I was thrilled about being invited to do that, as I have never done that before. However, the awards were randomly passed out to a variety of business personalities, and not necessarily in a way that reflected their character or what they stand for.

Well, I opened mine to read what I was awarding. It was discount retailer of the year. Immediately, I told the backstage organizer that I cannot award this, and that created a wave of problems for them and the other business personalities, which was not my intention.

In sales, as in any profession, I teach people to be ethical. In this case, I would not have been ethical in presenting something that I do not believe in. Every retail client that I have worked with has had that problem and they have learned how to deal with discounts, and basically do not discount. If they do, they do it for the right reasons – volume, loyalty rewards, brand association, visibility, media coverage, etc.

What would have happened if I presented this award and my global retail clients, like Bulgari or Emirates, who I have trained not to discount, and by chance they saw a video of me presenting an award to Discount Retailer of the Year?

Would I have been ethical? Would they continue to do business with me? Would I be better off, worst off, or would it not matter at all?

This is a serious problem in every business, not just retail. How do you deal with it?

I believe that any behaviour that is recognized or rewarded gets repeated. Is discounting a behaviour that deserves recognition and praise? Is it something that business owners, entrepreneurs and sales people want to promote?

Or, is it something you would like to eliminate and learn how to eliminate it.
I invite you to give me your opinion and in two weeks, I will summarize the replies and share them back with you.

By the way, my closing quote at the forum was- If it is to be, It is up to me.
When discounting, are you selling, or are you giving your value away?

E-mail me your reply and enter to win $100 worth of educational products from BobU.com

Think about it, do you like to be convinced or influenced? I suspect, neither.

How do you feel after you have been convinced of a service or influenced by a sales approach or even sold on a product?

Does buyer’s remorse set in? Did you make the right decision? Are you happy you made the purchase, or are you concerned about the decision you made?

Whenever we are convinced or influenced to do something, buyer’s remorse and regret will always follow. Is that something you want your prospect to experience with YOU?

Sales is a relationship which is based on trust. When you convince or influence someone, it is your idea, not the prospects. You become an external influence and the trust is never lasting.

Once you have departed, the prospect may experience buyer‘s remorse. The prospect will either cancel the sale, or seek alternate counsel from others. Either way, the trust will be diminished. The trustworthy relationship is at risk, and there won’t be any sales referrals.

When you engage a prospect in conversation, you are delving into their thoughts and ideas, but certainly not yours. The attention belongs on the prospect and their particular needs. It does not belong to the salesperson nor the organization, the products or the services. The relationship will be stronger and everlasting by focusing solely on the concerns and requirements of the prospect.

Engage a prospect by asking questions, and not by telling or selling them anything. You must begin by asking open ended questions on topics of interest to the prospect, which may simply be of themselves, their family, their job, etc. The salesperson must encourage the prospect to open up, and talk. The more the prospect talks, the more you listen and the more you learn. The prospect will appreciate your sincere attention and will trust you. Delve deeply.

Introduce NLP mirroring and matching body language, tonality and words. You will quickly build a strong rapport. Trust will encourage the prospect to answer leading questions. These are specific questions that are necessary to promote discussion about their problems or their desires referencing the sales solutions you provide.

When you receive the answers to your leading questions, demonstrate sincere concern and understanding. Continue to ask fact finding questions in order to qualify the prospect’s sales needs, financial capability and their hierarchy for decision making.

Only then, can you summarize and determine if the prospect is qualified for your products or services. If they are not, you honestly inform them that you are unable to help them at this time. However, if they are qualified, you must confidently assure them you have a solution to their problems or desires.

By engaging the prospect, you are facilitating their buying process. You are not selling. They are buying. When prospects buy, the trust is solid and so is the relationship. They will not back out of the sale nor will they experience buyer’s remorse or regret. They will also relate the experience to their friends and will likely provide you with sales referrals.

From this time forward, what method will you use to sell? Will you convince, influence or engage?

To download your complimentary White Paper “The New Economy of Buyers, Why Traditional and Consultative Selling Methods No Longer Work”, visit www.BobU.com

Bob Urichuck is an internationally renowned Velocity Selling Specialist.

For the last 15-years he has worked with fortune 500 companies and mid size businesses, To Inspire, Empower and Add Sales Velocity to Their Bottom Line.

Sales Velocity. Your Bottom Line. Our Passion

You must be buyer focused to attract, engage and empower buyers to buy.

Without buyers there are no sales.

Bottom line: no sales = no revenue = negative bottom line = out of business

Sales now revolve around buyers. Buyers are everywhere. What are you doing to help they buy?

First, are you product, company, self or buyer-focused?

Be honest with yourself, because if you are anything but buyer focused, you will soon be out of business in this new economy of buyers.

