Sales Strategy Radio ... with Tim McMahon

2005-10-20T10:20:00.000-05:00

"Love and Money"

Are you a victim of "sales insanity"? It causes great salespeople to sometimes make less than great choices about which opportunities they pursue ... and it's all about "Love and Money"!

2005-10-11T08:35:00.000-05:00

"Scratch Selling - The 7 Plays of Top Performers"

Top performers, in sports or in business, understand the 7 key strategies, attitudes, and tactics necessary for real success. Just as a scratch golfer plays at the top of his or her game, you can apply these same skills to be at the top of your selling game ... and you just might improved your golf score at the same time!

2005-10-03T12:16:00.000-05:00

"The Kid Has A Future in Sales!"

There are some future sales reps out there. Some of them are only 5 years old but they've already got persistance and mastered handling objections.

2005-09-30T10:34:00.000-05:00

"Collaboration and Knowledge Mining"

Team Building? Communicating? Collaborating? New technologies are enabling sales teams to work together more effectively than ever before, but just working together won't necessarily produce better sales results ... unless smart sales teams understand "Knowledge Mining" to power their 21st Centruy sales organizations!

2005-09-19T10:41:00.000-05:00

"Lost in the Sales MAZE"

Have you ever been lost in the "Sales MAZE"? Join sales expert Tim McMahon as he talks about how to avoid the "Maximum Activity Zero Effect" trap!

2005-09-12T10:07:00.000-05:00

"It's Wot You Do!" -- Do you have the courage to go for it all, win or lose, put yourself and your abilities on the line every day? Meet Martin, a street performer from London, with message

2005-09-07T09:11:00.000-05:00

"The Meaning of Partnership!"

The true measure of partnership is how we help each other over life's obstacles ... we gain greater sales success when we focus less on "winning" sales and more on winning customers.

2005-08-30T14:28:00.000-05:00

"It's All About Customer Alignment"

You know the feeling you get when you make a "perfect" sales call? When you're in perfect synch with the prospect? There's a trick to making it happen every time. Join Tim McMahon to learn about "Alignment" - maybe your most powerful selling technique!

2005-08-25T09:08:00.000-05:00

"Playing with the Big Dogs"

What you put into something determines what you get out of it ... and it's especially true in selling! You pretty much get exactly the success you deserve. Join Tim with some thoughts on what it takes to be a sales "Big Dog".

2005-08-19T12:14:00.000-05:00

SALES STRATEGY RADIO ... with Tim McMahon

"Thru the Customer's Eyes"

The job of marketing and selling ought to be to make it as easy as possible for a prospect to buy from us ... at least Tim thought so until he started shopping for corporate health insurance. What he experienced is a strong message for sales reps and marketers (and a pretty good example of what prospects don't want!).

2005-08-16T10:11:00.000-05:00

"Heros" ...

Meet Frank, a hero for our time ... and a role model for those of us who never quit in our efforts to achieve success.

2005-08-10T11:19:00.000-05:00

"Your Great Competitors"

How do you look at your competitors? You probably know all their weaknesses, but you'll never achieve real sales success unless you're an expert in their strengths!

2005-08-03T12:13:00.000-05:00

"The Power of Three"

In this segment, Tim answers a listener's sales challenge question: "I give my prospects more great value propositions than I can count but they're still not buying. What am I doing wrong?" The answer may be in the powerful selling technique, "The Power of Three"

2005-07-28T15:47:00.000-05:00

Top Performance: Selling Just for the Fun of it!

It takes more than hard work or desire to become a sales top performer ... or in anything else, for that matter. The most successful sales pros found success when they found the "fun" of selling. Join Tim in a segment that may change the way you look at selling.

2005-07-21T10:36:00.000-05:00

The Sales Mousetrap: "Build a Better Mousetrap and ...?".

Emerson said it - build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door. He was dead wrong. A great product or idea is nothing until someone sells it!

2005-07-18T09:25:00.000-05:00

"The Real Source of Competitive Advantage". Do you have the Courage to Change ... to do something different in your sales efforts ... something that might create new competitive advantage ... even when what you're doing today is working okay? If not, watch out; your competitor might!

Beating the Price Trap

2005-07-15T12:36:00.000-05:00

Beating the Price Trap -- Do your customers always seem to bring up the Price objection? Join Tim and see why you don't have to lower your price just because they ask!

