Sales tips, leadership communication skills insight and more from Steve Giglio, sales training professional for more than 25 years.

Personal Values…Find Them to Align with Them

February 2, 2017

I’m struck at how often people unknowingly forget to find and/or understand a client’s personal values. Without knowing these values, how can you tailor your recommendation, lead a team or recommend a change?

Here’s a hint…it’s all in the listening. (sound familiar?) Yeah…I’ve posted previously about listening first!

Your Values May Not Be Their Values

Generally we look at our own circumstances and make decisions from them. I’ve found and benefited from suspending my own circumstances or opinion of an issue and allowed meetings to remain ambiguous for a while. Many aspects open up when I pause to determine the values and beliefs of my listeners BEFORE I look/decide from mine. And then, I ask some pointed questions that help uncover the values that drive their business decisions. Questions such as:

* What’s important to you personally this year?
* How do you want to be viewed by your clients and internal management team?
* What do you value most in a relationship?

Questions like these affirm people. They say to a client your values are important to me. It also may give them time to consider their own values and define them better for themselves. And you made that happen, increasing the value they put on your counsel.

How to React to Their Values

A further reason to determine a person’s values is to discover HOW to align your recommendations with them. Without this effort, you risk being seen as selfish. The “it’s all about me” message comes through loud and clear if you align your solutions based on your values and opinions. The more someone shares their values the easier it is to align with them and tailor your ideas.

Take, for example, Millennials. Depending on your generation, you may not have the same values they do. The World Economic Forum wrote about Millennials last year, saying they will be “the first generation to be worse off than their parents.” Think that influences their values? And if your mindset is that these are just young people (even though some are now in their late 30s!) and that they will come around…that’s the selfishness I mentioned above. YOU have to come around first, understand where they are coming from and where they want to go. Much has been made of their short attention spans due to technology…well that applies to your recommendations too. If you don’t address their issues from a perceptive that understands their values, they will simply move on. Next!

That’s just one example of how clients’ values must shape your recommendations. As you lead a group of people, be sensitive to this. Understand what a team of people collectively value to frame your go-forward actions. Knowing these values also tells you how to relate to people and manage/lead them.

What are some core values your clients’ possess? Share them with a reply below. Thanks! -SG

I am a GREAT salesperson!

January 23, 2017

A bold statement. And it was said to me by a prospective client at our first meeting! As I heard him say this I was slightly taken aback and countered with, “That’s great to hear. I’m curious, though, what’s one skill you’d like to strengthen as we look at our potential collaboration together?”

He said, “I never really know how to close once I’ve delivered my presentation.”

Sales Have to Be Closed to Happen

My internal reaction was “but you JUST said that you are a great salesman!” Anyone in sales knows how important closing is and if you’ve worked with me, you know I work on effective and efficient deal closing until the skill becomes second nature. So, I asked him to give me an example of this challenge. He did and it became clear to me that he was not finding and staying in the pain. Here’s what I mean by that:

Closing Starts with Questioning

We ended up speaking at length about how exactly to probe a potential client to understand their goals and challenges. I stressed that if you ask the right questions, you will get the right answers that will help you tailor recommendations. I’ve said it before and said it to him….listen more, talk less. If you hear your own voice far more than that of your potential client, you are not learning…you are lecturing. Keeping them engaged in their pain points and getting deeper explanations through probing questions will open up possibilities for you to give short, precise counsel. And that will help you stand above your competition.

At the end of our meeting he confidently said: “This would help me close wouldn’t it?” I graciously said “Yes. You’re now ready to engage with anyone providing you listen first, recommend second.” This applies to you (and me), too. Make sure you prove to your client you’ve heard and understood them. This affirms your client. It says, ”knowing your world is essential to your understanding my world.”

Be in the pain with them and together, you’ll get out of it!

Are you a great salesperson? Regardless of your answer, what’s a skill you wish was stronger?

Leadership Planning for 2017: Developing Your “A” Team

December 14, 2016

This is part three of a three-part series designed to help you plan your leadership and get your team ready for 2017. The other articles are focused on Looking Back to Move Forward and Creating Your Mission Statement.

Now that you’ve studied what’s worked with your organization, critically reviewed your go-to-market strategy and established your 2017 vision, what’s next? I’ll tell you…make sure you’ve got the “A” team to execute it and the metrics to measure it!

