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30 seconds to better sales

You have 30 seconds to tell me who you are and what your business’s objectives are.

It’s basically a 30 second commercial that needs to stick, to grab me, your client’s attention and differentiate you. I know it’s hard to put it all into 30 seconds, but in a fast paced world that is screaming for attention, you must stand out and stand out fast.

In those 30 seconds you need to cover:

• Who you are: You personally, your name and position if necessary.
• Who your company is: Name of the company, be clear about this.
• Tell what you and your company do: Be creative here with a catchy one-liner.
• Ask a leading question: Find out what the needs are you can respond to, or else the client really doesn’t need you.
• Make a short statement explaining how you can meet the need: Be sure and listen for what the need is and respond appropriately.
• Create a call to action: Close the sale. Why should they act now?

Now before you ask the leading question of your customer, be sure you understand what you are looking for from them. An example of a leading question could be:

Lead Question: How long does it take for you to usually receive your order from your suppliers?

Customer Answer: Usually about one week.

Your Statement: We can guarantee you will receive your order in 3 days!

Be sure the question you ask is something that is important to the client and you are sure you can fulfill and be better than the competition.

Here’s to better selling!

 

Starting strong.

I can still remember a poster that could be found in our college basketball locker room. It was actually in one of the smaller rooms where we would go to get our ankles or knees taped up for practice and games. This poster was not of a superstar basketball player. It wasn’t even of a sports icon or legend. So, why do I remember this poster out of the many posters that I have seen over the years? Because of what it said in a few simple words beneath a cartoon sketch of a young boy still tying his shoe at the start line of a race after the gun had signaled the start.

Those who start slow, seldom catch up.

We start our fiscal year in April. For us this means that we need to have a strong 1^st quarter (April, May, and June). A strong 1^st quarter will help us secure the rest of the year for us. Here are a few reasons why starting strong is important.

• You expend twice as much energy catching up as you do leading.
• Creates a winning mindset with the team.
• Marketing becomes easier.
• Back office becomes easier.
• Sales become easier.
• In a word… momentum.

That’s what it does, it creates momentum. You can’t buy momentum, but you can give it every chance to be on your side. Set yourself up for momentum. Start strong.

Get them in the door.

The other day I was on vacation with my wife. We choose to vacation in Mexico despite all the current violence. I love Mexico and especially love the folks that try and sell to us “tourists”. Here are a couple of great one-liners that we heard this week:

• “I’ve been waiting all day for you to come to my store.”
• “You cannot spend your money unless you come inside my store.”
• “You want to buy, I want to eat.”
• “Everyone needs a “Lucha-libre” mask.”
• “Don’t worry, you pay the bank later.”

We laughed a lot with the folks, and even opened up our wallets and bought some gifts for others.  I thought – as a sales person, what are you saying to get someone’s attention—or are just waiting?

 

The one time sale.

Last week I was face to face with a Time Share sales person. In my book this ranks right there with a visit to the dentist or a four hour conference on all the new developments in skin disease ointments. Correct- I don’t like it. Why, well because of the type of sales it is.

• The sales person is geared to make a onetime sale, and he doesn’t worry about what you think about the purchase or the product in the morning.
• There is no time given to allow you to look at other options.
• They will not take no for an answer.
• You are just a number to them.

This is great for selling Time Shares or used cars. But it is not good for building a long term relationship with your customer. 

 

The art of a good lunch

Whenever I travel, and if you have read me or follow me on Twitter or FB you know I travel quite a bit, I always try to arrange for a supper or lunch with someone that will allow me to expand my view on what is possible. Many times I already know these persons, and at other times they are from outside of the publishing world as well. The meal could consist of a simple sandwich or cheese and bread. Other times we have dined full course meals late at night. 

The point is that the meal is important, but what we are having for the meal is not. The key is setting time aside to get to understand the other person and where they are coming from. But I like to go
  deeper than that. In Spanish I call it the secret to the 3 “A”’s of dining with a friend, a colleague, a competitor, a peer, but at the end of the meal- a friend.

There is an old Jewish proverb that says “…as iron sharpens iron, so are the words of a friend…” I enjoy getting together with people who will challenge me to greater things. I in turn always try to challenge them as well. The following, when I am given the privilege of someone’s time allowing me to share the table with them, is what happens during the meal.  Let me quickly give you three points.

