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You Can’t Fake Rapport.

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Last week, I made a trip to work with a client in Central California, doing a Sales Audit.  It was a great trip for many reasons, but one of the greatest was this.  That area is San Francisco 49ers country.  The Niners just lost the Super Bowl to the Chiefs (wait – should I have said “The Big Game” so the NFL doesn’t sue me?). Which meant that, for the first time in quite a while, people didn’t ask me “How about those Chiefs!” when they met me and found out that I’m from Kansas City, so I didn’t have to talk football!

Don’t get me wrong – I don’t dislike the Chiefs, nor do I dislike football. I’m a good Kansas Citian, and I’m glad they won.  I just don’t eat, sleep, and breathe it, and when people attempt to build rapport with me by starting a conversation that way, they are assuming that I do.  Most likely, they don’t care much about the Chiefs either – it’s just a fake way of building rapport.  And that’s the problem; entirely too many salespeople attempt to build rapport in a way that is inauthentic and actually hurts your potential rapport with customers and prospects.  The good news is that there’s a real way of building rapport, so let’s talk about it.

I should tell you that I’ve always felt that rapport-building is the weakest part of my sales skills.  Don’t get me wrong, I like people, but I’m not one of those guys who can be someone’s friend within 30 seconds.  I knew one of those guys in the car business, and coming from him it was the most natural thing ever.  He was great.  When I try to build rapport by doing the old “spot their interests” tactic, it comes off like Jack Lemmon in Glengarry Glen Ross.  It’s painful.

However, there’s one fact that works in my favor.  I’m curious by nature.  I like to ask questions.  And I know one simple element of human nature.  The thing that most people like to talk about is themselves.  When someone is trying to get me to talk about football (or Kansas City barbecue – the other topic that people always bring up when they find out where I’m from), they are making an assumption that those things are things I’m passionate about. I’m not passionate about football.  I am passionate about barbecue, but I’m convinced that the best Q in Kansas City comes from my own backyard smoker.  But in either case, people are trying to build rapport by attempting to tell me what my story is, rather than asking about my story.

And that’s the key that I discovered early in my sales career.  If I just showed some genuine curiosity about my customers and prospects and asked them about themselves – giving them an opportunity to tell me their story – and then just listened, I built rapport with them without having to flap my gums.  It works.  Note that I said “listen.”  To “listen” means to engage with their words and remember those words, not just plan your next phrase.

Today, it should be easier than ever to build real rapport with people, because they are already telling much of their story on social media.  The vast majority of your prospects are already laying out what’s important to them for public consumption.  All you have to do is check it out and note it down.

Even when salespeople try to build rapport by asking questions, many of them screw it up.  They ask the wrong questions.  They ask questions that are personal in nature (“Are your kids involved in sports?”) that cross boundaries, rather than questions that are “safe” for customers to answer.  As I’ve noted in a previous Webinar, people build relationships differently nowadays.  Relationships are built on a professional basis and then segue to personal, rather than the old method of becoming buddies and then moving that relationship to a sale.  This is more pronounced with each subsequent generation, from Gen-X through Millennials to Gen-Z.

So, what can you do to show curiosity and build rapport without crossing boundaries?  Here are a few of my favorite ways.

  1. Ask your customer to tell his/her professional story. One of my favorite opening questions is, “How did you come to be in this position?”  This creates an opportunity for your prospects to tell you all of their successes, foibles, and their journey, without crossing any boundaries.  In fact, your prospect may take you into some of those personal spaces as well – but it’s THEIR choice to do so, not you prying.
  2. Ask your customer to tell you his/her favorite thing about their job. Again – you’re opening the door for them to brag.  You’re also possibly getting a window into how to sell to them.  If you sell something that can enhance their favorite thing about their job, or create more time or money to do it, you have a pretty powerful motivator.
  3. Ask about something they recently posted on LinkedIn. Yep, I’m being specific to LinkedIn here.  That’s the “professional” social media, and as such, it’s fair game in a business world.  For instance, “I saw you just took an award trip to the Dominican Republic.  That’s pretty awesome!  What did you do to win that trip?”

Those are a few examples, but remember that the key is shutting up and listening while they talk.  Don’t interrupt their story (that shows that you really don’t care about it) and don’t immediately transition from a story point to a sales pitch (ditto).  If you do hear something that can lead you to a sale, make a note and ask about it later during your normal questioning.

Real rapport building is about showing genuine curiosity by asking, and genuine interest by listening.  The old “fish on the wall” method comes across as fake – even when it isn’t.  And fake rapport sets you back instead of moving you forward.  In other words, fake rapport isn’t rapport at all.  It gets you kicked out.

Just ask Shelly Levine (Jack Lemmon’s GGR character).

What to Do When Business is Down

Sales Blog, The Navigator News

I hear salespeople say, “Troy, business is down,” a lot.  After my years of experience in sales, I usually translate that to, “Troy, sales aren’t coming to me as easily as they used to.”  As a manager and coach, I think, “You aren’t selling enough.”  Don’t get me wrong; our profession is definitely affected by economic conditions that we don’t get to set or create.  Sometimes those conditions harm us and sometimes they help us.

But that doesn’t mean that we can’t change our own economic conditions.  Despite what I hear sometimes, it’s rare that “nobody is buying anything.”  “Nobody is buying anything” means that “not enough people are buying things from me.”  Look – the aspect of selling that I love the most is that we are the tip of the economic spear, and we have the opportunity to be our own economy.  When “business is down,” it’s time to innovate, get aggressive, and keep our own economy strong.  Here are a few ways:

  1. Ramp up your prospecting.  I’ve always said that the real job description of a salesperson is to be a “self-contained business generation machine.”  In selling, the big bucks go to the salespeople who are continually building and growing their businesses, and who do not allow themselves to get complacent.  Yes, it’s true that prospecting is a slow play now.  The prospecting call you make now might not initiate a Buyer’s Journey for six months or so – or it might start one right now.  And even if it is six months out, if you don’t prospect now, the journey won’t start then.  Or worse, it will start and it won’t include YOU.
  2. Use every sales call to develop your customers.  The number one cause of sales stagnation is the agenda-free sales call.  Don’t make your calls on existing customers just to make them and get a pat on the head.  Have a reason and an objective.  Get away from the rote “how are things going” calls with your existing customers, and instead start using EVERY CALL to build your business.  Sell them more stuff, deepen relationships, and get some referrals.
  3. Work on your LinkedIn.   If you’re not on LinkedIn (and yes, I talk to salespeople and even managers who aren’t), there’s a good chance you’re losing business to someone who is.  Create a network, post relevant insights, and give people the opportunity to hold up their hands.
  4. Get some testimonials.  When customers tell you what a great job you’re doing, what do you do?  Do you just grin and say “thanks,” or do you ask them to put that information in the form of a testimonial? Testimonials can be video (the preferred method – smartphones make this incredibly easy), written on letterhead, or even posted on LinkedIn as a recommendation.  What matters is that your customers are willing to state, for the record, how good you are and how you have solved their issues and fulfilled their needs.  Once you have a testimonial, you can post it EVERYWHERE.  And you should.
  5. Innovate and diversify.  Sometimes we get locked into a particular type of thinking that works against us.  For instance, we have a product that works really well in one market, and that’s the market we sell to.  That product might work well in another market, but we don’t take it to that market.  Maybe that means facing new competition, new buyer types, and other fear-inducing challenges.  Who cares?  If your current buyers have slowed down, your opportunity cost for trying to find a different kind of buyer is near zero.  So do it.  I’m exhausted by the phrase “think outside the box,” but this is a good moment to do it.
  6. For the Owners and Managers, if you can’t change your people, change your people.  If your people aren’t doing the right things – if they’re complacent and unwilling to take the actions needed to build your business – then it’s perfectly OK to give them opportunities, training, and tools to change their behavior.  I encourage it, for that matter, whether I’m the one providing the tools and training or not.  With that said, if your people refuse to take hold of those opportunities, they’ve given you little choice.  Your salespeople should be the driving force behind growth at their company.  If they’re not, you might not have the right people.

I see entirely too many salespeople that moan, “Business is down,” and whose strategy seems to be to wait until “business picks up.”  Nonsense.  When business is down, it is not a time for complacency, for comfort, or for defeatism.  Whatever profit you don’t make in 2024 won’t come back; that opportunity is gone forever.  If you’re down because “business is down,” it’s time to take a deep breath, remember why you feel in love with selling, and go back out and improve your OWN business.

When You Join the Buyer’s Journey in the Middle

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Joining the Buyer’s Journey in the middle is a unique challenge, but let’s face it – most of you are doing that on a regular basis.  When a buyer calls “just wanting a price,” they have completed a significant portion of the journey – at least in their minds.  In 2019, Forbes Magazine published an article quoting a study saying that the average B2B buyer has completed 57% of his or her Buyer’s Journey before ever contacting a sales rep.  Well – this blew up the Internet, and continues to do so.

In researching this article, I found a number of posts that argued with the 57% number.  Some say it’s much lower, and some say it’s higher.  But I never found one that could effectively argue with the concept that buyers are performing much more of their own due diligence and research before involving a salesperson.  As I’ve been saying for years, it’s a different world.  Today’s buyer is more educated and informed than buyers used to be – which creates different responsibilities and opportunities for us.  It also creates some significant challenges.  I’ll list those challenges and give some ideas on how to deal with them.

The challenges can be:

  1. Your Buyer doesn’t trust you. A 2017 HubSpot study concluded that only 3% of buyers consider salespeople to be trustworthy.  That’s a kick in the pants, isn’t it?  At least we beat out lawyers and politicians, but that’s not exactly good.  Unfortunately, the actions of too many past salespeople stick with our profession, and when a buyer calls saying that he knows what he needs and just needs a price, that is an expression that he doesn’t trust salespeople to accurately define his needs and assist in a solution.
  2. Your buyer has done a lot of research, and not all of it may be correct. Research on nearly any topic is both plentiful and readily accessible nowadays, but that’s a double edged sword.  Most articles, guidelines, whitepapers, and other forms of Internet research are nonspecific and one-size-fits-all.  In fact, so is this article.  I know that most of my readers are B2B salespeople and the managers and business owners who employ them – but that still leaves a wide field.  What the Buyer’s Journey means, specifically, may be different between industries or even companies and product lines within the same industry.  That means that your buyer can access a lot of information that might actually run counter to what he or she really needs – because it’s not specific to your buyer’s situation.
  3. Buyers don’t know what they don’t know. Even when defining their own needs, buyers might be asking the wrong questions of themselves and their counterparts and co-workers.  This is especially true when entirely new types of product or service are being considered.  We add value when we can be a part of the Investigation phase of the Buyer’s Journey – if the Buyer will allow us in.
  4. Competitors may have guided their research. We have all seen this one.  We get an RFP with specifications that are obvious attempts to limit offerings to one company’s products or services, and we know – the competitor helped set the standard.  Today, it doesn’t have to be a bid spec.  A buyer with a pre-existing relationship could have had that salesperson point them to sources of research that favor your competitor, thus setting the standard for the purchase.   The road here is uphill.

Not all of this news is bad, however.  What you must realize is this.  When a buyer calls asking for a price, or even a demo on a specific product, they believe that they have completed a substantial part of their own Buyer’s Journey, and they believe that they have completed it correctly.  Whatever you do from here, you absolutely must respect the work that they have done – or they will disconnect from you, and buy elsewhere.

When the buyer calls you and makes it obvious that they believe they have completed a substantial part of their Buyer’s Journey, here are some ways to position yourself as a key part of their process:

