If you look at the common traits of successful salespeople, the most vital one is energy--the ability to go the extra mile and still have energy in reserve. Sure, some people succeed without tremendous amounts of energy, but countless others achieve sales success because of it. Energy is what gives you the stamina to not give up on a goal you've come so close to reaching.
Being at your best all the time requires constant energy. The following four factors will help you increase your energy level for peak performance and sales success.
1. Mental focus: Focusing on the moment with a clear mind is crucial. Right before you take action, visualize your activities--meetings, presentations and any event where you need to perform at your best. Too often, we think about all the things we have to do instead of focusing on the moment. Another way to focus is to take a deep breath in through your nose and hold for two or three seconds, then breathe out slowly through your mouth. This is the single most powerful way to calm your mind, not to mention increase the oxygen in your blood and boost your energy level.
2. No limits: Think back to a time when you were exhausted but needed to continue. You probably got a second wind and finished the job. But here's what happens most of the time: Energy begets energy, just like success breeds success. It adds fuel to the fire for the next time you need to sprint that extra mile. When you stretch and struggle, you grow. When you push yourself, you build a greater capacity for doing more work the next time.
3. Your attitude toward change: When changes occur, you have a choice about how to react. The true strength of entrepreneurs and great salespeople is the ability to adapt to a changing environment--whether it's a tough economy, the changing needs of buyers or plain old adversity. Life is like a grindstone: It either wears you down or polishes you up. It's all in how you look at a changing situation.
So ask yourself these questions about what's impacting your sales energy: How am I moving, thinking, challenging myself and dealing with change? Mastering these four factors will give you extra energy for stronger efforts and higher income.
Power to the (Sales) People
Monday, January 26, 2009
Monday, January 19, 2009
Hiring Right
Here's a vital fact: Using behavioral interviewing can increase by nearly 60% your chances of hiring the right employee. In fact, extensive research supports behavioral interviewing (i.e. using past performance as a reliable indicator of future performance) as the most effective interviewing technique available to evaluate suitable applicants. In a nutshell:
Behavior-based interviewing is an approach that looks at past behavior as the best predictor of future performance. And it makes common sense!
"Tell me a time when....."
For example, rather than asking, "What would you do if ..." one should ask, 'Tell me about a time when you.....You want to find out how people ACTUALLY behave rather than their promise of how they will behave.
Remember: Just because people can give good answers and sound impressive -- it doesn't mean they can DO what they SAY. Let's take a very simple example. You're interviewing Mary for the position of company receptionist. The interview starts as normal ...and you are using the same old, traditional questions.
What is your experience, Mary?
Why do you want to work here?
What do you know about our company?
Mary, what do you like to do in your spare time?
Good Questions....and bad Questions
These questions aren't bad in themselves. They will definitely help you to find out more about Mary. But they are severely limited, as they can lead to very standard and well-rehearsed responses from your interviewee. So even if Mary answers well - what does it really mean? Is she really good?
Or.... is she just good at answering the same old questions that EVERY interviewer asks? You see, at the end of all these questions, you still have very little REAL information about how Mary would behave in real-life situations. But there is another approach....
Behavioral interviewing
It is behavioral-based interviewing. Instead of the same old traditional questions, well-crafted behavioral-based questions can give you a much more accurate 'printout' of a candidate's true character and ability.
Remember again, behavioral-based interviewing is highly effective because it examines the past behavior of a job candidate, which is considered the most accurate indicator of future behavior.
Here's how it works: Let's say that you want to find out more about, say Mary's skills of diplomacy. How would she deal with people? In the past, you might have asked, 'Would you say you are very diplomatic with people?
“Yes, I am”. Full stop.
Look, you have asked her a close-ended question leading to a similar response. However, a behavioral-based question might be:
“Mary, have you ever felt irritated or frustrated while dealing with a customer? How did you respond when customers became demanding beyond an acceptable level?”
Do you see the difference?
The 'Behavior-based question' questions how she behaved in the past in very specific situations relating to diplomacy.
It allows the candidate to give you a fuller answer - and it gives you a more accurate and truer picture of the candidate. You see how the candidate reacted in the past and that is always the best predictor of future performance.
You should always define the behavioral competencies you are looking for in the right employee to fill your position. This way you will be more focused when recruiting. Once you know the behavioral competencies you want, you can then structure your interview questions to learn more about the interviewee.......and watch how your success rate in picking the right person will improve....and improve.
