Consistent Effort is the Key to Better Sales Results

Consistent Effort is the Key to Better Sales Results

One of the primary reasons salespeople produce sporadic results is because their actions are equally sporadic. Their effort isn’t consistent enough to produce the results they want—or need. It’s zero effort for a long time, and then it’s time to play catch up. But that doesn’t work.

You can’t go long periods without prospecting and then prospect like crazy. You can’t make up for lost time and cram to get results. Building a pipeline doesn’t lend itself to sporadic activity. To build your pipeline, you need consistent effort over a long period of time. Anything less gives you wavy results—it if it gives you anything at all.

You build a pipeline through consistent prospecting.

You can’t follow your sale process for a little while and then abandon doing what you know to be effective in hopes of succeeding by taking some easier actions. There are all kinds of occasions to fall out of your sales process, especially when what you are seeing means you have to get creative. But not following the sales process means poor results, longer sales cycles, and lost opportunities.

You win sales opportunities by consistently following your sales process, by making it your standard operating procedure.

Speaking of prospecting, nurturing is another area we can produce an inconsistent effort. If you only make a call every 90 days, you aren’t nurturing the relationships you need—you’re neglecting them.

You only open the relationships with a frequent and consistent effort to create value.

It’s easy to ask for the commitments you need when it feels like the answer will be in the affirmative, and it’s easy not to when you fear the answer will be no. By failing to ask for what you really need, you go without information that you need to create and win an opportunity. You also go without the access to stakeholders that you need. Then, you’re surprised to learn that you lost an opportunity for which you are perfect.

By consistently asking for the commitments you need, you improve the likelihood of winning the opportunities you create.

None of this is true for sales alone. It’s true in whatever your endeavor, for whatever result it is you hope to achieve. Consistency is the key. It’s the daily stacking up of your efforts, brick upon brick, which ultimately produces results.

Questions

What do you do most consistently? How are your results in that area of your life?

What do you do only sporadically? How are your results different?

What do you need to commit to doing more consistently to produce the results you want?

What do you need to stop doing so consistently to produce the results you’re after?

 

What Stories Are Your Numbers Telling You?

What Stories Are Your Numbers Telling You?

Your sales numbers tell a story. Your numbers paint a picture of what you believe, as well as the actions you take based on those beliefs.

If your pipeline is empty, your pipeline metrics tell the story of a salesperson (or sales organization) that isn’t prospecting. Or maybe it tells the story of someone struggling to effectively prospect in a day and age when business acumen, situational knowledge, and value creation are the price of admission.

If your pipeline is full of deals that are smaller than your target deal size, the story your average deal size tells might be about a salesperson that is calling too low because he doesn’t feel like he is producing results when he is working on the long sales cycle deals. Or maybe it’s the story of a salesperson that doesn’t call on large clients because he believes they already have partners in place, because they’re too difficult to win.

If the time your deals spend in a certain stage of your sales process is longer than it should be, your numbers tell the story of a salesperson that isn’t in control of the sales process. Your time in stage metric might tell the story of a salesperson that isn’t asking for or gaining the commitments she needs. Or it might tell the story of a salesperson that isn’t following a sales process at all.

In business-to-business sales, your numbers at the end of the quarter don’t often tell you anything about that quarter. The story your number tells at the end of the quarter is the story of what you did during the prior couple of quarters—maybe even the prior year. It might be the story of a salesperson that worked to make their number, taking action long before it was necessary. Or it might tell the story of someone who took a quarter off waiting for deals to come to them.

You are the hero in your story your numbers tell. The story your numbers tell provides you with a picture of your beliefs and your actions. Your numbers tell the story of where you are challenged, and where you are succeeding. They also tell you what you need to do more of and what you need to change. But this is only true if you let the numbers tell you your story.

Questions

What stories do your numbers tell?

What is the underlying belief that leads to your numbers?

What actions result in your numbers telling these particular stories?

Why is the story that you tell about your numbers a different story than someone else might tell about your numbers?

 

Your Clients Already Know You’re a Salesperson

Neither your dream clients nor your existing clients ever say, “You know, that Joe is really consultative. He’s never too salesy. I never think of him as a salesperson.”

