Why Lead Scoring Will Make You Money

I hear this from clients all the time: "Why do I have to make sales even MORE complicated? I don't need to add lead scoring." Well, you don't need to make sales more complicated, and you DO need to add lead scoring. Here's why.

Lead scoring is a simple system to make your pipeline value visible to the rest of the sales team. I'm a fan of writing 3 or 4 simple scoring lines like When Is The Lead Planning to Make a Purchase (the sooner, the higher the number,) What Is The Budget For The Purchase (the higher the better,) What Is The Interest Level of the Lead (are they contacting you or are you reaching out,) and the like. Ideally, each of these lines will score 1-3 points. The higher the score, the better.

Now, how were those high-scoring leads sourced? Who on the team has the most high scores? Does that correlate to their closing ratio? Should more of the team start sourcing leads in the ways the high-scoring leads are sourced? The answers to these questions will streamline your lead generation, saving time and money, while increasing your closing ratio.

Channeling the Ginsu Knives commercials, I have to say, "And that's not all!" Are your best closers assigned to the high-scoring leads? Or are they your best closers because they close everybody, no matter the score? Why would you give your worst closer your best leads? You can learn a lot about your sales rep's strengths and weaknesses by ranking their leads and seeing if they close. Now you know where to direct your coaching with those individual reps.

"But wait! There's more!" If the scores and the pipeline are public, you have more choices in how to manage your time. Is a rep out sick, and they have a high-score appointment on the board? Does a poor closer have time for a ride along or two with a strong closer? Is Joe a weak closer because he only sources low-scoring leads? You can allocate the team's time in ways that will ensure the high-scoring leads are never left hanging, and can be used as teaching opportunities. And you can learn more about each rep's lead gen process.

And lastly, have your reps defend their scoring. If it isn't challenged, they may just tell you what you want to hear. And when the whole team can see how many high-scoring leads are generated by others, they will compete for that number, too. Nobody likes to see themselves at the bottom of any ranking more than occasionally, so that problem is now solving itself, without much management intervention.

Rome wasn't built in a day, and this won't be either. Add one scoring metric a week until you have the metrics in place that make sense for your business. Don't ask your reps to track too many factors, or it will become a burden. Aim for 3-5, and hold them accountable. And watch your bottom line change!

Elisabeth Marino is an sales process adviser working in Buffalo, NY, and a frequent contributor to LinkedIn. She has worked in sales development and evaluation for 17 years, and helped dozens of organizations improve their sales numbers. Connect with and follow her here, visit her website: www.marinoconsultants.com, on Facebook as Sales Dynamo Consulting, and follow her on Twitter @SalesDynamoNY.

In With a Plan, Out With a Sale

I'd like to say this once and for all - Luck is not a business plan! "Talent" is not a business plan! Whew! I needed to get that off my chest.

I work with small to medium sized businesses, and sometimes really large ones, and I'm amazed at the number of times I hear that there is no skills review or specific process for the sales team to follow. Entrepreneurs hiring sales reps tell me, "they should know what they're doing." Um, yeah, but so should you. Luck is not reliable and repeatable, and without a reliable revenue stream, you're out of business.

Most people who start a business are not sales experts, just like I'm not an automotive expert. But your sales reps should be. They should be going into every sales call with a plan that helps them qualify the customer, and present that customer with the right product to fill their needs. If your reps don't do that, every sale they make is based on luck, intuition, or personality. Not good.

Every sales call should have the same purpose: lead to a sale. The sales cycle for each business is different; selling cars is different from selling medical equipment. Each one will have a different call plan. What are the necessary steps for a prospect to go from zero to sold? All of them are part of your sales process. What needs to happen in person? Those are the parts of a sales call plan. Every sales rep should be using every part of the sales process. If they aren't, they're not doing their job. They should be able to discuss it with you, and they should be able to fine-tune and improve it over time. That way, they can share best practices between them, and all improve steadily.

While we're at it, let's stop selling like it's 1995. There is nothing your customer can't learn or find on the internet. They can probably buy it cheaper, too. That means you need to be there, where your customer is doing their homework. Have some solid online support for your business and your reps. Have a great website, and include a FAQ page. Do some inbound marketing, with social media (anything retail), white papers (business and professional services, technology), a blog (food, fitness, arts, in-home services) or newsletters, all linked directly to your website. People don't buy from businesses. People buy from people. Create a web presence that helps your customer learn your business's personality, and help them know, like and trust what your business will provide.

