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Persistence, Integrity Figure Prominently in Making Up Top Sales Force
by Stephen Parezo |
 September 13, 2004-It's become increasingly difficult for small business owners to sell their products and services without a team of qualified sales professionals to light the way. With many industries facing increased competition, especially from the Internet, it seems that entrepreneurs have to work harder than ever to make their sales force productive in today's marketplace.
To achieve sales success, experts contend that business owners need to balance their schedule by employing varied sales techniques and approach sales in different ways.
"You can't keep doing the same things over and over again," said Mike Kaplan, Fiducial's National Sales Manager. "You have to break out of the mold and split up the work week. Do some teleprospecting by getting on the phone."
Fiducial touts its cold calling program-known as the Walking Ambassador-where salespersons get their name out there by physically meeting prospective clients and dropping off business cards. They then follow up the personal visit with a phone call. To boost the number of possible leads, salespersons visit the local courthouse to gather new business listings from nearby counties. They also stop at the public library to collect the names of small businesses and phone number lists.
Pipeline building
Veteran sales professionals say it's essential for the salesperson to split up their work days and remain dedicated to a defined plan.
"You have to do it on a weekly basis and work on a certain level because you're building a pipeline and want to keep it going," Kaplan said. "You can't let it stop. You always need to keep new leads coming in. If you keep it on an even keel you will sell. Once you stop doing cold calling then you're going to lose that pipeline and sales will stop."
Results-driven sales techniques are a blend of tried and true old-fashioned methods only fine-tuned for greater effectiveness.
"The old ways are still basically the same," Kaplan said. "You just need to be skilled in every sales technique. The difference is that you must be sincere."
A good salesperson will know exactly what to do from the first moment they walk into a prospective client's door. After introducing themselves, they are shown around the business where they start taking notes and asking questions. The salesperson then uses this information to lead the client down the road to the sale.
Fiducial's sales representatives know the array of services that the company offers inside out. They are also sincere and ask probing questions such as what can your business do to do a better job or what can you improve on and how we can improve on that? Above all, Kaplan emphasizes the importance of not selling to the prospective client.
"Don't be caught selling because then you're done," he said. "No one wants to be sold."
Overcoming fears
Perhaps the biggest hurdle in turning a would-be sales trainee into a confident, productive sales staffer is overcoming their fears of cold calling, telemarketing and botching a presentation.
"So they need to practice, practice, practice their presentation," Kaplan said. "The more times you do presentations and practice the pitch the better you will be when you walk in the door."
These fears are understandable but easily tackled, he says.
"When doing telemarketing you must remember that these are human beings you're talking to," he said. "You have a good product so you should tell the person what's going to happen and that will take you to the next level of overcoming your fears."
In the state-of-the-art Fiducial Institute in the company's Technical and Administrative Service Center (TASC) in Columbia, MD, Fiducial teaches hands-on training by instructing sales staff, franchisees and branch managers' on proven sales techniques. Kaplan, who heads the sales program, has 16 years of sales experience. But he recalls having problems starting out "just like everybody else."
For a candidate to master their sales presentation, Kaplan says they must make at least 30 to 50 presentations in front of live clients before they've got the system down pat. This also applies to long-time salespersons that may be starting over at a new company selling new products.
"That's when you need to learn your new products to know all the questions for every situation," he said. "You're going to see mostly every situation for the target market of sale."
Not every sales pro, however, believes that cold calling is effective. Janet Parks operates a Fiducial office in the Atlanta, GA, suburb of Sugar Hill and prefers the "warm call" approach where appointments are made in advance through telemarketing.
"I'm more comfortable when someone knows I'm coming," said Parks who has owned her own business for 21 years. "When I've done cold calling 95% of the people I wanted to see were not available or they appeared to be angry at the intrusion."
Persistence is key
So what qualities should an effective salesperson possess?
"The key is to really believe in what you're selling, understanding what you're selling and thinking that if you can make other people feel about your service the way you feel about it that you would be successful as a salesperson," said Terry Smith, a Fiducial Client Acquisition Specialist, based in Baltimore, MD.
If the desire and enthusiasm is there, Smith says that people will see it.
"You have to be excited about what you're doing," he said. "You don't have to jump up and down, yell and scream but if people sense you believe what you're doing than you've convinced them."
Another important trait every sales pro should have, according to Smith, is persistence.
"That doesn't mean being pushy," he said. "Persistence is a key in all aspects of the sales process-whether it's cold calling, in following up on cold calls to set appointments and following up the appointments that you go on to close the sale."