You can’t accomplish these goals alone. You need a team of dedicated mature people who are in sync with you. That requires knowing each person on your team, intimately, the lieutenants certainly. It’s important to determine the type of individuals you want on your team, the behaviors you want manifested and the level of collaboration you require. When was the last time you reviewed your team?

Managing Your Best Employees

One way to insure this collaboration is to formalize it. Determine how you’ll stay in sync as a team. You also need to determine what you’ll measure as an organization that everyone understands.
List out how you’ll remain in sync:

Weekly participation calls
Formalize an On-Boarding Plan
Create valuable incentive plans
Set clear territories for your client managers and new business development execs
Commit to a sales protocol that you don’t vary from

Determine what you will measure:

The number of client calls per week
New prospects researched per week
Meetings conducted with prospects
Business derived from existing clients
New business closed

What each client/prospect meeting must include:

An agenda
Completed client probing questions
An understanding of each client’s goals and challenges
A debriefing meeting with management to determine the next step to take

Developing a Plan for Weaker Players

You also need to formalize a development plan for strengthening your “B” Players and a formal review process with your “C” Players. Make sure your lieutenants are capable of coaching and developing your team. I’ve seen it happen that some leaders may orphan their direct reports which will prevent the achievement of your business goals. You can’t let that happen. Help them create a formalized Development Action Plan that you and your directs need to structure and use. Lastly, create a pipeline vetting process. Determine what questions each team member must be asked to separate a deal from a dream as you enter into 2017.

You may also determine at this point that you have to cut some people who will never achieve “A” level, or even solid “B” level, status. Those “C” players are holding back your whole team. Start the year knowing that every member on your team has potential and is eager to achieve it. You, and they, will be more satisfied when they look back at 2017 to assess the accomplishments you’ve achieved together.

Is your team full of “A” players? If not, what is your plan for developing your “B” team members? Let me know if I can help. -sg

Leadership Planning in 2017: Create Your Mission Statement

November 29, 2016

Dorothy in the “Wizard of Oz” movie famously proclaimed to her dog, “Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.” Well, neither are we!

In these transformative times, it’s essential to insure that your mission statement mirrors the direction in which your organization must travel. Your mission statement from two years ago needs to be created anew and critiqued for its timeliness and purpose.

This will take some time, which it should so that the result is worth the effort. It is not a one-hour conference call. Gathering stakeholders and getting them to focus on this will be key to creating a mission statement that everyone can buy into.

To start, here are a few key questions:

What type of organization do you want to be known as?
Are you proud of the statement?
Is your team inspired by it?
Who curated it? When?

Your Mission is Your Foundation

Your mission statement is the foundation on which you then build your corporate behavior. It’s also an ethos that can/will permeate your organization. Many of my clients go deep with this process. It’s quite valuable and healthy to pinpoint specific behaviors with which you will govern your company. It’s the litmus test to so many decisions you and your executive team will make throughout 2017.

Does Your Team Get It?

A mission statement is also a recruitment evaluation tool. As you interview throughout the year, look for individuals you feel can embrace your mission statement. As you coach your “A”, “B” and “C” players reflect on this mission statement and notice they’re level of connection and ownership of it. In my next post, we will look at what to do about those who don’t get it.

Does the Outside World Get It?

It’s all well and good that you create a mission statement that works internally. However, does it resonate with clients, partners, prospective employees? How people describe your company and its achievements “out there” is critical in shaping your company’s brand. A few questions to ask here are:

What adjectives do you want clients and the general public to use to describe your organization?
How important is it for everyone to embody these behaviors?
What behaviors will you commit to?
What behaviors will distance you from your competitive set?

How Does Your Mission Shape Your Culture?

Once you create your cultural values you, on a de facto basis, create a covenant of behavior with your organization. That’s how powerful this process can be.
This set of values governs how people relate to one another, procure business and manage client relationships.

Some companies labor over their mission statement…intensely choosing each and every word after much debate. But then, when it’s “done” it disappears from the day-to-day culture exhibited by those who represent the mission….your teams! They must have a sense of ownership for the mission if it is to become a guiding force behind everything the company sets out to achieve. Get your teams involved and ask them these questions:

What is our culture based on?
How important is hard work?
How important is having a team of hungry executives striving for strong client relationships?
How important is winning in the marketplace in 2017?
How essential is new business versus driving existing client loyalty?

