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July 2011
Issue: 53

 

 

The CEO's Switch   

     

Big Switch




Dan:


I sell for a software company offering solutions in the technology industry. Our company continues to drive more sales via the internet resulting in internet sales growing from 0% in 2008 to 25% today. It now handles most of our small orders while we sales reps handle mid-size to large complex orders. 


What are your thoughts on the internet and selling?


Alaina,
Portland, OR





Alaina:

Thanks for your great question.

Your question warrants a discussion of something I call "The CEO's Switch".

In my workshops we envision that every CEO has a switch on her desk. That switch, when flipped, automatically generates and sends the following e-mail to the entire sales team.


Dear Sales Team Member:

Thank you very much for your many years of devotion to our company. 

Unfortunately, at this time, your services are no longer needed.  You will be receiving your final paycheck next week. You will receive credit for any unused vacation days and all of your personal belongings will be mailed promptly to your home address.

I sincerely regret having to take this action but it is apparent that you and your sales colleagues have not taken my repeated warnings seriously. Over the past year I have stressed our objective to invest heavily in our web site. We now have the ability to:

  • Process orders
  • Offer customer pricing
  • Disseminate sales literature
  • Configure and customize product offerings
  • Provide customer testimonials

This can all be done 24-7, 365 days of the year. Apparently, you believe that this is your job description.  Therefore, you no longer have a job. 

 

I encourage you to consider what is necessary to sell successfully in this day and age.  Pursuing your next endeavors, I would ask you to consider the following, for your own edification.  Sales reps need to: 

  • Set a high bar and exceed the expectations of your customer.  Start by never, ever failing to follow up as promised. 
  • Admit that you did not lose deals because "our price is too high".  That's just the excuse provided when you are outsold and failed to gain trust. 
  • Apply the appropriate sales strategy to each and every major opportunity in your pipeline instead of waiting for the customer to tell you what to do.  Remember "a sales rep working a major opportunity without a strategy is merely a visitor" and "hope is not a strategy". 
  • Build rapport and trust with clients BEFORE dousing them with pricing, technical facts, features and data. Understand that "people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."
  • Thoroughly research the accounts where there are major opportunities. Identify the senior executives within your major opportunities and understand their goals, objectives and key challenges.
  • Become an expert at showing them how your company's solutions will help them attain their key goals.
  • Improve your forecasting skills.   It is NOT your manager's job, it's YOUR job. 
  • Insure that you properly qualify each opportunity into which you expend corporate resources.   
  • Do not enter into price negotiations unless you have done your job which is to justify and prove you are worth the investment. Refrain from modifying price unless your customer:
    • Has the proper authority  
    • Is reasonable in her discount request
    • Is ready to buy now
    • Is committed to you with no other issues on the table
    • Will share his price target with you

I hope this does not sound "preachy", since I have the best intentions and want to help you with your future career. I wish you the very best of luck and continued success in whatever career you decide to pursue.

Sincerely,

The CEO of Your Company



Attendees of my workshops will note that this is an example of a "Special Assignment" letter.

Don't for a moment think I'm kidding about this "Big Switch". It exists in the office of every CEO. 

Hopefully you will take from this story the fact that the internet is here to stay.  Please try to update your skills along with technology as it progresses.  The next 5 years will be exciting, and sales reps will need to radically upgrade and improve their skills.  If not get ready for that e-mail! 


Alaina, superstar sales reps welcome change and look at the internet as a big help to them. It makes them much more efficient by freeing up time to work on large strategic deals and by providing them tools to better carry out their expertise. Embrace the internet and it will help you to better help your customers!

Good Luck, and Close 'Em!

 

Dan Adams, Adams and Associates

  


P.S. For Dan's previous TTS Newsletters click HERE

 

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  • Submits "red flag" coaching feedback with action items to improve chances of winning
  • Coaches and explains why inputs are critical by providing hyperlinks in each question
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Dan's book won a Medal
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 Building Trust, Growing Sales
How to Master Complex, High End Sales Using The Principles of
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Daniel Adams
Adams and Associates
532 Walker Road
Hinsdale, IL 60521
630-215-5090

Email: [email protected]

Web:  www.trusttriangleselling.com


Copyright � 2007-2010 Adams & Associates. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Adams & Associates is prohibited and strictly enforced.

FOR INSPIRATION:  
  
  


 

 

"It's not the strongest of the species that survive; nor is it the smartest.  

It's the ones that are the most responsive to change that survive."

 

-Charles Darwin 

   











"A man is not measured by how much he can take and stand but by how fast he regains once fallen."


-George S. Patton








  

 

"Failure is success if we learn from it"

 -Malcolm Forbes  











 

"Failure is the tuition you pay for success."  

 

-Walter Brunell
 
  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

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