The bottom line in selling, says the 30-year sales vet, is "making you feel about my product like I do. If I can do that I've sold you. That's plain and simple honesty."
Integrity is essential
Tom Benson, a Fiducial Business Advisor in Houston, TX, feels that integrity is also an essential ingredient in the make-up of a true sales professional.
"You can't come across as insincere or dishonest if you have their best interest at heart," said Benson, who admits he had a modicum of success building up two small businesses and selling them both.
In meetings with prospective clients, he approaches the client interview from the perspective of one business owner to another. Explaining the purpose of monthly reports in terms they can understand, he tells them it's similar to a "financial report card" which they immediately comprehend.
While the attrition rate for entrepreneurs remains high at 80%, Benson knows he can have an impact on that percentage by doing what he does best: relating to business owners.
"What separates the good business owners from the poor ones is understanding the information that's coming in and going out," he said. "Then it's much easier to sell to them by informing, educating and helping them through that process to take the pressure off of them."
Taking the burden
Telemarketing can also be a highly effective resource for generating sales leads for small business owners, especially for start-ups who are preoccupied with setting up shop and all the accompanying details.
At Fiducial, a full-time crew of Call Center Representatives (CCRs) takes the burden away from cold calling by providing maximum contact with small business owners in their markets. CCRs contact 16-20 business owners per hour informing them about the franchisee, their business, and the services that franchisee offers.
"The ultimate reason for our call is to schedule an appointment for the franchisee to meet face-to-face with the small business owner and do a full, no-cost or obligation presentation on how the services can help the prospect's business and the benefit of obtaining all these service under one roof," said Joseph Belger, Fiducial's Call Center Manager.
Belger's staff makes sure they do not waste the franchisee's time by delivering only qualified sales leads.
"We ask if there was one thing they could possibly change about the service they are currently receiving, what would that be?" Belger said. "This gives the franchisee a starting point in the relationship instead of spending a lot of time on 'fluff.' We help the franchisees to increase their client base without having to take time away from serving existing clients while they 'beat the bushes' for prospects."
Problem solvers
Of course mistakes will occur even in the best sales presentations but Kaplan urges salespersons to keep going with their pitch.
"Ask if you can take notes so you can write down what they're telling you," he said. "You'll always have that to use-that's your firepower. Those are your bullets."
Kaplan discourages the use of email as a first step in the sales process. Once first contact has been made, he follows up with an email but not before. He says it's important to always ask permission of those you are trying to sell about your next move-whether it's sending them an email or fax or calling them.
Small business owners with sales staff can't compete with large companies that have more money and polished marketing/advertising resources so Kaplan says they shouldn't bother trying. Instead, they need to tighten up what they do best by making sure their sales presentations are finely-tuned for maximum results.
"If you go out unprepared, you're not going to make a sale," Kaplan said. "When you go to war if you have a gun with no bullets you can run but you can't fight. You have to be professional and you have to be sincere. Becoming a good salesman is finding your clients problems and showing them how you solve them."
A Newcomer Hits the Streets
When Michael Cassell joined the Fiducial Network in March 2004, the Buffalo, NY, franchisee did not have much a track record when it came to sales expertise. Coming from a background in accounting and finance, he was a newcomer to the sales game.
Forced to wear the sales hat as a new business owner, Cassell hit the streets as a Walking Ambassador where he learned some valuable lessons. Above all, he believes that the salesperson's integrity needs to shine through to potential clients.
"You need to empathize with the client and put yourself in their shoes," he said. "You need to have a passion. You need to have that spirit and that drive. If you do, that's going to come across. You need to have a product that is a good product and you need to be able to use the sales skills that you've been taught. And you need to follow-up."
Going door-to-door is no easy task but Cassell learned the importance of being creative and having a quiet inner confidence when facing these sales challenges.
Cassell told one shop owner who was about to slam the door on him that he should look at all of the alternatives before deciding whether to stay with his existing accountant. The next thing you know he conducted a nearly two hour presentation with the owner who gave him a fair shake after all. While the pitch didn't result in a sale, Cassell knew he had laid the groundwork for further visits.
"Down the road you never know," he said. "You've got to understand that when you're in the sales profession even the best salesmen are successful only one out of three times. It doesn't mean that you can't have goodwill, can't get referrals and can't talk to him in the future."
Smart Brief
- Work to keep new leads coming in via cold calls and the phone.
- Don't be caught selling. No one wants to be sold.
- Make other people feel about your service the way you feel.
- Be persistent in all aspects of the sales process and follow up.
- Finds the client's problems and show them how to solve them
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