Athletes Chase Olympic Gold in UK and Business Success Back Home

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Athletes Chase Olympic Gold in UK and Business Success Back Home

January 19, 2012 in Attitudes & Behaviours, Sales Skills, Success

It’s an Olympic year and many of our elite athletes are rightly focusing their efforts on the London 2012 Olympic Games. There are a certain number of gold medals on offer and everyone knows their worth in terms of the honour and glory and even more so in terms of ensuing publicity, product endorsements, speaking engagement and the like.

pin the future

However, with limited gold medals available, pure focus on winning one will leave many athletes short-changed if they have nothing in reserve. Smart athletes leave nothing to chance. Just like good sales people and business owners they make sure there is always a contingency plan because they know that pinning your future on a gold medal pay day is putting all your eggs into one basket.

It may surprise you that besides preparing for the Olympic Games, a number of the VIS (Victorian Institute of Sport) elite athletes have been developing their own businesses and are participating in the Barrett VIS Business Education Scholarship Program via the VIS ACE (Athlete Career & Education) Program to sure up their future success.

I’ve had the privilege of being associated with the VIS and the ACE program since 1992. This is where I cut my teeth as a trainer and facilitator before I began making these skills a key part of my career. During this time I’ve met a wide and wonderful range of people, mostly talented elite athletes pursing their dreams as well as the wonderful staff at the VIS, many of whom I now proudly call friends.

As my career and subsequent business evolved I found so many similarities between elite sport and business. I therefore wanted to find a way to continue to work with these athletes as they transitioned from their elite sporting careers to their own business careers. Many don’t win that elusive gold medal but simply by being an elite athlete, have gone on to win a plethora of life lessons. These athletes bring so much to the table when it comes to running a business. They start their businesses with in-built focus, stamina, determination and the courage to have a go.

Similarities of sport and business

It therefore is a great pleasure that after many iterations we have developed and implemented the VIS Barrett Business Education Scholarship Program which was launched in 2010. The program was developed off the back of research conducted by the ACE Program regarding relevance of ACE Services to athletes in different stages of their sport, career and life. This initiative enables athletes to prepare for their life after sport as an entrepreneur, business owner and manager while continuing their training and participation at an elite level of sport. Barrett‘s scholarship initiative is designed to assist athletes who are serious about starting a business or looking to grow their current business and wish to gain access to industry leaders, resources and professional development.

The scholarship program works via Barrett’s partnership with the Victorian Institute of Sport and an annual invitation to VIS athletes to submit their applications for the Barrett Business Education Scholarship Program. Each athlete must already have a business idea or business in development to access the program. Those who are accepted attend a series of workshops across the year to build and test their business ideas. They cover such topics as Building a Business Strategy and Sales & Marketing Plan, Prospecting, Sales Communication, Social Media, Resilience and Sales Neuroscience and begin to apply their new knowledge and skills to their emerging businesses.

At the end of the year, athletes who have successfully taken their business to a commercial reality then proceed to pitch their idea and business plans to the Judging Panel: Anne Marie Harrison, CEO of VIS; Kate Palmer, Chairperson of VIS and CEO of Netball Australia and myself. Under the Scholarship parameters the successful athlete receives one-on-one coaching/mentor sessions with me throughout the following year to further develop their business as well as receive funding from the VIS ACE Program to support the growth of their business.

The standard of the 2011 finalists was extremely high. All three athletes presented well developed and clever business plans. All knew their purpose and reason for being in business; all had compelling messages; all were ready to go to market with actionable go-to-market action plans.

Finalists of the 2011 Barrett Business Education Scholarship Program were:

* Christian Williams (Archery – Australian Rep)
* Sarah Wall (Netball – Vixens / Australian Rep)
* Alli van Omnen (Water polo – Australian Rep)

Each has a compelling story that drives them and each knows where they want to be. It was a very hard decision but the scholarship was awarded to Alli van Omnen who has set up her own Osteopath business called Without Limits. I’ll be coaching Alli this year to help her with her business growth.

So what can we learn from these amazing young people? We can learn heaps.

dedicated bike rider on training

Their dedication to their sporting and business careers is second to none and each is driven to succeed and be their best. It’s a joy to be in company with these people and inspiring to work with them. Their open mindedness, willingness to learn, clarity of purpose and courage to have a go is what I would love to see in everyone.

So how can we take these examples and replicate them in our business world?

Rather than management be the only ones to present their business and sales plans to their teams, I propose that all sales people take a leaf out of these smart athletes’ books and present their go-to-market action plans each year to senior management and their teams. It is a very rewarding experience and develops a whole range of skills that come in very handy every day i.e. public speaking and presenting, business thinking and planning, strategising, collaborating and so on. Applying ourselves this way will bring home the gold and business success.