2005-07-11T12:46:00.000-05:00

"Interviewing for A Sale!" -- Here's a new take on making a winning sales call that may surprise you. Join Tim as he talks about how to make your customer really want to "hire" you and your company with a powerful set of proven and easy-to-use sales techniques that you might not have thought much about!

2005-07-08T08:35:00.000-05:00

"Product, Price, or Value"

There are only three ways a successful sales rep or businessperson can compete in the market - Product, Price, & Unique Value. Join Tim as he talks about why you have to avoid the "product and price traps" and how you can make value selling your most important sales tool - if you get it right!

2005-07-06T12:55:00.000-05:00

"Experiencing Value" ...The First Rule of Value Selling is "Value Must Be Transformed from Perception into Experience". Sometimes it's a long way from one to the other as Tim offers another "tale from the road". Chances are this segment will strike a painfully familiar chord for you.

A Little Vacation Time!

2005-06-22T08:48:00.000-05:00

Many of you have been enjoying SALES STRATEGY RADIO on both this audio blog and podcast (with more new subscribers every day) and I appreciate the many emails we've received. It's our plan to keep bringing you a regular flow of great sales ideas and strategies. Once in a while, however, there will be a little "break in the action", like now ...

It's finally summer and vacation time has arrived. I'll be gone until the first week of July taking a bit of vacation of my own. In fact, taking some time to recharge the batteries is a pretty good "great sales idea" in itself!

So be sure to check in here during the first week of July as we resume the flow of great sales ideas on SALES STRATEGY RADIO ... and keep sending your comments! (enter them here or email to (salesstrategyradio@mcmahonworldwide.com). And enjoy a little vacation time of your own while we're gone!

- tim mcmahon

2005-06-21T11:25:00.000-05:00

"110% Effort" - It takes 110% effort to create a 100% satisfied customer, and a clear understanding of what "satisfaction" really means.

2005-06-16T08:59:00.000-05:00

"Finding Personal Success" Will you be ready to grab the brass ring of success when it passes by, and are you prepared to take advantage of every opportunity? Join Tim in this segment as he talks about setting goals and the importance of focusing on excellence today as a springboard for tomorrow!

2005-06-13T09:02:00.000-05:00

"SALES REP OR MARKETER?" ... In today's competitive marketplace a top performing sales rep needs to be a world class marketer as well as a master of sales techniques. Why? Join Tim in this segment that may change the way you think about the job of selling.

2005-06-10T09:49:00.000-05:00

SALES STRATEGY RADIO ... with Tim McMahon. "Successful Customers Buy More!"

It's in your best interest to make your customers more successful. What kind of a contribution do you make to enhancing your customer's business outcomes? Join Tim McMahon and see why your Value Propositions need to become "Customer Success Strategies"!

2005-06-06T09:06:00.000-05:00

SALES STRATEGY RADIO ... with Tim McMahon. "Where's the Value?". It's a simple but often forgotten truth of Value Selling: People Don't Buy Products, They Buy What They Can Do With Them. So if you're selling "product", well ...

Join Tim McMahon on a trip to the movies to learn more about selling true value!

2005-06-02T10:27:00.000-05:00

BRIEFING ON VALUE ... An interview with business strategy expert and author JONATHAN NARDUCCI who looks at why a constant focus on Value must be a part of every day for every sales and marketing organization.

Visit Jonathan Narducci on the web at http://www.narduccienterprises.com for a wealth of powerful business planning ideas.

2005-05-31T09:38:00.000-05:00

RIGHT THINKING ... the Key To Sales Success. Are you a "right thinker"? Do you always make the right calls on the right prospect at the right time with the right message ... and get the results you want? Join Tim McMahon to learn the "Six Critical Questions" you should be asking yourself every day!

2005-05-27T12:57:00.000-05:00

A PROFESSION FOR LUNATICS - Selling just shouldn't be this much fun ... or should it? Sales expert Tim McMahon is almost ready to give up selling for a "normal" job ,,, almost.

2005-05-27T12:35:00.000-05:00

REVERSE SELLING -- Maybe it's time for a new look at selling technique that's less about "uncovering" the customer's hidden needs and wants and more about finding "value alignment". This 30 min program with sales expert Tim McMahon was recorded live at a Top Of Your Game Performance conference.