So, to recap: have solid web presence to help your clients learn about, know, like and trust your business. Sales reps should have a specific set of skills and a plan to learn to "right size" the solution they offer your client. Your company should have a clear, repeatable sales process that evolves over time based on the successes of your sales pros. And you can't rely on talent or luck to provide a steady revenue stream. You need a plan.

Elisabeth Marino is an sales process adviser working in Buffalo, NY, and a frequent contributor to LinkedIn. She has worked in sales development and evaluation for 17 years, and helped dozens of organizations improve their sales numbers. Connect with and follow her here, on Facebook as Sales Dynamo Consulting, and follow her on Twitter @SalesDynamoNY.

The 4 Most Common Shopper Personalities, and How To Sell Them

There are millions of individual personalities out there, but most of us fall into one of 4 categories when we are shopping: The Expert, The Connector, The Prisoner, or The Evaluator. Each one of these shopping styles requires information and service to be presented in a particular way in order to make the shopper feel respected and interested in doing business with you. At first glance, it may seem like patronizing people, but really, you're just addressing your prospect in their own language. If their language was Serbian, you wouldn't speak French, would you?

Here are the 4 most common shopper types, and a few pointers on how to speak their language:

The Expert

This shopper believes they know it all already. Saving face is very important to them. You must respect the knowledge and experience they have, or think they have. Use reinforcement phrases like: I like what you just said. -and-  That’s a great question. Start sentences with: As I’m sure you already know… Question with: I’m curious about your thoughts on…

  

The Connector

This shopper is always looking for familiar context.  Everything will remind them of a story, person, or movie. They want to trust you, and want things to make sense. Use phrases that emphasize the familiar: Use their own words and phrases whenever possible. Analogies are usually helpful with these shoppers. Start sentences with: You may have thought it would be nice if… and then follow with a feature. Questions should be grounded in recent statements the shopper has made: “How soon are you looking to buy (whatever they just said)?”

The Prisoner

This shopper doesn’t want to be in the market. They want to get it over with. All they need is trust to move forward. Trust that you will take this issue off their hands, and they won’t have to cope with it anymore. Write things down! Never ask them to repeat themselves. De-escalating their emotions is very important, but it needs to be done in a way that is not minimizing the importance of their feelings. Start sentences with: Thanks for bringing that up. -and- This must be a frustrating position for you. Question with: Do you think we should talk about ________?

The Evaluator

This shopper loves the shopping, and always wants more time and material to consider. Helping them to the decision phase may be seen as pushy. They will walk away if they don’t feel educated. They want a lifeline, so they will ask about guarantees and warranties. Comparison shopping is the norm for them, and they may lead you on in hopes of getting a deal to take to your competitors. Start sentences with: “As you may know from your research…”  Question with: “To answer you better, I’d like to ask you a question.”

Make Your Client Sell Themselves

The sales that last, the sales that earn the most referrals, and the sales that earn the most repeat business, are the sales when the client sells himself.  So we sales pros get the day off, right?  Sadly, it's never that easy!

Sales professionals who can persuade the client to sell themselves are, in fact, the most valuable pros out there.  How do they do it?  It seems counter-intuitive, but those sales pros ask the most questions, listen better, and talk very little.  What are those questions?  These questions!

What issue or need with this purchase fill?  When the client discusses the problem, it increases their sense of urgency.

How does this need affect your business?  The more you know about the need, the more likely you will present the best product to fit the need.  The client is also describing their work process, which makes you better able to address them as an "insider."

How often does this need arise?  When the client mentions the interval of need, they are primed for you to set up your follow-up call.

How does it effect your business when this need in unmet?  You are asking the customer to establish the value of the product on their own terms.  There is no better sales pitch.

What are your business goals?  How does this product help you meet them?  The customer begins describing the use of the product in terms of success in meeting their own goals.

When do you want this solution in place? The client returns themselves to urgency, and the sale is made.

You can do this.  Answer each of their questions succinctly, and then follow up with a question of your own.  Present your solutions in the order of the questions they ask you, don't give them a canned pitch.  If you know your product thoroughly, the client will sell themselves, with only a little prompting from you!

