We're back

It has been a while but we thought it about time we blogged again.

A lot has gone on at Accredit since we last expressed a view on selling,

We see many views expressed on various sites about b2b selling and how to get the perfect sales situation, one that almost guarantees success.

So let us give you our view on what it takes to be really successful

Sales are made when customers decide they have a need and find somebody who can satisfy that need. There are many facets to selling ranging from product portfolio, relationships, understanding of client's business needs, hard work, communication skill, perseverance, focus, belief, confidence and many others. The number one issue in our view is that you understand why your customer wants to do something to change, improve, reduce, increase something inside their business and how they intend to do those things. Until you understand why they want to do something you cannot do or sell anything

So maybe we should not call it selling but something like providing answers, exchanging solutions in return for money.

The latest view on selling comes from the SEC and is about The Challenger Sale. If you get a chance have a read of that and gives us your view on how you might use some of the techniques discussed in what is a very readable book

Our view is that "challenging" your customer may be the right way to go but we would like a wider debate on how you acquire and practice the skills you need to take on your customer's decision makers and challenge their view of their business needs

We believe it takes courage, verbal reasoning skills, confidence, knowledge of their and your business, commercial acumen and absolute self belief to challenge your clients and be successful

We would love to hear your view

It's just a conversation

How did you get on with the task I set you last time - you know go 24 hours without complaining about anything - it's really, really hard isn't it? That said trying it makes you realise how immature we can all be when we complain about traffic jams, colleagues, clients, bosses etc. It is time we all grew up.

This week I am going to hold back on the next part of the ADMIRe model which is about being an Interdependent Team player.

Instead I want to focus briefly on some work I have been doing with a major client recently. This large IT company has embarked on a really fantastic program which they are calling their Sales Academy. Basically over 100 new sales people have already joined and more are on their way

We have been working with the Academy guys on sales skills and helping them gain a Sales Accreditation so that they can get out and see real clients and begin to payback the IT company for the chance to work as a Sales professional in a really exciting market

One of the things that confuses me is why people often turn natural speech patterns and behaviour into something quite unnatural when in front of a client - I guess it could be put down to good old fashioned nerves

Lets be clear guys - a sales call should be a "natural conversation" between two business people. Both wanting the now cliched (but still true) win/win.

Yet when faced with the scenario of talking to a "client" in a sales simulation we use for accreditation some sales people turn their conversation into a mixed, garbled series of monologues rather than a smooth, natural conversation of potentially mutual benefit

So a few simple tips to help you all whether you are running a real sales call or trying to pass an assessment at the end of your sales training:

1. Ensure from the start that your meeting is about your client's agenda
2. Listen, listen, listen to your client when they speak
3. Don't try to sell anything - just have a conversation about potential opportunities that may arise from your clients situation
4. Find out as much as you can about your client and her/his organisation that is useful to you moving forward with the opportunity
5. Embrace "Objections" - it is your client's way of getting you to sell

Follow those few tips and you will be on your way

Until next time - Good selling

Own up to being Grown up

It never ceases to amaze me how much we all moan about our lot - me included.

I will now set you possibly one of the most difficult tasks you have ever been set - try going 24 hours without moaning or complaining about anything. Sounds easy but i tell you it is very, very difficult

This is possibly what appears to be the simplest of all actions to take yet when you try to achieve it is one of the hardest things to do.

I want you to spend 24 hours, yes just a single day where you do not complain about anything. That’s it. That’s the exercise. Spend a day not complaining about the journey to work, the weather, your football team’s result, last night’s TV, your colleagues, your job, your next sales call, your clients, in fact no complaining about anything whatsoever. No using "victim" language. No moaning. No nothing that is negative.

Instead use positive MATURE language that reflects your healthy view of what you can achieve. A positive outlook, a view of what obstacles are in your way and a grown up method for dealing with anything that hits you.

Two things will happen:
1. You will be amazed at how difficult it is
2. You will be amazed at how much you can get done when you focus on being MATURE about dealing with anything and everything

This blog is about the M in our ADMIRe model - Maturity

The key aspect of this element of the model is that we are all responsible for our own lives, our own thoughts – everything we do, we do to satisfy our own emotional needs. The ones we need satisfied at the time we make a decision to do something.

