by Doug Gray | Jul 31, 2013 | Business, digital, Financial Professionals, Leadership, Managers, money, Sales, Success
Too many “sales experts” have fuzzy theory and fuzzy results.
Here is a template that I have developed over time. It works great. Steal this template. Call me for details if needed.
Notes:
- Accountability is a hard task. Most people hate it. Most salespeople really hate it. Most software, like Salesforce or Act or the latest app, is a pain to use. You can use this excel spreadsheet, or a pad of paper. Start now.
- Accountability determines success. The three top words in sales are “relationships, relationships, relationships.” Use the attached format to build relationships, be strategic, provide value. Or not.
- These 4 roles determine sales: champions, economic buyer, technical users, consumers. You need all 4. Complex sales evolve. They only succeed when you focus on all 4 roles.
- All successful sales people have accountability metrics and teams. Do you?
Call me at 704.895.6479 or contact us or subscribe today.
by Doug Gray | Jul 25, 2013 | Business, change, Coaching, digital, global, Leadership, Managers, Resources, Sales, strengths, Success, talent, talent assessment
I do not know the answer for you. Yet. And it would be presumptuous or disingenuous if I offered a trite response.
Instead I will give you some facts. Then the process. Then what I do know.
Many studies confirm that your cost of good sold (COGS) is 7x higher for a new customer than for a returning customer. So you should focus on providing new value to old customers.
There is a former client who comes to mind. He happened to be a 30 year old financial advisor. But the story is relevant for most of us in specialized fields. He wanted to grow his business. After 3 years he had exhausted leads from his friends and family. He had networked so often that people avoided him at chamber and business development groups and even at Rotary meetings. I asked him, “What kinds of clients do you want to serve?” and “Who is likely to retire in 10 years with a strong book of business that needs to sell the bottom portion to a younger professional like yourself?” and “How can you guarantee that you provide excellent service to that older partner or lead source?” As you can imagine, he had a new partner and provided tremendous value for that person’s clients for many years. However, his answer is not your answer.
I do know the answer for hundreds of other business leaders who are former clients. Since 1997 I have consulted and coached business leaders in manufacturing, health care, education, HR, safety, technology, finance and accounting. I have guaranteed results for clients ranging from executive teams at F500 companies to small business owners struggling to make ends meet. I can provide best-of-class solutions or referrals to other consultants who can likely help you solve your problems.
I do know the process. I do know what works.
Here you go: you need to 1) define the problems, 2) provide solutions, 3) model accountability. I call this the “3A Coaching process.“
These “A letter” words are Assessments, Constructive Actions, and Accountability. Too many “coaches” stop after providing assessments, or constructive actions, because they do not know how to provide individual or team accountability. That’s about as smart as running 2/3 of a marathon and stopping. Make sure that you hire a coach who will get you past your finish line goals.
You are probably struggling with the following challenges:
people challenges
strategy challenges
execution challenges
cash and financial challenges
Typically, I define the problems using organizational and individual assessments. I determine where you are making money. And where you are losing money.
I may ask the three big questions: 1. can you define the problem? 2. do you need to solve that problem? 3. who can solve that problem? In today’s market, the buyer-seller dance has evolved into a transparent process of answering those 3 questions. Then adopting the best solution. Vendors are secondary.
Then I provide a host of best-in-class solutions for you to sell more to your existing customers. They already know you. They are inclined to purchase more products and services.
Then I model accountability so that you move beyond good intentions. I want you to sell more services.
Ready to talk? Call us soon at 704.995.6647 or contact us here. Once we determine your needs, then we can define a more specific answer to this question. Schedule your initial consultation here.
We all need to sell more to our existing clients.
What are you waiting for?
Download this list of services and investment levels now:
by Doug Gray | Jul 22, 2013 | change, digital, Employment, global, Leadership, Managers, money, Resources, Sales, Success, talent
Open your eyes! How much time do you spend with millenials? Not only do millenials consume the most products, they also expect results. They are 50% of the workforce in 2018.
To ignore millenials is to commit some form of suicide.
Here are 6 steps for you and your company:
1. Mobile web-based experiences are a $10 billion dollar industry, with over 7 billion phones. We now have nearly 4x more mobile browsers than the number of desk-based browsers. Follow the numbers. Follow the money.
2. We can provide emotionally-provocative experiences that combine digital and physical activities. Here are several examples. When you go to the zoo you can now rent a GoPro or Segway to make your experience unique. When you go to a park you can use your mobile device to geocache. You can have a “Yelp Night” and move from restaurant to bar in any unfamiliar city. When you go to a conference you can tweet about and score the presenters, in real time. However, at most amusement parks and concerts we are not doing anything about the visitors who are standing in a line (bored) or tweeting or Face-booking their friends to “stay away” from your business or event. As a more costly example, we are not doing anything about low compliance with incentive reward programs. In fact, industrial organizational researchers tell us that some 35% of the US workforce is not engaged in their jobs. We sorely lack emotionally-provocative experiences that combine digital and physical activities.
3. In response to these market needs, I have developed a mobile web-based app that can guarantee engagement for any clients. This app enables clients to have a pre-visit and post-visit experience that integrates their event with any content. The event becomes a process. For instance, if a client wants to assign pre-visit training or reading content, the app can assess their engagement. Using a leader board and social media, they can increase accountability. They can market and promote the company. They can include video and photo uploads. They can earn points by doing more activities. They can return to the venue. The app can be delivered in hours, under any name. And it can be scaled for any sized organization.
4. Large corporate clients expect global delivery capacity. Every successful Free Agent has a network of alliance partners. The myth of the solo-preneur as a lone wolf is dead. For instance, the largest provider of leadership development coaches is www.coachsource.com, founded by Brian Underhill and Marshall Goldsmith. Marshall is described as the #1 leadership consultant in the U.S., according to Harvard Business Review. I am the southeast engagement manager, and represent 1,200 leadership coaches in 60 countries. We can provide expert leadership coaching to any clients. A bold claim, but a well validated claim. We can deliver the value of global leadership coaching to your current clients. And we can design programs that include a cycle of regular visits to any location with reinforcements from the very best leadership coaches. Those individual and group agendas typically yield a 500% ROI.
Digital and Global solutions not only satisfy millenials. They lead to results. They are required solutions.
If you are a solo-preneur, develop strong alliance with the smartest partners that you can find. Today.
If you are a business leader, call Doug at 615.236.9845 If I cannot help you I will find someone who can. Today.
Comments?
by Doug Gray | Dec 11, 2011 | book review, Business, change, Coaching, digital, Employment, energy industry, exercise, faith, family, Financial Professionals, Front, global, healthcare, Leadership, Managers, Meetings, money, Personal Development, physicians, published articles, Resources, safety, Sales, strengths, Success, talent, talent assessment, video
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