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As part of my teaching a sales course at the Ohio University College of Business, I have my students understand many of Josh Gordon's "tough calls," and we integrate techniques as part of their sales calls. Gordon does a great job of reviewing tactical approaches that can be applied in a concrete way that's great for sales students and sales professionals. Presentation created by Shaun Holloway.
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Tough Calls:
Selling Strategies to Win Over Your Most Difficult
Customers
Part I
Overview
Author Josh Gordon conducted a national survey that consisted of 3 separate mailings and received over 1,000 responses
Tough Calls focuses on behavior of clients FIRST and recommends selling approaches directed toward that behavior
Every client, even current, has the potential to become a “problem client”
Why Understand This?
1 of 6 clients in the USA is a problem client Services have more problems than products The percent of your problem clients depends
on your selling style Problem clients account for 1/3 of job
related stress! 27.4% of a sales manager’s time is spent
discussing problem clients with salespeople
Book is designed…
Most frequent to least frequent problem clients Divided into 3 sections to help you…
Pitfalls Selling Strategies Closing Strategies
Some strategies purposely contradict Designed to help you for a variety of clients
Not designed to be used all at once or sequentially
Survival & Opportunity- Pg 205
“If every client you had handed you an order without a fight, salespeople and client contact professionals would be unemployed.”
“A sales territory without problem clients is a territory without opportunity.”
The Client Who…Grinds You On Price
Most frequent problem client- get a lower price Pitfalls:
Getting so focused on price you forget to sell your product
Discussing price first Wasting time on a customer who is not serious Thinking the buyer is a pain in the neck
The Client Who…Grinds You On Price
Selling Strategies: When asked for a concession, ask for something
in return Every price grinder has a boss Keep it personal Find out what your client really wants Sell value Differentiate your product from competitors Never negotiate over the phone Do NOT give in to every price demand
The Client Who…Grinds You On Price
Closing Strategies: If you make a price concession, close on it! Make a non-price concession… close on it! Close with NO concessions
Could be the fairest way possible More flexible negotiations will favor bigger accounts
The Client Who…Will Not See You
There are salespeople… you are just not one of them You have to get in
Pitfalls: Taking it personally Becoming a nuisance… pest vs. persistence? Giving up
The Client Who…Will Not See You
Selling Strategies: Ask yourself, “Why would I see me?” Send a non-sales-related item and see if it arrived Call early in the morning or after 5pm Worship the secretary Make a non-sales contact to help you get in Ask yourself questions… Say, “I’ll be in the building, can I come see you?”
The Client Who…Will Not See You
Closing Strategies: Be specific Promise a benefit Think about the next time
The Client Who…Has No Buying Authority
Watch out for “information gatherers” who channel info to the right people
Pitfalls: Assuming the person you’re meeting has authority Thinking the person is insignificant Going over the person’s head
The Client Who…Has No Buying Authority
Selling Strategies: Motivate the buyer to admit he/she has no authority Become a sales trainer Prove it on paper Go over her head… When? How?
The Client Who…Has No Buying Authority
How do you get a commitment from someone who cannot make one?
Closing Strategies: Put all the info in writing & send multiple copies Be very sensitive to timing
“When will the decision be made?” “Whom else will you be meeting with?” “When will you be meeting?”
The Client Who…Loves What You Say Then Does Not Buy
This buyer finds it easier to give no resistance, then buys elsewhere
The call may seem TOO easy or TOO nice Pitfalls:
Mistaking the call for a relationship sell Assuming the sale is a “go” because there are no
objections
The Client Who…Loves What You Say Then Does Not Buy
Selling Strategies: Bring up the objections yourself Consider this person may not be here for long Nail down the level of commitment BEFORE
leaving the room Ask for the order Ask about a timeline Find a way to continue the dialogue
The Client Who…Loves What You Say Then Does Not Buy
Closing Strategies: Be direct & ask for specifics Treat it like a normal sale
The Client Who…Complains About Everything
Pitfalls: Agreeing with the complainer about your product
and company Thinking of this as real complaining
The Client Who…Complains About Everything
Selling Strategies: Set the buyer up to work for you Ask yourself, “What kind of attention does the buyer
really want?” Smoke out real complaints from “show” complaints Minimize the importance of the complaint
The Client Who…Complains About Everything
Closing Strategies: Say, “I understand the concern you have; if it were
resolved, would you buy?” Shoot the attention to your competitors for awhile Take all complaints head on
The Client Who…Says, “It’s not in the budget.”
Pitfalls: Taking the “no money” at face value Offer a rate concession Trying a prestige sell
The Client Who…Says, “It’s not in the budget.”
Selling Strategies: Position your product as a financial benefit Ask for a test or trial period Help your client find the money Offer a guarantee involving money Limit the chit-chat
The Client Who…Says, “It’s not in the budget.”
