1. Drill down deep into the resume. Regardless of how well-dressed candidates are or how effectively they sell themselves, the resume still tells the real story. Be sure to review it prior to the interview and prepare a list of follow-up questions for anything that raises a red flag (e.g., lapses in employment, shuffling of jobs, whether the candidate simply lists responsibilities, instead of accomplishments, awards and accolades). Try to verify as many facts as possible to ensure the candidate is on the level.
2. Check for any online presence. The world is a fishbowl these days, and recruiters need to use that to their advantage. Before hiring someone, it may be helpful to do an search online to see if he or she has a personal website or blog. It may tell you a lot about the person’s interests and work ethic. Social networking profiles may be able to tell you a lot candidates aren’t willing to share during an interview. Candidates who have a strong online presence can be a major plus for the company, because it’s a sign they’re internet savvy. As a caveat, don’t immediately dismiss a candidate based on something you found on a social networking profile or blog. Everyone has a personal life outside of work, and those that know how to maintain a healthy balance can actually be a tremendous asset. Plus, the ability to be social is a very valuable skill in the sales world. In fact, having no online presence whatsoever may be a red flag in and of itself.
3. Put as much weight on their questions as you do your own. It’s a very stiff job market out there, and employers can generally tell a lot about how a candidate approaches the opportunity based on the questions he of she asks. Asking no questions may signify a lack of interest (unless you’ve answered all their questions during the course of the interview). As a general rule, the questions candidates walk into the interview with (or jot down during the process) provide a strong window into why they’re applying for the job (and what they hope to get out of it).
4. Request specific references. Obviously, it’s smart to talk to a candidate’s past employers or supervisors to find out about past work history and whether or not the employee left on good terms. But you may also want to request one reference from an organization or activity the candidate pursues on his or her own time. Those types of references can speak to a candidate’s integrity and passion.
5. Emphasize the cover letter/e-mail. The days of the boilerplate cover letter are over. If a candidate really wants a position with your company, he or she should be willing to reach for it. That means taking the time to write a job-specific letter that lays out all the reasons why they’d be an ideal fit for your sales team. If the candidate submits a generic “Dear Potential Employer” letter, chances are yours is one of 10 or more letters they’ve sent out that day. While that speaks to aggressiveness, it also may be a sign that they see the position you’re offering as a dime a dozen.

What strategies do you use to find top salespeople? Let us know in the Comments Box below.

Here are 12 guidelines for checking the effectiveness of the questions you, and your salespeople, ask:

1. Will the answer help you validate the data you already have?
2. Will the answers help you update information, fill in the gaps, resolve discrepancies and get information you need to close the sale?
3. Will the answers give you more information about the values, attitudes and needs of the prospect?
4. Will the answers tell you where you are in the sales process and what you have to do to move to a successful close?
5. Do your questions shift the focus from yourself to the prospect?
6. Do the answers help you decide when more questions are appropriate and in which areas?
7. Do your questions get the prospect emotionally involved?
8. Do your questions reveal in-depth knowledge about the prospect’s needs?
9. Do your questions help determine if the prospect has decision making responsibilities?
10. Do your questions identify the prospect’s personal needs, values and timetable?
11. Do your questions uncover competitive benefits that may stand in the way of closing the sale?
12. Do your questions help you look at your proposal from the prospect’s point-of-view?

If you can’t answer “yes” to any of these when it comes to the question you want to ask, it’s time to go back to the drawing board.

The studies, conducted by Gallup, Yankelovich and BIGresearch, found that today’s consumers feel buying American isn’t only a sound investment, it’s a patriotic duty.

Among the studies’ most notable findings:

• More than 80% of respondents felt buying American is important right now (Yankelovich)
• Almost 40% claimed they’d even be willing to pay slightly more for an American-made product (Yankelovich)
• Over 40% of prospective car buyers said they would “only” buy American cars (Gallup), and
• Two-thirds of buyers feel the biggest obstacle to buying American is finding reliable companies to do business with, given all the bailouts, buyouts and bankruptcies brought on by the economic downturn (BIGresearch).

These studies should be a major tip-off for companies looking to gain an edge on competitors (and boost sales and loyalty in the process).

Buyers are drawn to red, white and blue companies right now. And the more your marketing collateral, sales communications and online content reflect that message, the better position you’ll be in to win more business from consumers who are eager to help the U.S. economy recover.

Source: “It’s Getting More Difficult to Buy American,” by Mark Dolliver, Manage Smarter.

