Sales Fundamentals

Simple Steps to Better Sales Calls: Relax. It’s Just A Sales Call

Brendan · February 8, 2021 ·

Just relax. Ooooommmmmm…

Easier said than done, perhaps. Nerves will do what nerves do. But you can assert some control over this with the right mindset.

Relax.

Yes, it’s easy for me to say, but you can get there.

For the less experienced sales executive, it may help to imagine that it’s your 50th sales call. Or that this particular meeting is simply practice, and it doesn’t count.

For the experienced sale professional facing a huge deal or quota pressure, remind yourself that you’ve done this before. Take a similar sales victory from your history and visualize that successful outcome and look to repeat it. Walk through the entire sales call and see in your head how every little step plays out.

This Should Be Fun

Ideally, sales calls should be fun and engaging. And if not always fun, they should be at least engaging and challenging. (If they aren’t, you may want to look inward and evaluate your career choice.)

A few jitters or a general trepidation isn’t unusual, but find ways to put the event into the proper perspective and settle in.

My personal hurdle has always been presenting to large groups. Still is. The first several minutes can be torture and miserable. Or worse. I may look composed on the exterior, but after dozens (hundreds?) of large presentations I’m still unnerved before things get going.

To combat this fear, I make sure the first few minutes of my presentation are super tight and well-practiced, so that everything just glides. It’s scripted, rehearsed and memorized. And then a few minutes in I will solicit a question or feedback from the group. This results in some back-and-forth dialogue which puts me squarely and comfortably in my comfort zone. After that, it’s smooth sailing.

It’s Mutually Beneficial

Most important, do not lose sight of the fact that each sales call is a chance to determine if there’s the potential for a mutually beneficial relationship. It’s not just about them. This process is just as much about determining if they are a good fit for you and your company.

And this is a key takeaway. Because as soon as you can embrace that philosophy and mindset, that an effective sales process is one of mutual evaluation and agreement, you will find it much easier to settle in and enjoy the process.

And you should.

Simple Steps to Better Sales Calls: Confirm With An Agenda

Brendan · January 22, 2021 ·

Perhaps the simplest step that you can take to improve your sales success rate is to confirm the call with an agenda.

This simple habit serves multiple objectives:

As a meeting reminder
That that you’re prepared and ready
That a commitment has been made
That your time is valuable, too.

Because you’re a professional that takes this seriously, and you want to make sure everyone else is equally prepared and ready to benefit from your services and solution.

And because you don’t want to be waiting around in a lobby or on a conference line, only to be disappointed and stood-up.

The Importance of a Simple Agenda

The agenda itself reconfirms expectations. It should communicate simply and succinctly the scope of the meeting, the attendees, and the customer’s desired outcome. It also provides a chance for the customer to review and prepare for the meeting, and add to or edit the agenda and priorities.

Perhaps most important, this step is an opportunity to uncover any potential surprises and revise your meeting preparation, sales response or overall account strategy. It is not unusual for a customer to announce some change in plans or attendees or priorities at this last minute. As unpleasant or discouraging the news might be, it’s nonetheless preferable to learn this beforehand rather than have it dropped in your lap during the sales call itself.

Again, this should be a standard part of your sales process. And it’s one of the easiest. Take a quick moment at least one day prior to your scheduled meeting. Draft up a concise, informative email that 1) reconfirms the appointment details and 2) covers the key topics and objectives of the upcoming call.

Trust me, this a simple, pro move. Here’s a simple example:

Hi Jim,
Just a quick note to confirm tomorrow’s call at 10:30. (I’ve attached in the dial-in details below.)
Based on our conversations, we’re expecting to cover:

Discussion of your current member engagement process and issues
WonderTool’s member intake approach and process
Integration and implementation overview *(this links to a post that talks about moving implementation forward…)

Are there other topics or issues we should be addressing? Also, my notes have Susan and George attending. Is that right?
Let me know if we need to add/change this. Otherwise, looking forward to our conversation tomorrow at 10:30.
Brendan

There is a risk, of course. Your customer could look at their calendar, see how busy things are, and push this meeting out. Something to consider.

But here is a more likely response:

George can’t make it, but we’ll be fine and can catch him up later. And remember, our big priority is on the least disruption given our fall product rollout.
Jim

An even more likely response would look like this:

Thanks. Looks good. Talk tomorrow.

The risk of being postponed (or cancelled outright) is limited, and this works as another opportunity to qualify the opportunity. How engaged and responsive is your customer? And how collaborative? Maybe you learn something more about the opportunity or the organization.