  1. Show respect. This is mandatory.  If you come off as know-it-all or condescending, your buyer will immediately assume that you are trying to get one over on them (remember that 3% number), and either disconnect or make it incredibly difficult for you to impart your knowledge and expertise.  Instead of saying, “How do you know that’s what you need?”, ask a question like, “Wow, you’ve obviously done your homework!  Knowledgeable customers make my life a lot easier.  Just out of curiosity, would you mind telling me how you researched and found our product to be the one you need?”  Hopefully, they will give you enough information to let you know exactly where in the Buyer’s Journey that you intersected with them.
  2. Have 2 or 3 great questions to ask. If your buyer believes that they already have the answers, they’re not going to give you much time for a full discovery.  At least, not at first.  What you need to do is have two or three really great, incisive questions to ask to pinpoint their needs.  Sometimes, the answers to these questions will let you know that their research is right on target – or sometimes, it’s wrong.  Depending on their demeanor, if their research is on target, you may want to move ahead with them in their journey to the Evaluation step.  If they’re wrong, a more gentle approach is needed.
  3. If there’s a pitfall, expose it, but in a different way. Sometimes there are common pitfalls with products or services that nobody talks about, and that you can’t easily find with Internet research.  These are things that your buyer must know – but remember, you have to respect their knowledge.  You can do both.  The approach here is to say, “Well, as much research as you’ve done, I’m sure you already know about X problem.  Do we need to talk about that?”  If the buyer isn’t aware, this could be a “Wait, what?” moment for them.  If it is, now you have the credibility to back them up and go back through the Investigation phase.
  4. Don’t sell them the wrong stuff. Sometimes you will go through as much due diligence and questioning as possible, and not only is your buyer determined to buy something that won’t fix their problem, they’re getting mad at you for attempting to guide them.  This situation is no fun at all.  Believe me, I’ve been there.  But ultimately, it’s your credibility that’s at stake.  Sometimes you have to lose a sale now to win a relationship later.  Politely but firmly explain that, based on your experience and expertise, they will not get the result they are looking for and that you’d rather not sell them something that won’t meet their needs.  Further, you hope that you can recontact them down the road.  Keep the relationship whole; few things build trust and credibility quite like refusing to make a sale.  That’s pretty much the opposite of the behavior of those salespeople who created that 3% trust stat.

Joining the buyer’s journey in the middle is a challenge, and it’s a challenge that grows more common each day.  As I always say when people complain about the new trends in customers – get good at dealing with them, and you can separate yourself from the pack.  Is 57% the right number, in terms of how far a buyer has progressed down their road prior to talking to you?  I don’t know – but I don’t think it’s as far off as some other people do.  Within change lies opportunity.  Let’s capitalize on it.

How to Do Cold LinkedIn Outreach

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Most salespeople don’t know how to do cold LinkedIn outreach.  Many salespeople try to do cold LinkedIn outreach and do it badly.  Houston, we have a problem!  Don’t we? I’m in a fairly good place to talk about this, because I do LinkedIn outreach and I teach how to do LinkedIn outreach.  However, most importantly, I’m the recipient of a lot of LinkedIn outreach – and nearly all of it is awful.

When you’re a trainer, a coach, or a speaker, you quickly learn that there is an entire industry of people just dying to separate you from your money by promising miraculous growth – if you’ll just pay them to market you or help you market yourself.  This entire industry focuses on reaching out on LinkedIn.  I get somewhere between four and six messages a day.  Most of them follow the same format.  “Hello, Troy, you should know that I’m different and here’s why…” not realizing that they sound exactly the same as everyone else.  Well, I received a message a few days ago from a guy who started that way. When I didn’t respond, he messaged again the next day.  His message was a bit longer than most.  I decided to try an experiment.  Here’s how I responded to him:

“I suppose I’d be open to a brief strategy call.  However, you should know this – you might ‘be the opposite of every LinkedIn marketing company,’ but you sound exactly like every other LinkedIn marketing company that bombs me with messages every day.  There’s no shortage of people ready to separate coaches like me from their money, with big promises and crap returns.  And of course, you’ve done the typical move of reaching out with a hard-sell message right away with no attempt at getting to know me or building a relationship that would give you credibility with me. So – with all that said, if you’d like to schedule a short call, I’m open to it, and I’m always open to learning ways to build my business.  That said, I don’t apologize for being direct and protective of my time.  But here’s my expectation for that call:

  1. You will have at least viewed my website to get an understanding of what I do.
  2. No small talk or cheap rapport building.  I don’t schedule these calls to talk football.
  3. Your questions should be to gain understanding, not lead me.
  4. You be ready to tell me, in simple and straightforward terms, how you can help based on what you have learned about my business.

The ball is in your court.”

He has read that message, but I haven’t heard back from him.  I doubt that I will.  He’s sending out hundreds of these per week, and probably half of those people are blocking him immediately.  But, since he’s working on the law of large numbers, I’m sure he’s getting some appointments.  And that message will put him off because he’ll figure that I’m a jerk, or too tough, and there are easier marks.

Here’s what this guy doesn’t know about me and probably won’t ever get to learn:  I’m a tough sale but once I’m sold, I’m SOLD.  I’m loyal as hell, and if someone helps me, I will evangelize for them at every opportunity.  But I’m protective of my time.  When someone wants to sell to me, I expect them to have their act together.  They should have a basic knowledge of what I do and be able to fit their services into that context.  I’m happy the Chiefs won the Super Bowl (will I get sued by the NFL for using the name, or should I have said “the Big Game?”), but it’s neither the focus of my life nor something I’m interested in talking about during a sales call.  And I expect a straightforward dialogue with no manipulative BS.

In other words, I’m like most of your prospects, and that’s where this worm is going to turn.  You see, the guy who messaged me works nationwide to a big industry.  There are some 4 million people in the USA alone who are engaged in some form of speaking or coaching – so if he burns some potential leads, who cares?  He has a monstrous base of prospects.  Most of you are measuring your prospect list in the thousands, hundreds, or even tens.  You can’t afford to burn too many of them.  So, if you want to avoid failing in your cold LinkedIn outreach, here’s how to do cold LinkedIn outreach right:

  1. No immediate hard sell. I’ll be honest; I cringe when I accept connection requests from people in certain lines of business.  That’s because I know that, within minutes, I’m going to get a hard-sell message for how they can revolutionize my business.  This hard-sell message is going to be incredibly generic and not speak to me as an individual at all, and there will be no attempt at relationship building.  Try this:  When your request is accepted, just send a soft message thanking them for accepting and telling them that you’re looking forward to networking with them here.  And leave it at that.  Believe it or not, you will stand out and be memorable by NOT telling them how awesome you are and how you can solve all their problems!
  2. Engage. Now that you’re connected, engage with them and their posts. Why do people post on social media?  They want ATTENTION.  Give it to them.  Like their posts.  Comment on them when it’s appropriate – and the comment shouldn’t be, “You know, if you buy from me, you can do that even better!”  We get just a little dopamine hit when we see that someone has liked or commented on our posts, and very few people actually do that.  When you do, your name appears and they remember it.  Don’t be a stalker, of course – but give them a little attention.  You might find that they give it back.
  3. Post meaningful content. Post about more than your current product line.  Post interesting articles that you’ve read (this one, maybe?), post tips on how to do business better, even a personal post every now and then is good.  But be active.  I’m not talking about posting all the time.  One post every day or two keeps you alive on LinkedIn.  Between #2 above and this tip, you’d be amazed at what you can accomplish in 30 minutes a day.
  4. Cold LinkedIn Outreach should be appropriate and individualized. When you do reach out directly (no less than 3 weeks from initial connection), it should be individual, specific, and appropriate.  It should display some knowledge of who they are and what they do, and speak directly to how you can help them.  For instance, “Hey, Stan, I saw you’re opening a new branch in Peoria.  You might not know this, but we have a great service center in Peoria that can help you with the startup and maintenance of that building.”  No generic hard-sell crap.
  5. No fake rapport. Two things I’m sick of when someone tries to sell to me.  “How about those Chiefs?” and “Kansas City?  Great barbecue there.”  I’m sick of it for two reasons.  First, it’s an assumption – if you’re from Kansas City, you must be a dyed in the wool Chiefs fan, right?  Er, not so much.  Like I said, I’m a good Kansas Citian, I’m glad (and surprised) that they won, and I attended my friends’ watch parties.  But football does not absorb my life.  And if you’re from Kansas City, you’re big into barbecue, right?  Well….yeah, I am.  I have my own smoker and I’m convinced that the best ribs in Kansas City come from it.  But that doesn’t mean that I want to spend time that I’ve allocated for a business conversation on a topic that the salesperson probably doesn’t have any real interest in.  It’s fake and inauthentic, and it works against building rapport.  Want to really build rapport?  Ask a couple of good questions about your prospect that both demonstrate that you’ve done a bit of homework and that you want to dive deeper.  Then LISTEN to the answer.

Unlike the people who approach me, I’m guessing that you can’t really use the “law of large numbers” to generate a prospect flow, and that you can’t afford to have half of those you approach block you.  So, understand that prospecting and outreach are a slow play now. Instead of doing outreach for next week’s appointments, you’re going to do cold LinkedIn outreach for next month’s appointments – or next quarter’s.  That’s okay.  Those appointments will likely be better and more productive.

Motivation: The Foundation of the Buyer’s Journey

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Last week, I did a one-on-one Zoom call with a guy who was trying to sell me a marketing system.  He opened by saying that he had sold life insurance for over 40 years and, “As we both know, all sales are 90% emotional.”  I stopped him right there.  I told him that I’d been in sales for 34 years, and that the emotion-to-intellect ratio in the sales had shifted significantly over my career.  In fact, I said, it had never been “90% emotion” in my career, and that salespeople who understood how their customers think have the edge over those who attempt to manipulate how they feel.  His response was, “You’re wrong.”  The call ended there.

I tell you that to tell you this:  Today, we’re going to talk about an element of sales that melds thought and emotion, and it’s the foundation of the Buyer’s Journey.  Your job is to help navigate the customer through the Buyer’s Journey.  Think of it like building a house.  A good house needs a foundation, it needs walls and a roof, it needs mechanical systems like plumbing and heating, and it needs furnishing.  But without a foundation, that house can’t be built.  Motivation is the foundation of the Buyer’s Journey – without it, you don’t have a sale, and yes, there is a combination of emotion and intellect that drives Motivation.  So let’s dive into what Motivation really is, shall we?

I define Motivation this way:  Motivation is a feeling of dissatisfaction with the Current Situation, and a desire for a better Future Situation.  In other words – “I feel like something’s wrong now, and I want something better.”  This feeling can be emotionally driven, it can be logically driven, or it can be a combination.

One thing I want to make clear:  Motivation is different than Prospecting.  Motivation is buyer-driven; i.e. it is something that the Buyer thinks, feels, or thinks and feels at the same time.  Prospecting is salesperson-driven; it’s that activity where we reach out to potential Buyers that we don’t know and attempt to engage them.  Here’s where they do come together.  Good Prospecting is designed to highlight or create Motivation in order to engage the Buyer.  That’s why your prospecting message is important.

The lamest prospecting messaging begins like this:

“Hi, Mr. Customer.  I’d like to talk to you about…” Who cares?  That’s “me” driven.  Good prospecting is “them” driven.

“Hi, Mr. Customer.  Can I quote on your next order of…” Yes, by all means, let’s reduce the entire sale to a price right out of the gate.

“Hi, Mr. Customer.  How are you today?”  That announces you as a pesky salesperson who can’t think of anything good to say.

Back to Motivation.  As I said, Motivation can be either discovered, highlighted, or created.  Here’s how:

  • Discovering Motivation: This is an “educated guess” approach, and it’s based on the idea that your targeted prospects are very likely to have a problem that you’ve solved for others like them.  The problem is just bubbling below the surface in your prospect’s mind, and that feeling of dissatisfaction has to be highlighted in order to move them into a Buyer’s Journey.  Let’s say that you know of a common problem in a given industry that you serve, and you’ve fixed it for others.  Your messaging needs to center around acknowledgement of the common problem, painting a picture with your words of what the prospect’s day will be like when it’s solved, and then asking a question about their experiences with the problem.  For example:  “Mr. Customer, I know that independent shops like yours replace a lot of exhaust gaskets on late model GM V-8s, and when they do, they break bolts – which takes up your shop time and money.  Our induction bolt heater has solved that problem for other shops like yours.  Would you like to see a demo of how this can save you hours on every one of those jobs?” (For the record – bolt induction heaters are awesome.)  A talk track like this highlights a dissatisfaction with the Current Situation that your prospect already has, and may bring Motivation to the surface – enabling you to get an audience and start them on a Buyer’s Journey.  Your Buyer probably is aware of both the problem and a potential solution – but you are bringing it to the surface.
  • Highlighting Motivation: This is possible if, in researching your Buyer, you discover something that would be a motivating factor for purchasing your stuff.  As an example, let’s say that you notice that your Buyer is getting ready to add three new locations, and they are in an area where the incumbent vendor for your stuff doesn’t go – but you do.  Or, they’re taking on a new product line and you sell a product that perfectly complements their new line.  You get the idea.  In this case, the Motivation probably exists on some level – you just have to bring it to the fore and suggest that you are the key to relieving their dissatisfaction.  This can get you an audience, if you do it right.
  • Creating Motivation: This approach works best when you have something new that your Buyer is probably unaware of.  The Buyer might not even be dissatisfied with the Current Situation as they understand it – but the awareness of something new could change that.  For example, once upon a time, the Lockheed Constellation was considered the luxury yacht of the skies and passengers loved flying on it.  Then came the jet – and all of a sudden, the Constellation was consigned to history because it was very loud and too slow.  Creating Motivation isn’t easy, and it requires a product that is genuinely new to the market and has such a high ability to change the customer’s perception that the mere awareness of it Motivates your prospect.