Once you understand how buyers buy and how they control the sales process, you will want to change how you conduct your sales. Buyers follow a system, and so should salespeople. The system must attract, engage and empower the buyer to buy.

It is crucial to your overall success to ensure there is a strong foundation to support productive behaviors.

A brand new positive and proactive attitude will certainly attract more buyers. Changing your ineffective behaviors or habits into defined daily disciplines and efficient habits will provide you with more focused targeting. The result will be a better return on time invested (R.O.T.I.).

It requires organizations to be committed to doing what is “right” and to demonstrate the appropriate behaviors on an ongoing basis. This includes tracking and analyzing behaviors to increase “call to close” ratios, or if necessary, turning away business. It also means being ethical and acting with integrity even when it’s easy or tempting not to.

By following non-traditional marketing techniques you can set yourself up as an expert in your field and attract the right buyers. You will no longer be chasing buyers to get their business. Buyers will be chasing you to do business with you.

Once you attract the right buyers, you then need to engage the buyer quickly and establish trust, break down barriers and enjoy an open and honest communication.

When you properly engage a buyer, you will be empowered to qualify on a profound and significant basis. It will be easier to uncover budget and decision making perimeters prior to prescribing solutions or presentations.
Subsequently, if the buyer is qualified and committed, you will carry out a prescribed presentation, empower them to buy and maintain a trustworthy relationship with the buyer.

With all the manipulative sales techniques removed from the process, salespeople experience stronger client relationships, faster sales cycles, higher margins and profits, and improved closing ratios. You will have more satisfied customers and more referrals. Ultimately you will Up Your Bottom Line in weeks, not months.

The New Economy of Selling is About Buyers. The “Buyer Focused” Velocity Selling TM system ensures your sales team is engaged in a step-by-step process to take ownership. The result: They Execute the Disciplines of Attracting, Engaging and Empowering the Velocity Selling Cycle, to Up Your Bottom Line.

Visit www.BobU.com to download your complimentary copy of “The New Economy of Buyers: Why Traditional and Consultative Selling Methods No Longer Work”

Or

Purchase and Read the book “Up Your Bottom Line”

Without buyers there are no sales.

Bottom line: no sales, no revenue.

Sales cycles now revolve around the new economy of buyers.

In previous articles we discussed the numerous competencies that sales professionals possess. The most important traits are human interaction, communication, and relationship building.

We discussed the need to establish rapport and build trust. We learned the four universal needs of all buyers.

How can we communicate more effectively with buyers?

Questioning and listening are the two most important communication skills in all areas of life – at home, at social events, at work, in management, as part of a team, and within sales.

These communication skills contribute directly to building long lasting relationships and establishing trust. You will have the confidence to attract, engage and empower buyers.

Ask questions: Use open-ended questions which will encourage people to open up and talk without borders.

1. Use direct questions when in search of a specific answer or need to move the conversation in a specific direction.
2. Use fact-finding questions to gather the information you need.
3. Use close-ended questions to steer the conversation and reach a conclusion.

Listen to: The answers to your questions.

1. Listen 70% of the time. Ask questions the other 30% of the time.
2. Focus on what the customer is saying. Don’t be thinking about your next question.
3. Avoid formulating your next question while the customer is talking, particularly if it easily distracts you from listening.
4. Always question the answers in order to gain more detail. By questioning the answer three or four more times in succession, you will eventually get to the root of the problem.

Learn How to Execute the Disciplines of Attracting, Engaging and Empowering the “Buyer Focused” Velocity Selling System, to Up Your Bottom Line

For you complimentary White Paper “The New Economy of Buyers, Why Traditional and Consultative Selling Methods No Longer Work” visit www.BobU.com.

Let’s face it, people buy from people, particularly people they trust and like, and people who remind them of themselves. Trust and understanding formulate a sturdy foundation for a solid relationship. Therefore, it is important that a sales professional learn how to quickly build rapport and gain the prospect’s trust.

There are a number of factors to consider in order to create a satisfying relationship with a prospect. First you must establish trust. The quickest and most effective method is to develop a strong rapport with the prospect. Then, you can proceed to ask specific questions and acquire further information once a beneficial rapport has been established and the prospect trusts you. Without trust, the prospect will not willingly answer any questions. You are about to discover the most important first step in the selling process of the Velocity Selling System.

The contemporary meaning of “building rapport” is to achieve a sense of relationship, agreement, and harmony. However, the word “rapport” is derived from the old French language and means “to bring back”. In sales, the concept of “bringing back” depicts the true meaning of “building rapport.”
Building rapport is an ongoing process and is only the beginning of the overall sales effort. As a result, you will have both short-range and long-range objectives for building rapport.

Short-Range Objectives

These are some typical short-range objectives for building rapport.

1. Make the prospect comfortable in the sales situation.
2. Find out why the prospect is present, gain a sense of the prospect’s needs, and discover how you can learn more about their particular needs.
3. Ensure that you will be able to continue the sales effort beyond the first encounter.