Chances are your client will appreciate the effort. It’s a reminder, and a chance to prepare.

Make it a Habit

Do this a few times and it will become second nature. Put a reminder in your calendar if that helps. Create an email template to make it easier.

Again, you want to get this email/agenda reminder out to your meeting attendees at least a full working day prior. And if you’re traveling to the customer meeting, send it a day before you’re set to leave.

Finally, be sure to include any administrative assistants on the ‘cc list. It’s another channel to get the message out, and a subtle reminder to have conference space and other resources at the ready.

Like you are. Ready, prepared and professional.

Simple Steps to Better Sales Calls: Have a Plan and a Process

Brendan · January 18, 2021 ·

Okay. You have a sales call on the calendar. More importantly, you now have a vision for where this next part of the sales journey should take both you and your customer. You have the end in mind. What’s next?

You need to have a plan and a process.

Let’s Do Some Thinking

Think of it like this. Every sales opportunity is a like project. Each one has an order of events, a series of milestones, action items and status calls, with many of the same characteristics of any significant project or major initiative. And like any big project, you need a strategy and a plan to have a chance to increase your sales volume and boost opportunities.

Your sales plan doesn’t have to be complicated. There is no rule that says it has to be 20 pages long or replete with graphics and fancy layout. And there is no need to overthink this. (Although it does require some thinking…)

But grab a pen and paper, because you do need to write it out.

It’s Not Complicated

Your call plan process can be as simple and straightforward as running through a thorough set of preparatory questions, and then determining both the answers to those questions and any homework or responses needed. Questions like:

Who is attending the call? Who should be attending?
What is going on within the customer’s company right now? And in their industry? How does this affect them, and how does your solution address those issues?
What does each attendee want to know? What questions will they ask? What are their priorities, their preconceived positions? Do they stand to win or lose if you are selected?
What materials, documents, information should you have at your fingertips?

Depending on where you are in the sales process, the questions will naturally vary. Early in the sale, you’re simultaneously in ‘Discovery mode’ and looking to establish credibility, which will inform your questions and preparation for those calls and meetings. Further along the sales process, your attention may be instead focused on proving out the expected ROI or working through implementation challenges, and so your preparation and the sales strategy will thus evolve accordingly.

This is an exercise you’ll want to go through for each meeting, call and conversation you have with your clients. (Don’t worry. It becomes automatic, just a natural part of your sales process.)

Make It A Habit

But you should still formalize it. Have a defined structure, a set of steps that force you to focus and prevent you from missing some key perspective. Having to circle back after a meeting to get important details, or having to move forward without those details, is to be avoided at all costs. Having a written, working plan and a rigorous planning process will enable you to avoid such missteps and execute more effectively.

If this sounds tedious and overly academic, it shouldn’t. Having a concise, actionable written sales plan can be as simple as a few reliable forms and the investment of a few quiet minutes.

And the return on that small investment will pay off handsomely and consistently.

(For example, download these Sales Discovery Worksheets to help support your discovery process.)

Simple Steps to Better Sales Calls: Begin With The End in Mind

Brendan · January 18, 2021 ·

Like anything worthwhile, being effective at sales takes time, effort, and dedication. But everyone can become better at sales.

Start with the fundamentals.

Start with the fundamentals. And when it comes to the sales call itself, there are ten simple steps that every sales professional should adhere to.

And this first step sets the foundation and establishes the momentum for everything that follows. Again, we want to keep things simple.

So let’s get started.

Step 1: Begin With The End In Mind

You’ve scheduled a sales call. Now what? Is it the first real sales call, or the fifth? Is it a discovery meeting, or a big formal presentation? Whatever the circumstances, you need to be prepared. You will want to have a plan and a process.

But before you can effectively formulate that plan, you should first invest time and think about where this specific call or meeting should end up. You need to begin with the end in mind.

Ask yourself the important first questions: What is your desired outcome? What does this successful meeting look like? What did you learn, and what did you accomplish?

Hopefully, you know what you aim to achieve by the meeting’s final minutes, whether it’s an agreement to have a next meeting, or a verbal commitment, or a detailed implementation discussion.

More even more important to every successful sales call, what is the client’s desired outcome? They agreed to the meeting, so they clearly have expectations. What are they? Do you know? Are you prepared to address them? Are there advocates or coaches attending that support your solution? What exactly do you think they want to learn and happen by the time you’ve wrapped up this meeting?

