Having customers on my database gives me the chance to add some value and give you the opportunity to take advantage of a few of my offers that others don’t get.
Different stages of the buying cycle
Offers pave the way to a sale, and you must be making these all the time.
Every one of our clients might be at a different stage in the buying cycle.
Right now, the buying cycles are being affected by the uncertainty of COVID-19.
In this week’s blog I want to offer you something that only those on my database will get:
Full access to my book ‘Selling is not optional – how to master the most important skill in business and life’, and several mini workshops to go with it.
My favourite thing to do is show you what’s working right now. It’s not as good as being a client, but it’s close.
2. Take advantage of a FREE 45-minute consultation
Need some sales support? Make an appointment, and let me take you through the past, present, and future template.
3. Work with me one-on-one
If you are wanting to take your product or service from face-to-face to virtual selling, then I have a product that may be able to help you. You can get started for as little as $250 a month. If you’re interested then email mike@mikebrunel.com and put ‘Virtual Selling’ in the subject line…tell me a little about your business and I’ll get you all the details.
4. Finally, grab my new digital book on ‘How to get a predictable sales system into your business without coming across as salesy’
Mike Brunel started mikebrunel.com after being a successful entrepreneur and founder of NRS Media. He co-founded NRS Media in Wellington, New Zealand, expanded it into a global powerhouse in media sales and training, and was eventually responsible for opening offices in London, Atlanta, Toronto, Sydney, Capetown, and Bogota. He has hired hundreds of salespeople around the world.
In this week’s blog I talk about asking the right questions and discovering that one extra question can unravel hidden opportunity and revenue.
Many salespeople, after making a call to a client, figure out the problem and then offer a solution.
The old budget questions
Next up, they will try to ascertain the client’s budget.
The question might look something like this:
“Do you have a budget in mind for this service/product?”
“Yes, I do,” says the client, and then they throw a number out there, probably guessing.
Here is a tip that gave one sales coach the chance to increase his client’s budget by 100%.
Simply ask – UP TO?
I learnt this tip years ago from Tom Hopkins, a great sales coach.
He maintained – and I can vouch for his wisdom – that if you ask those two words, nine times out of ten you will find that the number of the budget you are given by a client will increase.
Tom’s story
His story verifies that.
Tom was working with a client and it got down to budgets. He was searching for what the client could afford.
His client, when asked the question “What is your budget?”, replied with “$1,000 Tom”.
Tom then asked these two words…
UP TO?
The client went on to say, “Up to $2,000”.
Now, there was an immediate $1,000 gap that Tom could work with.
It works, try it.
So next time when you ask for a budget, maybe these 2 words could be useful.
Mike (UPTO) Brunel
Whatever career you decide to take in sales, it’s always good to get some help.
Mike Brunel started mikebrunel.com after being a successful entrepreneur and founder of NRS Media. He co-founded NRS Media in Wellington, New Zealand, expanded it into a global powerhouse in media sales and training, and was eventually responsible for opening offices in London, Atlanta, Toronto, Sydney, Capetown, and Bogota. He has hired hundreds of salespeople around the world.
He made a lot of mistakes when it came to hiring his superstars. Check out his How to Hire A Super Salesperson Each and Every time – It’s packed with tips and ideas on how to hire great salespeople. Don’t ever Hire Bad Salespeople Ever Again. Promise!
If you have been struggling to navigate the impact of Covid-19, I want to let you know we understand.
As an owner of not only this sales training company, but a café and a retail store, it is indeed a challenging time.
Focus on your customers’ needs
We are trying to make sense of everything too.
Here is one thing I do know – continuing to focus on lead generation, marketing and sales could be the determining factor in helping you through these difficult times.
In addition, if you believe – as I do – that with every challenge comes a great opportunity…
Opportunity is around the corner!
I want to tell you about something that could make a real difference for you in 2020 and beyond.
Understanding your clients’ needs and wants.
If we know them well enough, then we can in some way go ahead and give them what they want and need.
Therefore, as a way of thanking you for being one of my supporters, I have included a 10-minute audio for you to listen to.
Hope you enjoy.
Mike
P.S I have got two spots left for my virtual face-to-face programme starting next week. If you are keen, just reply with ‘Yes virtual info’.
Whatever career you decide to take in sales, it’s always good to get some help.
Mike Brunel started mikebrunel.com after being a successful entrepreneur and founder of NRS Media. He co-founded NRS Media in Wellington, New Zealand, expanded it into a global powerhouse in media sales and training, and was eventually responsible for opening offices in London, Atlanta, Toronto, Sydney, Capetown, and Bogota. He has hired hundreds of salespeople around the world.
He made a lot of mistakes when it came to hiring his superstars. Check out his How to Hire A Super Salesperson Each and Every time – It’s packed with tips and ideas on how to hire great salespeople. Don’t ever Hire Bad Salespeople Ever Again. Promise!
