Sales is a Lot Like Karate...

When I teach a Karate Class, Teen or Adult, it often starts with some cardio to loosen them up and break a bit of a sweat.

Then we do some drills on basic techniques such as Block & then Punch. The reason for Block & Punch is simple. If you are out in the real world and someone throws a punch at you, you don't want to be hit, you want to block it, right? If someone is throwing punches at you, after you block their punch, you want them to stop punching don't you? The most effective way to get them to stop, is to land a punch and hurt them isn't it? Since this is a basic premise and the heart of self-defense, you want to make sure that Block & Punch is second nature. The best way to perfect your techniques is through practice and repetition isn't it? Did you ever see a kid walk up to a two wheel bicycle and ride the first time he/she got on without falling? Nope, me neither.

So how does drilling basic Karate techniques such as Block & Punch relate to Sales? You need to sharpen and maintain your skills in both areas. If you haven't practiced the sales equivalent of block & punch (responding to a customer objection with a suitable response), you'll be hit! If you haven't developed a credible response to "Why should I buy from you?” you're going to be knocked flat on your back.

How will you counter the inevitable, "Your price is too high!" (That you know is coming, it's just a matter of when) to justify the cost of your product (better quality; lower cost of ownership, etc.) your client won't select your offering.

So today's summary is try to anticipate your customers' objections and develop a response to educate them, so they understand why purchasing from you is the best buying decision they can make. Then, MAKE SURE they have a great buying experience.

Thanks for reading my Blog!

Jim

The Master Deal Negotiators at T-Mobile

The Master Deal Negotiators at T-Mobile. If the acquisition doesn't get regulatory approval, according to the terms of the agreement, T-Mobile gets:
1. $3 Billion (That's Billion with a "B")
2. Wireless Spectrum from AT&T
3. A Roaming Agreement

So is there any downside for T-Mobile? I don't think there is any downside, just upside. AT&T bears all of the risk as best as I can tell. How could T-Mobile have said no?

What are Sprint & Verizon's next moves? Does Verizon acquire Sprint? They say they aren't interested and I question whether the Regulators would allow two deals of this size to be completed in succession.

So does Sprint go out and buy and integrate all of the other smaller regional and niche players out there like Leap & MetroPCS? Can they raise the cash and can they make it work?

Or will someone who's an outsider like Google come along and acquire Sprint to get into the wireless business?

Should be interesting. Stay tuned for more developments. Thanks for checking out my post.

Jim

Changes in the Wireless Field - AT&T to Buy T-Mobile USA for $39 Billion

WOW! To quote the Grateful Dead's song, Truckin' "What a long strange trip it's been!" I have been wondering lately what was going on with the Sprint/T-Mobile Acquisition talks and BOOM, AT&T snatches T-Mobile, the smallest of the four major wireless carriers away from Sprint (see link nearby to NY Times story).

This makes a lot of sense in many ways. T-Mobile has been struggling for a while to increase their market share. Both AT&T & T-Mobile use GSM technology, so the networks are compatible. There undoubtedly be cost savings. The combined wireless giant will have lower network costs since they both use GSM. They will also be able to spend less on Marketing & Advertising, which is a large expense.

What will happen to Sprint now? They will now be a fraction of the size of the combined AT&T/T-Mobile Monster. They have been struggling with both churn and with not having the sexy iPhone. I understand Sprint's need to grow, but I thought after all the issues they had with Nextel and having to manage two incompatible networks (Sprint's CDMA & Nextel's iDEN) they would have been reluctant to go down the incompatible technology path again. I wonder how much of a factor that was for the T-Mobile execs in the merger talks.

What about Verizon? Just a couple weeks after they get a CDMA iPhone, they have to contend with this. They become a very distant second to the combined AT&T/T-Mobile. Will they now feel they have to acquire Sprint to stay in the game? Should be interesting...

Another interesting question is will this pass regulatory scrutiny? This will probably get looked over pretty closely by the regulatory bodies. I don't think it will be a quick review.

And what about the consumer? Will coverage be better with a more concentrated market? Will customer service a frequent pain point for consumers improve or deteriorate? Stay tuned. Time will tell.

Thanks for reading. Please drop me a line if you have any questions or suggestions for future posts.

St. Patrick's Day Posting - The "Secret Sauce" of Sales

Many people who do not have a background in sales wonder if there's a magic formula to success in sales. Some will ask if there's a trick or "secret sauce" that makes some sales people Rock Stars.

I guess that's a natural question. After all, there are some people who make it look so easy. I think it's human nature to ask if there's a short cut to success.

Have you ever seen someone who just seems to have the gift of gab? A sales person who makes it look effortless. If you don't work in sales you might have had an experience like this. If you have worked in sales I doubt you have.

Asking someone in sales if there is a "secret sauce" that makes someone successful in sales is like asking Paul McCartney how the Beatles became overnight sensations. To someone who doesn't know the background it could seem that the Beatles met, practiced a few times together and then became the biggest musical group ever. Effortless right?

Meet some other guys that like music, learn to play drums & play a few chords on a guitar, and it's done, right? Well, maybe grow your hair a little long for the times, just to get everyone's attention, and NOW it's a Done Deal?

The Beatles "Secret Sauce" was playing in dive bars in Germany for years. They perfected their music and stage show the old fashioned way, with blood sweat and tears. Their overnight success took years of hard work!

Success in sales is similar. The Sales Professional needs to learn to identify potential clients. The Sales Pro needs to learn his product's strengths and his competition's vulnerable areas. The Pro needs to learn how to position their product. They need to learn how to articulate how your product can solve the client's problem. They need to how to negotiate favorable terms and if their product is more costly than the competition, they need to be able to educate their client why they should pay a premium for the product. After they have LEARNED HOW to do these things to be successful, then they have to actually DO IT! Now you have to PROSPECT because with few if any exceptions, customers don't come to you, you have to find them.

So what I'm trying to say is when you see a Sales Professional who is articulate & knowledgeable, years have work have gone into polishing their skills. They became an overnight sensation who makes it look effortless because of years of hard work. So the answer to the question is, there is NO "Secret Sauce". The secret to success is as in many things in life, HARD WORK!. Hard Work is the "Secret Sauce"!

Early Happy St. Patrick's Day! May all you sales pros have the gift of gab.

Thanks for reading!
Jim

Body Language at a Sales Call

This SimplyHired article on SimplyBlog posted on Jan. 14, 2011, discusses it at job interviews, but many of the points are relevant to sales calls. I have attached the link to the article if you want to read it in its entirety.

Some important things to remember on your sales calls are
1. Smile! People feel more at ease and relaxed when they see a friendly face.
2. Good posture and a firm handshake. If you don't feel confident and look confident, you are putting yourself at a disadvantage.
3. Change your pitch and tone. You want them to be interested and engaged, not bored to tears!
4. Maintain eye contact, but don't stare them down.

I have only listed a couple of points. This could can be dealt with in enough depth to be a 3 credit college course, but I want to give you something to think about.

If you have any thoughts, please drop me a line. Thanks for reading.

http://blog.simplyhired.com/2011/01/the-power-of-body-language-in-an-interview.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=jan25