It's all interesting, but tomorrow we all still need to Sell

It’s election weekend in the land of Oz..

It’s raining outside… but the TV on every channel analyses, reanalyses and competes for who has the best computer generated graphics and who has the oldest, most wise heads on their panels.

Peter Costello is either being happy, smarmy or clever on Channel Nine.. (I can’t tell)

Lisa Wilkinson is still a glamour..

Carl does his best to keep some semblance of control..

But what the hell did Barnaby Joyce do to the National Party?

4 of the Independents who are going to control the Parliament are ex Nationals.. and they all seem to hate him…

A 20 year old wins a Seat and the Greens are calling it all a ‘Greenslide…’

Are we having a ‘Greenslide’ because people are so bored with both the other major parties and at least we’re clear what the Greens actually stand for?

The Greens USP (Unique Selling Proposition) is pretty clear. While the Liberal and Labor USP are about as clear as mud….

Anyway enough of political chatter…

In the meantime, the sales training lesson for us all is, whoever wins, we in business still need to make sales, serve customers and get on whatever the political environment..

Its all really just noise and wallpaper… (but still way better political noise wallpaper than behind an Iron Curtain or somewhere in Africa or the Middle East….don’t get me wrong..)

More importantly.. Sales training and Sales Management lessons from the week in Blue Rocket land..

STAFF REWARDS

I went to a Sales Team Awards dinner here in Perth last night with a client sales team.

It was a ripper..

Fun… great production standards…rewarding achievement and excellence.. and a great job done showing sales staff the company really does hold them up as heroes and really does care about them.

As the CEO said to me, ‘the previous administration were all about share prices and return to shareholders… forget the staff… (even screw the staff.. I’m paraphrasing there..)

The new administration were about investing in staff, investing in training, investing in better processes and being a good corporate citizen. These weren’t just words, these guys really are doing it. And the sales growth and financial growth has followed.

These guys have had a brilliant sales turnaround in the past 12 months. Over 20% growth.. smashing old sale records. Why?

Because they followed the STAND OUT, SELL, SUCCEED principles we at Blue Rocket teach.

‘Use the right process, get the right result’ goes the principle.

‘Don’t focus only on the results… focus on the processes that will get you those results.. and the results will take care of themselves..’

‘Reward the behaviours you want repeated…’

Want great sales achievement… measure and reward it.

Want people to stretch themselves and achieve stretch targets… measure and reward it..

Want great teamwork…. measure reward it…

‘It’s not Rocket Science.. but it is Science..’

You can do exactly the same if you have the courage to make the same decisions this client did.

Reward your staff (and get rid of those who don’t want to play the game….)

BACK FROM EUROPE

The pre game huddle

Just got back from the European expedition early Monday morning.

Besides re-arranging my sleeping patterns..(Why am I waking at 3am and reading my book for an hour before finally getting back to sleep again?), getting back touching base with all our clients.

Once this election over, hopefully the marketplace will get back to normal activity and start buying, selling and investing again…

Wherever we went, I was on the lookout for Sales Champion behaviour..

I have posted some European Sales video lessons on Facebook and will put them on Youtube for you to access..

But here are just some of the lessons and reminders:

1. Being friendly, confident, humorous and human makes ALL the difference. The Orange Zone is where the sale is set up for success. Wait till you see the video footage of Toby from Modefabriken (and Nudie Jeans) in Boras or Jeremy Cowan from the Bang and Olufsen store in Knightsbridge in London.. These guys were masters at rapport combined with positioning (plus their product knowledge and confidence in themselves and their product value) making them real sales champions (without being rude or pushy). They had cracked the million dollar sales code. They lived the core values of STAND OUT, SELL and SUCCEED.
   1. PS: if you want to check out how a retail store uses Blogs and social media check out www.modefabriken.com (and convert the language to English to get the real message..) Nice work Toby and Adam in Boras, Sweden..
   2. Talking of Nudie Jeans, how they add value and create upsells just by adding a simple catalogue/ guide book in the back pocket of every pair of jeans. What if you did the same with your wine, your bedding, your furniture, your car, your computers or product??? Check out www.nudiejeans.com to see how product uses the web to reach their target market. See what you can learn.
   3. Being passionate and confident about your product. Jeremy at Bang and Olufsen was a Master of passion, information and confidence in talking about his product. ‘We are THE VERY BEST in the world..’ he said it with such confidence and passion, no wonder customers part with $20,000 and more for his systems..

