Steve Brewer

“Understanding Your Buyer” - Part 2

Steve on 10 Jun 2008

Enrich your home life as well as your work life.

No matter how you dress it up, the real core of successful selling is the ability to understand people. How and why are they different? Discovering the answer to this question can enrich not only your work life but also your home life. As Stephen Covey says in his book ‘The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People’ (which I highly recommend) seek first to understand and then to be understood. In this the second part of a four part series we go some way to understanding the Analytical Blue.

The Blue Analytical

As with the Red Driver the Analytical Blue is a very task focused person. However, the Analytical Blue is a lot more introverted. They have an amazing eye for detail and they crave information about the subject matter. They make decisions slowly and carefully. If you sell regularly to Blue Analyticals do not try to hurry their decision making process but do encourage them by providing more and more detail..

Recognising a Blue Analytical

Verbal Behaviours: Slow careful comments, rational, asks searching questions, careful choice of words so as to not show their hand.

Non verbal behaviours: long silences between questions and comments, Indirect eye contact, controlled facial expressions, hands relaxed or cupped.

Adapting your style to suit a Blue Analytical.

The Blue Analytical will be turned off by an over zealous salesperson walking into their office like an excited puppy dog. Keep your approach relaxed and deliberate remembering that, as with the Red Driver, the Blue Analytical is not interested in forming “best friend” type relationships in the first instance. Make sure you satisfy their thirst for information by providing all the detail they ask for, no matter how trivial you feel the request is. Be prepared to present the whole manual and more when dealing with an Analytical Blue buyer.

Action Exercises

First , make a list of your top 20 customers and start to categorise using the information in this newsletter and the subsequent newsletters in the series.

Second , if you are interested in finding out more please feel free to email me at info@hendersonbarker.co.uk . Or pick up some reading on Carl Jung’s social styles.

“Understanding Your Buyer” - Part 3

Steve on 10 Jun 2008

The relationship you have with your buyer is sometimes your only true USP.

In a world where your competitors employ people on a full time basis to analyse any innovations you make to your products in order to maintain market share, the only true USP you or your company has is you!! Therefore, your ability to forge long lasting business relationships with your customers is crucial to the growth of your business.

The Green Amiable

The Green Amiable is sometimes the easiest buyer to deal with and sometimes the hardest. Once you recognise you are dealing with a Green Amiable they can easily become your “best friend” however they do tend to procrastinate when it comes to making buying decisions.

Recognising a Green Amiable

Verbal Behaviours: slow careful speech, attentive listening skills, interested and concerned about you and what you think about them, they often use stories to demonstrate their experience.

Non verbal behaviours:hands are relaxed or cupped they lean back while talking and they adopt a casual posture.

Adapting your style to suit a Green Amiable.

The Green Amiable will appear to be a little introverted when you first meet them. They will respond well to someone who takes an interest in them as a person and their personal lives. Once you have established common ground and bonded they will do their utmost to help you win any business deals that may be available.

Action Exercises

First , make a list of your top 20 customers and start to categorise using the information in this newsletter and the subsequent newsletters in the series.

Second , if you are interested in finding out more please feel free to email me at info@hendersonbarker.co.uk . Or pick up some reading on Carl Jung’s social styles.

“Understanding Your Buyer”

Steve on 13 May 2008

The Generalisation Trap

As salespeople we can be guilty of treating every buyer we encounter in exactly the same way. But take a step back and think about some of the people you encounter on a regular basis. Are there some people you just struggle to get on with? Ever wondered why it is easy to hit it off with some but not others? Over the next four editions I am going to introduce you to four distinctive types of buyers. Once you understand these buyers then you can adapt your approach accordingly.

The Red Driver

Most businesses with over 50 employees are operated by Red Driver types. They are very task focused and extroverted. In the main they are mainly interested in what is in it for them, the bottom line.

Recognising a Red Driver
Verbal Behaviours: fast talker, louder, monotone, focused on the task, uses facts and data.

Non verbal behaviours: points at others, leans forward, direct eye contact, closed hands, rigid position, rejects inaction

Adapting your style to suit a Red Driver.

The Red Driver is not to interested in building a deep and meaningful relationship with you, they are more interested in: What it does, by when, what it costs and how it will impact on the bottom line.

Action Exercises

First , make a list of your top 20 customers and start to categorise using the information in this newsletter and the subsequent newsletters in the series..

Second , if you are interested in finding out more please feel free to email me at info@hendersonbarker.co.uk . Or pick up some reading on Carl Jung’s social styles.

“The Networking Trap”

Steve on 23 Mar 2008

Seems like a good idea
So what you are saying is that there will be 50 people in a room that may want to become customers of mine. They will want to talk to me, I don’t have to cold call them and I don’t have to suffer rejection.

Count me in, what time does it start?

The easy option
People who are not confident in picking up the phone like attending networking meetings because on the face of it, it seems like the easy option.