Blaming others, using “victim language” like – “it was not my fault”, “I have to”, “I was only following orders” is an excuse. It is an excuse for not being responsible for your own actions

A simple way to explain this is the “Event – Stimulus – Response” model. Something happens, it stimulates a thought in our minds and we respond or react.

Fact - we are responsible for our own emotions, nobody else. We choose how we respond to a situation based on our emotional needs at the time

These choices we make can be based on our own view of moral responsibility or duty. They are still our choices, based on our emotional needs at the time.

Whether your actions are “for good” reasons or whether they are poor (for example blaming someone else for the situation and doing nothing about it) they are still your actions based on your choice of satisfying your emotional needs.

So we all have the choice to do what we do. Nobody can make you feel guilty or responsible. There is no such thing as sacrifice

You make decisions based on your present emotional needs. You always have. You always will.

Neither is there any value in you being a “victim”. Make a point of not complaining ever about the choices you make and actions you take – it’s up to you.

The good news is that, rather like a vintage claret or cognac, our emotional MATURITY gets better with age. What matters is that you use your experiences to shape how you respond to situations – remember it is not necessarily what happens to you that it is important, it is how you respond to what happens to you that counts.

The great news therefore is that MATURITY enables us to have control over our thoughts and therefore our outcomes

Use this part of the ADMIRe model to focus on how you approach your sales calls. Own up to being Grown up about your own success. A healthy pipeline and great sales results will be the outcome. When you hit a difficult time make sure you do not blame anyone or anything for the circumstances and outcomes.

If you act with MATURITY in a grown up fashion then you are more likely to overcome your difficulties and get back on to the road to success. Dont' forget to LEAP over any obstacles

Next time we will look at the "I" in the ADMIRe model - that is for Interdependence or teamwork.

Speak soon and Good Selling

LEAPing Obstacles

Where have you been I hear you say across the virtual world. Back in February I was talking about the ADMIRE model and had just got to talk about D for Desire and setting goals when suddenly I disappeared, as did Mark, my Co-Director in Accredit.

Well, no excuses, we have not performed our blogging tasks for almost 3 months and have left you hanging on like a weekly cliffhanger at Saturday morning cinema (ask your Dad/Mum)

Last time we said we would introduce you to how you could overcome obstacles by using our LEAP model (do you get it? - you can LEAP obstacles!)

Ironic isn't it, I am just about to tell you how to LEAP obstacles and I let the little obstacle of being very busy with Clients get in the way (you know who you are and thank you so much for your business and kind words of feedback for us)

So what is LEAPing obstacles to do with being successful at selling? Well, whilst we are busy setting our goals and planning our work we often hit a metaphorical brick wall. Something that is in our way. Something that stops us from progressing. Some apparently insurmountable problem that is so daunting that it makes us think that our plan must be rubbish and our goal unattainable because this immovable object is in our way.

Good news folks - we can LEAP obstacles put in our way

Here's how

LIST issues, problems, hurdles that get in your way - for example lack of information, changing timescales, lack of money, lack of resource, lack of knowledge and skills, lack of customers to talk to.

EXTRACT those things that are insignificant or that you can do nothing about - for example client changes timescales for her own business reasons, you lose a team member to another project, your sales budget is cut by 20%. Accept it if you can do nothing about it or it is meaningless. Move on.

ACTION those things that you can do something about - do more research, find replacement resource, get more for less with the budget/time you have available, learn more about your client's problems and her business

PROGRESS towards your goal with activity everyday until you have achieved it

Successful salespeople have many attributes. One is that they are not victims. They do not complain when something goes awry or when circumstances outside of their influence or control change. They get on with what they can influence, affect and action and they make progress on their plans and goals every single day until they achieve what they set out to do.

Being focused, having a positive attitude and having positive thoughts leads to positive actions, results and outcomes.

You too can LEAP over your obstacles if you focus on your goals and believe in yourself.

Next time we are going to talk about how being "Grown Up" is vital to your success

Thank you for your attention - apologies once again for being "off the air" for so long

You have to want to succeed

Last we introduced the ADMIRE model and how the first element attitude determines our approach to selling.

The second element of the ADMIRE model is DESIRE. This is about having purpose, about having targets to achieve, goals, objectives, call them what you will.

