Tell your sales team "why they can" instead of "why they must".

You have 2 choices when your Sales Team is not making their quota or reaching your goals. 

1: You can threaten them with their job and tell them why they must do better! 

  OR

2: Encourage them and teach and coach them on how to do it!

If you are a Sales Manager or the “Boss Man” , you can influence your Sales Team in many ways.  You can yell at them, threaten their job or position, and make them mad OR you can encourage them, coach them, and show them how the goal or quota is reachable.

If you ask most Sales Managers which way works best and which way they prefer to use, most will say they use the Power of Positive Thinking and Encouragement.  If you ask most sales people they will say the Power of Positive Thinking and Encouragement but if you ask them which way their Manager or Boss uses, most will tell you they often yell, threaten and use negative ways to get them to do better.

As a Sales Manager, you should understand that sales is not easy all of the time. It is your job to encourage your team and to help them believe in your and the companies goals.  It is your job to train, and coach them in the ways to reach those goals.  If you aren’t encouraging them and telling them “How it can be done.”, then most salespeople don’t believe you know how to do it or worse yet, that you don’t believe it.

I believe a lot of companies and management make the mistake of promoting their Top Salespeople to Sales Managers without properly training them in the art of motivating their Sales Team.  Just because a person is a great salesperson doesn’t necessarily mean then are a great Team Leader.  In fact it could mean that they had a great Sales Manager themselves who kept them positive and encouraged them to not settle for anything less than reaching the goals set for them.

Many companies and Sales Managers set goals and quotas based on “Wishes” instead of “realistic expectations based on current market conditions.”  If the goals and quotas are set too high, then everyone becomes discouraged and frustrated. This only leads to high turnover and high burnout of your Sales Team.

As a Sales Manager or Sales Leader, I challenge you to look at your sales meetings.  Are they positive and realistic or are they negative?  Do you have high sales people turnover? Is your Sales Team on board with your goals and are you all working towards those goals with a positive attitude?

If not, ask yourself what story are you telling them. Is it “Why they should hit the goals and quotas?” or is it “How they can hit the goals and quotas?”

Jeff Raver, President of Begin to Win                                                                         Certified Member of the John C Maxwell Team                                                           Coach to Top Performers for over 20 years.

Customer, "I am too busy right now."

It is the oldest excuse in the book.  You call your customer about a new product or service and they politely, (if they don’t cut you off immediately), tell you it sounds good but they are too busy right now to take on something else.

We have all had it happen to us.  What do you say when a customer or client tells you they are too busy right now?  To many times the inexperienced salesperson replies back with something like “OK, I understand, give me a call when you are ready.”   At that time your customer is relieved.  He got you off the phone or out of his office.  That was his intent when he told you he was too busy right now.  Don’t get me wrong, there are times the customer or client is too busy but that is rare.

What the salesperson should have done is ask some questions.  “It is great that you are so busy but are you really too busy to make more money?” or “I totally understand, I know you will want to hear about the new product or service and how it will help your company grow or make more money.  When would you like me to call back?  Would later today be better or tomorrow?”

I guarantee you that unless their building is on fire or they are in the middle of some type of crisis, every customer has time to hear about a product or service that will improve their company, their personal life or their profits and add value to themselves or their company.

Selling always has been and always will be a “Value Proposition”.  What you have to offer has to be of value or add value to the person you are presenting to. If you don’t ask questions about when would be a good time to present that value then you are telling the customer that they are right and that what you have to sell isn’t worth their time and they really are too busy to hear your presentation

The customer can sense your commitment and passion about helping them. If they sense you are just calling them for an order or to “Sell” them something, they don’t want to hear it.  If they feel that you are truly helping them and adding value to them then they will be happy to listen to your presentation no matter how busy they are.

The TOP PERFORMING Sales People know how to sell with passion.  Top Performing sales people understand how to overcome objections or challenges and they understand the power of asking questions.

Are you ready to become a Top Performer or are you “Too Busy” to grow your personal and sales teams skills?