• Learn from one another. Ask questions about them, their business, their family, their passions and dreams. Take notes both mentally and on paper. Turn the cell off. This is their time.
• Encourage one another. Listen and encourage a broken spirit. Encourage a tired friend. Pour out.
• Help one another. Offer to help in an area where the friend is in need. You have talents that come easy to you. You will find that the day will come for you to receive as well.

I find it simply amazing when I get up from a table after a great time of putting these three in practice. I am renewed, challenged, indebted, and even humbled. Let me encourage you the next time you travel or simply go to lunch with someone to invest in someone else’s life, learn from them (and be ready to teach), encourage them (and be encouraged), help them (and be helped). It’s in the doing that you receive.

Best to you my friend.

What is the role of the salesperson in the near future and long term?

Several months ago a member of our sales team asked me about the future and how it related to him as a sales person. It was a very good question and one that, if you are in sales, (remember—we are all in sales) you should pay attention to. The issue at hand- electronic downloads of both audio and video content from our authors as well as the next phase, which is well underway, digital downloads of the written product via Kindle and PDF’s.

 

If you have been anywhere but under a rock, these were some of the same issues that heavily affected the structures of the music industry, forever erasing the lines of ownership and distribution. I have included the three questions asked- but save your time- jump to the third question- that is the key question.

 

• 1.    In the Thomas Nelson website (our corporate site) we are selling downloads but are we the ones getting the sales, (meaning Thomas Nelson) or is it any other company? 

[>>>LAD]       We are as Thomas Nelson though our internet channel, they are also available through Audible, iTunes, i-amplify and many others.

 

• 2.    If our distributors would like to develop the idea in their own website, can we help with the technology to do it? If not how can it be done? Will we sell the license so they can have the product to be download by their customers?

[>>>LAD]     We already have developed the technology for them. And they can start selling tomorrow / actually today. Note that I am testing it on my blog. I simply followed the quick and easy steps – though I am doing mine as a freebie only directing everything to TN. But they can fill out the form and get a certain share of the sale. We hold the server. Check out the upper right column of my blog to see example. But we will not create new technology for them- they just need to become an affiliate (no, they don’t get a normal discount – it will be much less - but no inventory at all J) and copy and paste into their site- they can literally be up and running today.

 

• 3.    This question came to mind as I was doing these questions. How do you think this initiative will affect our roles as sales people in the near future and in long term?

[>>>LAD]      First of all “Near Future and Long Term” let me just say in the future. We are changing to quickly right now to differentiate much past 18 months. For right now- sell, sell, sell! But shortly - In the future we (as sales) will need to become providers of content for different vertical groups. You MUST become an expert in an area. That is to say- how do I begin to understand all the needs of specific groups of consumers, and how do I get them connected to my author’s content. Example: Leadership Books – driving down to business groups , Small Business Associations, entrepreneurs, managers, and many more… how do we reach them and make them fans of Maxwell and business content. Could we see a day shortly where they eventually sign up to be “mentored” by Maxwell daily with our content? Right now we are Horizontal as a publisher and even more so as an industry. We sell a wide variety and it is displayed widely in a bookstore waiting passively for people to come in and browse- scan the horizon. We must become Vertical – that is we must know:

1) who is our authors core customer base, we must know

2) how they want it delivered to them, we must know

3) when they want the product delivered to them,  and finally

4) at what price they want the content delivered to them.

This may be 5 years off- or it may be 18 months off. These are exactly the questions that the “digiready©” team at Thomas Nelson is tackling right now.

The most important phrase in all of customer service.

As I continue reading WOW: Deja al cliente boquiabierto con un servicio fuera de serie – I am struck by the chapter that focuses just on saying thank you. This is such a very important phrase that we often take for granted. No matter the country, the culture, or the language; a simple “thank you”, “gracias”, “obrigado”, “danke”, “merci”, “na som”,  “grazie”, “arigato”, “tack”, or “cheers”, it is a powerful connector that we have often overlooked.

Here is a reminder of several opportunities you have to say a simple heartfelt “thank you” to your customers.

• When they buy from you
• When they compliment your company
• When they offer comments
• When they try a new product
• When they recommend you
• When they are patient, and when they are not
• When they help you serve them better
• When they complain
• When they make you smile

And here are 5 often overlooked “thank you’s” within the company:

• Your co-workers
• Your boss
• The other departments you work with
• Your vendors
• Yourself- yes you- you do a great job, thank yourself.