Because, in the final analysis, it’s all about the customer.

Getting Overlap

Once you truly know their meeting objective(s) and your own, do this. Create a simple little Venn diagram that overlaps your objectives with your client’s.

What does it look like? Does it look like this?

Or… is this more like it?

Thinking about your next upcoming sales call in this admittedly unconventional fashion can be illuminating because, with this simple exercise, you’re qualifying the opportunity. You’re estimating the customer/product fit, and determining if there is a significant gap.

Aligning Objectives

We don’t need 100% overlap, but we are striving for something close. We’re aiming for aligned goals and objectives between you and you customer.

This can be as simple as ‘they want to solve ABC problem’ and ‘your solution solves 90% of their ABC problem, plus it addresses their DEF problem, and I want to get them to understand they have both problems.’

This is a much better product/customer fit than if your objective is to get them ‘to only solve their DEF problem.’ It doesn’t mean you don’t have a legitimate sales opportunity, but it does mean your objectives are different from those of your client.

With this awareness, both of your customer’s desired outcome as well as your own, you can then begin to reconcile any gaps (or chasms) that you’ve identified.

Which is the next step. Step Two. Your sales plan and process.

Companies ≠ Customers

Brendan · September 29, 2020 ·

Just as you wouldn’t confuse your job with your career, don’t confuse companies and customers. You might have a list of companies that make up your territory, but it is always the people at these companies that buy. Here’s the simple math:

Companies ≠ People

Customers = People

Over the course of your rich and varied sales career, you will likely have the good fortune to meet and get to know an overwhelming number of prospects, partners and customers. Chances are that some of them will turn into great long-term friendships and hopefully most have the promise to become future working relationships. Regardless, they will inevitably bounce around among companies and industries over the years. They might get promoted or need a recommendation. Or they may go work for one of your competitors. Or perhaps provide you with a recommendation or a reference. Anything is possible.

What if we stopped thinking of B2B as anything other than still just selling and marketing to people?
— domm (@domm) August 17, 2020

https://twitter.com/dommstatus/1295472373735387141

It’s easy to fixate on the company as ‘the customer.’ For most of us in sales, the company is the defining entity, part (or all) of one’s sales territory, and ultimately the target, after all. It makes sense to equate someone in the company as the company, but it’s not that simple. People get recruited, fired, move, get fed up and quit. Even a CEO, the face of the company, can go somewhere else. (Some of them can be odd, narcissistic and even sociopathic, but even sociopaths are people. Right?)

This also means that there’s an excellent chance you’ll run into these people throughout the arc of your career. Personally, I’ve been hired by past customers, and I’ve frequently been referred to other customers by past customers. I’ve even had a customer invest in my business.

You Never Know

In one memorable example, I found myself in the midst of an especially heated, contentious negotiation on what was one of the largest and most strategic deals of my career. I’d developed several solid relationships in the account, and in partnership with one fellow in particular had devised the framework for an exclusive customer/vendor affiliation. The proposed deal promised to dramatically increase our revenues, strategically position us with one of the largest health plans in the country and deal a significant blow to several competitors. All at once. And after a series of meetings, presentations and proposals, both sides agreed that this new, bigger relationship made sense and that a deal should be hammered out.

As the negotiations played out and we worked through the myriad details, my primary counterpart became increasingly adversarial and ultimately opposed to the deal terms. But the executive team above him wanted this done, and over the ensuing weeks he was sidelined unceremoniously from the negotiations. In the process, the friendly relationship we had established over the years became frayed and he ultimately left the company.

The story could easily end right there. Instead, we ran into each other awkwardly years later at an industry conference. Eventually, the conversation steered itself to that deal and our falling out. I ended up getting a much better perspective of the internal politics that he was enduring at the time and the implications of the deal. That chance interaction was the catalyst to reestablish our relationship, and he has since become one of my closest business friendships, something that would have been impossible to predict as I was consumed with one of the largest deals of my career.

People Have Lives

In your daily sales efforts, keep in mind that your customers are people that go home to screaming kids and obligatory soccer games, have cats to feed, need to mow the lawn, have debts and ailing parents, and are hooked on Game of Thrones. So maybe it’s not about you. Maybe it’s the company culture that best explains their actions. Or something else entirely. And chances are they won’t always be at that company.

When it comes to people, take the long view. Ultimately, it’s not all business.

Sometimes it’s personal.