Behavior-based interviewing is an approach that looks at past behavior as the best predictor of future performance. And it makes common sense!
"Tell me a time when....."
For example, rather than asking, "What would you do if ..." one should ask, 'Tell me about a time when you.....You want to find out how people ACTUALLY behave rather than their promise of how they will behave.
Remember: Just because people can give good answers and sound impressive -- it doesn't mean they can DO what they SAY. Let's take a very simple example. You're interviewing Mary for the position of company receptionist. The interview starts as normal ...and you are using the same old, traditional questions.
What is your experience, Mary?
Why do you want to work here?
What do you know about our company?
Mary, what do you like to do in your spare time?
Good Questions....and bad Questions
These questions aren't bad in themselves. They will definitely help you to find out more about Mary. But they are severely limited, as they can lead to very standard and well-rehearsed responses from your interviewee. So even if Mary answers well - what does it really mean? Is she really good?
Or.... is she just good at answering the same old questions that EVERY interviewer asks? You see, at the end of all these questions, you still have very little REAL information about how Mary would behave in real-life situations. But there is another approach....
Behavioral interviewing
It is behavioral-based interviewing. Instead of the same old traditional questions, well-crafted behavioral-based questions can give you a much more accurate 'printout' of a candidate's true character and ability.
Remember again, behavioral-based interviewing is highly effective because it examines the past behavior of a job candidate, which is considered the most accurate indicator of future behavior.
Here's how it works: Let's say that you want to find out more about, say Mary's skills of diplomacy. How would she deal with people? In the past, you might have asked, 'Would you say you are very diplomatic with people?
“Yes, I am”. Full stop.
Look, you have asked her a close-ended question leading to a similar response. However, a behavioral-based question might be:
“Mary, have you ever felt irritated or frustrated while dealing with a customer? How did you respond when customers became demanding beyond an acceptable level?”
Do you see the difference?
The 'Behavior-based question' questions how she behaved in the past in very specific situations relating to diplomacy.
It allows the candidate to give you a fuller answer - and it gives you a more accurate and truer picture of the candidate. You see how the candidate reacted in the past and that is always the best predictor of future performance.
You should always define the behavioral competencies you are looking for in the right employee to fill your position. This way you will be more focused when recruiting. Once you know the behavioral competencies you want, you can then structure your interview questions to learn more about the interviewee.......and watch how your success rate in picking the right person will improve....and improve.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Do you smell it?” – Identifying Opportunities in any Sale Interaction
You spoke until the veins on your neck stood out. You were a killer and felt certain of securing the sale.
But then nothing.
You ask yourself: “What happened? I didn’t do anything differently from the last customer, but she seemed turned off from the beginning. Why wasn’t she interested?”
Sound familiar? This is a common complaint among sales people. In the midst of all the “can’t miss” sales systems, something is missing. In spite of doing everything “right,” the connection isn’t made, and the sale is lost. Why?
The answer is often tied to the incredible differences that exist between potential clients in their individual Interaction Styles, or the way in which each person interacts with others. An ability to pick up on and address these subtle clues in clients can mean the difference between a connection and a turnoff.
But what if you could begin to identify the style preference of a client? What if you could then (temporarily) tune into that preference and thus begin to solidify the connection with your client? What would it do to your sales if you could understand and match up your own style with that of your client?
You can—beginning now by:
Recognizing clue words during a conversation with a prospect.
Ask the right questions to find out a prospect's specific business needs.
Easily identify sales opportunities by listening for clue words, business needs, etc
Asking open-ended questions is a great way to learn information from prospects.
One of the best questions to ask is, "What do you need to do?"
Get practicing and in time you’ll get to closing a lot more as well.
But then nothing.
You ask yourself: “What happened? I didn’t do anything differently from the last customer, but she seemed turned off from the beginning. Why wasn’t she interested?”
Sound familiar? This is a common complaint among sales people. In the midst of all the “can’t miss” sales systems, something is missing. In spite of doing everything “right,” the connection isn’t made, and the sale is lost. Why?
The answer is often tied to the incredible differences that exist between potential clients in their individual Interaction Styles, or the way in which each person interacts with others. An ability to pick up on and address these subtle clues in clients can mean the difference between a connection and a turnoff.
