Stephen M. Haines - Tips for sales professionals

I've taken a six month hiatus on writing, but there's many topics for me to catch up on.   After recently onboarding a half dozen new hires, I have realized one question just keeps popping up: "Stephen, how do YOU overcome objections?"  I've had answers for that one over the years, but I recently came to grips with an interesting fact: I don't. What I mean is, I am not the one who overcomes objections - the person raising them does. Allow me to explain further: You go out to eat and order a diet Coke (because ordering anything else in the Atlanta area is paramount to a sin, and could be met with legal ramifications in some jurisdictions).  Anyway, the server says "We have diet Pepsi - is that OK?".  Now, YOU have a choice. Please forgive my simple example, but it matters with large purchases, too. In my example, it is the restaurant patron that must make a choice.  You, as the customer, have some choice responses: 1) "I think i was clear. I orde...

Facebook is so funny.  You're sitting there trying to beat level 89 of Candy Crush, and up pops this friend request - this person you haven't seen or heard from in years, you were in homeroom with him in 10th grade.  During your years, you probably exchanged... I don't know... 35 words?  Now, he is so excited to have found you. So, your finger hovers over the button on your smartphone... Do I accept?  What's his name again?  oh, yeah.. Jake.   So, you click on his profile to see what he shares with the public.  A few photos, not much.  He looks like his younger version, just heavier.   Oh, his wife looks nice.  Looks like they live in Rhode Island.  I don't know anybody else in Rhode Island. So, you accept the request.  Now, there he is.. friend number 389.  You don't really care that he found a new shawarma place for lunch today, or that his kid lost a tooth.  You don't want to be bothered with how upset he...

In my last blog I told you about Rachel, and how to recover from a really BAD presentation.  Luckily, you can avoid that, too!  What if there were a foolproof way to AVOID bad presentations in the first place, thereby ALWAYS giving you the right to close, thereby increasing your conversion rate and your wallet?!?  What would THAT be worth to you? OK, nothing's foolproof, but I do have some suggestions! First, begin with the end in mind.  Stephen Covey said it best in 7 Habits, you should always launch your ventures knowing where you ultimately want to land.  Imagine working hard for a vacation, packing up the family cruiser with tons of luggage, toys, kids, grandma, and the cat- then heading down the road.  About an hour into it, your spouse lovingly looks at you and innocently asks, "so, where we goin'?"   Ridiculous, right?  Who would go through all that trouble without a plan?   Well (sheepish pause), we've all done that with a sale, ...

Forgive the title, but I figured if I was going to promise something big, I should Go REALLY big! In the last blog, I challenged the big, fat, lie about closing- which is that it is Only a numbers game, that if you aren't selling enough, you simply aren't closing enough.  Now, this may be partially true, but I submitted that what really is probably going on is that you are holding back.  You aren't closing enough because you aren't building trust, demonstrating value, and creating separation from your competitors- so your gut is telling you that you haven't earned the right to ask for their business! So, how do you earn the right?  Well, you'll have to read the next Blog for that!  The feedback I got from the last blog tells me that you agreed, that's why you're not closing more often.  So, as promised, I'm going to help you with that  scenario first - the "what if I screwed up already?" answer. Let me answer with a story.  One of the great...

When visiting with a group of students at a University recently, the issue popped up about when and how to close. I find it interesting how much it is discussed, yet how bad most people in the profession actually ARE at it. Now, I know that people can close. Just about every person that is on this planet is here because someone closed the deal: to go out with them, to date them, to marry them, and then to have kids. OK, I'm not that old, I know many of those get jumbled now, but still - a close occured, and boom - billions of people are on this planet. Somehow, without the pheromones and emotions connected with my analogy, however, when it is only...your livelihood... on the line, salespeople gradually get worse at it. That is why most trainers have summarized and watered down the close into simple phrases you are supposed to carry around for motivation: "Close hard, close often." "You don't ask, you don't get." "It takes 5 "no"...

Time to wrap up the 4 parts on "Are YOU on Demand?" with the final challenge - how engaging are you?  Chances are, you probably consider yourself pretty engaging, which is why you are in sales, but let's take a step back and compare back to these "smart" devices again, and find out how engaging  they are. On a recent 12 hour drive to see family in Maryland, my kids thought it would be amusing to talk to Siri.  They asked it every possible question to confuse and mesmerize this 'artificial intelligence,' while I, the driver, was pretty amused at the...well...conversation. Kids: "What is the best smartphone?" Siri: "I think you've already answered that question" Kids: "what is the best smartphone?" Siri: "Seriously?" Kids: "Whatever" Siri: "Fine" Kids: "Whatever!" Siri: "Everything is definitely OK" Kids: "You are so weird" Siri: "You are certain...

In this installment of  Are YOU On Demand?  we will focus on the promptness.  As you recall, we've been looking at how we have moved into the On Demand era, and how our consumers are demanding it from not just devices, but from everyONE they deal with.  Not only are they looking for someone who makes it simple to do business with, they also want those people to be prompt and engaging. The newest laptops on the market have solid state hard drives, whose main purpose is to create an "Instant On" experience, one touting a 2 second boot up!  Compare that to your laptop!  Why do I bring this up?  well, again, your consumer's iphone, iPad, and now laptop starts as quickly as their cars have for years (although even those now have Push button starts now!)  How does this translate?  If a customer leaves some question in your lap, they kind of expect it answered....quickly.  This is best seen online, where customers who used to survey that they...