Beware of the pitfalls
How many times have you been to a networking meeting and efficiently moved around the room to introduce yourself to everyone there? Answer, probably never.

What tends to happen is that we become shy when we arrive (this is a natural reaction). Or we get stuck talking to the same person for two thirds of the time.

You are too polite to move away after you realise that there is no business potential. You then miss out on the real opportunities because you run out of time.

If you could choose.
The other issue with networking is that you can only network with the people that there. If these people either don’t fit your ideal client profile or they don’t know people who do, then you will grow your customer base with inefficient customers.

Action Exercises
First, if you are attending a network meeting make sure you get hold of a copy of the attendee list before you sign up.

Second, some very good friends of mine have written excellent books and run coaching sessions on networking. Check out www.nigelrisner.com or www.rob-brown.com.

“Break the Mould”

Steve on 23 Mar 2008

Who is responsible for innovation?
Who is that person that sticks their neck out and says “let’s do it differently”? Let’s do it better, let’s do it cheaper, let’s do it smaller, let’s do it bigger. In short who is it that breaks the mould to change the direction of their market?

Leaders
Invariably it is usually down to leaders in industry to set out the strategy that the rest of us follow. The stereotype of the leader is the person in an ivory tower at the head of the board table being creative and influential.

Dictate from the bottom up
As salespeople we beaver away at the coal face on a daily basis where we are in a position to break the mould by increasing the value our customers receive from the relationship they enjoy with us.

How can we personally go the extra mile, raise the bar and set new benchmarks?

Influence the whole market yourself
Improve your personal service to your customer. Educate them, provide them with free information to help them to do their job easier. Openly share your knowledge and let your competitors worry about how they are going to compete against you as a person.

Become your own market leader by breaking the mould.

Action Exercises

First , analyse what you currently offer your clients in the way of added service.

Second , ask your customer’s what else you could do for them that would be of real benefit and then implement your new strategy to break the mould.

“The Laws of Intelligent Selling”

Steve on 09 Feb 2008

(An extract from my new book 100% High Octane Selling being launched in February).

‘S’ Stands for Skill: the Second Power

Why Skill?

Because without the necessary skills you will miss so many opportunities to sell.

I know right now that some of you are already highly skilled

That’s great! I am not asking you to ditch what works for you. I am asking you to resource up, to selct tools to add to your toolbox. I’d be amazed if you couldn’t find a handful of additional strategies and tactics. Go for it.

I know that others are less skilled or new to the game.

That’s great, too! You will find all the tools you need in this book. Try them out. Decide what works best for you. Go for it! The tools work. Benefit from the experience and research of others.

TIP: whichever category you are in, currently, you can’t apply everything at once.

So, pick three techniques and work them into your present skill set for a week or two.

When you can do them almost without thinking about them, add three more.

When you have done them all, what then?

Don’t get so carried away with spending all that lovely extra dosh, that you let your standards slip.

How to maintain good standards? How to do better than that; how to keep raising your standards?

Use KAIZEN, the Japanese art of continuous improvement.

Keep asking yourself at the end of each day: “What small change could I make to what I am doing, that could help me improve my results?”

I promise you, that if you do only this one thing every day, in less than a month your results will start to change out of all recognition.

Remember: Skills are a Salesperson’s Tools.

Take pride in them, as a skilled artisan does

Keep them clean. Keep them sharp. Keep using the latest, best quality tools.

Look after them - and they will look after you.

“The Laws of Intelligent Selling”

Steve on 03 Feb 2008

(An extract from my new book 100% High Octane Selling being launched in February).

‘A’ Stands for Attitude: The first Power of Selling?

Why Attitude?

Because Sports Psychologists have discovered that without a positive, can do attitude, no matter how fit or skilled the competitor, he or she cannot access all their personal resources and apply them to the goal of winning

So next time you watch a sporting event, watch them ‘psych themselves up. Then observe in awe as they perform.

Okay, that’s Sports, but doesn’t that ring true for any high performance field - like selling?

You bet it does.

So get your head straight before hitting the telephone.

Tip: to shed any negativity, shift your attention to a recent (or not so recent, it doesn’t matter when), success story in your life.

It can be in any area of your life, not just business. Focus on the event, see it in your minds eye, and remember your feeling of triumph at the time. Bask in the memory for a few moments.

Then, imagine feeling that way at the end of an hour’s cold calling. Visualise your satisfaction at that time.

Tell yourself: “I can do it, I will do it, I am going to make it happen!”

Do this regularly and see how often you win! .

Self Educating

Steve on 26 Jan 2008

How will you reach the top if you don’t know how to get there?

If like me your opportunity for real learning stopped once you left the formal education process, you can probably count on one hand the number of days you have spent improving your skills. It’s a strange thing that we spend the first twenty years learning about stuff we will never do and the next 40 years doing stuff we never really learn about. Of course I realise we learn by doing, often making costly mistakes, but what I am talking about is taking time out to formally learn new skills and attitudes that will really enhance our performance.