Can you, if asked, explain to someone succinctly what your key goals are for the next month, the next year? If you can then well done – you are in a tiny minority of people who have thoroughly thought through and planned goals. Less than 5% of sales people have written down goals that are regularly updated to reflect the latest achievement.

What are your personal earning goals for this year, next year?

Having the “right”ATTITUDE and combining this positive way of thinking with a set of written down, achievable goals that you strongly DESIRE is a very, very powerful combination.

We have already talked about habits in previous blog posts. Over 95% of what we do is habitual – managed and controlled by your subconscious without you thinking about it. Think about it  – you walk, talk, eat, drive, without thinking too much about it. You have programmed your mind and body to work together to make these every day things just happen. Yet to achieve these everyday things we are using less than 10% of the capacity of our brain.

Just think of what you could achieve if you used some of that untapped potential in the 90% of your brain you hardly use, if at all.

Here’s a conundrum for you. Why do you have to really concentrate to do some things yet others, just as complex, you can do literally with your eyes closed.

Try this; close your eyes, now clap your hands together very quickly. Easy and nimble, eh?

Yeah, that is because you can do this through your subconscious, you don’t have to think about it, you just know how to do it. Now use your conscious mind to do something quite dextrous, I don’t know, how about writing the alphabet with your “wrong" hand. You have to focus more, you have to take your time – it is much harder. Your subconscious mind can do the clapping bit thousands of times faster than your conscious mind can write the alphabet with your non-writing hand.

Now here is a really great thing – your subconscious mind cannot tell the difference between a real and a desired event that is really vividly imagined. Now I don’t know about you but I reckon we could use that to help us develop and achieve our goals.

Lets make it simple. Write down your goals in a really, vividly imagined, positive format.Have a look at the table below, We have based it on something non-work based that we want to achieve this year

Goal Setting Table

Start date and Title of Specific Goal	Date and description Be specific & define timeframe	Date and description Make it measurable and have a timeframe	Planned Completion Date
EXAMPLE – I am working on achieving a 16 handicap at my Golf Club. Beginning 01/09/10	I have booked 6 lessons, I play at least one round each week	I am committed to practicing every weekend during the winter at the range and on the golf course	It is June 1st 2011. I am a 16 handicap golfer, playing every week at my golf club. I am regularly congratulated on my game. I am happy, very happy

NOTE:-

1. Review progress regularly. Adjust as necessary, habitually review every Saturday morning
2. You have to believe they are really achievable and worthwhile
3. Acknowledge wins as you go and reward your self, e.g. moving from 20 handicap to 19

So what does this all mean? Well in terms of achieving something you really want to do it gives you a structure, it gives you a set of achievable but stretching goals. It launches you forward towards a time in the future, one you have already vividly imagined, one where you are happy and have accomplished what you set out to achieve.

Now you could say "what about if I encounter problems on the way?" Well, guess what? That is the subject of next week's blog. It will be entitled "How to LEAP over obstacles" where I will show you a simple model for overcoming all of those nasty conscious and sub conscious thoughts and attitudes that mentally get in the way of achieving something worthwhile

We have identified a number of techniques that you can use to help you plan your goals and use your DESIRE. We will share some of these thoughts on our LinkedIn group Selling - Keeping it simple and effective which you can access if you click here

If you do not ADMIRE yourself who else will?

Last week we talked about the fact that "you own the solution to all your problems". So what did we really mean by that?

Over and over, when we have assessed sales people we have noticed that many lack self confidence, even those who are fairly successful.

To understand how you can overcome your lack of self confidence, we have created a model that will help you. It is called the ADMIRE model

Over the next few weeks we will reveal all.

This week the focus is on "A" the first letter of the model. A in this instance stands for ATTITUDE.

The “right” positive mental attitude is the primary reason why some people appear to be more successful than those whose mental starting point is one of a half empty glass.

Earl Nightingale said that Attitude is the single most important word in our language. It is the starting point for every action we take. Attitude drives the way we think. People that think positively, with a can do attitude, are more likely to succeed.

The Quality of your Thinking determines the Quality of your Life

You may not be what you think you are but what you think, you are

“There is nothing either good or bad but only thinking makes it so”

Shakespeare

So if thinking is so key to our success then it follows that “better” thinking will lead to better results and outcomes.

