Procurement Professional is the official publication of CIPS Australasia

#78 - The top 12 sales techniques of the most successful sales execs...

09 Oct 2009

The Buyer recently tripped over some obvious but timely research into successful sales techniques completed Jerry Cahn of Extraordinary Sales Performance (ExSP) in the USA,

http://www.extrasalesperformance.com/articles/ExSPwhtpaperWhat%20it%20Takes_0509.pdf  

and introduced by local sales and communications guru Elliott Epstein,

www.fastleader.net/media/60/Elliot_Epstein__Master_Level_Sales_Speaker/.

The authors asked an old question, “What makes the top sales performers great and why are some sales reps extraordinary performers and some just average?”

They calculate that the top 15% of sales reps score over 30% of the sales revenue (a fairly typical Pareto really).  Jerry, of course, has all the answers which he neatly and obviously summarises into his top 12 attributes of the very best salespeople in his new white-paper co-authored with his mate Howard Mager: 'The Sales Leader's Guide to What It Takes to Achieve Extraordinary Sales Performance'. His 12 master selling tips are;

Commit to be extraordinary. This is a psychological and physical process that includes regular audits of strengths and weaknesses and a firm vision of goals.

Focus on the customer. You've heard this one before, but it bears repeating. Top performers keep their heads in the customer's world. They learn everything about both the professional and personal side of the buyer.

Set goals and be accountable. Extraordinary performers are diligent about setting SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-defined) goals and holding themselves accountable for taking the steps to achieve them.
Sell to the right buyer. Top producers are adept at identifying the right decision maker so they don't waste time selling to someone who ultimately has little decision making power.

Ask powerful questions and listen. This one speaks for itself: superstar reps know how to ask the right questions and, most importantly, how to listen.

Present a compelling case. Buyers' concerns go way beyond your product or service. Top sellers know this, ensuring they make a strong business case, establish trust, get buy-in from many factions in a company, and factor in the personality/buying type of each decision maker.

Use sales demos and proposals to close. Extraordinary performers get the buyer to articulate the needs and willingness to buy, encourage a sense of anticipation to see the results they know they can deliver, then demonstrate how their product or service meets those exact needs.

Create more value. To boost value, top producers know they need to go beyond the issues on the table – their product's features and cost – to include ideas not originally considered. They are creative in finding ways to increase the value of what they have to offer to the customer.

Sell beyond the predictable transaction. Leading reps set "stretch" goals, expanding their horizon of possibilities and then achieving them by putting together winning strategies. Instead of hoping a customer renews and accepts the 3 percent rate increase, a top rep asks herself what success would look like for that customer if he invested 50 percent more in her service. Then she works backward to figure out how to get there.

Build long-term, committed relationships. Deep relationships generate repeat business and referrals. The process for building these relationships is an ongoing one to which top producers give daily attention.

Use a sales process. Extraordinary performers all use a defined sales process. There’s no right or wrong process, says Cahn – the key is to figure out what process works and to follow it diligently.

Use a personal sales dashboard. Dashboards offer real-time analysis on performance. It shows where you are in relationship to your goals, keeping reps on track for superior performance. 

Most of this is the usual stuff. Good sales technique hasn’t changed in essence for thousands of years. Sticking to the basics will always payback for  salespeople.

At the end of the day most buyers just want a good product of decent quality at a fair price delivered on time, to spec and with modest service.

Not much to ask is it?

The Buyer – posted 9th October 2009

 
The views of THE BUYER are personal and are not necessarily those of Procurement Professional magazine, BTTB Marketing nor CIPS.