But what if you could begin to identify the style preference of a client? What if you could then (temporarily) tune into that preference and thus begin to solidify the connection with your client? What would it do to your sales if you could understand and match up your own style with that of your client?
You can—beginning now by:
Recognizing clue words during a conversation with a prospect.
Ask the right questions to find out a prospect's specific business needs.
Easily identify sales opportunities by listening for clue words, business needs, etc
Asking open-ended questions is a great way to learn information from prospects.
One of the best questions to ask is, "What do you need to do?"
Get practicing and in time you’ll get to closing a lot more as well.
Monday, January 5, 2009
The Give and Take of Feedback
Providing feedback to staff is always tough, but if it's "constructive," you not only get the message across, but also build a more cohesive and capable team as a result. Sometimes we feel uncomfortable when we have to pull employees up - but this need not be the case if we do it in the right manner.
Constructive feedback is the only way to learn and develop -both personally and professionally – but what is constructive feedback?
First, I'll tell you what it's not. Constructive feedback is not criticism, it is a not personal but a targeted response to an individual's action or behavior and it is not "closed" but rather invites the individual receiving the feedback to shed light, share their perspective, or provide their response.
Constructive feedback does not blame, but presents a collaborative approach to problem-solving. Why constructive feedback works...
Principles of feedback
1. Choose correct timing for feedback
Praise is most effective when given as soon as possible after the behavior has occurred. Immediate feedback will help to reinforce a correct behavior and make it more likely to happen again.
2. Ask for self assessment
Beginning by asking the person for self-assessment involves them in the feedback process.It helps to promote an open atmosphere and dialogue between the person doing the coaching and the person being coached.
3. Focus on specifics
When you focus on a specific correct or incorrect behavior, you remove the feedback from the sphere of personality differences and the other person will be more willing and able to change.
4. Limit feedback to a few important points
Good coaches and communicators identify one or two critical areas and help the person address them one at a time. It is too hard to examine and try to change many aspects of behavior at one time.
5. Provide more praise than corrective feedback
Positive reinforcement is one of the strongest factors in bringing about change. Unfortunately a lot of people always focus on the negative. When you give corrective feedback, remember to point out corrective behaviors first and always end the conversation on a positive.
6. Give praise for expected performance
People deserve to be praised for doing their job to the expected level. Too many people take the expected level for granted however. Praise is a strong motivator, and enough praise may be what it takes to turn an average employee into an exceptional one.
7. Develop Action Plans
Work together to identify the desired performance or result and how it can be achieved. Decide when the steps will be accomplished.
Constructive feedback is the only way to learn and develop -both personally and professionally – but what is constructive feedback?
First, I'll tell you what it's not. Constructive feedback is not criticism, it is a not personal but a targeted response to an individual's action or behavior and it is not "closed" but rather invites the individual receiving the feedback to shed light, share their perspective, or provide their response.
Constructive feedback does not blame, but presents a collaborative approach to problem-solving. Why constructive feedback works...
Principles of feedback
1. Choose correct timing for feedback
Praise is most effective when given as soon as possible after the behavior has occurred. Immediate feedback will help to reinforce a correct behavior and make it more likely to happen again.
2. Ask for self assessment
Beginning by asking the person for self-assessment involves them in the feedback process.It helps to promote an open atmosphere and dialogue between the person doing the coaching and the person being coached.
3. Focus on specifics
When you focus on a specific correct or incorrect behavior, you remove the feedback from the sphere of personality differences and the other person will be more willing and able to change.
4. Limit feedback to a few important points
Good coaches and communicators identify one or two critical areas and help the person address them one at a time. It is too hard to examine and try to change many aspects of behavior at one time.
5. Provide more praise than corrective feedback
Positive reinforcement is one of the strongest factors in bringing about change. Unfortunately a lot of people always focus on the negative. When you give corrective feedback, remember to point out corrective behaviors first and always end the conversation on a positive.
6. Give praise for expected performance
People deserve to be praised for doing their job to the expected level. Too many people take the expected level for granted however. Praise is a strong motivator, and enough praise may be what it takes to turn an average employee into an exceptional one.
7. Develop Action Plans
Work together to identify the desired performance or result and how it can be achieved. Decide when the steps will be accomplished.
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