Creating a new mission statement at this time of year is a very rewarding, healthy process to go through. It instills in everyone a sense of pride, ownership and responsibility to your organization and the difference it makes in the world. The world needs it.

Do you know your company’s mission statement? Does everyone? Let me know what help you need. -SG

Leadership Planning for 2017: Step 1

November 10, 2016

This is part one of a three-part series dedicated to helping you plan your team’s direction for 2017.

Part 1: Look Back to See Forward

Here are six essential questions for you and your leadership team to resolve to gain a clear line-of-sight into what occurred this year and where you need to tack your organization for next year:

Where were we a year ago?

A whole year has passed. Lots has changed in the world, in the country, in your industry and with your company. It’s important to assess where you were last year at this time. Review the team you had then and the one you have now. What changed? Was there an impact to the culture? Are some of the same factions that resisted your direction still with you? What is your client roster and how has that changed? Why?

Reminding yourself of where you started the year will help you determine how you got where you are now. So…

Where are we now?

You set goals last year, right? You must now look honestly at how you did. Goals are nothing if they aren’t measured. What success metrics did you determine were mission-critical last year? Did they turn out to be good indicators of your company’s health? If not, what must you measure this year so that you can get a more accurate picture?

Another critical element here is to find out what others think. Creating a system for gathering feedback from you team is part of that. Where do THEY think the company/department is now compared to a year ago? And your customers need to be heard to. How is your brand regarded? Is it better than it was last year? If not, what happened?

You can’t plan where you want to go without knowing where you are now. It’s like planning a route without a starting point.

Where do we want to go?

Goals. Many companies/teams set them. Far fewer actually reach them. Why? Because they don’t align the goals with where the company as a whole is heading 3-5-10 years from now. Yes, it’s cliched to ask “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” But, it’s also critical. Once you can put that long-range goal out there, you can back up and determine what has to happen THIS year in order to get there.

And then you must ask, “How aligned are my lieutenants with these goals?” If the answer is “not very,” you’ve got some work to do as the leader. In Part 3 of this series, we will tackle what to do about under-performing team members but for now, determining who is on board…and who is drifting…will establish your team’s baseline from which you can start making changes.

Where was the market a year ago?

Much changes with markets. Last year, what resonated your customer base? What were they buying from you? From others? What wasn’t selling at all? What were the trends this year and how did that impact your bottom line? If your teams have been diligent in their work, they should always be up to speed on this information so, tap them as a resource for this part of your look back.

Where is the market now?

How did the market react this year? Is it where you thought it would be at this time? If not, what happened to send it on another course? You can’t predict all market fluctuations but, having a firm grasp of the historic performance (this year and from previous years), will allow you to determine patterns that can help you anticipate where the market may be going.

Where is the market going?

You are going to set 2017 goals so, you need to put some serious thought into where the market is headed. This will give you perspective as you define what will be mission-critical to you as you set out to achieve those goals. Some things to consider are:

Where is customer loyalty now?
Is it easier or more difficult to attain this follower-ship?
Who are your ideal buyers?
Has that changed since last year?
How sophisticated have your buyers become?
To what degree is procurement involved in the decision making process?
How fleet of foot are your business developers to capture this market?

Looking back allows you to see more clearly forward. Answer these questions with as much detail as you can, pulling input from a variety of sources not just your own perspective. Now you’re ready for the next step!

Next: Defining, or Re-defining, Your Mission Statement and Culture

Nine Reasons Why Presentations Fail

October 27, 2016

I’ve heard every excuse in the world for why presentations fail. Here are some doozies:
“I didn’t get enough sleep last night.”
“There wasn’t enough time to prepare.”
“My boss just threw me in there without warning.”
“I got lost so I was late. It threw me off my game.”
“The moon was in the wrong phase.”

What is common about all of these? They are excuses, and not very good ones. Here’s MY list of why most presentations fail:

1) No Connection to Real Issues

Presentations fail when they are not linked to solving the exact needs of a client. You have to make that link rather than trusting the client will do it for you. Like a lawyer to a jury, you must present beyond a reasonable doubt that your recommendation matches a mission-critical need the client has. A sure-fire way to know that your presentation won’t connect is if you’ve given it before! A “canned” presentation is, in my opinion, arrogant. It says that you didn’t care enough to tailor your recommendation because you think your client should just buy into what you’re saying. If you don’t have several moments in your presentation where you say, “What this means to your business is…..” then you didn’t do the work to connect the dots for them.

