by Mike Brunel | Mar 31, 2021 | Sales, Strategy
Part of the reason people panic when they think about sales is that selling seems like a mysterious process.
We might just be able solve that mystery.
It’s our belief that selling is like any other journey: the territory you are covering may be new to you, but it has been travelled before, and there are certain steps you can take to clear the way. Each step you take along the way matters.
Let’s look more closely at the selling journey.
Building Up by Planning
Selling a product or service is, in many ways, like a building project.
I have been involved in two major renovations for both a home and a commercial building.
Here’s how the process unfolds:
- You speak with an architect who presents you with some plans, drawings, or visual examples of what your home or building might look like.
- Once you approve your plan, you seek a builder to do the construction.
- If you want to approach the build with confidence, you’ll also want to be involved in the builder’s plans and timelines. Using excellent project management tools is key.
- Still, even the best-laid plans sometimes change. You might go back and forth and change a few parts of the
- Even when you get started, you need to keep in mind the need to be flexible, adjust to shifting timelines, accommodate last-minute decisions, and possibly suffer some setbacks.
- You need to be nimble, but it’s hard, because there is a lot at stake, financially and emotionally.
- Soon enough, though you start to visualise the final product and then watch your home or building take shape. Finally, you see your completed project in front of your eyes. All of that planning has paid off.
Following a plan and actually building that home requires discipline and principles.
It’s the same with sales, which unfolds in similar stages.
With both types of projects, it is important to begin with the right mindset, so why don’t we do that when it comes to constructing a sale? Why don’t we plan the process that will let us get a result we want?
Most business owners jump in too quickly, assuming that their product is so magnificent that people should just buy it. Or, they don’t bother to plan.
Usually salespeople do not follow any particular steps or process on the way to the sale of that product. If you look at sales the way you look at building your home, though, you will see that there are certain processes you have to follow to get a good result.
It does not have to be a complicated process, but you do need a plan.
Knowing a few simple steps in the journey to your sales is all that is required. In my book Selling is not optional we have a 7 step process to help you understand the selling journey better.
If you don’t know where you are going, how will you know when you get there?
Good selling
Mike
Here is an audio introduction on the preparing for the journey when it comes to selling.
by Mike Brunel | Mar 29, 2021 | Strategy
Every year I receive a calendar in the mail from one of my coaches who I have worked with for several years, his name is Dan Kennedy.
“A calendar you might say, what they still send out calendars!”
A bit old fashioned don’t you think? I have a phone for that.
His calendar is not like the one you receive from your insurance agent with nice scenes of places that you have never seen.
His has great ideas on every page for every month for you to think about.
This month I flipped over the month of November and this is what I found.
A question…
“If I could just…………………….”
Four words that could change your sales life overnight.
Try this…
If you want to know and identify what the key problem your client may have fill in the blank as if the client was asking this question
“If I could just……………………..”
How does your customer finish that sentence?
If you know that, that will give you a tremendous leverage and advantage and it allows you to construct an offer that is almost irresistible to you client.
Good selling.
Cheers
Mike
PLUS, whenever you are ready…here are four ways I can help you grow YOUR business.
1. Join my free Facebook group – Sales Mindset Inner Circle
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. If you’re interested then email mike@mikebrunel.com and put ‘Yes 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’
Click the link: https://www.salesblueprintbook.com/book
by Mike Brunel | Aug 28, 2019 | Sales, Strategy
This is a comment I hear from sales managers all the time.
“My salespeople drive me crazy” Guess what? My wife drives me crazy too; my kids at times drive me to drink. We are all driven crazy by someone.
But I believe that salespeople are like your family and you as the sale manager are responsible for their success.
Think about this for a moment.
Hire Time.
When you hired that ‘salesperson’ did you have all the best intentions that he or she would succeed?
Do you remember the actual time in your mind when you made the decision to hire that person? You probably thought “Yes, they are going to do well and be successful.
You were confident that you could put this person in front of your client and they would do well.
The Secret To Success For A Sales Manager.
Your success as a sales manager actually depends on the success of the individual. If you send your salespeople out with a brochure, some material about your company, and no training it reflects on you. Not the salesperson.
Train, Train, Train.
In real estate it’s ‘Location, location, location’ which is the catch phrase. In sales, it’s ‘Train, train, train.’
In my experience of over 25 years of training salespeople, the best companies are the ones that make an ongoing commitment to training continually.
And they have the best results.
What you are trying to do with your training is to give the salesperson the confidence and tools so when they see a problem or issue that a client may have, they can go away and come back and create value for the client.
How Do You Create Value?
I think it is unprofessional for a sales manager to let a salesperson on their team go out unprepared.
You need to have a plan, and you need to teach your salespeople how to do that. If your salesperson is unprepared they do not know to look for opportunities.
One of the biggest challenges for you right now is time.
We all know “I need time to set budgets, time for the General Manager, time for the strategy, time, time, time. You never have enough of it. True?
It’s Not About You?
Guess what, many of you may have it the wrong way around. Another secret, our clients and prospects expect a well-trained, well prepared, confident, value creating salesperson. Simple as that.
Whatever you can do as a sales manager to facilitate that has to come from you.
Good selling.
Whatever career you decide to take in sales, it’s always good to get some help.
That’s why you can get FREE in your inbox every morning for 7 days; the 7 Day Sale Challenge.