Last time we discussed how much more prevalent tablets and smartphones have become, and how your consumer is being quietly reprogrammed to expect those features from everything - and everyone - they come in contact with.  Think about it - when's the last time you rearranged your schedule to make sure you saw the weather report on TV?  It's almost ludicrous to think about.  One 2 second hold on the round button on my phone, then mumbling the word "weather" - I have the whole thing - 5 day forecast, maps, weather alerts - I can even click around and see how other people feel  about the weather.  That is something that was previously missing from the nightly newscast. As I dig into this reality, I am drawn to the amazing thing that Jobs landed on in his pursuit of the perfect device.  It is so.... simple.  In the authorized biography of Steve Jobs, it is discussed how the iPhone came to fruition. Interestingly, he was first motivated to invent a new t...

Why does anyone enter the highly respected profession of sales?  (Yeah, that was totally tongue-in-cheek).  I will tell you why, because we see an opportunity to likely feed our families and achieve our dreams via our natural gift of conversation or relationalism.  The ability to find commonality with just about anyone. I am pretty sure, if you are in sales, you can relate with this notion.  You probably have been told over the years that you have the "gift of gab" or "get along with anyone." So, you gave up your first career of teaching, accounting, pizza delivery, paint stripping, or warehousing to enter the dynamic world of sales. Let me ask you a question - is that enough?  Is the difference maker between highly consistent and successful sales professionals simply that some are more interactive than others?  No!  You have probably felt some measure of success, but you've had setbacks.  Yes, even self doubt at times.  I think I may be...

I remember being one of the first in my division in 1999 to get a digital camera to aid in selling homes. It was so painful uploading pictures with the dial-up modem, but my customers LOVED it! I would make a point to take a picture during almost every demonstration, then I would email them the picture as follow up - "remember how much you loved this homesite?" (or kitchen, master bath, etc) NOW the possibilities are endless. Videos, virtual tours, the sky is the limit! Here's a couple I recommend incorporating immediately: 1) Sherwin Williams virtual house painter - for those that just can't picture how the paint would look on their preferred elevation, you can now upload a picture onto their website, tell it the SW colors, and the computer will allow you to "paint" it! Beware, this takes patience, but worth it for your buyer to spend time doing if they are just that uncertain 2) Autocad for iPad. Not for the faint of heart, but now you too c...

One of my favorite things to hear as a sales leader is when a salesperson is presenting the terms of a potential deal, and throws in..... "...and, they've gotta have an extra $2000.  It's a deal killer!" You know, Ben Affleck said it best in Boiler Room.   In every interaction a sale is made, just sometimes the Buyer sells the seller on why they can't or won't buy!  As a sales professional, you are responsible for both how the value of the product and/or transaction is portrayed, and in my humble opinion, the deal killer is usually.... US! I'll let you off the hook... slightly... and acknowledge that SOMETIMES customers can get price fixation, and thereby overlook the true value of the produce you are selling.  We've all been there - the buyer has been given or set a specific price in their mind, and all logic, begging, and value-adds cannot budge them.  What I am suggesting today, however, is that this is rarer than we like to believe.  That t...

As I've shared with you before, If you're not growing, your shrinking (I'm in trouble!).  Each of us should spend part of our week sharpening the saw- gaining knowledge, insight, and abilities.  We should challenge our thinking, techniques, and style to always lean into our personal and company strengths. On that note, in some of our more established communities, we face resale and foreclosure challenges that are unique because they are the same floor plan!  The buyer struggles to not see that as "same-same" because their eyes tell them they are the same. Well, when you pop into a straight-off-the-showroom- floor new car, your NOSE and eyes tell you it's brand new compared to a "same body style" version of the car that's 3 years old.  The leather has some visible sings of three years of wear. But more than this, The ODOMETER of a new car tells you it has 3 original miles versus the 52,000 miles on the used one.  In other words, even a novi...

How heavy are your questions? Part 3 of Ask a Better Question is actually a question - "How heavy are YOUR questions?"  In this installment, we investigate which question you are reaching for, and what response you are likely to solicit.  Buckle in, because this topic is HEAVY! This will be the last time I write on questioning for a while, but I felt it was worthwhile to cover one more facet.  You see, we have an opportunity to filter or improve the actual answer we are seeking, and phrase it as a better question - one that actually is likely to help us towards a positive response.  Before I get specific, how about an example? Let's say YOU are shopping for a luxury item for the first time - one you are not that familiar with - we'll go with a boat.  You have made it clear that you are an amateur by the nature of your dialogue - you've asked about anti-lock braking (on a boat, really?), cruise control, and "where does the waste from the toilet go?...