This week, I want to share with you the third part in this series and a link to the interview I did covering the three important factors that determine where you go after Covid-19.
Don’t keep your team in the dark
Your team hate being kept in the dark.
It is also, when you think about it, the same with customers.
Keep communicating with them and make sure that they know what is happening.
This leads on to good leadership.
Good leadership
What makes up good sales leadership in these challenging times?
Be calm and logical; do not panic the troops. No one likes the leader to stand up and start wailing “Oh my goodness, I do not know what to do, help!”. They are looking for calm.
Look forward, not back; what’s gone is gone. The only time you have control over is now. Make sure you communicate that to your team.
Demonstrate some perspective. There are always things out of your control. In my business, overnight, I had a café and a retail store close the doors, and a planned trip to India to buy products for my importing business was postponed indefinitely. However, I am here in New Zealand – safe, healthy, and with my family.
Turn to your team even more. Keep them in the loop, ask for ideas and suggestions. If you do not, they may sooner or later turn it against you, and that’s not good right now.
Please check out the interview I did covering three factors that will determine where you go after Covid-19 below.
Have fun, stay safe.
Whatever career you decide to take in sales, it’s always good to get some help.
Mike Brunel started mikebrunel.com after being a successful entrepreneur and founder of NRS Media. He co-founded NRS Media in Wellington, New Zealand, expanded it into a global powerhouse in media sales and training, and was eventually responsible for opening offices in London, Atlanta, Toronto, Sydney, Capetown, and Bogota. He has hired hundreds of salespeople around the world.
He made a lot of mistakes when it came to hiring his superstars. Check out his How to Hire A Super Salesperson Each and Every time – It’s packed with tips and ideas on how to hire great salespeople. Don’t ever Hire Bad Salespeople Ever Again. Promise!
My question now is – if you have established which bucket you sell to, how do you make sure they will buy off you eventually when things get back to normal post COVID-19?
Your clients are open for business, and many salespeople and clients that I talk to think so too.
The market is not closed, it’s just a little different.
The truth is that people will buy and are buying now.
People do have money, it just shifts around.
It’s no good hiding under the blanket, tempting I know.
Here are what some of my clients are doing now while in lockdown.
1. Requalifying their clients – asking themselves:
Do I still want to do business with this person? Are they worth the effort? Do they give the return?
2. 80/20 rule – You can do #1 by using #2.
Go through your client list and evaluate where 80% of the revenue for your business is coming from. “Go hard, go early”
3. Communicate – Communicate with those, I suspect 20%. Every day, and in every way, I am getting better and better at this.
4. Can they pay? Finally, it’s the 21st of April, have they paid? Can they pay, will they pay? Find out if they haven’t and ask how you can help. If they have paid, call them and thank them.
As we plot our way through this, keep the faith, hone your sales skills.
Believe in yourself.
AND – If you want to build a new capability then get my 7 Day Sales Challenge FREE – Go on it will keep you out of the fridge I promise!
Whatever career you decide to take in sales, it’s always good to get some help.
Mike Brunel started mikebrunel.com after being a successful entrepreneur and founder of NRS Media. He co-founded NRS Media in Wellington, New Zealand, expanded it into a global powerhouse in media sales and training, and was eventually responsible for opening offices in London, Atlanta, Toronto, Sydney, Capetown, and Bogota. He has hired hundreds of salespeople around the world.
He made a lot of mistakes when it came to hiring his superstars. Check out his How to Hire A Super Salesperson Each and Every time – It’s packed with tips and ideas on how to hire great salespeople. Don’t ever Hire Bad Salespeople Ever Again. Promise!
Every day, all over the world salespeople love one thing.
Their product.
The challenge is most new clients you talk to are not really interested in your product just yet.
What they’re interested in deep down is, can they trust you?
Right now as we move into a new normal that’s the one thing that clients want from salespeople.
Whenever I work with clients I try and help them understand that when they sell their product or service, they have to build trust first.
They do that through storytelling and diving deep to find out what problems the client wants to solve.
Having a predictable system to do that is difficult because you don’t want to come across as pushy.
Here are two tips that you can use right now:
1. Listen to hear, not to respond – in other words, listen, don’t jump in and try and sell your product or service as soon as you hear something your solution could fix.
2. What is the potential clients ideal outcome in the future? If you can’t find it out then you haven’t found out the problem.
Mike Brunel started mikebrunel.com after being a successful entrepreneur and founder of NRS Media. He co-founded NRS Media in Wellington, New Zealand, expanded it into a global powerhouse in media sales and training, and was eventually responsible for opening offices in London, Atlanta, Toronto, Sydney, Capetown, and Bogota. He has hired hundreds of salespeople around the world.
He made a lot of mistakes when it came to hiring his superstars. Check out his How to Hire A Super Salesperson Each and Every time – It’s packed with tips and ideas on how to hire great salespeople. Don’t ever Hire Bad Salespeople Ever Again. Promise!
