Sales tips, leadership communication skills insight and more from Steve Giglio, sales training professional for more than 25 years.
“I know what your going through, I lived it with Katrina”.
My client’s words of comfort automatically calmed me down and said to me it’s okay, sometimes the world works this way.
He said this to me as I was introducing an upcoming training we are planning together and I realized the adage “People buy people first and product second” works, in fact, it never fails. As a sales trainer and executive development coach increasingly I adhere to this adage.
Way too often managers coach reactively versus proactively. A situation arises and they coach based on resolving it, rather than having the coaching as part of a more long-term plan for the associate.
The result is the sporadic development of your team based on immediate needs rather than long-term goals. There is a better way.
In coaching a CFO last year, I discovered during his 360 Feedback Interview that he could not find his voice at the CEO’s table. I first observed my client’s frustration with this, noting anything I saw as a red flag. But I chose to go a step further. I asked him how long this tentativeness had been going on and what it actually felt like to him.
That’s when I learned a lot about his character….and a little bit about myself too.
“Les Miserables” author Victor Hugo wrote, “Not being heard is no reason to be silent.” Yet, it’s confronting at times to engage in a meeting when you’re not sure how your idea will be received. I’ve found over the years that it’s more important to voice your idea/recommendation than it is to hold back on it.
A great client of mine insists that his team put forth their ideas as often as possible. His belief is that through a respectful, vigorous dialogue/debate great things occur. I agree!
A recent survey among sales executives revealed the following:
80% of all sales are made after the fifth call
48% of salespeople call once and give up
25% call twice and quit
12% make three calls and stop
5% give up after the fourth call
Only 10% keep on calling
And, it is this 10% – the one salesperson in ten – that makes 80% of the sales.
– The National Research Bureau, Inc.
Recently, I began coaching a bright, articulate head of M&A of a financial services organization.
His 360 Degree Feedback Report was quite eye-opening in that most of his peers did not speak very favorably of him. Seemingly inconsistent with that feedback, he spoke very highly of them and was sure they would do the same for him.
Upon reviewing the Report with him he said, “it’s the job that illicited these comments, not me.” For a moment, I was taken aback with his response.
I remember saying to him, “Really? It’s the job not you?” And he reinforced his belief.
From great teachers we’re moving to great coaching moments:
A sales training client of mine is a fixed income broker in New York City.
They hire elite salespeople who are quick in their thinking and have strong commercial judgment.
During one training program, a student asked me to resolve a consistent objection he seemed to be getting throughout his selling efforts.
He lamented that often a money manager would say to to him, after his clear description of a specific bond for him to buy, “Let me think about it.” Sound familar to you, too?
Having moved on from the insurance world to the world of training and development I began consulting with a mega star in commercial real estate. He was the vice chairman of the firm and a brilliant negotiator and consultant. He spoke passionately about New York City real estate and could untiringly debate an issue.
In my last blog post, I spoke about my first sales manager, the finest selling machine I have ever had the pleasure from which to learn.
We now move to my second greatest sales manager. A guy who was a cross between Fred Astaire and Jack Welch. He defined smooth. From his dress to his British pipe there was not a person or company he could not establish a comfortable environment with…each time, every time!
Often clients request training on their “Pitch Decks,” meaning their business’s value proposition that illustrates their product offering/recommendation.
But here’s the “rub” with this. Client Representatives fall in love with their pitch deck to such a degree that they believe it’s the cure-all/silver bullet for any client meeting.