Study masters, no matter where they are. Soak up their mindset, their rules, their discipline. Success does leave clues. Plant the same seeds, reap the same harvest.

Anyway.. enough of me..

Look forward to seeing the result of the election..sometime in the next week…

Either way, we will continue to work with Sales teams around Australia and beyond, because it is the Sales teams that really make things happen no matter what Government is in power.

Nothing happens until a sale is made, and the more sales that are made, the more things CAN happen.

Step aside Tony Abbott and Julia Gillard, make way for the army of sales people that actually make things happen in this country. Sales people make the country run.

See you next week… (or see you at our seminar in Perth on Monday night – if you haven’t registered do so NOW at www.bluerocketlive.com )

Friends, I went to the Eagles vs Geelong game in Perth last night..

Premiership Team on Top of the Ladder playing team way down the ladder..

It could have been a walkover but it wasn’t (thank goodness for the game, the spectators and in particular the future hopes of the team itself..)

But for me (as a coach, observer of team behaviour, student of high performance) sitting there (at times very frustrated) there were so many sales and training lessons I wanted to pass onto you this morning..

1. Its the last 10% that makes all the difference

The Eagles would work so hard to get the ball into the forward line. Then they would stuff it up.

Geelong would kick the ball in with surgical precision. The goal kicker would then execute a perfect kick for goal and finish the job off.

Geelong were masters of perfect delivery.

Clearly they valued perfect passes. Perfect kicks. Perfect execution of the skills.

In sales, it is the last 10% of the process you need to have down pat. Perfect drilled closes. Perfectly drilled objection handling. Perfectly drilled to have perfect execution of the skills under game pressure.

That is certainly a key focus in our Blue Rocket Sales Breakthrough Programmes.

You just can’t leave that last 10% to chance. You have to script it. Drill it. Re-drill it under pressure so you get perfect execution under pressure.

2. Put your Big Guns where you want BIG Results

With all this flooding and players running all over the place, at times the Eagles seemed to have no big guns down forward.

Each time Cox or Natanui or Kennedy were down there, at least they had a chance. And in most cases scored a goal.

In your business, do you have your Big Guns in the right places to kick goals?

If you need more sales, make sure your Big Guns are in Sales.

If you need more Leads, make sure your Big Guns are in Marketing.

Put your Big Guns where you want results.

Do a Blue Rocket Sales and Marketing Strategy Audit this week to make sure you have the right people in the right places.

3.You can’t kick goals if you dont get the ball to your goal kickers

The Eagles stuffed around with the ball on the wing and lost it.

Geelong passed perfectly up the field (check out Chapmans kicking on Youtube for a lesson in perfect passing) then kicked so accurately into the hands of their forwards it was beautiful to watch.

You must have a lead generation system that delivers leads into the hands of your goal kickers.

How perfect is your lead generation system?

Do you have a multiple source of leads or are you relying on just one source of leads?

Get the ball down to them so they can kick goals..

Use the Blue Rocket Sales and Marketing Audit template to make sure you are ticking all the boxes with your Lead Generation…

4.If you’re so scared of making a mistake, that’s exactly what you will do

At times last night the whole crowd were jeering at the Eagles passing the ball across the ground or handpassing so conservatively they ended up turning it over.

You could see they were so scared at losing the ball they eventually lost it.