I have been teaching and coaching Top Performers for over 20 years. If you are ready to take your Sales Team or your own sales performance to the next level please contact me.

 Jeff Raver, President, Begin to Win.    

John Maxwell Certified Coach and Speaker

Jeff.Raver@BegintoWinNow.com

What I Learned From My Father-In-Law

2 weeks ago today my father in law passed away at the age of 84.  He had been in failing health for the past couple of years but the 80 or so years before that he lived every day striving to learn more.

My wife and I have been married for nearly 40 years, and in that 40 years I learned some valuable lessons from my father in law.  Dale quit school at the age of 17 and enlisted in the service.  Although he didn’t finish high school or have a college education he was one of the smartest people I have ever met.

When he was in his early 40’s Dale decided he wanted to learn to play golf.  He bought some old clubs and taught himself to play golf.  He didn’t just teach himself to play golf he taught himself to play scratch golf.  For non golfers that means he was in the top 1% of amateurs playing golf. But the story is even better, Dale had a challenge hitting the ball correctly holding the club the traditional way so he taught himself to play cross-handed. You see when he met a challenge Dale always found a solution.  He never gave up on the goal.

At the age of 70 after managing a fleet of trucks for years and driving truck until his retirement Dale decided to learn all he could about computers. Dale didn’t just learn how to operate a computer so he could get his email, Dale learned how every part and component in a computer worked.  He learned how the software and operating systems worked. He learned how to tear them apart and repair them and he continued to work on people’s computers until he became too ill to do so at the age of 80.

So many times, we limit ourselves to learning new things because we think we are too old or not smart enough or that we don’t have the time.  Dale never stopped learning and never believed he was to old to learn something new.  I learned from my father-in-law that the only limitations we have on learning and change is the limitations we put on ourselves.  We have the ability to continue to grow and change and become so much more than we are today.  We can become what we dream of if we believe in ourselves and our ability to learn.

Thank you Dale for teaching me many lessons over the past 40 years but the most important one is that I have the ability to continue to  grow and become a better leader, a better father, a better husband, a better coach, and a better person.

What are you putting off learning?  Why are you not going after your goals today?You are never too old to Begin to Win.  Do it now.  

Jeff Raver is a John Maxwell Certified Speaker, Coach and Trainer and the creator of The Sales Simulator Formula and has been training and coaching Top Performers for over 25 years.

 If you are ready to develop a Top Performer Sales Process and/or Leadership Team, you may contact Jeff at Jeff.Raver@BeginToWinNow.com for a FREE Consultation.  

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3 Things Your Customer Must Do Before They Will Buy From You

1. Before your customer will buy from you they must LIKE you.
2. Before your customer will buy from you they must BELIEVE you.
3. Before your customer will buy from you they must TRUST you.

Too many times the salesperson takes these 3 things lightly but if the customer doesn’t like you, believe you or trust you, they will not buy from you.  If you don’t believe me, let me ask you a question.  When was the last time you made a decision to make an important purchase, whether it was a product or a service, from someone you didn’t like, believe or trust?

Top Performing Salespeople understand these 3 Rules and apply them to their sales presentation daily.

Let’s take these one at a time. Before your customer will buy from you they must like you.  Selling and buying is usually based on emotions.  To like, (or love), is one of the strongest emotions we have.  If your customer doesn’t feel you have their best interests in mind, they won’t like you.  They want to know that you care about them. Too many salespeople begin the conversation by stating all of the features of the product or service.  Woodrow Wilson said, “People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.” They know you care when you ask questions?  You ask questions about them, their family, their interests, and their job. Only after finding out the interests of the customer and what their individual or family needs are, can you effectively present the benefits to the customer.

What is their FIRST IMPRESSION?

We have all heard that we only have one shot at making a good “First Impression”.  Many times the customer decides whether they like you or not based on their first impression. How long did it take you to notice them and to address them?  Did you smile at them? Did you ask them their name before giving them yours? Did you act enthusiastic to meet and help them or did you act like you were just doing your job?