2) Lack of Flexibility

You’ll see later in this post that I recommend rehearsing a presentation. However, that’s to build confidence, not so you get stuck on a “script.” Most presentations fail when they are so rigid that there is no room for commenting, questioning and generating new ideas. You want your client to be engaged and you should encourage conversation about your recommendation. I always say, “Listen first, sell second.” But too many times, I see leaders and salespeople so focused on delivering the presentation, or “getting through it,” that they lose their audience. The next thing that happens is the client says, “Ok, thanks. We will get back to you.” No, they most likely won’t.

3) Content Not Prioritized

So many times I see presentations prioritized by what the presenter wants to say rather than what the audience wants to hear. This is a failure of research. If you don’t have a strong idea of what your client wants or needs, then you have to work harder to find out. Did you do a pre-presentation call with stakeholders, finding out their needs? Did you study the industry trends and key issues? Are you prepared with a list of open-ended probing questions? Once you’re armed with information, become the client. Structure your presentation based on what you believe they will want to learn, and in what order. What this does is demonstrate understanding, rather than just knowledge, which should get your client’s attention!

4) Too Long

More is not better. I’ve heard hundreds of presentations that are just too dang long! You have too? We all know the type…they are packed with so much information that none of it is memorable. Think about the best presentations you’ve heard. There was a rhythm to them. They flowed well. Like a good song, there was just enough to stick with you throughout the day. Your presentation should be music to your client’s ears, not a test of endurance.

5) All Text, No Graphics

Did I get your attention? Visual representations that support points you are making orally go a long way towards conveying your message….without you having to say it. This sample chart clearly says something is growing over time, a powerful image as you deliver your key messages. Pictures are worth a thousand words….so use them!

6) Too Many Qualifiers

I think this reason might be really important to you. Not very convincing there, was I? As I’ve written about before, using qualifiers, such as “I think,” as you make your recommendations weakens your position. Sure, sometimes qualifiers are necessary. But most of the time, presentations are time for boldness. Being tentative is not going to win over your clients and get them to accept your recommendation. Tentative behavior slows down your momentum and reduces the confidence your client has in your ability to recommend strong solutions.

7) Questions Are Not Discovered and Resolved

Just about every presenter I’ve ever seen says some form of this at the opening, “And if you have any questions, please feel free to ask. I want this to be an open discussion.” I don’t believe them. Why? Because they stumble so badly when someone actually does interrupt and asks a question. Too many times, the answer is “That’s a good question. I’m going to answer that a few slides from now so, why don’t we keep going.” Wrong! They want, and deserve, an answer now. Give it to them. Resolving their issue will get their minds off of it so that they can pay attention to the rest of what you have to say. And if you don’t know the answer…that can be a GOOD thing. It’s an opportunity for you to ask a few clarifying questions, through which you will get to the real heart of the matter. Just make sure you ask the right questions.

8) It Wasn’t Rehearsed

“I’ve done this before so, I can just wing it.” If you say this, well, what a great predictor of doom! Practice your presentations. You don’t have to do it out loud each time but, what you must do is become crystal clear about your content, the transitions you will make and the key points you want your audience to remember. Write down questions you anticipate being asked and rehearse the answers you want to give. Rehearse in front of your peers or video tape yourself. Overkill? Not at all. Your body language can say a lot.

9) No Closing

Oh my…the number of times I’ve seen people deliver great presentations yet not ask for what they came to get is astounding! If you remember anything from this post it is this….delivering the presentation is NOT the goal. Say that out loud the next time you are giving a presentation to a client. It will remind you that you have to close! You have to know what you want out of the meeting or you’ll never get it. And then if you don’t ask for it, how can you expect it to happen? Be sure to have a strong close such as, “I’m confident I’ve answered all your questions. As I see it, the next step is to create a formal proposal that you can review internally. Does that work for you?” Whatever the close is, make sure you don’t leave without delivering it or, you’ve just wasted your, and their, time.