It looked to me there was a KPI called ‘effective delivery’ and no-one wanted to be blamed for an ‘ineffective delivery’ on Monday morning at the team debriefing session.

The fear was palpable.

Message to coaching staff — reward direct, accurate kicking. Stop punishing ineffective kicking so much..

In your case, what are you rewarding and what are you creating fear over?

As the founder of the Quality Management Dr. Edwards Demming used to say ‘DRIVE OUT FEAR’

Fear can cripple you to a blibbering mess.

What is going on in your team culture right now?

Do you know?

Use a Blue Rocket Sales Team Perception Map to measure team fear, confidence, culture and opportunities for sales breakthrough’s.

5. Why take someone off who has just kicked a goal?

All this player rotation may have seemed like a good idea.

Sure the pace of the game has picked up. So if a player is puffed, exhausted, been running all over the place and needs a rest, take them off.

But if they have been down the forward line, done hardly any running, done one sprint, marked and kicked a goal, you don’t need to take them off.

Just when they have had a huge rush of positive energy, positive emotion, are in a peak performance state, they get dragged.

That’s like just making a huge sale and saying, ‘you’re going into the accounts department for a week…’

If your people have just done something terrifically, they’ve had a huge boost to their confidence, self esteem and self image.

That’s the time to anchor it, remind them how they can do it again, and again, and again..

In Sports Psychology its called THE PEAK PERFORMANCE ZONE…

If you’ve got a person in THE ZONE you don’t then say ‘lets get them out of that zone… they need a rest..’

If they’re in the zone, they want to stay there..

That’s when they’re going to keep deliverying goals and sales to you..

Have you trained your team in Blue Rocket Sales Psychology Science so they know how to consistently get into and stay in their SALES PEAK PERFORMANCE ZONES?

Anyway… enough of me..

Maybe this might get into the hands of the coaching staff at either the Eagles or Geelong..

Maybe not..

I’d be interested in your thoughts and comments..

To celebrate John zipping off to the Mentawai’s on a surfing Expedition these past 2 weeks and this fantastic photo Eugene from www.aquabumps.com has taken of him.. (before he gets back on Friday) I am announcing a competition..

It’s the ‘What is John Thinking?’ Competition…

and we’re giving away $794 in Prizes that will make YOU $10,000′s….

All you have to do is write back to us a caption for this photo… In 25 words or less… What do you think John is thinking as he rides this fantastic wave in an idyllic, tropical setting..??

Simply click here, and write in the subject line ‘Competition’ then your 25 words or less.. and send to us..

We’ll judge and announce the best caption on Friday 28th May..

THE WINNER GETS….

One of our BEST EVER sets of CD’s … the programme Sales Managers and Business Owners are raving about… THE SECRETS OF MILLION DOLLAR SALES MANAGEMENT… 4 CD’s Guaranteed to change the way you get the best out of yourself and your sales team.. valued at over $397…

PLUS… we’ll give you a FREE 30 minute Breakthrough Sales Tele-Coaching Phone Consultation to pinpoint exactly where and how you can make more money in your sales and marketing TODAY.. valued at over $397…

That’s $794 in prizes that will make you $10,000′s…. guaranteed..

So get on with it NOW.. click here… ‘What is John Thinking?‘

Leigh and Roberta just before the "NLP and New Sales Science" Presentation

So many great Sales Training, Sales Coaching and Sales Consulting lessons from last weeks consulting to clients..

Here are just some in a nutshell.. (maybe I will write about them at some point in the future)

1. THE POWER OF PERCEPTION MAPPING FIRST – DIAGNOSE BEFORE YOU PRESCRIBE

Our Perception Mapping Process showed yet again the power of doing an online Diagnostic of Sales Teams attitudes, issues and areas they request Sales Training in before you begin a Sales Training programme. Sales Managers at one of our new clients just loved seeing their results. It mobilised them into action.

‘What are my team saying?’

‘How do we compare to the other teams?’

‘What are the top 3 issues we need to fix?’