Whatever way Motivation happens, understand that you will not get a sale unless it’s present.  If your Buyer reaches out to you rather than vice versa, you need to understand what Motivated them to enter their Buyer’s Journey – and as you move through the Journey, you need to verify that it’s still present.

The bottom line is this:  When you approach a potential Buyer, you should understand that he doesn’t care, in the least, about what YOU want to talk about.  He only cares about his own dissatisfaction with his Current Situation – and the first words out of your mouth (or keyboard, as the case might be) need to speak directly to that.  If not, you probably won’t get the appointment.  Then, as you move through the Journey, you need to make sure that this dissatisfaction is still there.  Otherwise, you’re wasting your time and theirs. If Motivation goes away, so does your bouncing baby sale.

Fakes, Frauds, and Charlatans

Sales Blog, The Navigator News

You know, sales is not an easy profession.  In the absolute best of times, we face a high degree of customer suspicion, high rejection rates, and the other challenges that come with being the tip of the economic spear for our companies.  In fact, a 2022 HubSpot study found that only 3% of people trust salespeople!  The good news is that we came in ahead of lawyers and politicians – so we have that going for us.

I personally believe that sales – done right – is a noble profession and is probably the most fun one can have in the business world.  That’s why I’ve been in it for 34 years and counting.  And that’s why I am so mightily offended by those salespeople who contribute to the 97% of people who find us untrustworthy, rather than the 3% who trust us.  As much as I’d like to believe that the low trust factor is based on past salespeople and past actions, I can’t.  I’ve had a couple of instances recently that reminded me that deceptive sales tactics are still out there.  I’m going to share those instances with you, and then I’m going to give you some advice to build trust.

Several months ago, I connected with the editor of one of the most popular magazines for Entrepreneurs.  It’s widely read and has a high degree of credibility in the market.  Yep, my interest was in writing for them.  This editor had a series of posts on LinkedIn about all the bad article queries he received, and implored people to “do it right” if they wanted to get published in his magazine, and if people would just query him the right way, they could get published.  Well, I’ve written article queries for over 20 years, I know how to do it right, and I had content that bore on issues his readership faced (as noted in some of his other posts).

So, I queried him by email.  He thanked me for my query and directed me to a link where all his queries had to be submitted, though his magazine’s online system.  And – here’s where I got upset.  In order to submit a query, you first had to be a member of his “online community.”  It costs $3000 a year to become a member.  SO – “doing it right,” as he had been blaring for months, wasn’t what it really took to get published.  You have to pay to play.

I called him out via email, and asked him if he didn’t feel a bit hypocritical.  He explained that it was “just the way it was done.”  OK – but if the real qualification was writing a check, don’t tell people that “doing it right” gets you what you want.  To me, that’s unethical.  If I have to write a check, tell me that UP FRONT.  He has lost all credibility with me, and I told him so.

Then, earlier this week, I was messaged by two different people asking me if I’d be interested in being a guest on a podcast they host (this happens from time to time), and telling me to set up an appointment to talk.  I did so, and set them on the same day.  The first appointment was with a man named Jeff Davis, who hosts a podcast called Twelve Mavens.  I’ll be on his show on March 20; I’ll put out more info when it gets closer.  Had a great conversation with him and it’s legit.

The second was less legit.  Keep in mind, I’m fresh off a conversation where a guy shared the makeup and size of his audience, asked about my content, and we agreed on a topic and time.  That’s how you do it.  I’m not going to name the second – but he immediately launched into a presentation about “Now, this is what I do for free.”  I stopped him and asked if he was asking me to guest on his podcast, and he said, “Well, yeah, but I’m showing you my process.”  Ultimately, what became clear is that I wasn’t really being asked to guest on a podcast, I was being sold a marketing package.  I don’t think there even IS a podcast.  He set the appointment under false pretenses – and I bailed.

Look, I get it.  When you are a speaker, or an author, or a business owner or manager, there’s no shortage of people lining up to separate you from your money.  All I ask is that you do so transparently.  I also realize that I tread that line a bit – I offer my complimentary Sales Strategy Review to business owners and managers, and in it, I promise 2-3 actionable takeaways geared around helping them with their sales team.  Yes, my objective is to get new people into my sales funnel.  But that is usually a separate conversation – and I genuinely enjoy helping, and I do so without asking for money to do it.  I don’t require money before I help and then hide it.

And now, here’s where it comes full circle to you.  I’m seeing a resurgence in disingenuous sales tactics, borne out of desperation to get appointments.  The idea is to use whatever verbal or written “hooks” you can in order to just get the conversation – and then, once you have a buyer pinned down, turn that conversation into something they didn’t expect or want.

The problem is this.  In sales, what we really market is our credibility.  That credibility stays with US throughout our careers, and when you undertake an action that makes you a fake, a fraud, or a charlatan, it sticks with you.  I’ll never buy into anything that editor says again, even if he changes jobs.  Nor for that matter will I accept his magazine as credible.  I’ll never accept a conversation with the second podcast guy again, for any reason.  I’d rather get fewer appointments for the right reasons than more appointments for the wrong ones.

Sure, tactics like that can be a shortcut to money.  But there’s more to this business than money.  There’s being able to look in the mirror at the end of the day.  There’s being a true benefit to people you encounter.  And there’s the knowledge that when you do move into a well-deserved retirement, you left the profession a better place for those that follow you.