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Customers usually don’t leave because someone else offers a lower price. They leave because your salesperson has done a poor job of taking care of them.

Customers will tolerate almost anything, including less than perfect service. What they are unable to accept is being neglected.

Some salespeople really want to believe that price is the problem when they lose a customer, since it is easier to blame the loss on something beyond their control.

But in actuality, research shows that neglect loses many more customers than price.

Customers leave if:

1. They feel they are being taken for granted. Sales pros must work at making them feel special.
2. They get the idea that the only time salespeople show interest in them is when an order is needed. Salespeople shouldn’t be predictable when it comes to “caring.”
3. They feel salespeople come to their door only when they have something they want customers to buy. Are these the only occasions when your reps go to see customers?
4. They feel salespeople spend too much time with — and lavish too much attention on — prospects.
5. They feel sale reps are only interested in them when they are placing orders.
6. They feel salespeople do a poor job communicating with them. Are invoices all they ever get from your company?
7. They feel sale reps are only interested in “big accounts.”
8. They feel that salespeople drop them like a hot potato once they close a sale. They are pleased with the fine way they were treated at the beginning, but they noticed a difference once they became customers. Such an approach not only leaves a bad taste in customers’ mouths, it makes it nearly impossible for positive relationships to develop.

It may be a good idea to reproduce this list and pass it out to your reps at your next sales meeting.

For sales and marketing pros to get up and run while the economy is on its hands and knees means avoiding these seven mistakes.

Mistake #1: Relying on your gut instincts

Some business people seem to think that relying on information is a sign of weakness. They are more comfortable trying to guess correctly than they are attempting to get the facts and accumulating the necessary information to help the prospect make an informed decision.

Mistake #2: Always keeping your eye on the competition

Just because the competition is doing it doesn’t make it smart, effective or correct. Following the competition like a shadow may be a sign of a lack of confidence. Top business pros see themselves as innovative, cutting-edge pacesetters — not second-hand followers. They embrace new ideas and suggestions on how to stand out from the competition.

Mistake #3: Focusing solely on product quality and price

Top revenue generators recognize that just offing a great deal on a quality product isn’t nearly enough in today’s competitive market. They recognize that they can get everything right in terms of the product and price — but unless they complete the process with incredibly good customer service, they run the risk of losing business.

Mistake #4: Believing a quick payoff is better than making an investment

The extended slowdown may be creating serious panic at some organizations. They may respond by making few investments in their customers and concentrate only on making the sale today. But those who’ll come out on top now — and when the economy rebounds — recognize the importance of making long-term investments in existing customers. It’ll boost customer loyalty, which in turn will keep sales up despite economic conditions or increased competition.

Mistake #5: Thinking the sale is made after the presentation

Oftentimes, the sale is made — or lost — before the presentation begins. It’s what happens before the presentation that determines whether the sale is made. How is the salesperson or your company perceived by prospects? Do prospects trust you? Do they know you’re willing to share your industry knowledge and expertise both before and after the sale.

Mistake #6: Taking rejection personally

It’s never easy to learn that you’ve lost a sale or an existing customer to a competitor. But never take rejection personally. Use it as a sign it may be time to review your techniques and try to pinpoint areas for improvement.

Mistake #7: Relying heavily on relationships to sell

There was a time when one customer could influence numerous decision makers within their own company. But that trend’s fading out. Today, department heads want more autonomy. They want to make their own decisions, because more companies are holding decision makers personally accountable for their actions. Being overly reliant on existing relationships to help boost sales can be dangerous today.

More programming and products are aimed at a new generation of consumers, who aren’t nearly as offended by strong language, according to a recent New York Times article. For example, one of the top movies in America in the past few months was a film called “Kick Ass,” a title which no major studio would’ve endorsed 10 years ago.

Advertisers are following a similar trend, pushing the envelope in their ads with more double entendres, sexually suggestive visuals and language that may be considered vulgar by some, but often manages to “break through the clutter.”

The internet is now like the Wild West with thousands of bloggers using vulgar — and sometimes even obscene — language without fear of regulation or retribution. Young people are growing up in a world where they’re more desensitized to these terms. In fact, this is often the type of language they use when engaging in normal conversation.

Advertisers and marketers are interested in capitalizing on that trend. Frank’s Hot Sauce, for example, has a new ad campaign and slogan which reads: “I put that !@#$ on everything.” The fourth word is blocked out in most ads by a splash of hot sauce, but the intention is clear.