It is imperative you meet all of these objectives if you expect the prospect to be interested long enough for you to earn the right to proceed.

Long-Range Objectives
Here are some typical long-range objectives for building rapport.

1. Gain the prospect’s attention immediately and begin an informative and rewarding dialogue with said prospect.
2. Begin building a fundamental rapport between you and the prospect — the sense of “harmony, affinity, and agreement” that is key to your success.
3. Earn the right to proceed. Ensure the prospect will stay with you (and return if necessary), thus positioning yourself to learn everything about the prospect’s needs, and ultimately, complete the sale.

A key point about building rapport is this endeavour is an ongoing process which begins early in the sales effort. A sturdy rapport is by far the most important first step to building long term relationships.

Keep in mind that people buy from people first. If they buy from you, they trust you, and a mutually beneficial relationship begins. Your job as a sales professional is primarily to maintain that relationship.

You must create a secondary sales force via word of mouth which is the most valuable referral program. I urge you to stop selling and start building relationships.

There are a number of factors to consider in order to create a satisfying relationship with a prospect. First you must establish trust. The quickest and most effective method is to develop a strong rapport with the prospect. Then, you can proceed to ask specific questions and acquire further information once a beneficial rapport has been established and the prospect trusts you.

Without trust, the prospect will not willingly answer any questions. You are about to discover the most important first step in the selling process of the Velocity Selling System.

The contemporary meaning of “building rapport” is to achieve a sense of relationship, agreement, and harmony. However, the word “rapport” is derived from the old French language and means “to bring back”. In sales, the concept of “bringing back” depicts the true meaning of “building rapport.”
Building rapport is an ongoing process and is only the beginning of the overall sales effort. As a result, you will have both short-range and long-range objectives for building rapport.

Short-Range Objectives

These are some typical short-range objectives for building rapport.

1. Make the prospect comfortable in the sales situation.
2. Find out why the prospect is present, gain a sense of the prospect’s needs, and discover how you can learn more about their particular needs.
3. Ensure that you will be able to continue the sales effort beyond the first encounter.

It is imperative you meet all of these objectives if you expect the prospect to be interested long enough for you to earn the right to proceed.

Long-Range Objectives

Here are some typical long-range objectives for building rapport.

1. Gain the prospect’s attention immediately and begin an informative and rewarding dialogue with said prospect.
2. Begin building a fundamental rapport between you and the prospect — the sense of “harmony, affinity, and agreement” that is key to your success.
3. Earn the right to proceed. Ensure the prospect will stay with you (and return if necessary), thus positioning yourself to learn everything about the prospect’s needs, and ultimately, complete the sale.

A key point about building rapport is this endeavour is an ongoing process which begins early in the sales effort. A sturdy rapport is by far the most important first step to building long term relationships.
Keep in mind that people buy from people first. If they buy from you, they trust you, and a mutually beneficial relationship begins.

Your job as a sales professional is primarily to maintain that relationship. You must create a secondary sales force via word of mouth which is the most valuable referral program. I urge you to stop selling and start building relationships.

In the Velocity Selling System, you must first establish rapport with the client in order to build a lasting relationship. You need to know the components of the NLP rapport pie and how to build rapport in the first 30 seconds of meeting.

You must learn how to identify an individual’s predominant sense and how to use that sense to your benefit, especially during the presentation phase. When these techniques are applied, you enter into the Velocity Selling Cycle.

Once rapport has been established, questions can then be asked. However, when using the Velocity Selling System, you need to know why questions are so important. It is imperative to know the type of questions that should be asked, and how to deal with questions from the prospect or client without giving free consulting. There are a series of questioning techniques available to salespeople that will enhance the selling relationship and increase the velocity of your selling cycle.

In the Velocity Selling System, asking questions is like taking the prospect through a self-discovery tunnel lined with their needs, desires and expectations. You are helping them to discover it for themselves. You are building a relationship step by step while improving your velocity selling cycle.

Step one is asking questions and step two is listening intently. There are several active listening techniques outlined in the Velocity Selling System which you should apply. The foremost question is, “Do you really want to service the buyer or are you there for your own reasons?”

In today’s new economy of buyers, traditional and consultative selling methods no longer work. To increase the Velocity of your Selling Cycle you have to accept that your encounter with the buyer is not about you, your products or services. It is entirely about the buyers’ needs and desires, and their budget and time frame.

Good questioning and listening techniques will help your Velocity Selling Cycle engage and empower the buyer to buy while establishing a lasting relationship for additional business, referrals and introductions.

Nonetheless, what do most organizations do when the economy heads south? They cut costs, typically in the wrong areas such as training, sales conferences, coaching and sale personnel. Sales motivation does not exist. They create an environment of uncertainty as well as contributing to and supporting the downfall of the economy.