Stephen Covey said that everything is created twice – first in the mind then as an action. If you have “good, positive thinking” then you will be more likely to have good, positive outcomes.

Being positive about yourself, your life, your work, your goals is not easy for everyone. You may need to join your own personal “mental gymnasium”. Just as you have to work your body to improve your physical health, so you have to work at being mentally strong – both in terms of how you exercise your mind and what mental diet you follow.

The great guru of positive thinking was Earl Nightingale. Look him up on You Tube. Simple to understand, easy on the ear, he describes the “Strangest Secret” which is that “we become what we think about most of the time”. If we believe we can do something we are more likely to achieve it than if we start negatively with a belief that it is beyond us. Optimism and pessimism have a very powerful effect on our success, our results, our outcomes, our lives.

Emotional Intelligence is key here. It does not matter from which social or educational background you are. What we are talking about here is that positive attitudes are absolutely vital to our emotional wellbeing and our success irrespective of where we come from.

We have identified a number of techniques that you can use to boost your self esteem, whilst avoiding becoming "boorish" about your success. We will share some of these thoughts on our LinkedIn group Selling - Keeping it simple and effective which you can access if you click here.., and would like to hear how you ensure you think positively about what you can achieve.

Next week we will look at the D of DESIRE!

We look forward to hearing from you

You own the solution to all your problems!

Did you realise that the biggest thing that holds you back is your self belief that you can achieve virtually anything you set your sights on. Before you all groan and think to yourself, not the same "self improvement" message, we are not talking about self confidence, we are talking about taking control of what you want to achieve, and owning the steps to that success.

Over the next few weeks we are going to examine how we take ownership, what that means in terms of the individual and their managers, and some techniques that can help you set achievable objectives and then own the success of achieving those objectives. Or to put it another way - help you earn more!

Why should I own my own success?
We have frequently stated that sales people should create their own business plans, not solely rely on the targets and objectives set by others. The most successful sales people are those who know what they want to achieve, have a measurable definition of that as a set of objectives and goals, and can articulate the steps they have to take to attain them.

The challenge of any sales person working for someone other than themselves is that they have the safety net provided by the company - whether it is the initial guarantee, or a high basic, or even the "house accounts". These all contribute to sales people letting the company define their destiny, when success does not arrive it is not their fault, they did not own the success in the first place.

This is not as rare as you might think. How many sales people who can live off their basic, fail to achieve target?- their is no consequence of failure, they do not have an objective that they need to achieve - THEY DO NOT OWN THEIR OWN SUCCESS

Look at the alternative, an "entrepreneurial" sales person. They have to own their own success, no sales means no money. But they don't just want to own "enough" they want to earn more than that. They want a new car, a bigger house, a luxury holiday, a more successful business, happy clients etc. Ask them what they want and they can clearly articulate it. Once they know what they want they then achieve it, "they become driven to succeed"

That's all well and good, but shouldn't my manager be trying to make me more successful?
If you are thinking to yourself "the reason I work for a company is that I like the support the company gives me", I have some bad news for you, as a sweeping generalisation those in the "sales effectiveness" world agree SALES MANAGEMENT IS FAILING.

Not enough coaching takes place, in fact currently sales managers, understandably, are so focussed on keeping their own jobs and managing their managers they are spending even less time, if that was possible, on helping their people succeed. How often have you heard your manager say, I haven't got time to do the 1-2-1 as I have been asked to produce a new forecast/report?

Now is the time to take control of your own destiny!
If you look around you, you will see many sales people earning more money than ever before (perhaps not as much as bankers though!). They are achieving this because now, in “difficult times” is the time when good sales people achieve their greatest success, when selling is truly the difference between winning and losing a deal. What do these people have in common? The answer is that they have taken control of their own destiny.

We are going to provide you with the techniques to do the same:

• Learn how to overcome the barriers to success
• Take control of your own objectives and achieve more
• Turn your manager into a coach to help you
• Build your own plan to achieve success

We want to hear from you along the way so we have created a LinkedIn group where we can share our thoughts and experiences, but not sell! You can find the group by going to LinkedIn and searching for the group Selling - Keeping it simple and effective or click here

Our initial question to everyone is what are the top 3 barriers to your success.