10 Best Client Communications Skills

The brass tacks of a successful client conversation come down to 10 points. They are simple to list, but take a little practice to master. Don’t worry! Each one leads naturally into the next, reminding you of where you’re headed. These techniques are effective in person and on the phone. Practice each one for a full day. You’ll be a better salesperson in 10 work days. Here they are:

• Start with a smile and a warm greeting. You know the smile you give when you unexpectedly see a dear friend out of the blue? That’s the smile to share with your prospect the moment you make eye contact, before either of you have said a word. You’re setting the tone for the entire interaction. (You can even tell if someone on the phone or radio is smiling when they talk!) How do you feel when you receive that smile? It’s the same relaxation you experience when you are welcomed and respected. Give that smile, and mean it. Humans tend toward reciprocity. This means people usually respond in kind to the way they are treated. If they’re treated pleasantly and in an agreeable way, they’ll tend to react in a pleasant and agreeable way.

• Call every prospective customer by name. People feel more important when called by name. If you don’t know their name up front, shake their hand, introduce yourself, and ask them. Repeat their name once you have it. “It’s great to meet you, Mr. Foster. Thank you for meeting with me today.” When you need to address Mr. Foster, use his name once every 2-3 minutes. It keeps him involved, and keeps you from forgetting it! If you believe his attention may be drifting, call him by name in your next sentence or question.

• Listen and mirror. Listen to your prospective customer. Listen to their words, their tone of voice, and their style of expression. If they are speaking quickly and gesturing with their hands, they are probably excited. Mirror that behavior. Likewise, if they are speaking slowly and deliberately, be sure to enunciate and speak at a slower pace. Don’t copy their voice or hand gestures exactly. (That annoys people!) These mirroring techniques have been shown to make people feel understood and respected, even when no words are spoken. Putting your body in the some of the same postures they use will help you understand their mood and attitude. If your customer has a slumping posture, slouch just a little, and see how it makes you feel. Are their arms crossed tightly across their body? Cross yours loosely, and see how it feels. Once you correctly perceive their mood and attitude, you’ll address their questions more effectively.

• Talk about your client. The only context that matters to your client is how to meet his own needs, achieve his own goals, and solve his own problems. Most people prefer to talk about themselves. Encourage them to talk by using probing questions. As they talk, you’ll be learning about what product to sell them, why, and often how. Everything they share tells you something about their needs, their qualifications, and about their buying process. Do not interrupt. It’s good stuff. Apply what you’re hearing to your sales pitch.

• Thou shalt not speak ill of the competition. Never, ever, ever. Putting someone else down doesn’t make your product or company look any better, it just makes you look petty and like a gossip. It’s unprofessional, and in some companies it will get you fired. Most importantly, you are not talking about your product or your customer! Bring your attention back to where it belongs. Youcan emphasize that your product wears longer, or that your service is backed with a guarantee. Ex: “You can make this purchase with peace of mind. We’re proud of our guarantee. It’s the longest and most complete in the industry.”

• When your shopper finishes a thought or asks a question, be ready with the next concept or question you want them to address. This is the most important skill in contact management. Ex: Client: “...and that’s why I’m in the market for a new system.” Short pause. You: “Mr. Client, we have a large selection of systems that will meet your needs. Tell me about how your staff uses the system. What do they need the system to do more effectively?” Back to Mr. Client: “Well, if the system could scrape data from a number of different applications and generate reports, that would be ideal.” Short pause. Now you:“That seems reasonable. Think of how much stress that would relieve! We have solutions that do just that. How many staff members will be working on this system?” Again, an appropriate response is tied directly to the next probing question. This technique should be employed on most or all occasions that you speak in the sales process. It makes you efficient, responsive, and most importantly, keeps your prospect talking. Conversational control usually fails if you have not mastered this skill.

• Praise/thank your prospect. There is always a sincere reason to praise them, and it shows them you think they are important. Ex: “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” “Thank you for seeing me today.” Even when they call you, work it in. “It’s good to hear from you. What can I do for you?” Your client is, and should feel like, the most important thing you have going on right now. Ever come across one of those salespeople who treat prospects like they’re an interruption or an annoyance? Giving the impression you find your agenda more important than you find your client is a sure way to see to it they don’t “bother” you again.