2005-05-27T10:14:00.001-05:00

GOODBYE, BUFFALO BILL! -- What kind of a sales rep are you? A "Sharpshooter" or a "Rancher"? You just might be surprised to learn what it takes today to successfully manage a sales territory ... with Tim McMahon

2005-05-27T10:14:00.000-05:00

ARE YOU A "PNSGCWSR???" --What do you call yourself? Marketing Rep? Account Exec? Territory Manager? Why doesn't anyone want to be a Sales Rep anymore? A lightheared look at selling.

2005-05-27T10:12:00.000-05:00

OLD YANKEES & SLED DOGS -- Sales is pure and simple about the business of Winning. A little "Old Yankee Wisdom" just might help you focus your sales efforts for success!

2005-05-27T10:11:00.000-05:00

ROAD WARRIORS & THE BIG PARTY -- As any true Road Warrior knows, it's a Big Party out there ... isn't it? Sales Expert Tim McMahon takes a lighthearted look at the "joys" of life on the road ... from airline food to midnight room service! You just might recognize yourself!

2005-05-27T10:09:00.000-05:00

Sales ... a profession for lunatics. You'de have to be crazy to have this much fun! ... with sales expert Tim McMahon

2005-05-27T09:15:00.000-05:00

Sales-building strategies, tactics, and ideas from sales expert, author, and international speaker Tim McMahon.

Visit us on the web at www.strategymappingselling.com

2005-05-26T12:39:00.000-05:00

Do your customers appreciate you as much as you appreciate them? Join Tim McMahon for some thoughts on "Customer Appreciation Days"!

TOP OF YOUR GAME PERFORMANCE

2003-12-22T16:18:00.000-05:00

"the top of your game performance concept ... real competitors only, please" -

It's hard to define success, certainly in business, especially in sales Success is often about metrics - sales made, revenue generated, goals achieved, profitability - but it's much more about personal performance and the satisfaction it brings to life. Real success comes when we're playing and performing at the very top of our personal game!

For salespeople who strive to be world-class -- to win the position of the clear market leader -- sales is a PROFESSIONAL SPORT. It's interesting to see how many top performers were once serious athletes ...and still are real competitors. In the world of business, sales is the only job in which the players win or lose. Every day brings a new game and a new opportunity for victory. Pity the poor souls who simply go to work each day and do a job! The great performers in sales live for each day's game!

In world-class competition the difference between first and last is often measured in inches or hundredths and thousanths of seconds. A true competitor strives to perform at the absolute peak of his or her potential ... and then stretches for a bit more. The same is true in world-class selling.The difference is that our "currency" is not our strength or agility; it is Knowledge and our ability to use it to create competitive and customer advantage.

In Selling, what you KNOW is more important than what you DO. Why? Because it's what you know that determines what you do ... and sets the likelihood of success of any sales or customer relationship effort.

Like any sport, there are those who elect to play at the world-class level and make the personal committment and investment necessary. Playing at the top of their personal game is a fundamental life strategy that permeates every endeavor, every aspect of their lives. Does this describe you?

The "Top of Your Game Performance" (TYGP) concept was created for world-class sales athletes ... for those of you driven to perform at your absolute best ... and then to stretch for more ... who understand "the power of KNOW". Visit us at www.powerofknow.com

REAL COMPETITORS ONLY PLEASE ... participants in the game of selling need not apply

IS E-LEARNING IN YOUR FUTURE?

2003-12-11T08:44:00.000-05:00

IS E-LEARNING IN YOUR FUTURE?

Way back in the old days (?), say around 1979 or so, the big "buzz" in sales training was CBT, or Computer Based Training. It was going to revolutionize and take over the training world. Live instructors would be a thing of the past as folks embraced the wonder of "self-directed training". It didn't, they weren't, and folks didn't. Somehow reading text and answering test questions on a computer screen for 3 or 4 hours wasn't exactly a compelling "value proposition" for most people. Big surprise.

"But the technology is so new and cool!", shouted the '80's techies. "We don't care," cried the salespeople!