It makes me cringe to hear salespeople say that they don’t want to come across as a salesperson. They say they don’t want to be perceived as being too “salesy.” Instead, they want to be perceived as consultative, mostly underestimating what that means of what it takes to get there. Almost none of the people you sell to have any idea what consultative selling is (in fact, most salespeople really don’t know what consultative selling is either). Your client’s don’t share the vocabulary we in sales use to describe that set of behaviors.

Salespeople who suggest that they want to be consultative especially talk about the idea of not being “too salesy” when it comes to commitment gaining. This is especially true around the opening commitment, the commitment for time to explore working together. They say the same thing when discussing the commitments that would allow them to gain information, as well as the commitment to access the buying committee. Without these commitments, you can’t produce the results you need.

But guess what?

Your Clients Already Know

Surprise! Your clients and dream clients already know that you’re a salesperson. They knew that from the first time you called them to request an appointment. And even though the signature line in your email says that you are in business development, your dream clients know that you intend to sell them something. In fact, if they let you through, they’re counting on it.

Here’s the fact. You aren’t being judged by your intention to sell your dream clients whatever it is that you sell. You’re being judged by something else, something far more important than that.

Your Dream Clients Are Judging Your Ability to Create Value

The test as to what kind of salesperson your clients perceive you to be is whether or not you create value at every stage of their buying process. Your clients and your dream clients expect you to ask them for commitments along the way. The more directly you can do so, and the greater your sales call value proposition, the easier you make it for your clients to agree to those commitments. You create value, and you get the commitment. You don’t create value and, well . . .

As a point of reference, consultants ask for access to far more information than most salespeople do. They also ask for far more access to the organization.

Which brings us to the real fear behind the resistance to asking for commitments. Your fear isn’t that you will reveal yourself to be a salesperson. Your real fear is that you haven’t created enough value to earn the commitment you’re asking for. Consultative salespeople don’t share that fear; they know that they can create value, and that is why they’re comfortable asking for whatever they need to do so.

Trust me, your dream client knows you are a salesperson. They’re fine with that. What they’re not fine with is you not knowing how to create value and your not having the confidence to ask for what you need.

Questions

What does it mean to be “too salesy?”

What makes someone too much of a salesperson and not consultative enough?

Do your clients have any confusion at all about why you are calling them? If so, why are they confused?

What’s the real test as to whether or not you are consultative? What does commitment gaining mean about your ability to create value?

 

On Science and Sales

On Science and Sales

When something is a science it comports with the scientific method. This means that you can prove that something is always true and, no matter how many times you try, you can’t prove it false. Gravity is a good example of something scientific. If you drop something, it falls towards earth with a Newtonian precision and certainty. You can never drop something and have it not fall towards Earth.

Just because you are measuring something doesn’t make it scientific. You can survey sales managers, sales people, and buyers, and you can capture some interesting and useful insights, but this isn’t science and the information shouldn’t be treated like it is. I use one cup of spinach, one cup of frozen berries, and two level scoops of Iso-Pure protein powder in the smoothie I make each morning. I measure carefully, but I am not doing science; I’m just making breakfast.

Why isn’t the kind of research you read on sales, selling, and business scientific proof? Why do we have conflicting views on what works and what doesn’t work?

One, because nothing that we capture is always true and often proven to be false. Gravity will never be proven to be false (unless you want to get into a discussion about mass traveling at the speed of light).

Two, we are dealing with human beings and human psychology. Human interests and motivations are unpredictable.

Gravity doesn’t ever have low blood sugar, it isn’t under stress at home, it doesn’t have financial problems, it isn’t concerned about its teenage daughter driving, it doesn’t fret that Jones might get the promotion it wants, and it doesn’t continually change it’s mind because it’s afraid of making the wrong decision and embarrassing itself. Gravity doesn’t have mood swings.

Gravity doesn’t prefer salespeople it knows, likes, and trusts over salespeople it doesn’t know. Gravity doesn’t play politics. Gravity doesn’t have personality conflicts, and it isn’t easily swayed by someone with excellent rapport-building skills. It doesn’t have preferences, motivations, and a history of experiences upon which it is drawing.