Sport is a great teacher especially when you are actively involved. It tests you, challenges you and makes you stand up and go for it even when all you want to do is lie down. The synergies between sport and selling are many as I mentioned. So it is a great honour to bring the two together in the Barrett Business Education Scholarship Program.

We wish all the VIS athletes and all of our Australian Representatives great success at the London 2012 Olympics.

Remember everybody lives by selling something.

Author: Sue Barrett, MD of www.barrett.com.au

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Let’s not assume

July 28, 2011 in Attitudes & Behaviours, Communication, Sales Skills, Tips, Uncategorized

There is an old saying “assume makes an ASS out of U and ME” and for good reason. Too often sales people find themselves jumping in too soon, offering premature solutions when it comes to dealing with a prospective client’s needs or priorities.

Often they begin with the best of intentions by asking some preliminary questions of the prospective client. But many sales people report finding it hard to continue asking questions when opportunities present themselves during the course of the conversation. Instead, they want to begin talking about possible options and solutions too soon.

The saying ‘familiarity breeds contempt’ is another issue especially for the Account Manager who has a long term relationship with key clients.

So how do we put aside our need to make assumptions and really make the most of our conversations with prospective clients or existing accounts?

Making assumptions is the act of ‘taking for granted’ or ‘supposing’. Not all assumptions are problematic. You can assume when there is an accepted cause and effect relationship, or the existence of a fact from the known existence of other fact(s).

Assumptions, although useful for providing basis for action and creating “what if” scenarios to simulate different realities or possible situations, are dangerous when accepted as reality without thorough examination.

And this is what happens to sales people and might I say other people all too often.

Often sales people assume they know what the prospective client wants or needs because of past experiences with other clients or pervious history of an existing client. On average sales people report that they pick their way through a series of ‘question pit stops’ hopefully finally gathering enough complete information to cover everything the prospective client wants or needs. At worst they report that a sales person can talk over the prospective client supposedly showing them how much they know with a patronising ‘Yes I’ve heard all that before’ attitude leaving the client feeling misunderstood, disenfranchised and unheard.

I’m not suggesting that sales people do this to be rude or disrespectful. In fact many report an overzealous need to prove themselves and their worth to clients. If only they could see that asking questions and actively listening to the whole story before offering advice or solutions will save everyone time, money, frustration and heartache and make selling and buying a much better experience for everyone.

Do not assume

It took me a while but I have learnt to never assume in any meeting. I walk in with an ‘empty cup’ ready to be filled with my client’s content before I offer anything. Another little technique I use to stop me from interrupting and make me a much better listener, besides taking detailed notes, is to use my ‘flag system’. As I ask questions and listen to what a prospect or client needs or wants to achieve, I place a small flag beside the area I know I can help them with. This flag alerts me later on when I verify all that they have told me. It helps me to weave all the areas (assuming there is more than one) I can help them with into a complete picture. Many clients have actually expressed gratitude in hearing their needs, priorities, or wants fully understood and mapped. Once mapped, I can then work with them to map a pathway to the future.

Learning how to listen, ask questions, verify and reflect is essential to fully understanding another person’s whole situation, needs, priorities and wants. These are core life skills that serve us very well.

Might I suggest that we all take time out to practice our listening, questioning, verifying, and reflecting skills everyday with everyone we come in to contact with and see how this adds value to relationships. Imagine what the world would be like if couples, families, neighbours, communities, business and religious leaders, politicians and nations really listened to each other and did not assume or take each other for granted. I wonder where we would all be now?

Remember everybody lives by selling something.

Author: Sue Barrett, MD of www.barrett.com.au

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Why we need to sell results not solutions

June 2, 2011 in Sales Skills, Strategy

‘Results not Solutions’ was voted as the Number 5 Sales Trends for 2011. If you’re business is about selling packaged or aggregated solutions you may be in for a rude shock – the world of selling has changed yet again. The world has moved on from selling solutions to delivering results. Selling solutions is a very “1990’s” approach, however even today much of the sales training you will see still hovers around selling solutions. The truth is people find solutions pretty quickly but delivering real results, well, that takes skill. People now want to buy ‘Results’. They are looking at how you can help them achieve results with your ideas, creativity and ingenuity.

In 2011 we are seeing more and more packaged solution offerings such as print solutions, financial planning, education and car leasing going the way of the product sale and becoming commoditised. Especially if they are not part of a total offering that contributes to better business results. Businesses selling packaged or aggregated solutions are at risk of losing their profitable edge because processes and systems are continually being automated and can therefore become like anything else that can be packaged and put online. Even the bread and butter documentation of legal firms and end-of-year tax return work for accountants is now automated and readily available online, making professional services firms go after more complex work to maintain margins.

Welcome to the Evolution of Selling.

