It Takes the Right Tactics to Improve Sales Performance
By JOHN GRAHAM
In Lee Child’s Without Fail, a Secret Service official simplifies a disturbing problem. “If the Yankees come to town saying they’re going to beat the Orioles, does that mean it’s true?” And then he adds, “Boasting about it is not the same thing as actually doing it.”
It’s the same with sales, where there’s often too much boasting and not enough doing. Here are seven tactics to improve sales performance.
1. Use stories that make a difference to customers. While facts help support a sales presentation, they can also be confusing, create doubt, and turn people off. Yet, many salespeople fill their presentations with facts and figures and so-called ‘hard information’ to build a solid, compelling case with customers.
A simple, quick story that grabs interest may be far more effective in moving a customer to action, however. While salespeople love to tell stories, too often they shoot themselves in the foot with stories about themselves or whatever comes to mind at the moment, failing to sense the effect on the customer.
Sales stories should be strategic, as marketer Jen Agustin suggests when she says, “if you think back to your favorite stories, the great ones are those that inform, educate, and drive people to act.”
2. Forget about ‘the latest and the greatest.’ “I’ve made a conscious choice to not spend all my time … looking down at a device,” said legendary motion-picture director James Cameron, of Avatar and Titanic fame, in a recent USA Today interview. “I’m a Luddite — but a high-tech Luddite.” Referring to Twitter, “I hate it,” he said. “I hate everyone else’s tweets, too. They’re boring. What can you say in 140 characters? I can’t even clear my throat in 140 characters. Same goes for Facebook.”
As the most techie director of all time, Cameron’s outburst sends a message to salespeople. It wasn’t so long ago that ‘cutting edge’ gave salespeople an advantage with customers, as they longed for the next great thing. But not now. The times have changed. It’s clear what moves them to action now: they want what works, what solves a problem, what gives them an edge.
3. Don’t talk about what you do. It may sound crazy to suggest that salespeople should avoid talking about what they do. Even so, it’s good advice. It’s tempting to talk about what we know best — what we do. We’re excited about we do and want to share ‘the good news.’ But, no matter what anyone says, to talk about what we do is a huge turnoff for customers.
If you ask Sally what she does and she tells you she sells insurance, that’s all it takes — you shut down. However, when Sally recognizes that you’re 50-ish, you might feel different if she said, “I help people make sure they have enough money for a great retirement.” If you’re someone with a young family, Sally might say, “I help make the dream of going to college a reality.” It’s an approach that gives new meaning to ‘the customer comes first.’
4. Be careful when you make promises. There’s always a temptation to tell customers what they want to hear, and it leads to trouble. “It will be here in about three weeks,” said the contractor, referring to the bathroom accessory selected by the customer. Well after the due date, the customer was upset because it still was unavailable, and was then told the expected delivery would be several months later.
It’s a familiar story, and it points how out salespeople disappoint customers by making promises they can’t keep. It’s a deadly scenario. Once disappointment sets in, satisfaction begins unraveling.
To maintain customer confidence if a problem may occur, tell them about it upfront, keep them informed, and have options ready if they’re needed.
5. Don’t overstate. In other words, don’t exaggerate. It’s the curse that many salespeople fall prey to time and again, so that it becomes second nature — and it always causes trouble. They can’t have a conversation or make a presentation without ‘gilding the lily,’ as they say. Salespeople want to look good to their customers, so they stretch the truth, embellish the facts, and are even misleading.
It’s a dangerous practice. For today’s customers, it’s one strike and we’re out. No one understands this better than Amazon. And few companies do a better job communicating with customers, particularly when it comes to on-time deliveries, accurate product descriptions, and reliable customer comments.
Unlike other retailers who try to lure customers with exaggerated claims, Amazon’s goal is to build trust so customers come back again and again, even when a competitor may have a lower price. It starts with a no-exaggeration policy. Salespeople can learn from companies like Amazon.
6. Explore vulnerabilities. Salespeople can perform a significant service to customers by showing them where they may be losing business, how they might improve a procedure, if they have a product or service weakness, or any other exposure.
Because business owners and managers can be so caught up in daily operations that they fail to see potential threats, salespeople can be the extra set of eyes to provide valuable feedback. The owner of a retail chain was ready to buy another store when a salesperson pointed out that significant changes in the area could have a negative impact on the business. The owner heeded the salesperson’s advice and avoided making a costly mistake.
7. Reinforce the customer’s buying decision. It’s just after the sale — when salespeople revel in their success — that the customer relationship is most vulnerable. This is when post-sale doubts set in and questions arise. Perhaps they are getting more familiar with a purchase, encounter an unexpected issue, or discover that what they bought isn’t what they expected. Whether it’s a beer or Lexus, customers want to feel good when they make a purchase.
The savvy salesperson, knowing what can occur, takes the initiative and contacts customers to gauge how they are feeling about their purchase and to reinforce why their buying decision was prudent. The person who made the sale should make the contact, otherwise the value of the call is diminished in the customer’s mind. The customer wants to know that the salesperson cares.
The bottom line is, when salespeople use the right tactics, they boast less, do more, and improve their sales performance.
John Graham is a marketing and sales strategist, consultant, and business writer with GrahamComm. He publishes a free monthly e-bulletin titled “No Nonsense Marketing & Sales”; (617) 774-9759;
[email protected]; johnrgraham.com
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On Aug. 21, Springfield College partnered with the Old Hill and Upper Hill Neighborhood Councils, HAPHousing, and the Partnership for the Renewal of Old Hill in hosting the 11th annual Block Party on the Hill. The event featured live music and free barbeque, along with information about housing, health, education, and community services. Children also enjoyed a bounce house and face painting. Pictured at top, from left, are Block Party Planning Committee members Mattie Lacewell, Kathy Smith, Springfield College President Mary-Beth Cooper, Sarah Page, Adrienne Osborne, Jill Russell, and Ethel Griffin.
The 34th annual Brightside Golf Classic drew 180 golfers to Springfield Country Club in West Springfield and Twin Hills Country Club in Longmeadow. The event raised just over $108,500 to support Brightside for Families and Children in Holyoke, which provides in-home counseling and support to children and their families throughout Western Mass. Pictured, first row, from left: Brightside’s Maria Zygmont; Brightside Golf Classic co-chairs John Kendzierski, Steve Lowell, and William Wagner; and Brightside’s Mark Paglia. Second row, from left: Diane Dukette, vice president of Fund Development, SPHS; Martin Caine; Jeslyn Carr; Brightside Golf Classic co-chair Paul Fritz; Benjamin Coyle; Jay Babcock; and Daniel Moen, president and CEO of the Sisters of Providence Health System.