Stand Out from the Crowd: 4 Ways Salespeople Can Differentiate Themselves

Sales Blog, The Navigator News

In your customer’s eyes, it’s easy for you to blend in with all the other reps out there. Every industry has its “pattern.”  From the typical business casual uniforms to the cookie-cutter pitches, everyone starts to sound the same, look the same, and feel the same after a while. The whole thesis of this newsletter – and my approach to selling – is that we are premium salespeople who sell premium products and services, who deserve to sell them at premium prices.  Anything less is cheating yourself, your customers, and your company.

However – if you blend in with your competitors, you probably aren’t going to get a premium price.  You might not even get the sale.  As a salesperson, distinguishing yourself is critical for getting more prospects to pay attention, keeping them engaged, upselling successfully, and ultimately charging higher prices because you offer greater value. Here are four straightforward ways any rep can differentiate themselves:

1. Dress How You Want Customers to Perceive You

Most sales reps dress very similarly – company polos, logo jackets, khakis. But consider the type of client you’re trying to attract, then dress at least a notch above that to project confidence and capability. Let’s face it – if the only difference between you and your competitors is the color of your polo shirt and the logo on it, you blend in.  Don’t blend.  Your customers aren’t going to cringe in fear when you dress a little nicer than what’s expected, or even better than them.  But you will stand out – and standing out is a huge part of our battle today.

2. Ask Better Questions

Many sales interactions follow a familiar back-and-forth with a features-heavy pitch (aka the “brochure barf”) and some small talk before closing out quick. Maybe some leading questions get tossed in there, but there’s seldom a real attempt at meaningful discovery. Try leading instead with great open-ended questions about the prospect’s true needs (for their business AND for your “stuff”), problems they face, goals they have. This shows that you genuinely care and that you’re trying to help THEM put a win on the board, not just put one on for yourself.  In a sea of brochure barfers, be a questioner. It builds trust and lets you direct a conversation that helps the Buyer move through his or her Buyer’s Journey.

3. Prove It.

Anyone can talk, talk, talk.  Your customer probably doesn’t believe most of what you say.  It’s not you, personally – they have just been conditioned.  The best marketing is that which allows your prospective customer to view you through the eyes of a current, happy customer. To differentiate yourself, put together compelling proof your product delivers with customer reviews, testimonials, case studies, demos, guides, ROI calculators. Anything that shows you’re focused on their bottom line. This builds confidence in working with you.

4. ENGAGE.

When your customers are buying from you, they are also buying you.  So put yourself into the game as much as possible.  Mentally engage. Show prospects instead that you can actively listen, answer questions on the fly, and pivot your examples based on their feedback. Bring some passion and urgency too. This flexibility and conviction leaves a memorable impression and builds credibility.

Taking these four steps – raising your professional polish, leading with great questions, backing claims with social proof, and exhibiting some personality – helps you stand out from the crowd for all the right reasons. This grabs attention, builds rapport quicker, and makes competitors seem generic. That’s good – we want THEM to seem generic, not to join them.  That’s how we generate premium prices.  If you’re different in a meaningful and positive way, you can charge higher prices over the long haul.  What’s more, your customers will be happy to pay those prices.  That’s a win, isn’t it?

How to Create a Winning Sales Presentation

Sales Blog, The Navigator News

It happened last week and I cringed.  A new client wanted to know how to create a winning sales presentation and he asked me, “Hey, could you take a look at my slide deck?  I teach my salespeople to present from it, and they just aren’t doing it well.  That should be one of our areas of focus.”  With great fear, I asked, “How many slides are in it?”  “41,” he replied proudly, telling me that he’d paid a lot of money to a marketing firm to develop it.

Oh, God.  When I looked at the deck, it was just as I feared.  Some great graphics, lots of one-size-fits-all puffery, and precious little that any customer would care about.  I called my client and told him to never use it again.  I know I burst a big bubble, but the truth is that “slide decks” don’t do anything for you in the Solution phase of the Buyer’s Journey (or really, any other phase), UNLESS you are presenting to a large buying committee and need the visuals to keep everyone interested.  And even then, it shouldn’t be one size fits all.  Our job in the Solution phase is to persuade.  Customers aren’t persuaded by slide-deck babble.  I’m going to show you a simple three-step process for building a presentation that will persuade.

First of all, we need to understand how people are persuaded.  Pardon me while I get a bit nerdy, but I first learned how people were persuaded in competitive debate in high school and college (yeah – I was a real babe magnet).  In debate, we constructed our cases in three parts, in a tight, logical flow that would set the stage for a debate and give the judge reasons to give the win to us.  Of course, there were many speeches yet to go before we won!  When I started selling, I found that this same three-part presentation could create a winning sales presentation that engages customers and guides them towards a purchasing decision.

In my experience, the most persuasive sales presentations follow a simple three-part structure – Observations, Plan, and Advantages. If you can master this format, it will focus your customer calls, guide the buyer on their journey, demonstrate that you have expertise in solving their issues, and highlight the payoff of buying your stuff.  With that said, the three parts look like this:

Observations: Start with Observations (you don’t have to use this terminology if you don’t want to – but think of it this way).  The Observations are called that because it’s what you have observed.  In this section, you should concisely and clearly detail the customer’s situation based on your questioning and research – and confirm with the customers that you’re right. Demonstrating an understanding of their challenges, needs, and goals shows that you care and sets the stage for your proposed solutions.

For example, “As we discussed earlier, your current issues include a lack of insight into sales rep activity, over 20% quarterly customer churn, and the inability to segment customers for targeted marketing campaigns. I understand how frustrating these problems are, especially for recurring revenue growth.  Do I have that right?”

I’m not a big word guy – but after you have confirmed that your Observations are right, there’s a three word phrase that you should use, because it lets the customer know that he or she is in good hands.

“Here’s my plan.”  Yep, this time, use the word “Plan.”  You’re giving the customer confidence and communicating authority.

Plan: After reflecting the customer’s observed needs, transition into the Plan – your recommendations based on expertise. Provide an overview of the proposed solutions, how they address the discovered Observations, and what actions the client should take.

For example, “Based on your situation, I recommend acquiring our CRM platform with built-in AI and analytics. This will provide real-time visibility into all sales interactions, help you spot vulnerable customers so you can stop churn before it starts, and let you segment your customers for precisely-targeted email, social media and ad campaigns.”