When I began my career as a professional sales person in the early 1980s, sales professionals were trained in product benefits and communication skills which focussed mainly on handling objections. Our tool kit was simple. We were armed with a business card, product brochure, a geographic territory of clients to manage and grow and a car to get around in. The end goal? Make sales.

Yet, many people felt at odds with the way they were taught to sell because so little attention was paid to what comes naturally to people – how can I help you and be of use to you with my products, services and talents?

Instead in the 1970’s we fell for the product trap where we sold product features to curious buyers in a world of mass consumerism. In the 70’s it was all about product features – if your product was distinctly different from your competitors and you could get first to market you were then granted lead time to make hay while the sun shone.

However, in the 80’s, technology produced by these great ideas sped up the manufacturing process allowing competitors to copy products quickly. Now we were required to talk about product benefits. However this did not release us from the product monologue with clients still treated as passive by-standers. As technology sped up it also made it cheaper to produce product and the margins began to disappear as products became more commoditised.

Welcome to the 90’s; solving problems and creating productivity drives. Now we start to talk to clients about what they are trying to address, what problems they want to solve and what efficiencies they want to achieve. We sold in an aggregation of products which when combined solved problems and brought efficiencies and other benefits.

But now the margins are being eroded in the aggregated solutions space. We are seeing more packaged solution offerings such as print solutions, financial planning, education and car leasing, like products before them, become commoditised. Companies who cut costs, reduce levels of service and move customers online and DIY are stripping away any real value and reduce packaged/aggregated solutions to price negotiations. Selling packaged/aggregated solutions is at risk of losing its profitable edge.
So, where to from here?

If you only sell based on your product you are in a commodity space unless that product is so exclusive that people will pay a premium. Even some high end brands are at risk of losing their exclusive appeal. Just see how fast new technology like iPads and iPhones have been copied to ‘smart phones’ and prices reduced allowing more access to what was once considered an exclusive brand.

Unless you want to stay in the world of low margin commodity selling, which can be easily done at very cost effective ways over the internet, you need to recognise that the product is only part of the sale.

Smart sales people and their businesses know the real value and what clients are prepared to pay for lies in the collaboration and production of real ideas and results. Despite offering aggregated solutions they will look for ways to accelerate their clients businesses or personal lives to produce more outstanding results. This requires, amongst other things, business acumen combined with thinking outside the product and solution boxes and dealing with variables and ambiguities, which by nature are messier and less defined. Working together to achieve real results will bring with it all new partnership arrangements. In short, our jobs as high performing sales people is to help our clients map a pathway forward to the future.

This brings with it a whole new skill set. Think of the types of conversations you now need to have with your prospective customers where listening, questioning, resolving problems, collaboration, empathy and understanding are encouraged.

Remember, everybody lives by selling something.

Author: Sue Barrett, www.barrett.com.au

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Like exercise, prospect a little each day and stay sales fit

May 26, 2011 in Call Reluctance, Prospecting, Sales Skills, Sales Training, Self Development, Success, Time Management, Tips

Prospecting is considered one of the most daunting jobs in selling. Many people in sales or other roles charged with developing new business, especially with new prospects, find the task of prospecting anxiety provoking and tend to put off the prospecting task in favour of more desirable or less frightening tasks. Yet in their desire to escape prospecting they inadvertently set themselves up for greater issues in the future.

Prospecting is the oxygen that fuels the fire of sales. Prospecting involves a series of sequential activities designed to:

Identify your prospect
Qualify your prospect
Prioritise your prospect

Prospecting is therefore a step-by-step process for identifying organisations and individuals who have a potential need for your product or service, making contact with them to see if you can be of service and then generating a client & supplier relationship.

Having a plan or system is therefore critical to prospecting success.

Without a prospecting plan you cannot sell because you will not have anyone to sell to. Prospecting is not the most important aspect of selling, but it’s the first thing that has to happen for the sales process to begin. Prospecting is not just isolated to cold calling either. It’s essential for reigniting dormant accounts and clients or developing new business with existing clients.

Putting off the task of prospecting will leave your sales pipeline anemic and weak and put your job or business in jeopardy. In essence, if you don’t prospect you will become ‘sales unfit’.

If we’re serious about our physical health and wellbeing and want to be physically fit we know we need to exercise every day or several times a week in time blocks of 30minutes, one or even two hours. We don’t do little bits then stop. We do not leave our health to chance and instead set aside time in our day to pay attention to our physical wellbeing. So why leave our sales result and careers to chance?

Yet too many people charged with growing sales and healthy client relationships leave their sales fitness to chance by not prospecting on a consistent and regular basis.

