Although some might focus their attention on the unlucky fact that this is yet another Friday the 13th, we realized it’s also National Good Samaritan Day. As such, we decided to bring you the best articles about creating emotional connections with your customers through generosity and goodwill tactics. Sales reps and managers who close deals without building long-term relationships won’t last long. So, today we focus on a few new tools and ideas that will help you better connect with clients in a way that makes you both look and feel good.
Fire, formulate, fascinate, follow up, and finalize. Harvey Mackey provides an overview of techniques to sharpen your sales process from beginning to end. It’s worth being aware of the difference between salesmanship and showmanship. You have to move beyond listing key benefits. You have to connect with your audience and walk them through the entire process from start to close. Never forget you are selling the whole time.
- How to Pivot Your Pitch to Win Over Skeptics (Eyes on Sales)
This article focuses on making your sales pitch flexible enough to shift with your clients’ needs. Although a strong introduction to your product is a critical step in the process, it is also the first opportunity the customer has to raise their defenses and create objections. Sales pro Brian Heider gives sales professionals some key points to help you adapt to common concerns at this stage and move in for the sales kill.
- 29 Things Winners Don’t Do That You Shouldn’t Do, Too (Dan Waldschmidt)
Although the title is hard to wrap your brain around, business thought leader Dan Waldschmidt’s power-packed list is the kind of sales motivation that every team needs. On this list, Waldschmidt touts the importance of determination, a desire for improvement, and taking action. It’s a quick, 5-minute read that is sure to get you fired up to make changes.
- Sales Management – 7 Tips for Coaching Your Top Sales Performers (Business 2 Community)
Writer and business consultant Richard Ruff explains how sales managers can bring out the best in their top performers. He specifically suggests not coaching top performers. Instead, empower your top performers with a stage to share their strengths and receive recognition for their accomplishments, while also presenting them with new challenges. Keeping them interested intellectually and professionally will help you retain your best sellers and improve your overall sales morale.
Andy Paul conducts a fascinating interview with Mark Roberge, the Chief Revenue Officer for Hubspot, as he shares some of the insights he used to bring Hubspot from a start up to 100 million dollars in sales. Roberge explains the importance of hiring the right sales talents. In addition, he shares his 5 qualities of a good sales trainee, passive recruiting strategies like the “forced referral” and advanced social media analytics, and his idea of metrics-driven sales coaching.
Sue Barrett, CEO of sales education firm Barrett, dissects some of the greatest quotes from Warren Buffett to find hints at what the business mogul thinks about building a phenomenal sales team. She highlights his dedication to simple selling, emphasis on sales training, and long-term business strategy. Barrett also highlights Warren Buffett’s emphasis on constant learning for a strong corporate foundation of flexibility.
7. 21 “Magic” Sales Productivity Tips Guaranteed To Help You Win More (Ago Cluytens)
This is the second part of a two-parter from management and financial consultant Ago Cluytens, with ten quick points to review when looking to increase your office productivity. He suggests automating standard processes and connecting with others to see how they are approaching similar time and organizational challenges. Cluytens also suggests that taking a walk can help you gain better perspective on your problems and revitalize your day.
John Boitnott’s theme is that forgetting the human element in your work environment is likely to punish your productivity. Technology and automation have increased our capacity to produce, but those same tools, used to excess, can grind down a staff until they feel robotic and unmotivated. If your staff is engaged and competing in a game rather than just chasing metrics out of obligation, you are likely to see morale and productivity improvements at the same time.
Productivity Institute founder Don Wetmore approaches productivity improvements by focusing on employee retention. The overall health of your company and internal processes aren’t allowed to thrive if you are wasting resources finding replacements for the employees you have already trained. He suggests you focus on the experience your employees have every day so that your resources are targeted where they can be the most effective.
- Karma in Sales – Podcast (The Advanced Selling Podcast)
Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale take a metaphysical approach to sales coaching in this discussion about the karma of your sales techniques. They introduce Emerson’s Law of Compensation, which is that if you want to receive more, you have to give more. The hosts remind listeners that customers are affected by your daily decision to bring positive or negative emotions to work.
Summary
It’s time to build on your success by remembering the importance of emotional connections with your clients and staff. Creating real connections, sharpening listening skills, and honing your ability to provide value will help you to build your business despite the current challenges of the marketplace. Building relationships based on generosity and “Good Samaritan” values can strengthen accounts and create opportunities that self-interested behaviors never will.