CBT has evolved and, as is typical with anything that didn't catch on right away, has gone through several name changes. We've called it "web training" or "distance learning" or now "E-Learning". The good news is that today's E-Learning doesn't much look like Grandpa's CBT ... and probably is in your future if it's not already!

Ask Rick Humphress, CEO of Top Of Your Game Performance LLC, an Annapolis-based e-learning company, about it. According to Rick, e-learning has truly evolved. Their courses and programs rely on sophisticated, interactive multimedia (video and audio) integrated with "expert systems technology" such as powerful selling, planning, and analytical tools. Courses can be taken on-line, downloaded to a user's PC, for anytime use, or even run on a Pocket PC handheld.

"Taking a course via e-learning today isn't about 'training' as we've thought of it in the past; it's about being able to access the exact skills, knowledge, and tools you need exactly when you need them to be successful," said Humphress, "and that's a powerful value proposition ."

According to Don Legere, COO of Top of Your Game Performance, "think of 21st Century Sales Training as a triangle. The three corners are 'Live Training', 'Conferencing', and 'E-Learning'. There's nothing wrong with live training - in fact, there's nothing better but it's just not always practical or cost effective. Web conferencing is a new training component that, when used an a on-going support component of live programs, is proving to be extremely effective. Add continuous and 'just-in-time' e-learning to the equation and you've now created a powerful 'knowledge delivery system'. We firmly believe this will become a fundamental and critical business strategy for the most successful sales organizations of any size!"

Take a free test drive of TYGP courseware at http://products.icsmultimedia.com/products

THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION!

2003-12-10T09:27:00.000-05:00

The Most Important Question You Can Ask Your Customer! - - tim mcmahon

Salespeople ask their customers a lot of questions. Is there one question that a "value seller" should always ask?

Try this one out: "Mr/Ms Customer, of all the vendors and suppliers you work with (not just my product), who is your favorite or the one whose relationship you most value? What is it that they do that makes them so valuable?"

Okay, technically that's two questions, but you get the idea. If I want to become a most valuable supplier to my customer I need to find out how to do that. Chances are your customer has plenty of experience with vendors and knows what they like and what they don't. By asking the "value question" this way you'll get an honest answer from your customer that won't feel like a customer demand or part of the sale negotiation.

Most importantly, it's a positive, customer-centric selling approach. And then you can work on becoming your customer's new favorite supplier!

SHOULD I SEND HOLIDAY CARDS THIS YEAR?

2003-12-08T09:21:00.000-05:00

SHOULD I SEND HOLIDAY CARDS THIS YEAR? - tim mcmahon

How much customer value is there created by sending a personalized holiday card? How about a thank you note after a sale or even a sales call or meeting? Or maybe an occasional "check in" email to a customer or prospect who you have not talked to in some time (even if there's not an immediate opportunity for a sale)? Do these things really build all that much value in the mind of a customer? Are they worth the time?

Consider that today everyone is talking about Value and how they're committed to delivering it (in some form or another) to their customers. There's a lot of lip service - and a few empty promises - paid to Customer Value. As the best salespeople know, however, "Value is in the sales rep!". In other words, value will only be created and delivered if the salesperson truly cares about it. And to put it still another way ... value will only be created when the sales rep cares about the success of the customer!

Sometimes the little things we do for our customers and prospects - although they don't seem to mean much by themselves - add up to big selling results ... if only because they tell the customer that we're interested and we CARE. And CARE may be the most important ingredient in our value offerings.

TECHNOLOGY-OLOGY

2003-12-04T16:28:00.000-05:00

Technology-ology -- by tim mcmahon

Okay, I made the term up. I admit it. It was because I was thinking about how much - or how little - most of us really know about technology. The pace of technology growth continues faster than any one person can possible keep up with. As for understanding it ... well, forget that. It occurred to me that with every day that goes by I actually understand less about how the world around me works. Given enough time, many will understand nothing, a few will have deep understandings of a few things, and no one will understand everything. Comforting thought ...

I bought a Pocket PC yesterday. Amazing product, brilliant design. It KNOWS things. It knows, for example, when it can connect to the internet (a nearby wireless network) or when a "compatible" device is walking by and wants to connect/converse. I can load it so full of programs, resources and links that it will soon know more than I do. I don't mind ... unless of course it decides to take over! (Seriously, I do know that machines can't take over the world ... at least I'm reasonably sure they can't.)