Gravity doesn’t like big companies over small companies, it doesn’t care about price, it hasn’t been lied to in the past, and it doesn’t care one way or another about the difference between price and cost.

All of the factors are sometimes true about your buyers. And they’re sometimes true about salespeople, too. Gravity doesn’t forget to prepare. It doesn’t stick its foot in its mouth in a big important meeting and blow a deal.

But this doesn’t mean that information and research isn’t valuable or that it doesn’t prove useful. To the contrary, what we capture are patterns and generalizations that are worth observing and worth our attention.

Right now, for example, you’re being told that the research tells you to lead with insight to challenge your clients. This is a sometimes useful pattern. It’s worth knowing when this approach is useful. It’s useful for developing latent dissatisfaction. It’s also useful for creating value after you’ve won a client to prevent becoming the status quo and exposing yourself to a competitive displacement. But it isn’t always useful, nor is it always the right approach.

Your also being told to expect that your buyers are 67% into their buying process before you ever speak with them. This is probably a useful generalization for sales organizations that sell B2C, but it is often proven false in B2B sales where buyers don’t even have a process they repeat (outside of purchasing, maybe). I have started touting the made up statistic that buyers are now 117% through their buying process before they engage you. The generalization is that buyers now have access to more basic information. Because this is generally true, you need to create a higher level of value to be useful as a salesperson.

So what should you do with the research you read that pretends towards science? You should read it. You should spend time thinking about it. You should talk with other smart people about the patterns and generalizations it represents. And then you should play with it and see where and when it is useful.

There is a certain confidence that comes with knowing something is true with an absolute scientific certainty. But in sales and business, especially in this Disruptive Age, you are better off being skeptical, being agnostic, being open to new ideas, and learning the patterns so you know when they are useful and when they are not

 

What We Can’t Measure

What We Can’t Measure

Did you create value during that sales call? How much value exactly? What was your dream client’s perception of the value that you created?

Did you influence the buying process? Did you create trust? How much trust?

Does your dream client like you? Are you more likable than your competitors? What is the depth of your relationship? Is it as strong as it should be? What metric are you using to determine the strength of your individual relationship?

Did you uncover your prospective client’s real motivations? Is the worldview they described really their view, or is it the company line? Is the buying criteria they described what will really be used to make the decision? Or is it really a price decision with the criteria serving to justify a lower price later?

This list could continue on interminably.

The world is ruled by invisible forces. Most of what effects our lives, including the outcome of a sales opportunity, can’t be seen. We can measure much, but what we can glean from those measurements doesn’t often reveal anything we can rely on with anything that resembles a scientific certitude.

Keep Your Processes and Methodologies

But none of this is to suggest that you shouldn’t follow a sales process and good sales methodologies. It doesn’t mean that generalizations and patterns aren’t valuable. There are many generalizations worth capturing and implementing. In fact, much of what we do in life is following patterns that work (or worked at some time).

If your dream client agrees to take the next step with you, then there is some good, even if less than scientific, evidence that you created value during a your sales interaction. If you are denied that future appointment, there is some evidence that you might not have crated value.

We capture this agreement to advance as proof positive that enough value was created. Scientific? No. Close enough for rock-n-roll? Absolutely.

If you ask for and obtain the information you need to help your dream client, then there is some good evidence that you have established some level of trust. If you are denied the information you need, then there may be some evidence that your dream client doesn’t trust you with the information–or they don’t trust you to do anything worthwhile with the information.

When you acquire information, it likely means you can close some gate in your sales process. Does this mean your dream client trusts you like their oldest friend? Well, not necessarily, but nor must it. It means that, as far as your sales process is concerned, you’ve earned enough to move forward.

We can’t measure most of what’s really important. But the questions at the beginning of the post, difficult as they are to answer, are the important questions. The best we can do is capture and measure some outcomes that give us some evidence that what we are doing is working–and what we are doing that isn’t.

Questions

Because something is difficult to measure does that make it unimportant?

What are the important factors that lead to a sale that can’t be measured?

What do we measure instead?

How do we align what we can measure with what we can’t measure?

 

Better Public Speaking

Whether we’re talking in a team meeting or presenting in front of an audience, we all have to speak in public from time to time.

We can do this well or we can do this badly, and the outcome strongly affects the way that people think about us. This is why public speaking causes so much anxiety and concern.