Sales is a last resort

I have heard it mentioned on a couple of occasions that salespeople go into sales as a last resort or because you usually get a free car. How many surgeons went into surgery because you get a free pair of white wellies, I wonder. If this is true for the majority, then, I wonder how many of us went into sales because we were passionate about the thought of generating income to keep others employed. Or, because we wanted to help customers with problems by providing cost efficient solutions.

A tough year ahead?

If you listen to the economists 2008 could be a rocky ride for some of us. Lending will be tighter, house prices static, the cost of necessary utilities going up and up and fuel through the roof all add up to a potential reduction in investment in certain sectors. When times are tough that is when the real stars shine.

Self Educating

If things are going to start to get tough then don’t rely on your employer to send you on lavish three day training programme on a country estate in Buckinghamshire where they actually make their own vol au vents. Unfortunately (and it is very wrong to do so) the training budget is one of the first things to get cut when things get tight. A bit like throwing the paracetamol away when you get a headache. No, to guareantee you improve your own skills you need to adopt a policy of self education. When I run programmes I am amazed how many salespeople have books about their hobbies which they spend 4 - 6 hours a week doing. But, have never read a book on selling, which occupies anything upwards of 50 hours per week in their lives. No time? Then buy CDs on selling to listen to in the car, they will earn you much more than listening to Chris Moyles.

Action Exercises

First , make an appointment once a week for an hour with someone called “self educating” put it in your diary and use this time to read a book on selling skills. If you don’t put time aside it may not happen.

Second , invest in a CD to listen to in the car. Driving time is learning time or as someone in the USA once put it “The Automobile University”.

“Avoid Selling Purely on Price”

Steve on 19 Jan 2008

How much is your solution really worth?

As the world becomes a smaller place many of us encounter our competitors imported goods which, on the face of it appear to be much cheaper than our best offering. If it were purely down to the unit price on the invoice then many of us would dramatically lose market share.

Relationships

Most purchases are made for emotional reasons and then they are reinforced with logical reasons. The relationship you have with an existing customer or, the relationship you build with an existing client has a value. The value of this is sometimes greater than we realise. Think back to a purchase you may have once made where you could have purchased the item cheaper elsewhere however, you didn’t simply because you bonded emotionally with the person selling it to you.

Solutions

Your customer may have a problem for which your product provides an exact solution, however this may only become apparent with the use of effective questioning. If we can arrive at this position then, the solution will be worth a lot more to the client and they will accept a higher unit price.

Intangible Costs

These are costs that most people fail to highlight in their proposal in order to add value. If for example you have a product that can improve the efficiency of the service your customer can offer their customer, then this will allow you customer to increase their market share. So what would be the cost to your customer of not increasing their market share significantly this year? Also if you could help your customer to improve the effeciency of their service it would stop them losing market share. What is the cost saving of reducing client attrition this year by say 5%?. Would your client be prepared to pay 10% more for something that would help them to increase market share by 15%?

Action Exercises

First , highlight 5 existing and 5 prospect accounts where your personal relationship with them could be improved. Then put a strategy in place to make the improvements.

Second , spend some time thinking outside the box about intangible benefits that your product or service can bring to your customer.

”Have you planned for your success in 2008 (part 2)?”

Steve on 28 Dec 2007

Manage the detail and the results will look after themselves

Tactics

Tactics are the short term activities that that help you move towards your long term goal by following your long term strategy.

The Pitfalls

People get pulled into activities that are not on the long term strategies radar and ultimately this affects the long term results. How often do you find yourself in meetings with prospective clients that are not in a position to buy for another 6 months? In 2 day sales meetings with your peers that are preventing you from getting out there? Spending 3 - 5 times as much time driving than having actual client contact? At fruitless exhibitions and networking events? The list is endless.

The Solution

To be successful at selling all your activity should be geared towards three golden rules:

Take action to acquire more new customers that fall into your ideal client profile.
Increase the average spend of your existing clients.
Look for referrals from your existing clients.
Write these down and put them in a place where you will always see them

It takes practice

On the face of it making changes seems easy. However, we are not always conscious of the fact that our habits, good and bad, are deeply engrained. With the above list constantly in front of you, simply, check each and every activity that you do:

Is in line with the above list.
Is in line with your overall long term strategy.
If it isn’t, then question why you are doing it.

Action Exercises

First , look over your diary for the past two months and ascertain what percentage of the your precious time resulted in zero return.

Second , write down the three golden rules and put them somewhere that they will be a constant reminder.

Steve Brewer

SALES TRAINING ADVICE & RESOURCES.

“Understanding Your Buyer” - Part 2

“Understanding Your Buyer” - Part 3

“Understanding Your Buyer”

“The Networking Trap”

“Break the Mould”

“The Laws of Intelligent Selling”

“The Laws of Intelligent Selling”

Self Educating

“Avoid Selling Purely on Price”

”Have you planned for your success in 2008 (part 2)?”

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