I don't think that it matters that much if we can master the technology itself. I suspect, however, that the eventual definition of business success will be those who have learned how to master and manage the vast new "ology" (the knowledge) within the technology.

OLD DOGS KNOW THE BEST TRICKS!

2003-12-02T08:48:00.000-05:00

Old Dogs Know Lots More Tricks! -- tim mcmahon
I got a call the other day from a fellow I know who's been a sales rep for a lot of years. His company was bought out and he and the entire sales force were laid off. Tom's in his mid 50's and he's really worried about finding a new sales position. "Who's going to want to hire a guy my age? Everybody wants to hire the young guys!"

My Dad was a salesman his entire life. He "retired" in his late 60's and immediately started a second completely unrelated sales career with a local financial institution ... selling home mortgages. (Whether this was due to his love of selling or my mother desperately wanting him out of the house is still up for debate, but anyway ...) The bank that hired him was a little concerned, also thinking that sales was a young man's game. They wondered if he would have the drive and energy (and endurance) the job demanded. But in the years that followed he was consistently their #1 top producer and never failed to bring home a six-figure income.

"Who knew you had all that energy?" I once said to him, laughing. But his reply was, "I don't have half the energy of those young guys and I only work about half as much as they do". "So what's your secret," I asked.

"Everybody else runs from real estate agency to real estate agency dropping off their mortgage rate sheets because they think the mortgage rate is what the agencies care about. I spend my time with the brokers and agency owners to show them how I can help them get more mortgage applications approved and have more sales close successfully for them. That's what the brokers really value and that's why the brokers send all their mortgage applications to me instead of the other guy. It makes my job pretty easy, really."

Dad knew something pretty important: the ability to create customer value is the secret of selling ... and it only gets better with age and experience. He passed on a few years ago in his mid-70's, still selling every day. He always planned to write his own book on sales ... he was just too busy closing deals to ever get around to finishing it.

THE KID HAS A FUTURE IN SALES!

2003-11-21T11:05:00.000-05:00

THE KID HAS A FUTURE IN SALES! - - tim mcmahon
I met a 5 year-old with a clear future in sales, and frankly it's scaring me to death!

This morning I took the dog out for his "morning duty" (actually the taking-out part is more my duty than the dog's, but anyway...). A small boy about five or so was riding his bike past us and stopped to ask "Does your dog bite? Can I pet him?".

Andy is a 13 yr. old Lassie lookalike and still attracts his share of attention from nostalgic parents and their kids, but at the equivalent of 93 human years he's moving pretty slow and has gotten a tad grouchy. "No," I said, "but he's really old and doesn't much like to be fooled with". (In other words, "No, you can't pet the dog".)

"I WANT to pet him!! So how old is he?", asked the boy. (Clearly we're having trouble taking "No" for an answer)

Trying to avoid explaining the concept of "dog years" vs. human years to a five year old, I answered, "He's just about the oldest dog you'll ever see and too old to pet!"

The boy thought for a minute and said: "Well, I can pet my dog and he's waaaaaaaaaaay older than your dog! ... And he's DEAD too!"

And I couldn't think of a thing to say ... (okay?, fine?, pet the dog?, whatever)

There's two possible interpretations of this story. Either the boy has a very strange relationship with his dog or he's a future sales rep. He seems to have already learned persistence and how to handle ANY objection!

I can't wait 'til he shows up at my door selling candy or magazine subscriptions. It's going to be hard to say "No" ...

LOOKING FOR VALUE OPPORTUNITIES

2003-11-21T10:47:00.000-05:00

"Looking" for Value Opportunities - - Stories from the Real World: A client's sales VP called this afternoon with a story and a message every "value seller" should take to heart ...

Our VP was riding with a sales rep to visit a customer. On the way he asked the rep What's our value proposition for this customer? The rep replied that he would explore with the customer the "value add" programs they offered and was sure there would be some interest, but there was not yet anything specific to focus on.

While waiting to see the customer, the VP (who is always curious about what's going on in a customer's business) wandered around the waiting room and casually looked over the employee announcements bulletin board. Prominently displayed was an announcement of the upcoming "Safety Awards". To make a long story short, safety happened to be one of the "value add" program our supplier offered and the exact help the customer needed. When the VP and rep told the customer how they could help leverage that safety program, they met with a more than enthusiastic response (that will just happen to also lead to more business with that customer).