Somewhere along the way the corporate world must understand that the economic world revolves around sales. There won’t be any transactions without sales and consequently, there is no revenue without transactions. Without revenue, organizations cannot survive, and no one would have a job. Sales is the heart of most jobs in an organization.

Sales is by far the most important profession in every organization, in every industry, and in every country in the world. The world revolves around sales. Without sales, the economy dwindles and we head directly into a recession. We cannot stay afloat without sales motivation.

Now is not the time to cut back in sales personnel, sales training, or sales motivation. Now is the time to step up and to increase your sales force or at least, maintain and motivate the present sales force.

Why? It is not considered selling simply by taking orders during a booming economy. It is necessary that organizations have a strong, sales motivational structure during these uncertain times. The sales group must seek out sales transactions even when their prospects are few and far between.

There is a definite need to target efforts in a direction that will give you measurable results within a short period of time – R.O.T.I. – Return On Time Invested.

Marketing and prospecting activities need to step up because one must do more to sell and do more to maintain any sales during this uncertain economy.

In order to accomplish all these things and many more that are unlisted, you need a sales motivating environment. You also need a sales motivated Management team to support a motivated sales team.

It is most important to engage, create and maintain a vibrant and sales motivating environment. One in which the sales people and the support team take ownership.

How do you do that?

Your can improve your current environment. Get your team together and engage them in finding the solution. Make it the team’s idea and allow them to take ownership and ultimately, make it happen. Now is the time for Management to be the facilitator and/or coach. Help your sales team get where they want to go.

As an expert in motivation, I know you cannot make someone else motivated. Only you can motivate you. Management can simply create an environment in which people motivate themselves.

Any attempt to motivate someone else is considered external motivation. External motivation is temporary and usually doesn’t last. However, personal or internal motivation is the true and deepest form of motivation. Internal motivation is everlasting.

We must engage teams to challenge themselves and find the solutions. I reiterate the need to create an ideal environment in which motivation comes from within the individual. In turn, that forward moving environment will stem from Management’s support and trust in the sales team.

There is an additional challenge. People have a natural tendency to be negative especially during slow or uncertain times. I strongly suggest you turn that negativity into a challenge. Firstly, re-secure your team’s trust before moving forward. If the organization has already contributed to cost cutting by eliminating part of the team and/or the sales training and conferences; then, involve the remaining team to work on the solutions.

They must believe in themselves and the future of the organization. Management can turn a negative into a positive with the right perspective and discipline. Move sales motivation to the front of the class and don’t ignore the possibilities of positive reinforcement.

Let’s understand that a sale starts the moment you meet someone. They will have to buy you, before any sales will be made between the two of you. So, would you buy you?

This is the A in sales – Attitude. Do you believe in you, do you believe in your organization, it’s products and services, your team players and the market that you are making sales in?

If you do not believe in one, or any of these elements, nor will the customer. It all starts by believing in yourself, and the organization that you are making the sales for.

Buyers are sharp when it comes to sales. They know how to read body language and your level of belief is indicated through your body language.

The B in sales is for behaviour. Our behaviour is our habits when it comes to sales. Are you demonstrating appropriate behaviours / habit for sales by asking questions to qualify the prospect or are you demonstrating traditional sales behaviours of show and tell and wasting everyone‘s time?

The behaviour you demonstrate leads to perceptions. Someone doing a show and tell is definitely perceived as a sales person. However, someone who is asking questions, showing concern, listening and taking notes would be perceived differently – as an advisor or consultant perhaps, and still getting the sales, while maintaining a relationship.

How do you want to be perceived. What behaviours must your demonstrate so that you can be perceived as you want to be, while still getting the sales results you so need.

Behaviour is also knowing your sales numbers and where you sales time is spent and where you are getting your best sales results. What behaviours get you the greatest sales results- telephone, networking, e-mail, trade shows, etc.

In order to generate X sales this week, how many No’s do you have to get to get to a sales yes. How many sales prospects do you need? To get that many sales prospects, how many people do you have to make contact with?

Sales can also be targeted – another behaviour. Knowing the 80/20 rule can lead you to focusing on sales and relationships at the top end, as opposed to the bottom end.

Having a personal marketing plan to position yourself in the marketplace as a sales expert can be part of your pull strategy. Stop chasing and start pulling in sales.

Focus on building rapport when you meet someone. Build a relationship on trust and soon the sales from them, and others will start flowing.

Ask questions, listen and make the other person feel important and comfortable, before trying to make a sale.

Set some ground rules to work by, so that there are no sales surprise. Be present in the moment and sales will flow.

The Bottom Line. Buyers are everywhere. What are you doing to help them buy? Start by taking control of your attitude and behaviours and then engage people. Sales are more likely to be made with people are engaged and listened to.