Do they believe you?

Rule 2, the customer must believe you.  You must answer their questions confidently but not arrogantly. They must feel like you are the expert on the product or service and that you are there to help them make a good decision about purchasing your product or services. Remember customers don’t care about features they only care about benefits. A Top Performing Salesperson understands that by applying the features of their product or services to the customer, based on questions asked, that they will have turned those features into benefits.   If the customer doesn’t believe your product benefits them or they don’t believe your answer or presentation they will not like you or trust you.  3 strikes and you are out.

They probably already know the answer.

Rule #3 the customer must trust you. If you don’t know the correct answer you must tell them that you don’t know the answer.  Many times today’s customers know the answer (thanks to Google), but they will ask you a question to see if they can trust you. Top Performing Salespeople are ready with testimonials and or stories about how their company, product or services helped others in a similar situation.

NEVER LIE TO YOUR CUSTOMER.

The bottom line is NEVER LIE TO YOUR CUSTOMER. If you lie to your customer they will not like you, believe you, or trust you and then they are not a customer.  Top Performing Salespeople are always honest with their customers. They understand that if they care about the customer and ask opening questions, present the “benefits” to the customer instead of features and are honest with the customer, then the customer is more likely to LIKE, BELIEVE, and TRUST them.

I have been training Top Performers for over 20 years.  If you are looking for a Sales Coach for yourself or Team please contact me today.  I look forward to speaking to you.

Jeff Raver, President of Begin to Win, BeginToWinNow.com, a John Maxwell TEAM Coach, Trainer and Speaker.

This is disturbing! Poor Leadership Skills Hurt Employees

It is disturbing!

For years I have posted inspirational and motivational quotes and images on social media. In the past few months I have noticed something very disturbing. The posts that get the most response are those that relate to the way bosses or leaders treat employees. I have received private messages, texts, and emails from friends and even people I don’t know who express their feelings about the way they are treated by their employer or supervisor. I also receive feedback from others who agree with the posts and express their gratitude of working for an employer or having a supervisor who treats them well.

Stephen R. Covey , Author writes, “Always treat your employees exactly as you want them to treat your best customers.”Unfortunately many times that doesn’t happen. Your employees are your greatest asset. You invest a lot of money and time in training and preparing your employees to do the job you have hired them for. They are usually your first and last contact with your customers. If they are unhappy, your customers will know it. As salespeople we know that people buy from people they “Like, believe, and trust”. If your customer gets the feeling that you don’t treat your employees with respect or that you don’t value them, they won’t like you and if they don’t like you, they won’t do business with you.

I recently had lunch with another business consultant and he was telling me about a company that turned itself around when they began treating all of their employees as if they were their greatest asset. He said the company made a corporate decision to get involved in knowing their employees and getting involved in providing them a place to feel wanted, needed, and a place to grow. He went on to say that from that day the company began growing and prospering. The company executives understood that by taking care of their employees they were taking care of their business.

As leaders it is our responsibility to provide our employees with not only a paycheck but also an opportunity to feel valued and the opportunity to grow. Bob Nelson says“People may take a job for more money, but they often leave it for more recognition.” A simple, meaningful “Thank you” as you pass in the halls means a lot more than a “Thank you card every quarter for helping the company reach their goals. “Appreciation can make a day, even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary.” says Margaret Cousins.

I personally have been on all sides of the situation. I have been a boss (notice I didn’t say leader because there were times I didn’t show the appreciation to my employees like I should have), I have been a leader, where I genuinely let my employees understand how much I cared for them, and I have worked for “leaders” who appreciated me as a valued employee and I have worked for “bosses” who didn’t value me.

We all need to feel appreciated. Our employees and coworkers need to feel appreciated. It is a necessary need for all men and women to feel appreciated. Leaders understand this need and strive daily to fill that need. True leaders recognize the value of their employees.