‘Let’s get on with it..’

They were fully engaged and committed to making a change to their sales processes, sales systems and sales results. It was all GREEN LIGHTS FOR GO!! ‘Let’s get on with taking sales to the next level…’

A very good place to start a major sales improvement intervention..

Visit www.perceptionmapping.com or click here and write ‘online sales diagnostic’ in the subject line and hit send to find out more.

2. NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) and Sales Improvement

I just presented last night at a 4 day NLP certification programme with QC Seminars here in Perth.

(In fact, if you click on that link you can get a Complementary ‘Mindset for Success’ DVD valued at $67)

I made a point of integrating many of the NLP principles into my presentation on Lead Generation and Super Closing Strategies.

The people loved it..

Key points included:

- how to use rapport and calibration in the sales process to close more sales

- how to influence the ‘internal world’ in the sales process to increase buying temperature

- how to use ‘hypnotic’ words to ‘auto suggest’ and lead the prospect to a YES

- how to manage your STATE so you automatically influence the BUYING STATE of the prospect and get to a YES Faster

- how to use the POMVIC Sales tool and NLP to ‘slide’ automatically to a sale

If you want more info on this presentation or want us to present at your next seminar, team meeting or conference, click here and write ‘NLP info’ in the subject line and hit SEND.

3. QUOTES, PROPS, TENDERS  AND ACTION PLANS

Finally, with another client late in the week putting a major tender/ quote together.

They asked me to sit in on the final review meeting.

Now, they had done a lot of work on it and by the time they asked me to get involved they thought they were at the fine tuning stage..

As they began to discuss ‘should that be a ‘the’ or a ‘a’…. I said, ‘I know you’ve done a lot of work so far on this, but if you want my input here, you need to look at the structure of the whole document..’

They asked for my input..

In a nutshell, here are 3 major mistakes not only this client but many clients (and most likely you) make:

1. The quote, the pitch, the tender talks way to much about you and your product BEFORE it talks about the clients PROBLEMS.

You must remind and REAGGRIVATE the clients problems BEFORE you talk about your solution.

(DON’T TRY AND SELL A GLASS OF WATER UNTIL YOU MAKE THEM THIRSTY)

2. Most quotes, tenders and proposals do not use the POWER OF SOCIAL PROOF.

You are crazy if you don’t include testimonials, logos and other social proof that you have satisfied many clients JUST LIKE THE ONE you are proposing to.

The more relevent the testimonials are to the prospect, the more compelling your pitch. (Using a surf shop testimonial when pitching to BHP won’t have the same impact as a testimonial from Rio Tinto)

3. Most quotes, tenders don’t use proven COPYWRITING principles like:

- the use of subheadings to make it easier to scan the document for main points

- the use of bullet points and ticks so its easier to read (So often the paragraphs are 5 and 10 line chunks of text that are so hard to understand that the major selling point or benefit is lost..)

- No summary table – so that all key features, advantages and benefits over the competition are clearly stated

- Bonus tip – link the features, advantages and benefits of your product to the original problems and issues stated by the client with words like

‘So what that means you’ll be able to do is solve..’

‘and that will solve that problem you had of ….’

Anyway, it’s almost time to go.. but… if you’d like us to review any of your props, tenders, or quote systems, the PAYOFF can be astronomical..

Our client is in the running for a multi million dollar order…

He is over the moon at how we have helped him JUMP in the CHANCES of converting it..

In other cases, as a result of the changes we have made to the PITCHING process, clients have literally generated MILLIONS in extra revenue..

Click here to touch base and we’ll give you the inside info on how you can use these strategies in your business.

Just write ‘Quotes and Pitches’ in the subject line, hit send and we’ll get back to you.

See you next time.

PS: If you like this blog post, pass the link onto your friends and colleagues.

PSS: Dont forget our NEW SALES SCIENCE SEMINAR in Perth Monday May 24th – Go to www.bluerocketlive.com to book your FREE seats.