And just a quick additional tip I learned from what I read and am working to put into practice: The most effective “thank you’s” are the ones that are:

• Immediate
• Specific
• Sincere
• Special

Who do you need to say thank you to today?

Six quick tips for creating trust with your customers.

Customer trust grows slowly and develops over time. Conversely, trust can be smashed in a single thoughtless moment or action. The truth is; customers actually grow in trust through perceived fairness.

Here are a few tips from a book on customer service that I am reading now called WOW: Deja al cliente boquiabierto con un servicio fuera de serio. These tips will help us understand their view of trust and fairness, and then how we can act to grow such trust.

How does the customer interpret fairness?

• When they feel listened to and respected.
• When the transactions with you are painless.
• When you keep your promises or over deliver.
• When you treat them ethically.
• When you acknowledge their uniqueness.
• When you put their interests before those of the business.

What are some practical actions you can take to build trust?

• Frequent communication with the customer.
• Be truthful.
• Be open to hear them.
• Be warm and genuine.
• Be confident, not arrogant, but confident.
• Keep your promises, even if it hurts.

Try these actions, and let me know how your customers react to the new you.

Change is the only constant.

It has been stated thousands of times before – “Change is the only constant.” Change is all around us, and ever happening with or without us. Change knows no political, social, language, or economic boundaries. Change doesn’t care about your calendar or even what public opinion states. Change wears no watch, carries no baggage, and claims no special office. Change is neither good nor bad, neither right nor wrong, change just.

In today’s business climate and in our industry especially, change is no stranger.  But what has become increasingly obvious is the speed with which change is now occurring. I won’t take you all the way back to the Gutenberg or the rotary press, but if you even think about the last 10 years and the changes we have all lived through, you really start to smile and even chuckle a bit. Though I must say as a complete aside- the coffee on American Airlines still has not changed. In fact I think they still use the same old stale coffee grounds. But almost everything else has. Think about the way we communicate for instance. We have gone from the written letter in the mail, to the non reliable fax, to the e-mail. Does anyone remember how we used to all get off the plane and rush to the line of telephones to call back to the office to check if everything was under control?

Well get ready folks, I believe in our industry we are going to see drastic change in the next few years. Actually some of these changes are already happening and you may or may not even be aware.

1)      Marketing is an area we all recognize is changing. Already we are seeing the drastic reduction of print magazines. One after another are shutting their doors. A few are attempting to make the move to digital, but some are late in doing so and may not have the revenue stream to support themselves as before. But this is only a symptom of the underlying change. Marketing is going vertical now, allowing you to reach specific core audiences instantly with measured results through social mediums. “Triangulated marketing” will become the course of action. Yes I just coined that phrase J. Triangulated marketing (think GPS tracking of your customer) will consist of social media that composes listening, speaking, and core community stations and platforms.

2)      Publishing formats are changing.

a.       The digital world of downloads and readers is a whole area that others who are much smarter than I are already covering. Plus in the time that I took to write this blog a dozen new digital issues where revealed.

b.      Just know this- we are no longer publishers of books- rather we are content providers. If you can remember that you will be ok through this change.

3)      Traditional Author, Publisher, Distributor, Retailer definitions are changing. Without going into the area of self publishing / self distribution, which is the best option for many authors, I believe that we will begin to see the traditional model of Publisher selling to distributors and or booksellers lines that have been in place for decades begin to blur. I saw in Sao Paulo bookstore that had as its name that of the publisher big and bold and then underneath in smaller letters the phrase “operated by (name of the traditional bookstore). Here you found every single title of the Publisher whether it be front list, back list, or even remainder. Let’s give it a US look for the example: Harper Collins Bookstore… operated by Barnes and Noble. You wanted shelf space- you got it buddy. Wouldn’t that rock some people’s worlds? But I think it will go so much deeper than that.

So it matters less whether you believe, or even like the changes that you see coming. What matters is how you and your team are adapting to them. And think of it this way- If nothing ever changed in your business, would your business need you?

Max Lucado - a picture is worth a thousand words.

Here is a quick link to several pictures from our trip so far with Max Lucado in Brazil. You can also follow us on Twitter at #MaxBrazil or #Fearless or @MaxLucado or as a last resort @LarryADowns. I say a picture is worth a thousand words- and that is good- because the blog below is in Portuguese.

Link to Pictures of Max in Brazil.