Manuel Fragoso

 

Always keep on mind, whatever  we are selling; either products or services, our ability to handle rejection and obstacles while selling in down turn times really depends on our capacity to focus on the essential activities that help us stay in control.

 

Here are three efective ways to deal with oncoming sales setbacks and negative situations:

1.      Keep your eyes on the oak tree. Re-establish your key sales goals, write them down and have them clearly in front of you every day. Obstacles are what you see when you take your eyes off your goal. A successful businessperson once told me that the biggest reason people fail is because they take their eyes off the oak tree. When he was young and plowing on his farm, he would never look down at the ground. Instead, he would aim for a row of oak trees and plow a straighter furrow as a result. If you look at all the adversities--a rock, a tree stump or a small ravine--you'll wander all over the place. But if you've got an oak tree in your sight, you'll get past the rocks and accomplish your goals.

2.      Combine deep learning with qualified activity. I can't think of two stronger activities to build your sales confidence. As we engage in learning--whether it's about our customers, skills or strategies--we increase our value and take our mind off the worries of what we need to do, focusing instead on the knowledge that will help us do it. Combining learning with qualified sales activity helps you shake off rejection more easily.

When I'm customizing a seminar for a specific company, I often interview its top producers. If there's one statement most of them share, it's this: "I just see lots of people, and good things happen." Another common statement: "I make cold calls during the good times so the tough times aren't so bad."

3.      Falling isn't failing--as long as you don't fail to get back up. It's not just about the knowledge you gain from picking yourself up and trying a new strategy; it's also about the awareness that when you're trying to accomplish something challenging, bruises and difficulties are part of the game. In the long run, the setbacks won't be as damaging to your confidence and won't deter you from getting back up and trying again. Many of my hardest deals came with a lot of obstacles. But those are what toughen up your skin and open your mind for the next round of challenges.

 

 

 

  ¨Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.¨

                                                                                                                   

                                                                                          Sir Winston Churchill

 

How to Sell in 60 seconds 

When selling, you have one minute to pique your prospect's interest. Here are some tips to make the most of your time.
When interacting with a prospect, you must first seek to understand what's going on in the other person's world. Then and only then will your ideas be accepted and understood by the prospect. 

The best way to do this is to set strict limits on your own "talk time." Keep it under 60 seconds. Yes, you read right: You must never, ever speak for more than 60 seconds without asking for approval to continue. This approval comes when you ask open-ended "prompting" questions. Generally speaking, these questions:

  • Cannot be answered with a simple yes or no.
  • Do not lead, control or try to manipulate the other person.
  • Enable dialoging.
  • Begin with the words "when," "what," "how," "why" or "where."
  • Require thought to be answered.
  • Encourage the other person to reveal feelings.
  • Build rapport.

The opposite of an open-ended question is a closed-ended question. Closed-ended questions, unlike the kind we've just examined, put an end to effective dialoging and will not get you any closer to a second appointment. Therefore, you should totally avoid this type of questioning as a means of getting approval to win another 60 seconds.

One example of a closed-ended question might be, "You're interested in attracting new clients right?" The best place to use the closed-ended question is in a situation where you need to validate or confirm what you think is going on in your prospect's world. Generally speaking, closed-ended questions:

  • Are useful to give feedback during a dialog.
  • Can be used to obtain specific information and/or confirm facts.

During a dialogue, if you need to make sure that you've heard the prospect correctly, you can use what's called a clarifying question. These questions, too, can win you a fresh 60 seconds. A good clarifying question might begin with the words, "So, if I understand you correctly, you're saying that...". Warning: you should always preface your clarifying question with a statement such as this and then creatively paraphrase what you think your contact's main point is. It's a really bad idea to parrot back what you've just heard your prospect say. That approach may be perceived as condescending, sarcastic and disrespectful. Generally speaking, clarifying questions:

  • Secure the other person's approval and prove to a greater degree that you've got a good understanding of what he or she said.
  • Express in your own words what you just heard.
  • Clear up differences in the definition of words and phrases being used.
  • Clarify the meaning of "global" words (like "always" and "never").

Typically, once you clarify with your prospect, you can then use a developmental question to move the dialog in a desired direction to further understand the prospect's purpose and/or result he or she wants to achieve. These questions, too, can win you another 60 seconds of time to talk--once the contact has responded to your question, of course. Generally speaking, developmental questions:

  • Encourage the other person to elaborate on what he or she just said.
  • Begin to make it possible for the other person to show his or her true feelings about the topic at hand.
  • Obtain further definition of what's under discussion.

Optionally, you can also use a directional question to win another 60 seconds. These questions steer the dialog to a certain direction that a developmental question just uncovered. Directional questions are like a roadmap of your conversation and allow the dialog to take another path, one that's beneficial to uncovering the prospect's purpose and needs. Generally speaking, directional questions:

  • Move the dialog from one logical topic to another.
  • Invite the other person to participate in an informational exchange.
  • Can be used to replace a closed-ended question you were tempted to ask.