It’s a shrewd way to market, given the fact that so many ad campaigns go viral these days. In many cases, the goal is to provide a message that’s witty, funny or intelligent enough that people will forward it to friends and colleagues, thereby increasing the ad’s value without any additional costs.

The potential consequence: That the ends don’t justify the means. In other words, companies could be alienating their base by endorsing this type of advertising. Long-term, it’s up to company leaders to determine whether using offensive language should be a real-world concern.

Source: “Bleep or No Bleep, Bolder Words Blow In,” by Stuart Elliott,
New York Times, 5/13/10.

Do you think this type of advertising sends a negative message, or is it an effective way to “break through the clutter”? Share your opinions in the Comments Box below.

The first thing to do is to figure out the different personalities and roles in the room. There may appear to be someone who is the leader, who’s managing the meeting and whom you should address throughout most of your presentation.

But you’ve got to be cautious not to direct all your attention to that person, because that may alienate other people in the room who might have a huge influence on the purchasing decision. The best way to manage this is to be cautious and include everyone in the room in your conversation.

Determine the decision-making process

To be effective with any group of multiple decision makers, it’s imperative that you understand the unique process the group will use to decide whether or not to make a purchase. The easiest way to understand the decision-making process is to ask directly how the team functions.

Selling to multiple decision makers means a series of decisions must take place, not just one. Try to find out what each prospect wants answered. When you do that, you’ll be able to provide the information that’ll satisfy everyone’s needs, which will then result in a favorable verdict and move the process along smoothly to the close.

Take control of the meeting

It’s almost impossible to gain the consensus of a group if you don’t take control of the agenda. A good way to do that is to turn the spotlight on them before you begin your presentation.

Example: “Before I begin, I’d like to ask each one of you what you hope to gain from this conversation.”

If you haven’t taken the time to get everyone’s goals on the table before you begin, you’ll find yourself with real problems. Suddenly you’ll be fielding questions from all areas of the company and the meeting may get out of control. Then the group’s confidence in your presentation may plummet. You can avoid this by being proactive and asking for their objectives right away.

Deal with tough questions

A mistake that some salespeople make is reacting too quickly to confusing questions. When someone asks you a question, don’t be afraid to ask them to elaborate if it’s not clear what they really want to know.

If people ask questions because they don’t understand something in your presentation, slow down or back up. Take responsibility. Say something like, “Maybe I wasn’t clear on this particular area,” or “Let me give you a little more information about that.”

Don’t take sides

When members of the group start to disagree among themselves, don’t take sides. You need to go right into a facilitation role, and flush out all the issues.

You can use an approach such as, “From what I’m hearing, some of you have concerns with budget (or whatever the case may be). But what I hear over here is that you’re more worried with quality and delivery issues. Are there any other concerns I should know about.”

By getting all the issues on the table, you can eliminate arguing and take firm control of the meeting.

Training tip: Ask your sales pros to discuss their most effective techniques for dealing with multiple decision makers. How do they get every decision markers issues out in the open without allowing the presentation to turn argumentative and ineffective?

1. See where your friends are. Twitter, Google, Facebook and Apple’s iPhone all provide the capability to let others in your network see where you are at all times (Facebook actually has a “check-in” feature which it plans to upgrade in the near future). This is particularly helpful for salespeople who want to monitor where top prospects are, so they can send a quick message suggesting an impromptu lunch or meeting.
2. Mobile purchases. There are now cell phone apps (the most popular is called “Square”) that facilitate transactions for buyers via mobile phones. Users who register for an account can respond to text offers immediately and pay via their mobile phones, which is a tremendous way for companies to increase impulse buys.
3. The “Like” Button. This is a Facebook-specific trend that companies are already using in droves. Facebook now allows companies to include “Like” buttons on all their landing pages. Every time a visitor clicks “Like” (which will typically appear next to a product) on a landing page, a public update instantly appears on the visitor’s Facebook page, thereby giving every product and service instant viral potential.

Adapted in part from “5 Social Media Trends to Watch Right Now,” by Barb Dybwad.

1. Activity increases confidence. Cold calls, phone activity and presentations that get your reps in front of decision-makers give your folks an added boost of confidence. The harder your reps work to find new prospects or sell more to existing customers, the more confidence your sales and marketing staffers will have in their ability to add to the bottom line.

