Management or leadership

The age old dillema of managment or leadership continues to be a large portion of the current economic issues of business today. Many marginal companies that have not made an issue of the distinction between the two, are the most likely casultiesthat will happen in the short run. The real issue is survival. In order to have tactical and strategic planning that make sense, one must understand the old adage of people manage things, people lead people. A recent publication previewed a concept of firing all the non-performers, no matter the status within a company. Get the hard part done now. It will not get better. When management is applied to strong groups of people, ie sales forces, many times the best that can happen is use corrosive tactics to manipulate people to minimum acceptable results. We then call that 100%. Leadership however, has an entirely different formula. First, hire people that are smarter and better at getting a job done, give them complete training, clear understanding of the requirements, permission to make mistakes, high requirements, high potential rewards, and last bury your ego and get out of the way. Works every time.

Consumer ambushes

The one most dreaded event on a sales floor, is when the customer walks into a retail location with a two year old publication from one of the so called rating publications, a clip board and a shopping list. Many time floor personnel run for cover with an excuse of some sort. The smart salesperson looks at this customer as an opportunity to close a sale. There are basically 3 things the smart salesperson does when this event occurs. First, acknowledge the fact that the customer is trying to become more informed about a potential purchase. A statement along the lines of it is refreshing to see an informed customer trying to understand a purchase that is not done many times in the customers lives. Second, the salesperson then neutralizes the issue with a comment that the location may not have all the product listed in the publication, but the retailer shares a problem in common with the customer. The retailer must also make the same decisions about what to present to the consumer. The retailer also has to make value judgements as to quality of product in proportion to the selling cost, and relative to the local market conditions, so they may not have all the listed items to show, but will have a comparable itme to consider. After they have gotten agreement on the first two issues, now take the consumer to the product best related to the item of interst, and ignore the publication from that point. This is not a bait and switch. It is a real world solution to help customers make those occasional purchases of reliable product that fits their budget. This customer will also be the most vocal of customers, telling 3 if they are pleased, and 10 if they are unhappy. This customer has the potential of being the best unpaid advertisment of your company.

The Power Of Effective Communication

In todays world, the power of instant communication is the reality. In the past, the art of letter writing and phone manners were imperative, as the recevier generally was some distance from the source of the communication. Now the distance is a keystroke. People make decisions in a blur of sometime useful information, and many times a glob of useless impressions that may or may not accurately represent the person. It is nearly the old wild west, where you shoot first, and ask questions later. Many who are involved in one on one sales, generally with durable, long term purchases, find themselves confronted with a problem. The customers move at a pace of their own, not at warp speed, and the salesperson must adjust their own presentation of product and solutions to match the process of the customer. The internet provides quantities of information, but the capacity of consumers to absorb, of honestly even want to know, may or not change the dynamic of a single sale. Bottom line: Slow down, and remember the old formula. We are give two ears, and one mouth. You can talk your way into a sale, but often, talk your way out of a sale. Make your points, and then shut up!

Confusion about what is training

A great many companies who manufacture and/or distribute products to wholesale or retail outlets, seem to think if they know the whiz-bang stuff on a product, that is all they need to know to close a sale. In fact, it may be the least needed portion of a sale, if the salesperson has properly established a relationship with the customer, correctly discovered their real needs, advocated a solution to the need, and supported the decision to buy. Instead of some carnival huckster trying to fleece the customer, they have become a consultant rather than a clerk. All companies selling to the general public, cannot stay in business, selling the available customers once. The repeat sales, with positive referrals, are the long term life blood of people doing business today. There is no substitute for professionalism. Whether you like it or not, the appearance of sales people, is the first subjective decision made by the customer, as to whether they will or will not buy. Sorry, hard lesson of life. Customers will do business with people they are comfortable with. If your appearance is the first and last impression they remember, go find a new profession.

The Importance of Strategic Planning in Effective Advertising.

In order to grow markets to their optimal levels, it is essential that a strong program of Product Training and Sales Training be initiated and continue at regular intervals for each individual throughout their involvement in the sales process.

It is important to be able to recognize the type and level of training indicated by each individual's needs. All training should be tailored as closely as possible to the person, the objectives of the company, and allow for the vicissitudes of the marketplace.

The Sales Training process should be easy to understand, practicable to implement, and have as its end the creation of Conscious Competents, i.e., individuals who are not only good at their jobs, but they know why they're good.