One reason people find it hard to prospect is because they have never been taught how to prospect effectively. Prospecting is a skill like everything else and it can be taught. That is why at Barrett we find ourselves doing a lot of coaching and training in our 4 Step Prospecting Process. It is one of the most impactful training modules in our training program. Once people learn to master the skill of prospecting the results are fantastic. “Just wanted to say a BIG thank you to you for your assistance with one of my clients. I got them back! What helped most was omitting that “fear of rejection” like you said. You were right, I had nothing to lose as we had already lost them. In addition, making phone calls with a clear purpose or intention really assisted with this client, which eventually led to a meeting face to face, and it all went swimmingly. This client is now using us consistently since the meeting, and fingers crossed, this will continue. I am not taking chances this time, and will continue to manage this client carefully. Thanks again for all your help, the follow up phone call with you really made all the difference.” Testimonial from Specialist Recruitment Consultant.

Another important reason why a sales pipeline suffers is because people do not make the time to prospect. This can be because they’re either ineffective at prioritising or they’re afraid of prospecting and so avoid it all together. Either way avoiding prospecting makes matters worse.

If you have a fear about prospecting even if you have been shown how to prospect, you need to address those fears and then make time to prospect on a regular and consistent basis. Practice at prospecting will also help overcome your fears a bit at a time. If you have difficulty prioritising what is important then you need to make sure that prospecting is made one of your most important priorities. By doing a little each day you can achieve your sales goals and reduce your anxiety about prospecting one phone call at a time.

Here are some tips For Scheduling Your Prospecting:

Schedule specific time in your week for prospecting.
Chunk your prospecting calls in batches – maximum of 120 minutes, ideally 2-3 batches per week.
Consider doing your prospecting calls first thing in the morning. This works on two levels, 1) you get it out of the way first thing in the day and, 2) it is often the best time to call people.
Ideally make prospecting calls at the same time of the day, each day of the week.
Consider when you are at your best. It’s best to be clear headed, listening accurately, awake and alert (this varies for everyone). You are therefore less likely to have negative or self-defeating thoughts and least likely to take rejection personally.
Consider distractions – what time of day are you least likely to be interrupted?

Remember follow-up with persistent daily effort
Choosing your state of mind and your attitude is also critical when prospecting and selling. Successful salespeople know that prospecting doesn’t happen by chance as it requires a consistent and persistent effort. Successful sales people:

Diarise follow up calls
Use Sales Pipeline to track activity
Keep a number of activities on the go
Prioritise
Persist

Remember everybody lives by selling something.

Author: Sue Barrett, MD of www.barrett.com.au

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What are the 3 Sales Essentials that make for effective selling?

March 24, 2011 in Communication, Prospecting, Sales Planning, Sales Skills, Sales Training

When we meet with leaders to discuss their sales challenges in achieving sales effectiveness we find that the source of their problems often stem from three key areas: sales planning, sales prospecting and effective sales communication with clients.

Whatever our vocation, we all need to make contact with and communicate effectively to secure the ongoing custom of members, supporters, sponsors or clients to make a living. Yet too many people still leave selling to chance. They do not have a robust sales process in place that works for them or their business, product or service.

Because this optimal process is not internally articulated, Sales Managers are often left unable to teach and transfer the necessary thinking, skills, knowledge and frameworks needed for effective and sustained sales performance. These processes have not been mapped in a logical and easy to follow process. Instead, they often rely on experienced and successful sales people who sell by intuition and cannot explain what they do that makes them good at what they do.

For 16 years we have been putting Selling under the microscope and have been mapping the knowledge, skills and insights needed for successful selling into three essential processes that set the foundations of much of the work we do with clients:

A Sales Planning process – to create an actionable Go-to-market sales plan
A Sales Prospecting process – to prospect successfully
A Sales Communication process – to have productive dialogues with clients and prospects

When sales people and their managers are provided with these documented processes and taught how to use them competently and confidently, we find a dramatic shift in sales capability and sales performance. These three essential sales processes are the foundations to an effective sales team. They are not everything a sales team must know to be effective but without these three sales essentials in place sales success is left to chance. Delivered to sales teams in an interactive way where they can learn the processes whilst applying them to their business is the best way to get traction. Then reinforcing these processes with follow up sessions and targeted coaching means that these sales essentials have a chance of becoming a ‘way of life’ rather than a fad.

At the very least your sales people should be able to:

Develop a Go-to-market sales action plan that tells you:
- Who you need to be in front of
- How you need to get in front of them
- How often you need to do it to make it all worthwhile
Know how to make an effective prospecting call and prospect on a daily basis. It’s the first thing that has to happen if you want to make a sale.
Communicate effectively by asking people about their priorities, problems and objectives before you talk about yourself and what you have to offer.

When you give people what they need they start to get traction and grow. Do yourself a favour and make sure you and your sales people are well equipped with the three sales essentials.

Remember everybody lives by selling something.
Author: Sue Barrett, MD of barrett.com.au a Sales Training firm.

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