Frame the parts of your plan (in debate, we called the “plan planks,” but you don’t need to) around the issues called out in the Observations so the “win” is clear. Where it’s appropriate, include calls to action such as scheduling demos, signing contracts, or next steps.  In fact, if your solution isn’t simple, a proposed implementation timeline is another element that can give your Buyer confidence to move forward in their journey.

Advantages:  Now let’s win this thing, and show your Buyer the reason why you’re the only solution. The final Advantages section should vividly illustrate how your solutions positively impact the customer. Focus on clear “before and after” scenarios – contrast the current frustrations from the Observations against the vision of success enabled by adopting your Plan.

For example, “With our CRM, your sales manager can coach reps based real metrics instead of flying blind. When we set up customer risk alerts, we trigger automatic retention offers or actions customized for each segment. And marketing campaigns will resonate 10x more powerfully thanks to hyper-personalization.”

Want to take it to the next level? Add in case studies or testimonials to offer proof that your Advantages really happen.

The Advantages close the loop opened by the Observations, creating an elegant cause-and-effect circle. The Buyer can clearly see how your solution leads to the resolution of their pains. This spurs action – signing contracts, scheduling follow-ups, or purchasing – all of which move the Buyer’s Journey forward.

Here’s a bonus tip.  I’ve written this article as if the Solution phase is a separate activity from the Investigation phase – in other words, you ask questions, you go back to the batcave to develop your presentation, and then you come back.  The real challenge is to know your stuff well enough that you don’t have to do that.  Create what I call a Mental Slide Deck of presentation points for your main products and how you solve the most common needs that you face – and then quickly organize the three-part presentation in your mind and give it.  No, it’s not easy.  Yes, it requires an agile mind – but that’s what your Buyer expects.

The key thing to remember is that, in the Buyer’s Journey, you are guiding them through the journey.  You are digging to define their needs and Desired Future State, you are using your expertise to solve their problems, and you are persuading them that yours is the solution to adopt. If you use this 3-part framework to create a winning sales presentation,  you will be more convincing and you will consistently close more deals.

Four Ways to Improve Your Sales Communications

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My friend and speaking coach, Patricia Fripp, has a phrase that I love.  She likes to say, “Specificity brings memorability.”  She’s right – and she’s getting more and more right every day.  What she means is that, when you are speaking (or selling), what sets you apart are the specific details that you bring to the table.  For instance, she coaches that you should quote statistics, specific facts, and other details that are “sticky” with the audience, even if they forget most of what you said.

Today, there’s another level to that – to sell successfully in 2023 (almost 2024), not only to you have to be specific, you have to be specific to the individual customer.  Your customer doesn’t care what you’ve done for your other 99 customers, they care about what you will do for them and their individual situation.  That expectation definitely raises the bar for your messaging, but it also creates big opportunities to win business.

If you’re still using generic sales pitches (most of us have at one time or another), you’re probably finding that they just don’t cut it anymore. Your customers have come to expect personalized interactions and recommendations tailored specifically to their needs; after all, when Facebook can detect a post you made and then immediately start throwing up ads for related products, we’re in a world where people expect sales and marketing to center around THEM. To effectively sell in this environment, you must improve your sales communications by moving beyond blanket messaging to authentic, one-to-one communication that demonstrates a deep understanding of each customer.

Once upon a time, we could send out generic email messaging and boilerplate product brochures, and still get a decent response rate. Nowadays, customers see those tactics as insincere (which, let’s be honest, they are), and often it turns customers off rather than capturing their interest. What grabs your buyer’s attention? Truly customized interactions that indicate you comprehend their unique situation.

The “bad” news is that, now, you have to put in the work to research prospects and customers as individuals before reaching out. Take the time to thoroughly understand your target’s business, challenges, goals and buying criteria. The good news (no scare quotes this time) is that it’s incredibly easy to do so. LinkedIn (in particular) gives you a window into what your prospect is thinking and doing – if you are on LinkedIn and if you are using it.  Yesterday, I talked to a new client who explained to me that most of his salespeople don’t have LinkedIn profiles and aren’t using it.  In 2023, that’s unacceptable – you’re leaving a lot of your opportunity to sell on the table.

When you are armed with a solid understanding of a prospect’s or customer’s world, you can then tailor every piece of communication to resonate. Customize emails, social messages and collateral to showcase your grasp of their priorities and needs – and how you can create Advantages over their current situation.  That can launch them into their own Buyer’s Journey – one that hopefully includes you. Send relevant content that ties directly to current initiatives within their company. The more precise and one-to-one your outreach, the better it will be received.

Don’t be afraid to send non-sales content.  For instance, let’s say that you see an article that ties back to something one of your customers is experiencing, or a post that you might have seen on LinkedIn.  Shoot them a message with a link to the article, indicating why you sent it.

Nailing this level of personalization at scale takes work.  After all, most of us have more than one customer or prospect at a time! But it pays off handsomely by boosting response rates and forging stronger customer connections. Research by The Relevancy Ring found personalized emails generate six times higher transaction rates and individualized web experiences provide a 20 percent lift in sales. Customers that feel understood and valued through tailored communication build lasting loyalty with brands over those taking a one-size-fits-all approach.

While personalized messaging certainly demands more upfront effort from you, that’s precisely what sets you apart. In competitive industries, buyers have multiple options with comparable solutions. You’ve probably already figured THAT part out.  Taking time to understand your customers shows you genuinely care about their success beyond making a quick sale. Strong one-to-one connections drive more productive conversations that uncover true needs and align your solutions. When your buyers feel understood as more than transactions, you build trust that wins business.

Here are four quick steps to individualizing your communication:

  1. Research. Note that when I say “research,” I’m not suggesting that you spend all day on one customer.  You can learn more in five minutes now than you used to be able to in hours – so spend that five minutes doing quality research.  Company web pages are good.  Company social media is better (because it’s more current and more reflective of where they are at the moment).  Your contact’s professional social media is best.  Looking them up on LinkedIn?  Good professional research.  Looking them up on Facebook?  Stalkery.
  2. Find a “hinge.” A “hinge” is a point upon which to base sales communication.  For instance, if your target says that they are about to open a new location and you sell something that helps with that, that’s a hinge.  If your target expresses frustration that you can solve, that’s a hinge.  But remember – hinges are “specific.”
  3. Craft a message including the hinge. Now it’s time to reach out.  You can use email, social media messaging, or you can even craft a short voice mail (because so few people answer the phone anymore).  “Hi, John, this is Troy with ABC Company.  I see that you’re opening a new location at 46th and Main, and we already help several of your neighbors solve this problem that you’ve referenced in a LinkedIn post.  Maybe we could help you, too – could we talk?”  Remember – specificity brings memorability.  Keep it short and punchy, but include enough detail so that you’re talking to your target, not just anyone who might be in the area.
  4. Be patient. We might not love it, but the reality is that prospecting is much more of a slow play now.  The level of information and control that your buyers have means that they can enter their own Buyer’s Journey on their timetable – not yours.  Understand this, keep dripping specific messages, and you’ll get on their radar screen.