As I continue to study the John Maxwell 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, I now understand why I receive the highest response on my posts about how employees are treated. I look forward to mentoring and coaching others to becoming the leaders they want to be and the leaders their employees and coworkers want them to be. Take some time this weekend and in the next few days to review your leadership skills. Are you a leader or just a boss? If you aren’t sure contact me, I would love to talk to you.

Jeff Raver is a John Maxwell Certified Speaker, Coach and Trainer and the creator of The Sales Simulator Formula and has been training and coaching Top Performers for over 25 years.

 If you are ready to develop a Top Performer Sales Process and/or Leadership Team, you may contact Jeff at Jeff.Raver@BeginToWinNow.com for a FREE Consultation.  

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Change is Inevitable

This morning I am sitting in my office looking out the window at the lake. A week ago it was frozen and there was nothing happening on the lake. It had remained frozen for weeks and it looked the same every day. It was totally void of any activity. Today it is completely thawed and it is alive. There are lots of gulls flying around and fishing, there are a pair of eagles that have returned to fish the lake, a red tailed hawk continues to fly in and out over the lake as well as numerous ducks and geese. The lake has changed, and life around it has changed.

Change is inevitable. Life changes, we change, and our business changes. To change is to grow. If there is no change, things become stagnant, quiet, void of activity. Many people and businesses fear change. They prefer that everything just stay the same. They are in their comfort zone and they don’t want to leave it.

Growth is uncomfortable because it forces us to move out of our comfort zone.Are you growing or are you just trying to stay in your own comfort zone? Do you fear change? Do you fear growth? Zig Ziglar said “FEAR stands for False Evidence Appearing Real.” But if it appears real it can cripple us. Have you ever awakened from a bad dream and found yourself sweating, your heart beating fast and shaking from head to toe. Whatever was happening in the dream was false but it appeared real thus it affected us as if it was real. To grow, we must overcome the FEAR of Change.

I have always loved change. Change is exciting and moving. To grow we must accept change and change ourselves. Change forces us to think differently, act differently, and ask different questions in search of new answers. People and companies that are growing embrace change. Change is not something to fear. It is something that we should understand is essential to our growth.

Are you ready to overcome your FEAR of Change? If so you are ready to grow. Just like the lake has changed this week, you will change and you will grow. Get out of your comfort zone, chase your dreams, try something different, do something you have always wanted to do. To change is to grow, and to grow, is to live.

I am excited as I enter a new chapter of my life and career as a Personal Coach, Sales Consultant, and Keynote Speaker. I have spent hours the past few weeks studying and learning The John Maxwell TEAM materials and in that short time, I have grown. I am learning new things about leading others through change and in that learning, I am changing. I am growing and I love it. If you are interested in growing and getting out of your comfort zone, contact me. Change is inevitable so you may as well prepare for it.

Jeff Raver is a John Maxwell Certified Speaker, Coach and Trainer and the creator of The Sales Simulator Formula and has been training and coaching Top Performers for over 25 years.

 If you are ready to develop a Top Performer Sales Process and/or Leadership Team, you may contact Jeff at Jeff.Raver@BeginToWinNow.com for a FREE Consultation.  

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Does your team have a sales process?

In the 30 plus years I have been involved in selling and sales training I have found that the best sales companies and sales people all have a Sales Process. What is a sales process? It includes a Sales Script, but it IS NOT a Sales Script. It includes Sales Training but it IS NOT Sales Training. It includes a Sales Presentation, but it IS NOT a Sales Presentation. It includes overcoming objections, but it IS NOT overcoming objections. It includes Closing but it IS NOT Closing.

The Sales Process is a sales company or sales person’s GPS to Success. It is a well written and well executed plan to maximize every sales opportunity and to maximize the revenue and profit of every sales opportunity. A true Sales Process includes every part of the sale.