I hope this helps with your next presentation. Much of this post was taken from a book I wrote a few years ago, “Beating the Deal Killers, Overcoming Murphy’s Law (and other Sales Nightmares).” If you found these tips helpful, the book has a lot more so give it a read!

The last time you delivered a presentation that you thought failed, which of these reasons was the cause? Let me know in a Reply below. Thanks! -SG

Creating Your Value Proposition: It’s Not Your History!

October 19, 2016

Curating your organization’s value proposition is a fun exercise that brings people together along with synthesizing your company’s DNA. Too often, however, organizations feel they need to present their history of achievements, how they began as an organization X number of years ago and/or the biographies of their founders. All of these are wrong. How your organization got its start can be interesting ONLY after you’ve presented your unique offering, not before it.

In this video, I explain what I mean and the importance of your team being in “one voice” when communicating your brand:

Four Score and Seven Years Ago….

That line worked for Lincoln, who was establishing a point about the evolution of a nation over time. But if YOU try to give an oral history of your company, it won’t work as well. I recall one Fortune 100 client whose value proposition began with the company’s founder and the international situation he found himself in that catalyzed the creation of their service. And this went on for four pages! This was more a cure for insomnia than anything else. What he did not deliver was how his company and its offering had become indispensable in today’s world.

Developing Your Value Proposition

I’ve worked with hundreds of executives, helping them synthesize their company’s DNA into a coherent and logical value proposition. The process is not that hard. Here’s how to do it:

Gather together your top three business development execs who have a track record of procuring solid business for your organization.
Schedule an entire day to mine their experience and situations so you create a value proposition that is ready for the real world.
Begin your facilitation of the group with the challenges they are facing in your marketplace and how your product/service solves these issues.
Start the outline. Create an agenda of DNA points that need to be made. List the points in the order that best edifies your clients. Think of each point as an individual chapter in a book. Make sure the order of DNA points is defendable, i.e. there’s a reason why you discuss point A before B.
Storyboard each point with its own page and place each page on a wall to view the story line. It’s amazing how clear your value proposition becomes when everyone can see it!
Get it done in eleven pages, no more.
Script the presentation. Yes, script it, no bullets points. The more your team is in one-voice with your value proposition the better the resonance of clarity in the marketplace and the less blurring your brand has.

Enjoy the process; it’s quite revealing and very fulfilling. Let me know how it goes or, contact me if you need help guiding your team through it.

When was the last time you heard each team member deliver your company’s value proposition? What did it reveal to you? Let me know in the comments below. -SG

What to Look For in Your Sales Team

October 5, 2016

When interviewing someone for a job, we generally have a few key characteristics that, if found, would indicate the person will be successful with our company, right? But, how often do we look at our own sales teams with the same amount of examination?

What I’ve found over the years, whether it’s with Fortune 500 companies or smaller firms on the rise, is that there ARE some key characteristics of successful sales teams. You just need to know what they are, always be looking for them and provide guidance when some go missing. This video sums up what I’m talking about and I expand upon it more below:

Speaking in One Voice

“One voice” means presenting a consistent message that articulates your uniqueness in business. When business developers/consultants/salespeople are left to their own devices they will craft a message they are comfortable presenting. This does not create resonance in the marketplace.

Resonance (Webster’s definition): the quality of sound that stays loud, clear and deep for a long time, a quality that makes something personally meaningful to someone.

Listening First, Selling Second

Sound familiar? That’s because I wrote previously about the importance of listening in any sales situation. Your team must master the art of listening with empathy…they have to feel the pain of their client and stay in it with them. But just hearing them is not enough.

Understanding Clients and Their Language

Each industry has it’s lingo…a dialect of acronyms, product specs, services, etc., that define it. Does your team know that language? That’s a good start. More importantly, though, is understanding the atmosphere and climate of each client’s industry. Your team needs to anticipate problems, foresee opportunities and be there with solutions before the competition. That takes work that is never finished…it’s an ongoing process.

Offering Solutions, Nice to Haves

A colleague of mine early in his career worked for a major consumer electronics chain. During the sales training process, he was tested on audio product features for a particular amplifier. One such feature was “Dual Illumination,” which gave the option of the display screen being lit in blue or orange. When asked during the test why a customer would want that feature, my colleague, not having a good answer, said “Why? Well…you just gotta have it!” If only it were so easy. Your sales team needs to offer solutions to real problems, not just “nice to haves” that aren’t mission critical. And if they don’t know if your service or product can provide a solution, then they need to do more homework. “You gotta have it!” isn’t going to work for them!