So what's the message here? If you want to know how to bring unique value to your customer, sometimes all you have to do is look around ... companies more often than not display what's most important to them. All it takes is a little curiousity! -- tim mcmahon

SALES REP OR MARKETEER?

2003-11-18T20:39:00.000-05:00

SALES REP OR MARKETEER? -- tim mcmahon
A fair number of years ago I began my selling career as a Marketing Representative for IBM. I always wondered why they didn't call us sales representatives but I suspected that marketing rep sounded more professional ... or something. Now I'm wondering whether it was that or were they on to something that I missed at the time?

I've seen some really great salespeople in my career - great sales skills, great attitude, hard workers. Oddly they haven't always been successful. Over the years I've met hundreds of people who have started their own businesses, many again with great selling skills, great attitude, and hard work ethic. Oddly they haven't always been successful either. Somehow I'd always believed that great sales skills were the key to most every success in business.

I think I'm ready to become a Marketing Rep again ... and I've become a convert to MARKETING as the key to business success! What's marketing? Marketing is the job of assuring that EVERY possible prospect for your product or service knows about it and knows why they should need it. Marketing is the task of constantly and effectively communicating your Value Proposition to the marketplace. Marketeers understand the Golden Rule of Business: "If they don't know about you, they can't buy from you!".

The best salespeople are as much marketers as they are sellers ... maybe more so.

To be sure, business success requires many skills and abilities; but I don't think I ever heard of a great Marketer who wasn't successful.

THE VALUE & SUCCESS CONNECTION

2003-11-14T08:23:00.000-05:00

THE VALUE AND SUCCESS CONNECTION - tim mcmahon

I�ve said it over and over. Creating Value is about creating Success for our customers! It�s perhaps the one great truth�everyone is working hard to be successful! I didn�t always believe that, and you may not either. How many people�customers, co-workers, or friends�have you known who didn�t seem to want to be successful. Did you ever say something like �he/she just doesn�t seem motivated� or �he/she just isn�t willing to make the effort�? Do you know people who don�t appear to be successful and don�t seem to be doing anything about it? Sure, we all know these folks. The problem isn�t that they don�t want to be successful; it�s that we�re viewing them through our eyes and how we view success. As salespeople we tend to equate success with accomplishment and personal growth. We are focused on winning because that�s the nature of what we do. We want life to get better. We climb mountains as a matter of course every single day.

Believe it or not, there are people who have absolutely no desire for our kind of success. They want their own kind. �Okay,� you ask, �what DO they want?

For some Success is achieving security and safety, limiting risk and uncertainty, and maintaining what they have. Like in the story of the tortoise and the hare, the turtle says that �slow and steady� is the way to win. For some Success is found in their relationships, not what they accomplish. They want to live and work with people they like and who like them. They want to feel they�re part of something. They want to trust and be trusted. Family may be their greatest success and the time they have to spend with them. Some may see Success as an opportunity to be creative, or to gain
recognition for their ideas, to become a bigger fish in their own pond, or to be noticed and valued by others. And some are just like us�

If Value is created when we create success for our customers then we have to ask ourselves how each customer defines his or her Success before we can create a powerful Value Proposition!

COLLECT CUSTOMER PRAISE!

2003-11-12T09:39:00.000-05:00

COLLECT CUSTOMER PRAISE -- tim mcmahon

Few selling tools are as powerful as customer references. As salespeople we often tell prospects about the companies or individuals we work with and maybe even about some of the results we've helped them achieve. As good as that is, however, its' nowhere near as good as if the customer had told our prospect themself - but few of us want to bother an important customer with an unending flow of reference calls.

Some years ago, a particularly wise sales rep gave me a technique I've used to great success. "When you begin the selling process with a new prospect", he said, " tell them that you plan to ask them for a LETTER OF REFERENCE when the sale is completed and they are extremely satisfied. And thne be sure to do it!"

As you collect reference letters, put them in a binder and then actively review them with every prospect. It creates a powerful message in the mind of your prospect that your other customers are so pleased with you and your product that they take the time to write you a letter! ... and it sets you apart from all those other reps who just have product brochures!