• Be well and fine and happy. Sales is a customer focused activity. If they ask how you are, you’re fine, or great or terrific. Now turn the focus back to your shopper. No one cares if your feet hurt, if you broke up with your sweetheart, or if you’re in a lousy mood. Well, at least, your client doesn’t. Clients want service. Pleasant service. Make sure they get it.

• Try to avoid saying “NO.” Your shopper sometimes will ask you for things you can’t deliver. If they ask, “Can you give me another 20% off?” You say, “What we can do for you is this -.” When they say they want lifetime service free of charge, you can say, “We usually meet that need by doing this -.” Addressing the question with the available choices is usually enough to bring the customer back to discussing the possible. If you are forced to deny a specific request, be gentle but clear: “We don’t offer that option. We’re happy to offer this.” "No" is always a last resort. If you have to say it, don’t leave it hanging in the air like a bug you want to swat! Follow it up immediately with the solution you do offer.

• Create a “Yes” frame of mind. In your discussion with your client, ask questions which lend themselves to “yes” answers. Ex: “You appreciate a good value, don’t you?” Or, “Your family is the priority here, right?” Follow these questions up with immediate facts that serve the subject. Ex: “This insurance policy protects your family in the case of a tragedy, and also creates an investment tool to make the good times even better.” Once a person sees that you’re on the same wavelength, they relax some of their defenses. Feeling understood helps people build relationships. Prospects stop resisting and start problem solving, which means buying.

Building the Sale

In sales, there is only one goal: turn a prospect into a satisfied customer.  That satisfied customer pays your bills, advertises your business, and refers their friends.  They are the single largest revenue generator your company has, and they are the goal that all other activities in business must serve.  How do you do it? For today, let's use the example of a waiter in a restaurant.  The prospect is the diner seated at a table in your section.  They are not yet a customer, as they haven't paid their bill.  And you don't know if they're satisfied until you see the tip, or better yet, see them come back to dine again.

The waiter (salesperson) has the job of building the order.  If they ask, "What would you like to drink?" the check will be smaller than if they come to the table with a sparkle in their eye and tell you all about the "cool, refreshing Mojitos" that are tonight's drink special.  The more things a person orders, the more opportunities the restaurant has to delight them, and turn them into a loyal customer.  And the more things they order, the larger the check.

If the waiter recites the appetizer specials like they're reciting a grocery list, that's also an unsuccessful strategy.  If they say, "You know, asparagus is at the peak of it's season right now, so the chef has designed an amazing asparagus appetizer.  It's grilled with just a little salt and olive oil, some plum tomato slices, and served with a caramelized onion jam and goat cheese.  It's amazing.  I don't know how he does it!" with some energy, it's likely to sell pretty well.  Even if the diners weren't planning to order an appetizer, that presentation will make them consider it.  The appetizer helps build the check.
What if you, the waiter (salesperson), hate the product?  Your customer should never know.  Your job is to present each dish (product) in its most attractive light.  When you do this, people will buy it.  Bigger checks mean bigger tips, and the company stays in business to employ you tomorrow.

The biggest mistake waitstaff (salespeople) make is putting themselves in the place of the diner (customer).  You are not making a living as a diner.  You are making a living as a waiter.  When you walk into work, you are now a sales specialist.  You need to educate the diner, make sure their needs are met, and make sure that both of those things increase your check.  It's not about "fooling" them into anything.  They've come to the restaurant with the intention of enjoying food.  They want a dining experience that they couldn't replicate at home.  Assuming the waiter has done his job properly and educated the customer while selling the product, the diner may leave with an uneaten portion of food in a doggie bag because they ordered more than they could eat.  When they're enjoying their leftovers, they'll be looking forward to when they can go back!

Best of all, the waiter will know he has maximized the check.  They have ordered something from each menu category, and eaten as much as they reasonably could.  The tip is as high as you could achieve.

If the waiter is truly a professional, he will have encouraged them to come back, and planted the seed for other ways the diners can enjoy the product, like catering or private parties.  When the diner comes back in and wants to be seated in his section, he'll know they are a satisfied customer.  Now he needs to do it again!