As I sit back and reflect on some of the things that my sales team has accomplished this year, I keep coming back to the same single accomplishment...the sales team that I work with has transformed itself into a more cutting edge, solutions based team.
For those of you who may read this, if you have been in print sales at all in the last few years, you will appreciate this. The advertising world is moving in a different direction. For those of us in print, this has been a real dramatic event. While newspaper circulation continues to resembel a "Canaveral countdown" and the United States Post Office limps towards whatever direction it is limping in, the shiny new "digital" advertising toy has become the favorite toy.
While print budgets get smaller and smaller, more and more emphasis is being put on SEO, SEM, Mobile optimization, billboards, and any other digital buzzword you can think of. Six months ago, I was working with a team who could tell you anything you needed to know about how a piece of printed ad mail travels through the postal stream to a consumer's mailbox. Digitally however, they couldn't even start a conversation.
That has all dramatically changed...for the better. How did a group of tenured print reps move in a new digital direction so fast? A few simple steps:
1 - Help them believe they can sell the product! (A little confidence goes a LONG way)
2 - Provide resources to help! (Even if it is just a "shoulder to cry on")
3 - Identify a champion! (Everyone wants to emulate a winner)
4 - Celebrate the wins...no matter how small! (Never underestimate the power of manufacturing positive momentum)
Four simple things...yet four things we will remain focused on as we head into 2013 and beyond!
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Friday, July 6, 2012
The Human Element of Sales?
In an extraordinary age of new tools and technologies (some of which I am trying to embrace and learn myself right now), I was reminded yesterday of how powerful the "human element" remains in sales. It's cool to be able to "tweet" offers to clients, and distribute your "newsletter" to your clients via your facebook page, but the HUMAN element is still the most powerful sales interaction.
I am off work for the next few days and was relaxing at home yesterday. I have a son who spends part of the time with me, and part of the time with his mother. It's mid-morning, so there is no hope that he will get out of bed anytime soon. I also have a 1 year old daughter. She's just gone down for a nap. I go outside to see which way the wind is blowing (to determine if the surf will be glassy or choppy), and I'm greeted at the end of the driveway by a slightly awkward but very cute 15 or 16 year old girl. She has just moved in down the street. She is clutching a large pile of homemade printed flyers. She introduces herself and asks if she can hand me one of her flyers. Across the top it says "Baby Sitting Services". It lists all of her qualifications and the rates she charges. More importantly, this young lady (without prompting, I might add) rattles off about 3 or 4 features/benefits statements...all of which were pretty compelling! She even used the "which means" transition in the middle of the statement...WHICH MEANS she's either a natural or has had some sales training already!
Needless to say, she's hired! As a Director of National Sales for a large advertising company, I'm a little bitter I can't hire her for ad sales as well. This got me thinking though. I seriously do have some reps who aren't as good at delivering features and benefits as this 16 year old girl was. Now...I realize there are some differences, right? Or are there? She's passionate about what she's selling, creative enough to print her own flyers, and ambitious enough go knock on doors (in a new neighborhood).
Aren't those the 3 most basic skills needed to be successful in any Sales job? I think I know what the topic of my next sales meeting will be...
I am off work for the next few days and was relaxing at home yesterday. I have a son who spends part of the time with me, and part of the time with his mother. It's mid-morning, so there is no hope that he will get out of bed anytime soon. I also have a 1 year old daughter. She's just gone down for a nap. I go outside to see which way the wind is blowing (to determine if the surf will be glassy or choppy), and I'm greeted at the end of the driveway by a slightly awkward but very cute 15 or 16 year old girl. She has just moved in down the street. She is clutching a large pile of homemade printed flyers. She introduces herself and asks if she can hand me one of her flyers. Across the top it says "Baby Sitting Services". It lists all of her qualifications and the rates she charges. More importantly, this young lady (without prompting, I might add) rattles off about 3 or 4 features/benefits statements...all of which were pretty compelling! She even used the "which means" transition in the middle of the statement...WHICH MEANS she's either a natural or has had some sales training already!
Needless to say, she's hired! As a Director of National Sales for a large advertising company, I'm a little bitter I can't hire her for ad sales as well. This got me thinking though. I seriously do have some reps who aren't as good at delivering features and benefits as this 16 year old girl was. Now...I realize there are some differences, right? Or are there? She's passionate about what she's selling, creative enough to print her own flyers, and ambitious enough go knock on doors (in a new neighborhood).
Aren't those the 3 most basic skills needed to be successful in any Sales job? I think I know what the topic of my next sales meeting will be...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)