HOW TO SELL ...

2003-11-11T09:03:00.000-05:00

HOW TO SELL -- Sometimes sales success seems like "win a deal, now go win another deal". In other words, sales success is about SELLING. But is it really?

I absolutely believe in the importance of sales skills, especially when winning a new customer or prospect. After all, the only tools we have to get a new customer, i.e., one who has no real experience buying from us, are the interpersonal skills, tools, and techniques we use in the sales call process. Selling is hard because no prospect actually likes to buy a product from a supplier with whom they're not familiar with or have no experience with.

For the most part, however, customers buy and continue to buy from a salesperson and his/her company based upon their EXPERIENCE of RESULTS and VALUE RECEIVED. Here are the rules:

- Results and Value were EXCEPTIONAL = intensely loyal customer, always eager to buy more
- Results and Value were ABOVE AVERAGE = moderately loyal customer but open to a better deal if one appears
- Results and Value were ADEQUATE (needs met) = customer is always looking

The key to sales success with our current customers is much more about CONSTANTLY CREATING CUSTOMER RESULTS AND VALUE than about selling skills. Do you have a plan to make sure that each of your customers experiences exceptional value?

TALES FROM THE ROAD: EXPERIENCING VALUE?

2003-11-07T07:15:00.000-05:00

MORE TALES FROM THE
ROAD…EXPERIENCING VALUE?
My wife doesn’t like me to talk to salespeople. Specifically she doesn’t like me to be part of any purchase that involves us with a salesperson. I suppose it’s because I get incredibly irritated by bad sales reps and feel this urge to point it out during the call. Cruel? Possibly but I can’t helpmyself…

I really tried to restrain myself yesterday… I saw an ad in the Boston Globe for one of the major cell phone providers. It looked like they had a pretty good deal and the ad said that they were focused on meeting the real needs of business users. Guys like me–that’s good. Reading the ad, they’ve got a pretty powerful Value Proposition! So I figured it’s worth a call. The ad, of course, still left me with a few questions about the different rate plans, international access, and such. If everything was as stated I was ready to cancel my current provider and become their customer right then and there! So I called…

The list of irritations and real stupidity is just too long to relate but it begins with a perky “customer service representative” who I can’t understand, who has to ask for my name and address three times because (supposedly) his computer keeps going down, who tells me he has never heard of New Hampshire and is that a state?, and says that his computer will not accept New Hampshire. This confusion is of course because we learn he spells it “Nuhamshere”. But I am patient…

A half hour has gone by and I point out (nicely I think) that although I understand they want to collect information on me, I just have a few key questions so I can make a decision NOW. He tells me he just needs one more thing and all my questions will be answered. It seems his computer has indicated that my email address is invalid. But I AM patient…

After spelling the email SIX TIMES, it’s Showtime! “Okay,” I say, “here’s what I need to know.” “One moment please, sir”, he says, “I will now connect you to a business specialist who will answer all your questions. Please hold.” (Click) “Thank you for calling XXXXXX”, says the recorded voice. “We are experiencing high caller volume and you will be connected to the next available salesperson. Approximate wait time is…21 minutes. Thank you for your patience and we appreciate your business”. Okay, since they said they appreciate me I’ll wait. And I am patient…

And finally she comes on! A real salesperson. Someone who will care! After all we’re both salespeople. But clearly I shouldn’t have called late in the day because she’s tired and maybe just a little bit cranky. Abrupt is too kind a word. Rude comes to mind. And guess what? They’re having computer problems and the information the service rep collected was deleted. “So could I have you name again, sir?” “Hold on”, I said. “Your ad says you specialize in meeting the needs of business people and you’re in business to help me do more business. Is that true? Then why have you wasted an hour of my precious business time collecting pointless data when you might have been helping me solve a
business problem? You call this ‘selling’?” . And that’s when she hung up (probably another computer malfunction).