This topic of questioning is so near and dear to me, I figured I'd fire up the writing machine to remind you again just how important the power of questions are.  Today, I want to remind you that you are communicating great volumes by the nature and type of questions that you ask. First, did you realize that your customers realize where you place your value by the type of questions you ask?   For example, if you begin by asking them ABILITY or QUALIFYING questions, you are communicating that you are most concerned with whether or not they can afford your product.  It doesn't matter where you are in life, imagine walking into a Porsche dealership.  The sales person gives you a once over, and immediately begins with "Hi!  Isn't this Carrera gorgeous?  So, where will YOU be driving this to work?"  On the surface, it seems harmless, but here's what he's really asking "Will I be wasting my time if I help you?" Now, if this same hypothetical salesp...

I thought you may find interest in the article I’ve attached.   A couple of things to note: When they speak of investment from HUD, they are talking on 2 different planes: 1.        One, HUD reports out partially because housing is a large component (in typical years) of the investment side of our GDP.   Since you don’t “use up” houses, and they typically gain in value, housing is calculated as an investment, where shoes, televisions, cars, and most other physical purchases are in the “consumption” bucket.   So, it is monitored closely, as improvement in housing makes a big difference in our GDP 2.       They are also in the last line of this report (which I’ve bolded and underlined for you), speaking of investors in the construction industry, as opposed to the guy who is talking to you about picking up a couple of specs for rental.   This is huge, as it ties to our sales meeting a couple of weeks back. ...

Thanks for taking the time between your facebook posts to read my blog.  A friend just texted me that he was following a tweet that suggested another blog encouraged emailing your friend list.  In today's e-connected culture, the true art of how to talk to another human being... I mean, really talk, well - that's becoming a lost art. So, let me help you with a few tips on how to make the phone work for you.  First, some philosophy.  When calling prospects to schedule another appointment with them, two things can happen - you talk to them, or go to voicemail.  So, the first philosophy is that when you pick up the phone, you better have 2 plans, based on the two possibilities! So, if it goes to voicemail, your whole mission is to entice the receiver to call you back.  Don't sell, don't give away incentives, don't be desperate.  Get them to call you back.  The best way to do that is to be personal and intriguing.  Try something like "This is...

While counseling Sales Pros who have been slumping, the conversation often moves between technique and strategy.  Too many I have met focus completely on technique and ignore strategy altogether.  Oddly, they often also lack on technique!  Technique is usually focused on how you handle the interactions with a client.  How you present, how you handle concerns, and how you close.  Strategy typically is how you plan or prepare for interactions, whether for an individual client, or for your month or year in general.  Today's post is both technique and strategy.  As a strategy, I feel it is wise to always learn what you can from the client.  The customer has some pain, some problem that needs to be solved, and they have chosen to discuss it with you, the sales pro.  I have a very funny family physician with a heavy Russian accent that, whether I go in for routine checkup or a cold, enters the examination room with a so...

courtesy of jscreationzs Take yourself to the simplest of all transactions.  You've undoubtedly been through a drive through.  Countless, I'm sure.  How many of those transactions can you remember?  Seriously, of ALL time, how many can you remember?  Probably, the best and the very worst. Well, I had a memorable one this week.  I just wanted coffee and a yogurt parfait.  Nothing complicated, as Bon Qui Qui would shout "I gotta complicated order!".   Just a coffee and yogurt.  I sat staring at the callbox for a good three minutes, feeling myself aging.  I glared at the box, thinking that somehow that might get translated to the disinterested person on the other end.  Finally my order was taken, and I progressed, irritated, through the line.  I get to the window to find a very entertaining lady talking to herself and shaking her head.  She occassionally would look at me, inviting me to join the conversation, but I...

Buzzwords in the Sales profession come and go like fads.   As I sit here in my parachute pants and tie-die shirt listening to Depeche Mode, I realize that not all buzzwords that are new and current are necessarily fads!   I’ll try to make my point quickly, as my Jackson 5 tribute band has practice in 20 minutes. Selling from Strength seems like a passing buzzword, but it really should go into your mental inventory as a true north principle-based habit.   True north on the globe doesn’t change.   It doesn’t matter what time of day or night it is, which season, or where Haley’s comet is in the solar system.   True north always stays the same (magnetic north does change, but this isn’t a science lesson now, is it?) One of the biggest behavioral observations I have in the post-2008 market environment is that most buyers are looking for value.   Shoot, I went to Sonic drive in last week for happy hour and made the manager top off my vat-sized 85-cent diet Coke b...

In a "down" market, I have seen few principles as clearly as I have seen the principle of BATNA. What is it? It is the Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement. Said simply, it is your next best choice if this current deal falls through. I'll never forget being in 9th grade in Greer, South Carolina. I was attending my first year of high school, which I began with much intrepidation. Towards the end of the year, a senior girl I had met invited me to her prom. Me? A 9th grader? I know what you're thinking - she must have been a dog! Did she have fleas? Did she kick her leg when I scratched behind her ear? Actually, she was pretty cute, just shy. My brother, who was a senior that year at the same school, was incredulous! How could his little brother be going to his prom? He begged my parents to not allow me to go, he bribed me, and maybe even threatened. At the end of the day, I still went. K (I'll protect her full name in case she is some huge re...