Closing Strategies: Put it in terms of money
How we will save you money How we will make you more money
Put the numbers in writing
The Client Who…Is Indecisive
Pitfalls: Pushing when there is clear resistance Not reading the objections emotionally Losing patience
The Client Who…Is Indecisive
Selling Strategies: Give a deadline to buy Sell the idea that a specific sale is given Start asking for an order 6 months in advance See the client in person
The Client Who…Is Indecisive
Closing Strategies: Prepare for a massive close Ask, “Do you want a blue one or a green one?” Tell the buyer no and take a stand
Tough Calls:
Selling Strategies to Win Over Your Most Difficult
Customers
Part II
The Client Who…May Cancel The Order
Things change Pitfalls:
Letting the romance get stale Looking at the “intent to buy” as a “done deal” Avoiding talk about the competition
The Client Who…May Cancel The Order
Selling Strategies: Keep the romance alive Do NOT stop selling Monitor your competition Check for romance decay Say Thank You
The Client Who…May Cancel The Order
Closing Strategies: Sell up: the best defense is a good offense Get a verbal commitment for anticipated business Find out who is the top supplier
The Client Who…Buys Elsewhere: Likes a Competitive Product
Do not slam the current product It questions the judgment of the buyer
Find out why the client bought the product in the first place
Pitfalls: Putting your client on the defensive
The client is committed emotionally to the other product Going into a sale without being prepared
The Client Who…Buys Elsewhere: Likes a Competitive Product
Selling Strategies: Give a comparative, not competitive, presentation Differentiate your product Get the client more excited about the product Get invited to make a hard competitive presentation
The Client Who…Buys Elsewhere: Likes a Competitive Product
Closing Strategies: Give the buyer a way out
That was then this is now The “Whole new ball game” approach Things are not what they used to be
Let’s keep the current supplier on his toes Someday the client may need a backup supplier
The Client Who…Buys Elsewhere on Relationships
Pitfalls: Getting competitive before you
have proved yourself Chasing every trivial objection Giving up too early
Example: Frog Cartoon
The Client Who…Buys Elsewhere on Relationships
Selling Strategies: Build your own relationship
4 types of relationship buyers and ways to start “I buy from the organization that sends me the most
credible representative” Emphasize professionalism and product knowledge
“I buy from the people I trust” Give some kind of preferential treatment or attention
The Client Who…Buys Elsewhere on Relationships
Selling Strategies Cont… “I buy from people who are my friends”
Begin with entertaining “I buy from the representative who helps me look
good Bring value added services, etc to the table
Envision yourself turning the account around Could take time… like years Relationships aside… business is business Get involved with your client’s peers Monitor the relationship you are up against
The Client Who…Buys Elsewhere on Relationships
Closing Strategies: Ask for a level playing field Use the “join the club” close Entertain, ask for the order, take care of the
details back at the office
The Client Who…Is Indifferent
Key is to get into the buyer’s head Pitfalls:
Trying to control the call too much Thinking the call is going badly because the client
does not seem to be listening Not customizing the call for your client
The Client Who…Is Indifferent
Selling Strategies: Prepare for a unique call
Show up with an interesting, stand-out presentation Call ahead Ask yourself, “Has the client heard it all before?” Start by asking questions and being responsive
Present your product in terms of the client’s business Ask a question you know the answer to Ask yourself, “Is this the right person to sell to?”
The Client Who…Is Indifferent
Closing Strategies: Develop a more personal relationship Just keep showing up
The Client Who…Is Hard To Read
This client gives no feedback A call without feedback is no call at all Pitfalls:
Trying to get the client involved by talking more Assuming you have made the sale because there
has been no feedback Feeling uncomfortable
The Client Who…Is Hard To Read
Selling Strategies: Ask an open ended question and just stop talking Get the buyer to talk about anything Start your call by asking questions SPIN them
The Client Who…Is Hard To Read
Closing Strategies: Close on your client’s demographics Time the close with no feedback
The Client Who…Gets Angry Over Mix-ups
Pitfalls: Not trying to use it to your advantage Letting the problem linger longer than it has to Blaming it on the other guy Asking your boss to handle it
The Client Who…Gets Angry Over Mix-ups
Selling Strategies: Defuse the anger
Tell the buyer, “You’re right.” Ask for the details of the problem Make a personal commitment to solve the problem
Ask what the client wants Stay on top of the situation until it is resolved Write a letter
The Client Who…Does Not Like Your Company
This is going to count against you Find out where the perception came from Pitfalls:
Joining your client in griping about your company Defending your company as being perfect Thinking your company is worse than it is
The Client Who…Does Not Like Your Company
Selling Strategies: Build a positive buzz Become your whole company Take someone from the home office on a road trip Find out why…
Client had a bad experience Old salesperson was an idiot You have been smeared by a direct competitor Bad news from Wall Street An old problem was not really “solved”
The Client Who…Does Not Like Your Company
Closing Strategies: Offer a “screw up” guarantee Close him on the product you are selling