I have just finished for you a brand new 17 page report entitled…

“The Top 10 Fatal Mistakes CEO’s and Sales Managers Make with Sales
Teams that Cost Thousands in Lost Sales Everyday”

No doubt you’ve noticed business has changed out there lately (understatement) and I can
tell you Leigh and I have noticed some very big trends out there
in terms of whats working…

but more importantly how many business’s are shooting themselves in the foot in terms of
their sales and marketing.

We’re exposed to this everyday and this is a summary of these observations over the past 26 months.

You can get your free report by going to the below link…

http://www.sales-champion-institute.com/top-10-fatal-mistakes-sales-training.html

—————————————————————
So what have we only ever done once before??
—————————————————————
At the end of this Report, there is a form where you can request a F-R+E-E 45 minute 21 point sales
and Marketing Audit

Only bummer is we can only accept the first 7 – sorry we simply can’t fit more than that into our existing
client schedule.

And the last time we did this they were all snapped up within a day from when we sent the email out.

The only criteria is that you must have a team of 4 sales people or more to qualify.

Regardless of if you take us up on the 45 minute audit or not, you will certainly gain some up-to-date,
in the trenches insights from this report.

Here’s that link again…

http://www.sales-champion-institute.com/top-10-fatal-mistakes-sales-training.html

Kind Regards,

john@bluerocket.com.au

http://www.bluerocket.com.au

It’s the Sunday after my 53rd birthday dinner on Friday night..

Recovered from that well yesterday then had a Father and son surf this morning up at Lancelin..

so a very good weekend all in all..

and off to AC/DC concert tomorrow night… just to top it all off..

(talking of AC/DC if you haven’t checked out my video post at the Bon Scott statue in Fremantle you

can below

But more importantly….

…what happened last week and what are the lessons for you..?

STOCK TAKE AND TELL THE TRUTH

With one of our clients this week doing one of our regular 90 day reviews.

Only proved yet again the importance of taking stock..

The importance of working ON the business as well as IN it..

Lesson: In the absence of a FORMAL 90 DAY STOCK TAKE SYSTEM,

it’s only too easy for a whole 365 days to zip past and the key strategic actions have not been moved forward..

Here are 5 key stock take questions for you..

1. What have you done?
2. What still needs to be done?
3. What have we achieved?
4. What do we still need to achieve?
5. What are the top 5 Actions?
6. Now let’s get on with it..

COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE UNDER THE PILLOW

With another client doing a Stock Take Session this week…

One of our realisations was that even though they had several competitive advantages over their competition..

They were hiding them under their pillows….

Lesson: If the customers and the marketplace aren’t aware of your competitive advantage… you DON’T have one..

You’ve got to let them know.. OVER and OVER AGAIN what your competitive advantage is.. then make them a COMPELLING OFFER that knocks their socks off..

Get competitive or don’t play the game. You’ll only get hurt.

Which leads me to the next point..

DO IT OR GET OFF IT

With another client… nice people.. well intentioned people…

But..

Lesson: Just sitting around complaining and blaming won’t make the difference..

Sitting around talking about what CAN’T BE DONE, won’t make the difference..

Sitting around and coming up with actions to make a difference, WON’T MAKE A DIFFERENCE..

UNLESS..

You actually IMPLEMENT…. DO IT… TAKE THE ACTIONS..

BE RUTHLESS in your accountablility to do the things you said you need to do..

If it’s advertise more… then get a PROVEN marketing, advertising person in to make it happen..

if it’s get new and better sales people… then appoint a PROVEN recruiter or PROVEN recruiting system

If it’s get rid of underperforming sales people… put them into a PROVEN performance management system… give them a chance.. some coaching.. some mentoring… and if they still don’t perform… get rid of them..

The Universe rewards ACTION… not just INTENTION..

Anyway.. enough raving.. time to go..