By they way…it didn’t work for my colleague either. He failed the test.

Using these four sales team characteristics as the basis, how does your team stack up? Let me know. -SG

Before You Call: 3 Questions to Ask Yourself

September 28, 2016

Email. Text. Chat. Voicemail. All of these have become common ways in which we communicate with clients and business associates. But what about the big one…the phone call! Lost in our digital age is the importance a phone call can have in determining the future of your business relationships. And yet, many times I’ve witnessed seasoned executives as well as new sales people stumble when faced with talking with their clients.

Three Key Questions Before Calling

Many people have a deep fear of public speaking. So it is no surprise that the phone call, which itself is a mini-form of public speaking, can be intimidating. To help build confidence, I advise that people ask themselves three key questions prior to picking up the phone:

1) How am I memorable?

There must be something that sets your company and its product/service apart from your competition. Do you know what is? And is that based on up-to-date information? What advantages do you bring to the table? This question forces you to uncover the core of who you are and why your offering is worth sharing with your client. Bullet point the key selling points and have them in front of you before calling.

2) Am I prepared?

What will your client, or prospective client, want to know? This requires homework since you will need to know their current challenges. Are you bringing relevant information to them that will help alleviate one or more of those challenges? If not, then why are you taking up their time? You need to be on top of the business landscape in which your client operates. Not doing so relegates this phone call to being just like any other your client has gotten. Remember…you need to be memorable (see above!).

Another thing to consider when preparing is…are you ready to talk with the boss? Various scenarios could unfold that have you speaking to the CEO or another executive in charge. For example, your client contact could answer and, by chance, have the CEO in the room. Is what you have to say today CEO-worthy? It should be and good preparation to that level will pay off regardless.

3) What do I want to happen?

Wow…if you don’t know the answer to this one before picking up the phone, you’re sunk! However, if you know what you want the result of the call to be, then it will be easier for you to make that happen. What goal have you set for the call? Is it consistent with your client’s goals? “I want to tell him about our new product” is not good enough. That’s about you, not them. “I want to solve their inventory management problem with our new product that will save them time and money” is a far better goal, right?

Phone calls have become a bit of a rarity these days. Be different. Call! But be sure you answer these questions first.

How often do you call your clients? Do you find it more, or less, effective than digital communication? Let me know. -SG

Give Directions, Not Just the Destination

September 20, 2016

Most of us have some kind of mobile device we use for directions. We plug in a starting point and a destination and voila…fully mapped out routes. Apps like Google Maps and Waze will give alternate routes from which to choose, essentially asking for our input.

So, if a mapping app can do that, why don’t many executives?

Provide Direction

Many people I’ve coached over the years seem content to tell their teams the outcome they desire but orphan their directs by not providing direction on how to get there. This is a mistake. The result can be teams that feel disconnected instead of included. They also may feel a bit lost. Neither scenario will likely result in the exec getting the outcome he/she wants in the timely manner in which they expect. If you didn’t have turn-by-turn directions from your app, could you find your destination on your own? Perhaps…but it would likely involve many wrong turns and delays. You can ill afford that in your business, right?

Solicit Input

People know when they are being shut out and dictated to rather than being included. Leaders often need to map out the plan for getting to the goal. Just as important, though, is soliciting input regularly from the team, who are in the trenches, so that new ideas are explored that could positively impact the results. What this does is affirms people and let’s them know you trust their judgement…and want it! It shows a desire for transparency and partnership that empowers the team to always be thinking of new ways to add value.

Including people can be as simple as asking:

Here’s the direction our team is going in, what do you think?
What would you add? How come?
What are you seeing that’s important for all of us?
How do you feel you’ll be affected by this?
What are your goals for this endeavor?

Give your team a destination and a map but, allow for flexibility based on their familiarity with the current business climate, competition and potential roadblocks. You will solidify your leadership position as coming from a place of respect and create a team that is always heading in the right direction.

Is your team lost? How did that happen? How can this post help you get them on the right path? Let me know. -SG