The Top Performing sales companies and sales people have a plan to be Top Performers. They plan on being Top Performers by developing a Sales Process. They make the Sales Process part of everything they do. They recruit, interview, and hire based on their Sales Process. They train and promote people based on their Sales Process. Their marketing message and marketing schedule is based on their Sales Process. Their presentation, demonstration, and closes are all based on their Sales Process.

The 80/20 Rule of Sales states that 80% of all product and services sold are done so, by 20% of the salespeople. Those 20% who are the Top Performers understand the need for a Sales Process and they use one daily.

Does your company have a Sales Process? If not call me at Begin to Win. I will help you and/or your company develop your unique Sales Process. It will increase your sales, your profits, and your customers will be more satisfied.

Jeff Raver is a John Maxwell Certified Speaker, Coach and Trainer and the creator of The Sales Simulator Formula and has been training and coaching Top Performers for over 25 years.

 If you are ready to develop a Top Performer Sales Process and/or Leadership Team, you may contact Jeff at Jeff.Raver@BeginToWinNow.com for a FREE Consultation.  

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What was he thinking?

Today was the big one, the Race of races, this is the one all race fans dream about. Today was the championship and the driver on the pole had it all going for him. He had the fastest car, the most powerful engine, the most experience driving, by everyone’s standards he was The Best. As the green flag dropped he didn’t disappoint anyone taking the lead and extending it lap after lap for the first 60 laps. Then it happened, the caution came out and it was time to pit for fuel and new tires. The Best pulled into the pits with a 45 second lead but left the pits in last place 15 minutes later. What happened, as The Best reached his area he climbed out of the car and crawled over the wall to get the fuel can, after fueling the car he began jacking the car up and changing the tires one by one himself. 15 minutes later he climbed back in the car and joined the race but the race was now over for him.

What was he thinking? He had the best car, the best starting position, the most experience. He was the man to beat but he never stood a chance because he tried to do it all himself. Instead of letting the pit crew take care of refueling the car and the tire guys change his tires, The Best driver in the world had to do it all himself and because of that he never got the opportunity to do what he does best. The 15 minutes he spent in the pits should have been spent driving. What was he thinking?

After 18 years of working with and training sales people, I see it nearly everyday. A retailer or sales manager gets into the business because they are an excellent salesperson with the skills and experience to be The Best. Before too long The Best are now spending most of their time answering service questions on the phone, answering emails, ordering equipment, scheduling the installs, creating ads, etc. They knows their company gets paid when they complete sales, they know that their employees and their family is counting on them to do what they do best and that is Sell. What are they thinking?

I challenge every retailer and sales manager to take a look at their average day and figure out how much time they spend actually selling vs. the time they spend being “busy”. Most salespeople and owners tell me they probably spend 10-20% of their day actually selling. They also agree that 90% or more of their income is earned in that 10-20% of their day. Imagine what would happen to their income if they spent just 40-60% of their day selling? We all have other things to do but are we spending too much time doing the things that don’t actually make us money when we are The Best at selling? Are we spending the day being busy, busy, busy or are we selling? Selling is what allows us to retire; busy, busy, busy, just makes us tired. Could we get an installer to schedule installs? Could we hire someone to take care of paperwork and answering the phone? What if we had more time each day to do what we are the best at which is selling? What if we made more money? Why do we try to do it all ourselves? What are we thinking?

Jeff Raver has been training sales people for over 20 years. Jeff has trained 1000’s of salespeople and retailers keying in on sales basics. Jeff has presented his selling techniques at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, and to many other National and Regional Shows. Jeff’s sales articles have been printed nationally. Jeff understands that 20% of all salespeople make 80% of all sales and Jeff teaches the 80% what the 20% already know. Jeff presents selling in a Simple, easy to understand manner.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeff_Raver

Jeff Raver is a John Maxwell Certified Speaker, Coach and Trainer and the creator of The Sales Simulator Formula and has been training and coaching Top Performers for over 25 years.

 If you are ready to develop a Top Performer Sales Process and/or Leadership Team, you may contact Jeff at Jeff.Raver@BeginToWinNow.com for a FREE Consultation.  

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