If you want some ideas or need help in any of these areas.. hit reply and write ‘HELP..’ in the subject line..

Have a good week..

If you haven’t already got our amazing Blue Rocket Business Owners and Sales Managers gift, you’re ripping yourself off..

go to..

http://www.FreeGiftfromBluerocket.com

Have a good week.

Thirty years after his death people still talk about Bon Scott, the legendary lead singer of AC/DC..

In this video Leigh is at Bon’s statue in Fremantle..

What can Bon Scott teach You about Sales and Marketing?
Check this out and discover some secrets..

Long weekend here in Perth.. just back from Sunday morning water polo training..

The feedback from last weeks request for input on this email overwhelming told us that people like the personal touch leading into useful business info..

Which only supports the Science of Influence reported by Cialdini in his book ‘The Psychology of Influence’..

See Chapter 5 – the Principle of Liking…

ie: if people like you, or feel like you are like them, they are more likely to listen to you, relate to you, be led by you, vote for you, buy from you…

Lessons from this week.

OBJECTION DRILLS EMPOWER

Had a great day Friday with one of our Recruiting clients working through several of our Blue Rocket Objection Handling Drills.

By the time we finished the 3 hour session, people were so empowered and even more confident about presenting their points of difference and taking objections and concerns of a prospect and turning them into closing situations.

Lesson: Make sure you regularly (at least every 60-90 days) work through the top 5 objections you regularly face in your sales world. Build up the Objection Handling Muscles and you’ll convert more sales at higher prices… guaranteed.

PS: if you’re not convinced enough to overcome the objections within yourself, how can you convince or persuade anyone else?

VIDEO COMMUNICATION POWERFUL

At last weeks Platinum the great Joel Bauer reminded us yet again of the power of successfully using video and video testimonials and video tutorials as the NEW way to communicate with your prospects and clients.

As a result we have systematically recorded video tutorials every day for the past 10 days..

Check out www.bluerocket.com.au for at least 14 new video tutorials on everything from Managing Teams, to Holding People Accountable to What you can Learn from Bon Scott when it comes to Marketing..

Lesson: How can you use video, Youtube, Social Media and video tutorials (all free to use by the way) to communicate, educate, relate to your prospects and clients? (There is a very good chance none of your competition are using it… so get to it.. get the EDGE.)

IF SALES ARE DOWN.. DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT

Get real..

If a footy team is losing at half time… better do something different in the second half..

Malcolm Blight won 2 Premierships for Adelaide by taking a back line player and putting him down the forward line.

John Worsfold won a Premiership by dropping David Wirrapunda in between the centre and Barry Hall so the ball couldnt get to their leading goal scorer.

Even in my son’s under 15 team.. We’re losing… so we put our best player from Centre Half Back to Full Forward.. He kicks 7 goals in a quarter and we win.. get into the Grand Final and win a Premiership.

Other days.. we are losing the centre clearances… so we put our best 2 guys in the centre.. the ball gets down the forward line for the first time in the game.. We start to kick goals and we win..

How does this apply to your Sales Team?

Who is in your engine room? Are they getting the ball out of the centre?

If not…put someone else in the engine room..

If you leave everyone in the same place and keep doing what you did last month.. you’ll get the same result..

Leaders make decisions..

De-cision…. derives from the word ‘in-cision’..to cut..

Cut with the past… create a different future.

MARCH 29TH IN PERTH

If you’re in Perth and you have a Sales Team of 5 or more.. hit reply and write ‘send me VIP ticket info’

We are running a special evening event at the Parmelia Hilton to raise some money for charity and help VIP clients and friends to take advantage of the NEW opportunities opening up in the marketplace..

NEW SALES SCIENCE vs OLD SALES SCIENCE..??

This event will help you make sure you’re using the NEW Science…

Anyway.. time to go..

Have a good week..

If you haven’t already got our gift.. go to..

http://www.FreeGiftfromBluerocket.com

Have a good week.