Way More Than Plastics

Politics and Sales?...by Chris Buch

I know.  Politics is one of the two topics you never talk about in polite company... 

But, regardless of your political views, you had to appreciate the sales-like approach Speaker Gingrich took to win over the South Carolina conservative voting base.  Looking at the scoreboard a week prior to the primary; the breaks were definitely not going his way - (1) Romney was well ahead in projections (2) well-liked SC governor Nikki Haley had thrown her endorsement behind Romney along with numerous local and state political figures (3) in the New Hampshire primary on January 10th, Gingrich was relegated to "also ran" status while Romney gained more votes than his next two closest competitors combined (4) money was running very tight.  South Carolina was looking like the end-of-the-line for the Gingrich campaign.

How in the world does one rally from that kind of deficit?  Gingrich showed us by using one of the most basic sales techniques out there - know your audience.  At the opening of the debate on Friday prior to the Saturday primary, Gingrich blasted media outlets for highlighting unflattering claims by his ex-wife more than the national issues at hand.  A seemingly unscripted, raw, emotional outburst that immediately endeared him to South Carolinians.  Remember, this is the state that was the first to secede in 1860 and has always been in the thick of political battles - especially those involving state's rights.  They have never been a group that likes to be pushed around by a larger entity.  Many there view the media as one of those entities that shapes the minds of Americans with a "liberal" slant.  Think Speaker Gingrich knew that?  I would bet good money that he did.  I would bet that the seemingly unscripted remarks were very much scripted, planned, and very well presented.  Ultimately, I think they won the day.  

Salesmanship?  Yep.  Effective communication?  Absolutely.  Leadership?  I'll leave that questions for the voters.

I don't want to cause a panic, but rest assured that any elected official is, before anything else, a sales professional that tailors their message to their audience regardles of what they are up against.  Selling 101.

Sold! (Just Not Very Well)...by Chris Buch

I got "sold" this weekend.  It happened while I was furniture shopping with my wife - more accurately, furniture buying with my wife.  We entered the store knowing the sofa, loveseat, and chair that we were going to buy.  All that remained was coffee/end tables.  Upon entering, we were immediately hooked up with a salesman - not a surprise as we'd been through this drill a few times before.  We explained to him what we were doing, what we had already decided on, and what we were trying to decide on.  We made it clear that our goal was to leave the store with furniture purchased and delivery arranged.  Pretty easy, right?  This is when the "selling" began in earnest (note the tongue firmly planted in cheek)...   

Our salesman began to negotiate price with us.  Why he did this, I'm not entirely sure.  He disappeared for a few moments and came back with a price for our furniture.  Bear in mind, we still hadn't picked out our tables yet.  He had "helpfully" chosen some tables for us and added them into the price.  "Why those tables?" we asked.  No really good answer given.  He then asked if he could go ahead and get the order going for us and schedule a delivery date.  "We haven't picked out tables yet", we said.  We assured him that once we picked out the tables we liked, we'd get the order going and schedule a delivery date. 

He again disappeared for a few moments and came back with a new price for our furniture.  The only trouble was, it was for a different sofa, loveseat, and chair.  "Why?", we asked.  We were told that they matched the tables (that he picked out) better plus they were cheaper.  "But that's not what we want", we said.  He thought that the price was too high, so that's why we were hesitant on the tables (that he picked out). 

He then disappeared again for a few moments and came back and offered me a 2% discount on the price he quoted.  At that point, we stopped shopping and fled the store.  Later that evening, we made our purchases online with no "help" from a "salesman".

For all sales professionals out there:  if we want to continue to have a livelihood, we'd better start asking the right questions, actively listening to the answers, and using that information to add a ton of value to the buying experience.  A few well-placed questions along with a very small amount of value-add service would have netted a far different result for my furniture sales guy. 

What Are You Saying?...by Chris Buch

This is a little lengthy (about 4.5 minutes), but it'll give you a laugh.  Try to convince yourself that you've never been involved in a project that's gone at least part of the way down this path! 

How often do we dilute the message to our clients?  Is the clarity of our message (and our value) clouded by rhetoric or clever slogans?  Make sure your message is clear, simple, and accurate.  It makes the sales "pitch" a whole lot easier.     

Do You Hear What They're Saying?...by Chris Buch

I think some of the best advice that I've ever gotten as a sales professional is to simply shut up and listen. 

If you find yourself in a sales situation where you are doing most of the talking, you need to re-think your approach.  Sales people should always be asking questions, actively listening, and expanding knowledge.  Your solution has to fit their need.  If you don't know their need, you can't sell your solution effectively.  If you aren't asking questions and listening to the answers, you won't know their need.  If you leave it up to them to tie your solution to their need, you'll lose the sale.

Are you frustrated with your close rate?  Ask yourself if you know, in very specific ways, how your solution meets your client/prospect's need.  Be honest, do you really know, or are you assuming?  If you don't, you haven't asked enough questions.  There's no way you can position properly and close the deal.

Do yourself a favor - ask great questions, then shut up and listen!

 

Valuable Sales Reminders From My 3-Year Old...By Chris Buch

Like many of you, I found myself walking the streets of a neighborhood this past Saturday night watching my kids collect candy.  I have an almost 10-year old, an 8-year old, and a 3-year old.

My oldest two were very keen on rushing from house to house as quickly as possible to cover as much ground as possible in order to gain as much candy as possible.  From 6:00 until around 8:30, they employed this strategy with great vigor.

My youngest took on an entirely different strategy.  He was very into the experience of it all.  He would slowly make his way up the driveway, stopping to take in all the decorations.  He would willingly engage in conversation with anyone that happened to answer the door, ask them all kinds of questions about their house/dog/cat/decorations/candy choice/etc., and show genuine excitement for whatever they dropped in his bag.  He only lasted until about 7:00 and was happy to get in out of the cold a full hour-and-a-half before his brothers. 

I had to chuckle when we dumped out the pillowcases – my little guy had more candy than either of his older brothers!  I doubt that he went to half as many houses as they did, and he was out less than half the time that they were, yet his “results” were better! 

His success reminded of a couple of truths that are easily forgotten in the sales arena:

1.     A flurry of activity doesn’t necessarily yield better results.  Is it the right activity?  Is it targeted activity?  Will it bring the greatest return on the investment of time spent? 

2.    People do business with people.  The most eye-catching message, the snazziest giveaway, or the most polished demonstration don’t make as big of an impression as a salesman or organization that is genuinely interested in the success of their client.  Average ones can fake it for a short period of time, but great ones have it ingrained in their culture.  True teamwork always yields better results. 

3.    People like to feel good.  Genuine excitement and appreciation are rare in business anymore.  We’ve become rather disconnected in many senses – text messages and e-mails instead of phone conversations for example.  Cynicism and “can’t do” attitudes infiltrate the landscape.  Positive emotion always elicits positive response.

My 3-year old, unbeknownst to him, had the right perspective on “selling” his way to maximum results by doing things that made him different from his fellow salesmen (his brothers).  It was a good reminder.