And since the Big 3 Auto business is in the news, I thought we’d use that as a leadership example

If I Were In The Auto Business…

I did not graduate with a Harvard MBA so this might not be worth much to those who did. But as a trainer/consultant in the area of revenue excellence, I would recommend these two changes to sell more cars. (Afterall, that’s their problem). 

1. I Would Recognize the Selling System is Broken. 

Not sure who said it but it’s worthy of repeating. Changing parts of a broken system still results in a broken system. In the automotive system, the sales process is broken. How many times have you heard someone rave about the car buying process? Seldom. Why don’t the Big 3 see that? Are they that blind? Have they never asked the question in research?

And for those car execs, did they not teach “human nature” at Harvard?

What about your business? Is your selling system a great experience for your customers? If not, why not? Have you spent any time recently with your Exec team talking about ways to improve it? In 2009 spend time on that. One way to do it is model your sales process after companies who have nailed it. Go in to an Apple store sometime. Wait til after the Holidays, because you’ll get pissed coz’ it’s too crowded. 

Oh, wait a minute, that’s a good thing. Are there lines outside your proverbial ‘door’ begging you to sell them something? There’s not?

Well, then get to the Apple store immediately and see what’s going on. Take notes. Take pictures. Take notice. 

Isn’t it remarkable how little time we spent improving the very thing that can grow our business?

2. I Would Work on Client Retention

2009 will be the year of client retention. Are you investing any resources in the client relationship? Not just talking about taking them to lunch occasionally. The auto business spends $0 on this. Even the premium car companies are lousy at that. I get more attention from my Nordstrom person after buying a $500 suit that I ever have from an American car company after buying a $40,000 car. 

This is really broken.

So what about your business? What are you doing on a regular basis to keep and grow clients?

• Are you offering special “clients only seminars” where you bring in keynote speakers who offer unbelievable knowledge to your clients? 
• Are you publishing “how to” guides for your customers to help them grow their business? 
• Are you assembling your clients for user forums so they can network together?
• Are you, the leading Executive calling your top clients and saying ‘we really are glad your a customer?

If not, is it because your team has bought into the worn out belief that you should never show emotion in the client relationship? Or that you’ve never done it this way so why begin now? Or is it you just aren’t curious about how to improve your business?

In our Execuctive Coaching we say, “take of your blinders and look around.” It’s amazing what we can learn when we raise our head above the day-to-day and notice.

And we can learn a lot from the Big 3. Not how to do it….but how NOT to do it.  So, open your eyes wide and as you are critical of the Big 3, look closer at your business. Maybe you have the same problems–but you don’t see them because you’re too close to it.

What is there about Tiger Woods, Andre Agassi and Peyton Manning they share?

Strong inner games. They’re mentally tough. They are probably also better/more competent but I don’t think that came first. I think mental acuity did. They are mentally strong–so they practiced more–they saw themselves as champions–and they became that. 

Your sales team will be more successful if their inner game is strong. And you, as CEO, needs to understand the role the mental make up plays in your results. 

What is The Inner Game?

It’s everything that happens inside the sales professional–the head–the heart–the mind. It’s those thoughts that tick away when we’re in stressful situations. It’s the feelings of self worth we have–at all times. It’s those desperate thoughts we have when the deal is going down. 

Most sales training firms ignore this part of the equation. Why? Cause it’s tougher than hell to teach. But it’s essential for a great sales force. 

Common Mistake: A Person Has it Or They Don’t

Can a strong inner game be taught? Yes. But not to everyone. Some people are wired in such a way that their ego is so fragile–and their self worth so vulnerable that they’ll be unable to ‘toughen up.’  

But don’t give up on people. The first thing to do is work with your VP Sales and identify the people who aren’t mentally strong.

You can find them by knowing who:

1. Flinches at the first sign of prospect pressure. 
2. Wants to drop price to get a deal.
3. Talks too much when the pressure is on. 
4. Can’t bring themselves to listen–really listen to their customer.
5. Won’t call on the right people inside the prospect/client company (they call too low).
6. Doesn’t prospect enough–therefore not enough new business in the pipeline–therefore forecasts are off. 

The first lesson was on a new model of selling where the prospect sells you on why they need you. That is the new way–like it or not. Think about the kind of customer engagement you get when they’re the ones convincing you. But now on with more….

Lesson 2: Be Oriented Toward Solving a Problem

Your sales team–and everyone in your company that touches customers (and even those that don’t) should be all excited about solving customer/prospect problems. (Of course, you don’t solve prospect problems until they pay you–but you get the drift).

The Deep Sleep Question

Your sales team should be able to wake up from a deep sleep and answer the question: “What problems do we solve for our clients?” If they can’t, don’t let them make another call.

Better yet, ask your VP Sales / Sales Manager what kinds of problems we solve. If they can’t answer it, then take them into your office and spend an hour, an afternoon, a weekend, a month, until they can answer that. 

What could be more absurd that sending someone out to talk to your customers not knowing how they can help? Answer: Nothing.

You Might Be The Best Trainer

I once had a CEO client who bought into this so strongly, that he would have personal sessions with each sales professional representing his company, prior to them making ONE call. He and I worked together to come up with the problems solved–then he put it in the industry language. 

Guess what? He had the best trained sales force. He had sales people who were paying for themselves in 30 days. He didn’t buy into that BS about how it takes a sales person 2 years to provide a return. It only does if they’re untrained.

It seems a bit absurd doesn’t it–that the very thing that is responsible for a company’s future–the sales function–is misunderstood by so many leaders. 

I hear CEOs say, “Sell harder!”  ”Go make more calls!” “Hell, they’re getting paid a lot of money–why aren’t they performing?”

Frequent Posts on Selling

To help each of you understand what selling is and how it’s changing rapidly, I’ll be posting some thoughts over the next few weeks. [Full disclosure: I've been teaching sales forces for decades and I've worked with many CEO's to help them understand selling at it's core. And part of our work, in addition to leader development is sales development.]

Lesson 1. Let The Buyer Sell You

As you see from the graphic, you want the prospect selling you on why he needs you. But you can’t do that if you don’t get your mind right around the sales process. If you believe that it’s up to the sales person to “uncover the need–then close the sale” you’re sorely mistaken. 

That’s the old way.

A better way is to create an atmosphere of trust and honesty with your prospect/client. You can’t do that if you’re always pitching–if they see you coming a mile away–or if they have to lock up their valuables when you walk in. (I know you don’t think that’s what happens, but trust me on this one.)

Today’s great salesperson–not the wildly enthusiastic talker–but the $500,000/year person (you know, the one that is actually achieving results?) is a master at financial analysis, at problem-finding and solving and at helping customers connect the dots between the pain they have and the solution you have. 

He’s a master at creating a situation where the prospect is selling him on why he needs to fix the pain. 

Find out how your sales team is selling? Find out what their strategy is when they’re in front of a prospect. Find out how they articulate the value your solution brings to customers (trust me, that’ll be an eye-opener).

There isn’t one more important thing to know in your company than your sales process and the sales strategy your team uses. Because if it isn’t sound, neither will be your profit.