate to you or the product you’re selling. Once your staff understands the overall purpose of the organization from the customer’s perspective, their role in the company and how it fits into the big picture will become clear.
  2.  Identify the individual’s purpose and department purpose so they are able to see how their actions can help or affect the success of other departments. For example, we help marketing accomplish x, y and z. Sales helps marketing with a, b, c. When all team members understand not only their role, but the role other departments play to determine the success of a company.

Ultimately, a clear understanding will help build the foundation for good communication with clients. As well as helping the team identifies aspects of their conversations that would be helpful for marketing or trending issues so you can continue to relate to customers at their level.

 

These three strategies are designed to help you and your team reach your goals the most effective, cost-efficient way possible.  I hope you’re able to take these ideas back to your team and put them in action to help create your sales dream team.

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Successful Selling, Successful Business: How to Lead Your Team Well into the New Year

It’s easy to get caught up in your day-to-day routine of checking emails, project management, checking emails, attending meetings and checking more emails. As a member of sales leadership, it’s your responsibility to take a step back and reexamine how you’re doing things. When was the last time you cleaned your contact database? Are you taking advantage (or even aware) of new sales tools? These routine jobs may be time consuming, but they’re necessary. Simply said, it’s time for Extreme Makeover: Sales Edition.

1.    Take Two: Look at the Customers POV

Do the messages on your website connect with your customers? Part of understanding your customers’ needs is communicating it to the customer. Avoid overusing the word “we” in any type of communication when describing your organization; instead exercise more customer-facing messaging. Successful businesses know how to market to customers so they clearly understand what the product can do for them. Here are several questions to ask when reevaluating your customer’s point of view:

  • Do you speak their language?
  • Do you anticipate and answer their questions?
  • Does your product fulfill the customer’s needs or solve their problems?

2.    Sort and Clean Databases

Don’t wait three years to scrub your database, make life easier for your team by doing an annual cleanse to remove duplicates, stale clients/prospects and organize sales stages. Here are five tips to keeping your database squeaky clean:

  1. Don’t waste space, identify duplicates and remove
  2. Set up alerts to be notified of duplicates so you can determine whether or not the contact is truly a duplicate.
  3. Get rid of inactive contacts
  4. Check for nomenclature uniformity (i.e. Business Name Inc., Business Name, Co.)
  5. Eliminate the junk or contacts with fake information. For example, some people will use false email addresses like asdf@hotmail.com.

3.    Take Advantage of Webinars for Lead Generation and Client Retention

Cost efficient and effective, webinars are a simple way to generate leads and maintain an active relationship with current clients. Webinars are an opportunity to display your industry expertise and increase brand awareness, as well as engage in conversation with prospects, customers or peers.

4.    Get Closer to Your Numbers

Digging deeper into your numbers and what they mean can help your team understand what is working, what’s not working and what areas need improvement. This is easier said than done. An article on Forbes.com says today’s successful companies are doing three things well:

  1. Use analytics to identify valuable opportunities
  2. Start with the consumer decision journey
  3. Keep it fast and simple by investing in an automated data system

What’s your strategy to staying on top of your team? If you can’t succinctly describe how your product/service helps your target customers, then you’re in trouble. Prospects can see fluff copy and messaging from a mile away—cut to the heart of your product’s benefits and you’ll be surprised how effective more targeted words and messaging can communicate to your customers.

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Renew Your Love of Selling At Our Sales Boot Camp Feb 20-21, 2014

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We all go through times when we love our jobs, but at other times, lets admit it:  We don’t.  Whether it’s the after-the-holiday-let-down, discouragement, boredom, a skill deficiency, or a desire to interact with other salespeople for new ideas and motivation, we’ve got the perfect program to get you pumped up and primed to renew your love of selling!  My colleagues at the Whetstone Group are conducting a Sales Boot Camp February 20 and 21, in a place that everyone loves: San Diego!

The best way to renew your love of selling, is to take a couple of days to catch your breath and join some entertaining and experienced instructors who will help you look at selling with a new perspective.  Take the time to catch up on the latest buying trends, evaluate your personal selling skills, and learn advanced theories and ideas while re-focusing on the basics of what there is to love about selling!  Increase your confidence and credibility, and you’ll love your compensation: earning power!

Attend our Boot Camp; click here to learn more: http://www.whetstonegroup.com/training-programs/css-2-day-boot-camp/
Be sure to mention John Flannery when registering, and call us at 866 518-7039

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