2. Success breeds success. After a sale, encourage sales and marketing staffers to contact more buyers immediately. Their enthusiasm and confidence are at their highest when they’re on a roll. They let the success of one event immediately be poured into others.

3. Get out of a comfort zone. Some salespeople try to play it safe, concentrating on their existing customers and ignoring new sales opportunities because of the challenges involved. Others build confidence by doing things they didn’t think they could do. They call on CEOs of large companies who have reputations for being tough negotiators. They try something they’ve never done before where there’s a high risk and the potential for a high reward.

4. Show high levels of empathy. The ability of your reps to put themselves in the customer’s shoes and respond accordingly is a great confidence builder. Sales and marketing folks become indispensable when they demonstrate that they understand customer problems and goals, and have the ability to give the customer exactly what he or she needs.

5. Assure satisfaction. Customer follow up is essential. When customers see a reps’ commitment to service, they usually won’t listen to price-cutters.

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1. Knowledgeable: Prospects gravitate to salespeople who are considered experts in the field, which is why ambitious salespeople looks for opportunities to boost their credibility by speaking at conferences, joining industry organizations, gaining professional certifications and contributing to industry publications.
2. Professional: Handle every account like you would want your account handled and keep prospects in the loop every step of the way. Make respect and integrity the cornerstones of your approach.
3. Thorough: Make sure you cover every detail with prospects and you follow up (and follow through) on every promise you make to them and their requests for more information. Make pre-call research part of the process, so you can offer solutions that speak directly to each prospect’s specific needs.
4. Results-oriented: Quantify the type of ROI a prospect can expect, and provide some reference points so prospects can see how much money they stand to lose by not agreeing to do business with you.
5. Problem-solving: Don’t just offer a product or service, offer solutions that can help each prospect’s business thrive.
6. Relationship-oriented: Play for the long term, and gain as many internal champions as you can at each buyer’s company. Build the type of relationship where loyal customers think of you as an extended member of their corporate family.
7. Customer-focused: Put the buyer’s needs before your own, and always present value propositions in a way that explains how each feature and benefit works to the prospect’s advantage. Work as an advocate who the buyer can trust to create a working relationship where everyone walks away a winner.
8. Responsive: Take personal accountability for handling customer requests, and follow up with each customer personally to ensure he/she is satisfied with the outcome.
9. Good communicators: Determine which mode of communication the prospect prefers (e.g., e-mail, cell phone, text, etc.) and use that as a way to stay in contact. In addition, keep prospects on top of any changes to existing products that may impact their business. The less buyers are taken by surprise, the better.
10. Reliable: Do what you say you’ll do, when you say you’ll do it and how you say you’ll do it. Let customers know they can count on you to get the job done — and better than anyone else.

Source: Value-Added Selling (3rd Edition) by Tom Reilly, McGraw Hill 2010.

The pressure is building. Prospects are more knowledgeable, demanding more concessions and more results. The good news: Even in these uncertain times many salespeople are delivering impressive results. Want to know how?

A recent study conducted by the business experts at Forum identified nine driving principles that top salespeople follow during an economic downturn:

1. Be a true business consultant to customers. Customers value new ideas and insights based on your experience and expertise. What have you learned from other customers with similar issues that can relieve a new customer’s pain immediately? Talk results with customers. Show how your product or service helps them meet their goals. Create solutions for their problems. Be innovative. Increase credibility by acting as a trusted advisor who brings innovative, highly differentiated solutions to the table that respond to customers’ unique business challenges.
2. Do your homework. Know more, connect to more information than your customers do and turn your knowledge into value. Invest time and energy in researching your customers’ customers, markets, competitors, employees and challenges. Study before a sales call, so you can prepare insights to share with the customer during the call that turn into meaningful action after the call.
3. Clearly differentiate. Try harder to have your company, product or service clearly differentiated from the competition. If you customers can’t easily and quickly explain why you’re different from others in the same field, it might be a good idea to review your presentation. Don’t just assume they see your uniqueness — tell them.
4. Identify hot industries or sectors. A downturn doesn’t hit all companies, all sectors of the economy or all industries. There are always some areas that still grow. Concentrate on finding those areas.
5. Market yourself more to both prospects and existing customers. Keep in touch with them through letters, postcards, newsletters, e-mail, voice mail and sales calls. Try to have something of value to share with them every time.
6. Stay in touch with customers who are not buying, for whatever reason. By not staying in touch with them now, you send the signal that you only want to talk with them when they’re ready to order.
7. Keep your enthusiasm. Prospects and customers are influenced by your enthusiasm — or lack of it. Customer surveys report that they prefer doing business with positive, enthusiastic sales professionals. Complacency by a salesperson almost always leads to disaster.
8. Avoid negative self-talk. It’s easy to get caught up in negative thinking, especially during tough times. Resist the temptation to tell yourself all the things you’re not doing right and all the things you need to improve on. Recharge or renew yourself and then put in enough effort to get where you want to be, not just enough to justify where you are now.
9. Focus on your long-term vision versus short-term goals. Keep telling yourself that it’s all about the bigger picture. That’ll keep small failures from affecting your overall mood and approach.