The good news is that, with thorough preparation and practice, you can overcome your nervousness and perform exceptionally well. This article explains how!

The Importance of Public Speaking

Even if you don’t need to make regular presentations in front of a group, there are plenty of situations where good public speaking skills can help you advance your career and create opportunities.

For example, you might have to talk about your organization at a conference, make a speech after accepting an award, or teach a class to new recruits. Public speaking also includes online presentations or talks; for instance, when training a virtual team, or when speaking to a group of customers in an online meeting.

Good public speaking skills are important in other areas of your life, as well. You might be asked to make a speech at a friend’s wedding, give a eulogy for a loved one, or inspire a group of volunteers at a charity event.

In short, being a good public speaker can enhance your reputation, boost your self-confidence, and open up countless opportunities.

However, while good public speaking skills can open doors, poor speaking skills can close them. For example, your boss might decide against promoting you after sitting through a poorly-delivered presentation. You might lose a valuable new contract by failing to connect with a prospect during a sales pitch. Or you could make a poor impression with your new team, because you trip over your words and don’t look people in the eye.

Make sure that you learn how to speak well!

Strategies for Becoming a Better Speaker

What’s great about public speaking is that it’s a learnable skill. As such, you can use the following strategies to become a better speaker and presenter.

Plan Appropriately

First, make sure that you plan your communication appropriately. Use tools like the Rhetorical Triangle, Monroe’s Motivated Sequence, and the 7Cs of Communication to think about how you’ll structure what you’re going to say.

When you do this, think about how important a book’s first paragraph is; if it doesn’t grab you, you’re likely going to put it down. The same principle goes for your speech: from the beginning, you need to intrigue your audience.

For example, you could start with an interesting statistic, headline, or fact that pertains to what you’re talking about and resonates with your audience. You can also use story telling as a powerful opener; our Expert Interviews with Annette Simmons and Paul Smith offer some useful tips on doing this.

Planning also helps you to think on your feet. This is especially important for unpredictable question and answer sessions or last-minute communications.

Tip:

Remember that not all public speaking will be scheduled. You can make good impromptu speeches by having ideas and mini-speeches pre-prepared. It also helps to have a good, thorough understanding of what’s going on in your organization and industry.

Practice

There’s a good reason that we say, “Practice makes perfect!” You simply cannot be a confident, compelling speaker without practice.

To get practice, seek opportunities to speak in front of others. For example, Toastmasters is a club geared specifically towards aspiring speakers, and you can get plenty of practice at Toastmasters sessions. You could also put yourself in situations that require public speaking, such as by cross-training a group from another department, or by volunteering to speak at team meetings.

If you’re going to be delivering a presentation or prepared speech, create it as early as possible. The earlier you put it together, the more time you’ll have to practice.

Practice it plenty of times alone, using the resources you’ll rely on at the event, and, as you practice, tweak your words until they flow smoothly and easily.

Then, if appropriate, do a dummy run in front of a small audience: this will help you calm your jitters and make you feel more comfortable with the material. Your audience can also give you useful feedback, both on your material and on your performance.

Engage With Your Audience

When you speak, try to engage your audience. This makes you feel less isolated as a speaker and keeps everyone involved with your message. If appropriate, ask leading questions targeted to individuals or groups, and encourage people to participate and ask questions.

Keep in mind that some words reduce your power as a speaker. For instance, think about how these sentences sound: “I just want to add that I think we can meet these goals” or “I just think this plan is a good one.” The words “just” and “I think” limit your authority and conviction. Don’t use them.

A similar word is “actually,” as in, “Actually, I’d like to add that we were under budget last quarter.” When you use “actually,” it conveys a sense of submissiveness or even surprise. Instead, say what things are. “We were under budget last quarter” is clear and direct.

Also, pay attention to how you’re speaking. If you’re nervous, you might talk quickly. This increases the chances that you’ll trip over your words, or say something you don’t mean. Force yourself to slow down by breathing deeply. Don’t be afraid to gather your thoughts; pauses are an important part of conversation, and they make you sound confident, natural, and authentic.