Important: Don't fall into the trap of using directional questions to control or manipulate the prospect in any way. This will destroy any business rapport you've built and reduce your chances of getting a second appointment.

Another question type you can use to earn another 60 seconds of talk time is called an opinion question. This kind of question is extremely helpful in revealing where a prospect stands on any particular issue, and it can be used to give you more insight into someone's unique needs. Opinion questions are also a nonthreatening way to ensure that the other person is actually engaged in the dialog. As a general rule, opinion questions:

  • Ask a direct question in a nonconfrontational way.
  • Get the other person to speak frankly and openly.
  • Allow the opportunity to share feelings.
  • Show esteem and respect for the other person.
  • Help to extend and prolong dialogues.

Finally, you can use what I call a social proof question to justify another 60 seconds of talk time. This is an indirect way of getting the other person to realize that his situation is similar to that of other people you've worked with. As with any other reference to a third party, there is the chance that your contact will respond favorably to what you cite within the question. On the other hand, there is a chance that the social proof you introduce will be looked upon as competitive or irrelevant to what's being discussed. So these questions can be tricky. Generally speaking, social proof questions:

  • Introduce a third party that is relevant to the discussion.
  • May increase confidence that you can address the purpose and needs of the other person.
  • Validate the other person's reasoning.
  • Can be used to address concerns or problems before they arise.

Intelligent use of each of these question types will encourage your prospect to begin to show his or her true feelings about whatever subject is under discussion build business rapport with prospects, and they'll be less likely to tune out while you're delivering your pitch.

 

 

 

 

Build a global sales team for local success

 

Companies entering developing markets need salespeople with technical skills and business savvy. But they also need adventure seekers willing to embrace local customs, withhold judgment about customer behavior, and celebrate failure. Regardless of their education or experience, salespeople without these cultural skills will stumble when they hit the ground in rugged markets such as Brazil, Russia, India or China. So here is a quick guide for assembling your next global sales team and laying the groundwork for long-term success in any unfamiliar market.

Go local

Some high-potential managers endure overseas assignments merely as a way to pad their resumes and boost their careers. They bide their time abroad at Western brand hotels, eating familiar food and venturing out as little as possible. Keep these people off your team.

What you need instead are open-minded cultural explorers with passion for diversity. Whether these people are expatriates or locals, the important thing is their flexibility and willingness to “go local.”

Sales teams earn credibility when they stay in local hotels, eat local food, celebrate local customs and learn the local language. This sends a message to customers that you care about their needs and plan to stay long term.

I learned this lesson early in my career as a salesman in India. Although from Chennai, the gateway to South India, I had to step out of my comfort zone and learn a new culture when I moved north. Many of my prospective clients did not speak English, and my native Tamil created barriers. So I had to learn Hindi. I also learned to sit with distributors for hours and drink tea before talking business.

Some mistakenly view India as a single market. But concepts of time, trust and etiquette vary from places to place. The same is true within Brazil, Russia, China and most other markets.

One size does not fit all. Successful sales teams embed themselves in each community where they operate and learn the local values.

At the most local level, they cater to individuals. They understand that one-on-one relationships drive business, especially in emerging markets. They know if they focus on people, results will follow.

Withhold judgment

Another key is to withhold judgment. Strategies that work in one part of the world do not always translate to other markets. Before your sales team rushes in, take time to listen and observe.

Walk with local guides to the places where people shop. Talk to dealers, ask questions, take notes and — perhaps most importantly — keep an open mind. What you learn might surprise you.

Gillette observed special infrastructure challenges when the company introduced its personal care products to India in the 1980s. Instead of big-box retailers, Gillette found small stores looking for razors they could sell one-by-one in pedestrian malls unreachable by delivery trucks. To penetrate the market, Gillette had to adjust its packaging methods and then figure out new distribution systems to overcome the infrastructure challenges.

Sales teams must go where their customers operate, observe local conditions, and then respond to their needs. This is your real on-the-job training.

Celebrate failure

Your team will make mistakes as you go through this market immersion process. Instead of downplaying these blunders, a better approach is to celebrate failure.

This does not mean making excuses or repeating the same errors. The proper way to celebrate failure is to analyze what went wrong, look for explanations and make corrections.

To do this, sales teams need freedom to experiment and support at the highest levels of management. Leaders must understand that many investments take longer to develop in emerging markets, where conditions are harder to control and less stable.

Companies that empower their sales teams to fail in these environments come out ahead in the long run. Learning becomes an investment that pays off.

Sundaresan Ram, Ph.D., is an associate professor of global marketing at Thunderbird School of Global Management and world-renowned international marketing strategist. A native of Chennai, India, who speaks English, Tamil and Hindi, Dr. Ram is recognized for his expertise in services marketing, innovation management, global branding and telecommunications marketing strategy

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