Source: Ron Koprowski, Executive Vice President, Forum, Forum@forum.com

They perform a value diagnosis — while others simply rely on adding value to customer interactions.

What makes a value diagnosis different from value-added selling?

• It’s always focused on the customer. Diagnosis is about the symptoms the customer is experiencing and the solutions that best address those symptoms. If you’re diagnosing properly, you aren’t talking about your company, your solutions or yourself.
• It’s about the observable symptoms of problems and the parameters of solutions, not blame. Diagnosis maintains and protects the customer’s self-esteem.
• It engages the customer as a collaborative partner. Instead of a one-sided presentation, you and your customer are taking a journey of discovery and reaching conclusions together.
• It promotes ownership. When buyers and salespeople collaborate to solve problems and develop solutions together it leads to long-term relationships.
• It differentiates you from your competition. When every salesperson is presenting value, the salesperson who takes an advisory-based approach to identify and confirm value will stand out from the pack.

The best salespeople operate like skilled physicians with diagnostic maps in their minds. Similar to the way an anatomical map shows how all the organs in a human body work together, a diagnostic map enables sales professionals to see how a customer’s operation functions and where inefficiencies may lie.

Retail spending dropped .5% in June, after a 1% dip in May. But the reality is retail sales would’ve seen a slight increase if not for stagnant totals in the auto and gas industries.

A lack of consumer confidence combined with high unemployment has handicapped the auto industry. Auto sales were down more than 2% in June — a negative trend that may not reverse itself until unemployment rates and consumer confidence start to rebound.

A drop in prices accounted for a 2% dip in the gas industry.

Meanwhile, other retail segments enjoyed a slight boost. Department store sales were up 1.1%, and general merchandise sales rose .2% (after a 1% drop in May).

All told, if not for gas and auto, retail sales would have risen .1% in June.

Source: “U.S. Retail Sales Decline Again in June,” New York Times (via the Associated Press), 7/13/10.

1. They’re not getting what they expected. When subscribers sign up for your e-mail, it means they’re looking for specific content. If they don’t get it, they bail.

What to do: Let subscribers tell you what they want, and then give it to them. When people sign up, ask them to fill out a reader preference survey of what they’re seeking (new product releases, industry white papers, networking opportunities, etc.)

Another idea: Look at past mailings and identify the topics that scored the biggest open and click-through rates, and then focus your efforts accordingly.

2. They’re sick of seeing your e-mail. Just because someone expresses an interest in your business doesn’t mean they want to hear from you 24/7 or buy other products unrelated to their original interests.

What to do: Upon sign up, ask subscribers how regularly they want to receive e-mails from you — daily, weekly, bi-weekly or monthly. Also, establish yourself as an authority before you ask for the sale. Research from MarketingSherpa shows readers are more apt to unsubscribe from e-mail that promotes sales than e-mail that provides useful info.

1. Prepare. Mental preparation is the key to an effective sales call. What do you want to accomplish? It may be a good idea to play out the call in your mind beforehand. Prospects become customers when you solve problems for them. It’s a good idea to try to pinpoint possible problems as you plan the call.
2. Position. How do you best position who you are and what you’re selling on that first call? Some salespeople begin selling before they listen to the prospect’s position. The best way to get a sense of a customer’s objectives is by asking and listening. Give prospects a simplistic description of your ideas. Then focus on what’s in it for them.
3. Propose. It’s a good idea to develop your proposal from the prospect’s point of view. Prospects want services and products that perform in a consistent and dependable fashion. They also want salespeople to do what they say they’re going to do when they say they’re going to do it. Once you’ve studied the prospect carefully and identified solutions, ask for the business. If you’ve executed the other two steps properly, closing should be the easiest step of all.

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