Finally, avoid reading word-for-word from your notes. Instead, make a list of important points on cue cards, or, as you get better at public speaking, try to memorize what you’re going to say – you can still refer back to your cue cards when you need them.

Pay Attention to Body Language

If you’re unaware of it, your body language will give your audience constant, subtle clues about your inner state. If you’re nervous, or if you don’t believe in what you’re saying, the audience can soon know.

Pay attention to your body language: stand up straight, take deep breaths, look people in the eye, and smile. Don’t lean on one leg or use gestures that feel unnatural.

Many people prefer to speak behind a podium when giving presentations. While podiums can be useful for holding notes, they put a barrier between you and the audience. They can also become a “crutch,” giving you a hiding place from the dozens or hundreds of eyes that are on you.

Instead of standing behind a podium, walk around and use gestures to engage the audience. This movement and energy will also come through in your voice, making it more active and passionate.

Think Positively

Positive thinking can make a huge difference to the success of your communication, because it helps you feel more confident.

Fear makes it all too easy to slip into a cycle of negative self-talk, especially right before you speak, while self-sabotaging thoughts such as “I’ll never be good at this!” or “I’m going to fall flat on my face!” lower your confidence and increase the chances that you won’t achieve what you’re truly capable of.

Use affirmations and visualization to raise your confidence. This is especially important right before your speech or presentation. Visualize giving a successful presentation, and imagine how you’ll feel once it’s over and when you’ve made a positive difference for others. Use positive affirmations such as “I’m grateful I have the opportunity to help my audience” or “I’m going to do well!”

Cope With Nerves

How often have you listened to or watched a speaker who really messed up? Chances are, the answer is “not very often.”

When we have to speak in front of others, we can envision terrible things happening. We imagine forgetting every point we want to make, passing out from our nervousness, or doing so horribly that we’ll lose our job. But those things almost never come to pass! We build them up in our minds and end up more nervous than we need to be.

Many people cite public speaking as their biggest fear, and a fear of failure is often at the root of this. Public speaking can lead your “fight or flight” response to kick in: adrenaline courses through your bloodstream, your heart rate increases, you sweat, and your breath becomes fast and shallow.

Although these symptoms can be annoying or even debilitating, the Inverted-UModel shows that a certain amount of pressure enhances performance. By changing your mindset, you can use nervous energy to your advantage.

First, make an effort to stop thinking about yourself, your nervousness, and your fear. Instead, focus on your audience: what you’re saying is “about them.” Remember that you’re trying to help or educate them in some way, and your message is more important than your fear. Concentrate on the audience’s wants and needs, instead of your own.

If time allows, use deep breathing exercises to slow your heart rate and give your body the oxygen it needs to perform. This is especially important right before you speak. Take deep breaths from your belly, hold each one for several seconds, and let it out slowly.

Crowds are more intimidating than individuals, so think of your speech as a conversation that you’re having with one person. Although your audience may be 100 people, focus on one friendly face at a time, and talk to that person as if he or she is the only one in the room.

Watch Recordings of Your Speeches

Whenever possible, record your presentations and speeches. You can improve your speaking skills dramatically by watching yourself later, and then working on improving in areas that didn’t go well.

As you watch, notice any verbal stalls, such as “um” or “like.” Look at your body language: are you swaying, leaning on the podium, or leaning heavily on one leg? Are you looking at the audience? Did you smile? Did you speak clearly at all times?

Pay attention to your gestures. Do they appear natural or forced? Make sure that people can see them, especially if you’re standing behind a podium.

Last, look at how you handled interruptions, such as a sneeze or a question that you weren’t prepared for. Does your face show surprise, hesitation, or annoyance? If so, practice managing interruptions like these smoothly, so that you’re even better next time.

Key Points

Chances are that you’ll sometimes have to speak in public as part of your role. While this can seem intimidating, the benefits of being able to speak well outweigh any perceived fears. To become a better speaker, use the following strategies:

Plan appropriately.

Practice.

Engage with your audience.

Pay attention to body language.

Think positively.

Cope with your nerves.

Watch recordings of your speeches.

If you speak well in public, it can help you get a job or promotion, raise awareness for your team or organization, and educate others. The more you push yourself to speak in front of others, the better you’ll become, and the more confidence you’ll have.