The bottom line is that generic communication doesn’t work anymore. Want to win more business today? Then you have to become a student of your prospects and clients. Put in the work to comprehend needs, goals and pain points at an individual level. Then demonstrate that understanding through authentic conversations and recommendations matching each customer’s unique priorities. This approach to selling is going to move your customers beyond the “occasional buyer” status and create the “loyal customer relationship” that we are all looking for. Set yourself apart and improve your sales communications by speaking to customers like the individuals they are.

How to Build a Sales Culture in Your Organization

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In my years of experience in working with (and for) companies large and small, I have discovered that there is a common element to the most successful businesses.  The most successful companies have a sales culture.  A “sales culture” is a philosophy that permeates the company, from the corner office to the loading dock, that says, essentially, “We are a sales organization, and everything else we are able to do is a product of our ability to sell our products or services to our customers.”

This flows from the top because it must.  Despite the protestations of those who advocate bottom-up leadership, the reality is that any corporate culture is set not by the employees at ground and field level, but by the overriding philosophy of management.  So, let’s assume for the moment that you have decided that your company needs to accept and embrace a sales culture.  How do we go about that?

Set the mission:  First of all, whatever your mission statement, throw it away.  I know, it’s something that you’ve put a lot of thought into and probably has some great phrasing.  It’s probably also something that your employees couldn’t remember if a gun were put to their heads.  Let’s replace it with something simple like this:  “We are a sales organization, and we grow profitably by Recruiting new customers, Re-selling current customers to greater profitability, and Retaining profitable business.”  Use the Three R’s of Business Growth as the mantra that guides your company’s decision making.

Communicate:  All good things in sales (and business) come from good communication, and most bad things happen because of insufficient communication.  Knowing this, the next step is to communicate the message to your people, and to do so consistently.  This is where a lot of companies fail, because the communication happens like this:  The Big Guy (or Gal) at the Top will have a staff meeting where he/she communicates the ‘new mission’ forcefully to his key managers, and then expects the managers to communicate it downstream.  They do, but with varying degrees of emphasis and enthusiasm.  The Sales Manager obviously embraces the mission, while the Production Manager may be less enthusiastic, and so forth.  If you really want to effect change, it has to be up to you.

Have all-company meetings, or all-department meetings, or all-branch meetings; however you need to do it in order to have the opportunity to have every employee hear the message directly from your lips.  If your people know the goals, they will act in accordance with them – if they believe that the goal is real and permanent.

Align Goals:  To accomplish your goal of profitable growth through Recruiting, Re-Selling, and Retaining customers, you must align all your departments and goals. For instance, instead of budgeting in dollar terms, budget in percentages from the top line.  This way, when departments need more resources for equipment and personnel, they know how to get it – help grow the company.  Even with the best goal setting, however, you’re going to see some internal conflict.

Remove Internal Conflict:  Good sales forces, by their nature, create internal conflict.  This isn’t because salespeople are bad people, obnoxious, or difficult to work with (although they can be, and that is a separate issue), but because good salespeople push the frontiers.  Because sales is all about growth, good sales forces are always creating extra work and pressure for the other departments which must then function at a higher level to support the sales growth created.  This creates conflict and push-back.

It’s your job to mediate and handle these conflicts and push-backs.  It’s a delicate issue because no department, or department manager, wants to feel subordinate or less important than sales.  The reality is that, if you’re truly embracing a sales culture, the other departments are exactly that – subordinate to sales.  When conflicts arise, you should go back to your mission statement; what helps your company grow profitably through Recruiting, Re-Selling, and Retaining customers?  This doesn’t mean that “sales is always right;” there are times when the sales department is actually acting against profitable growth through mistaken reasoning.  That’s why you have to be the arbiter.

Have a High Performance Sales Force:  Now it’s time to turn up the intensity with the sales department.  You have the right to demand excellence from your salespeople once you have molded the culture of the company around them.

You need a strong sales manager who actively works to strengthen and enhance the abilities of his/her salespeople.  Your sales manager must be a good coach and developer of people.  He should be willing to advocate for the needs of the sales force while simultaneously demanding the highest effort and achievement from them.  He must be capable of surrounding himself with top talent and then making that talent even better.

The sales manager must understand the basic equation of sales achievement:  Quantity of activity x Quality of activity = Results.  To this end, the sales manager should have performance metrics in place to assess both quantity and quality of sales activity, and be equipped to hold salespeople accountable for those metrics and for the results.  Struggling personnel must be either coached or changed; top performers should be rewarded and coached to even higher levels.

Reinforce the culture:  As you’ve probably guessed, it’s not enough to have some meetings, say “we are a sales organization,” and call it good.  Cultures happen because they are reinforced, directly or indirectly.  For this to work, key decisions must be made based on the new mission statement:  “Does this decision help us to Recruit, Re-Sell, or Retain customers?”  That doesn’t mean that non-sales departments starve; that new machine for the plant may be completely justified by its benefits in product quality.  The raises for the production staff may be appropriate to reward them for their part in acquiring, developing, and retaining customers.  It does mean that your company has one universal criteria for spending, personnel allocations, and any other key decision making.

The Benefits:  There are numerous benefits to aligning your company around a sales culture.  The biggest is this:  Sales focused companies tend to produce excellence in every department.  The reason is simple:  Companies with a strong sales department cannot stay bad or mediocre in other areas; if they do, those sales gains will quickly be lost through customer dissatisfaction and attrition.  As noted earlier, good sales departments tend to lift other departments through necessity.  On the whole, organizations that center their culture around the process of profitable growth tend to achieve that growth, year after year.  It’s not easy, but the results are worth it.