The point? One of “The Value Principles” is that “Value must be transformed from something the customer initially perceives into something the customer experiences!” I “perceived” their value proposition from their ad, but like so many ads, it was only words. What I “experienced” was something very different. -- tim mcmahon

The Power of Know

2003-11-06T08:10:00.000-05:00

SELLING THOUGHT FOR TODAY: THE POWER OF KNOW -

"Sales Success is more about what you KNOW that what you DO. If sales is about making the right call, at the right time, on the right customer, with the right message, to get the right results then it's what you Know - about your customer, your market, your product, and your company - that determines what you Do!" -- tim mcmahon

ON OLD YANKEES & SLED DOGS

2003-11-06T07:40:00.000-05:00

Up here in my home state of New Hampshire there’s more than a few “old yankees” around and there’s still a bit of “old yankee wisdom” floating about—some that I’ve found has some real value for salespeople. Down the road lives my neighbor, Oren, a pretty authentic old yankee as they go. No one is really sure just how old Oren is, but he’s definitely seen more than a few New England winters. Now if you were to ask Oren how deep the snow was last year, he’d most likely tell you it was about “chest high on a duck, (ayuh).” Ask him how far someplace is and it’s usually about “from heah to theah”. There’s a lot of yankee wisdom I haven’t figured out yet…

Not long ago Oren asked me just what it was that I do for a living. I said I was in the business of Sales.
“You any good at it?”, asked Oren
“Yeah, I guess I’m pretty good”, I answered, trying to sound appropriately modest.
“Well, just you remembah”, said Oren, “if you ain’t the lead sled dog
the view never changes.”

Like a lot of Oren’s “wisdom”, I didn’t give it much thought at first; but it kept nagging at me: “if you ain’t the lead sled dog the view never changes”. I finally understood that being the lead sled dog was about winning —the importance of being Number One, running the fastest, taking the lead…that anything else is just following the leaders. Some people say
we shouldn’t place too much emphasis on winning, that not everyone can be Number One; but I suspect that’s more of a comforting rationalization for those caught back in the traces than anything else..

Sometimes those of us in sales need to remember that the business of Selling is in fact the business of Winning…nothing more and nothing less, that’s simply all it’s about. There is no second place. A true salesperson lives to win, to be Number One, to be the lead sled dog. But it’s not just a way of selling, it’s a way of living.

Consider this: real sales success will come only to those who have successfully focused every single aspect of their lives on winning. That attitude and that commitment is perhaps the single most critical requirement for a salesperson.
Vince Lombardi said it, “winning…it’s the only thing”. He and Oren were on to something. -- tim mcmahon

Share Your Wisdom!

2003-11-05T07:27:00.000-05:00

In selling value we often talk about the "value" of our Knowledge and Expertise to the customer and the help we can provide. After all, what customers most want from us - other than quality products and services - is help solving and avoiding business problems and gaining a higher return on investment from what they purchase.

Wisdom, according to the dictionary, means "The ability to discern or judge what is true, right, or lasting; insight. A wise outlook, plan, or course of action"

To provide real Value to your customers, share your Wisdom with them! - tim mcmahon

Vision & Value

2003-11-03T07:35:00.000-05:00

Every customer has a Vision - an image or an idea of something they need and the results they will receive. "Why" they need something is actually less important than "What" they believe they need because there's a good probability that their vision was formed well before your sales call.

Okay, I'm a customer and you're making a sales call on me. I have my vision of what I want and I may have shared it with you ... or maybe not. You tell me what you offer and ... well, what happens is that if your product aligns with my pre-set vision then I'm generally positive to your sales call; and if it doesn't ...

The task of selling is determining the "fit" of our product with the customers solution vision and re-aligning it with what we have to offer. -- tim mcmahon

Welcome to The Power of KNOW

2003-10-31T10:31:00.000-05:00

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2003-09-11T12:37:00.000-05:00

THE RELUCTANT LEADER ... by Tim McMahon

Most leaders lead not because they want to or are motivated to ... or even because they possess a set of wonderful (if elusive to the rest of us) "leadership skills". Most leaders lead because the NEED to!

The very real characteristics of most leaders reveal individuals whose personal makeup makes it harder for them to follow than to lead. In other words they're driven to take leadership in everything they do -- even when their preference would be to take a follower role!

Reluctant Leaders possess...

- a sense of Urgency
- a unshakeable and deep-seated belief in the overall rightness of their plan or ideas
- find satisfaction in the achieving of goals, not only in the results
- find "fear of failure" a motivator, not a deterrent
- an abiding desire to be a follower, if they only could