Hop on over here and subscribe.
For more content like this, please make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel.
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!
by Mike Brunel | Aug 21, 2019 | Sales, Strategy
Every time you meet a new client or want to work with a client they subconsciously think two things; here is the first one…
They look at you and ask themselves quietly under their breath:
“Can I trust this person?
Can I actually trust this person with my money, with my time, with anything?”
Do you do that? Do you ask yourself that question when you meet somebody new? I bet you do.
What’s the next question?
“Can I work with this person?”
The second thing they ask themselves is “Can I work with this person? Can I actually be bothered to work with this person?
The other salesperson I deal with, she is okay. Do I want to change what I already have?
What am I going to lose, or have to give up by working with this guy?”
How can I build trust then?
So on the other side of it, if you do meet a client, how do you build trust? Well, the important thing, I believe, is keep your agreements.
I think it’s #1.
Keep Agreements.
If you say you’re going to go see them at 10 o’clock on a Monday, you’re there at 10 o’clock.
If you say that you’re going to send them some documentation in a timely manner, you follow that up.
Solve their problem
If you say that you’re going to be able to solve this problem for them, then make sure you have material that demonstrates that.
And, slowly, and it does sometimes take time, trust will be built.
Don’t over promise and under deliver.
But as soon as you overpromise, then under-deliver, the trust goes down.
Have a great week, and I’ll talk to you again soon.
Whatever career you decide to take in sales, it’s always good to get some help.
That’s why you can get FREE in your inbox every morning for 7 days; the 7 Day Sale Challenge.
Hop on over here and subscribe.
For more content like this, please make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel.
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!
by Mike Brunel | Aug 14, 2019 | Sales, Strategy
80%……….Of all sales are made after the fifth call
48%……….Of all salespeople call once and quit
25%……….Call twice and quit
10%……….Keep on calling
These statistics are pretty close to the mark in all forms of selling and ring especially true in media sales.
I think that we all know SALES DON’T JUST HAPPEN.
Why do many of the great media salespeople thrive when others do not?
Here are some ongoing practices I observe every day.
1. Always add to your pipeline.
Always add to your pipeline. This is often a mistake that media salespeople make once they have established a strong ongoing funnel. If you continue to add to your pipeline then if that long-established client decides that this month they will not buy, it does not matter because you have potential opportunities in your pipeline.
If you are always taking the position of helping and assisting your client, then your pipeline will increase. If you are only filling up your pipeline when you are desperate then many clients will sense that, and you will come across as desperate.
2. Never assume they need you.
I have noticed that many salespeople leave a message with a client or a voicemail and they think it ends there. They think that they have done what they had to do and then move on.
Depending on the relationship you have with that client, they may or may not call you back.
If you do want to do business with them, you have to plan that call and decide the ongoing strategy to get the person to respond.
Create a proactive message for them to call you back.
3. Sales potty training.
For those that may have had young children there was a time when you had to train them to go to the toilet. In my experience (a while ago) I always used to say, “Pee or get off the pot” In other words, make a decision.
Therefore, there will be times when you have to make a decision to get off the pot, some clients need to be let go, you need to figure out if a prospect is serious about working with you or not. A good pipeline is full of qualified prospects and not “tyre kickers”
Whatever career you decide to take in sales, it’s always good to get some help.
That’s why you can get FREE in your inbox every morning for 7 days; the 7 Day Sale Challenge.
Hop on over here and subscribe.
For more content like this, please make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel.
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!
by Mike Brunel | Aug 7, 2019 | Sales, Strategy
Is 65 too old to sell? When do you retire? Are you over the hill at 65?
Here is an example which proves that age is no barrier, when it comes to selling.
I have a friend who owns a large real-estate company in one of our provincial cities. The population of this city is around 100,000 people.
It’s a beautiful part of my country and folk flock there in the Summertime for its amazing weather.
Last week, I caught up with him and we got talking about how things were going, sales, management issues, and the usual stuff we chat about when we see each other.
Performance incentive.
As an incentive for his staff, he offers the top ten salespeople for a calendar year the opportunity to win a few days away at an exotic designation.
This is hotly sought after and keenly fought for.
I asked how it was going and he remarked that it had just been announced and he had 10 winners again this year.
They were all excited and were off to a great destination.
I asked what type of people were going, and the mix, were they male? Female? Younger? Older?
Guess what? This year, the 10 winners were nudging 65 and were all women.
That’s right, an age when most of us would be thinking about retirement.
Working Hard.
Make no mistake, the company my friend owns is one of the best in his region, and if you want to win awards, you have to work really hard, and knuckle down to make it happen.
An excellent example.
So, is 65 too old to sell? The lesson I took away from this example was that working hard and carrying out the disciplines of selling was not limited to age, but attitude.
Age is no barrier to success, and these women proved it.
It’s also a great example about avoiding putting people in boxes and stereotyping them.
We often do that with our clients, using phrases like “They will never buy” or “They tried my product once and they said it did not work”
Maybe this week, think about all those women celebrating success because they worked hard and performed well and that age was no barrier.
Well done, I say.
Good selling.
Whatever career you decide to take in sales, it’s always good to get some help.
That’s why you can get FREE in your inbox every morning for 7 days; the 7 Day Sale Challenge.
Hop on over here and subscribe.
For more content like this, please make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel.
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!
