I don’t know about you, but I often find myself reflecting on a whole range of things in my life including my professional sales career and wondering at all the things I have learned over the years.

Conscious reflecting on sales has now become almost a daily occurrence for me, especially, since I have been writing this sales blog. There are so many aspects to selling that the more I look into selling the more I find to reflect upon. So it was with some amusement that I found myself reflecting on reflecting itself and how valuable it is to our continued development and overall healthy functioning in this ever-changing world.

Sadly, I have noticed that not too many sales people proactively and independently take the time to reflect on their own performance, the needs and requirements of their customer, business and markets, or their own personal goals. They often need prompting to do so.

How do I know this? Well in every training session I have ever conducted in sales, the feedback I receive from almost every participant is along the lines of:

“This is the first sales training program I have ever done that actually looks at me and how I function in a Sales role.”

Or

“I never looked at myself this way before – now I can see where I can make improvements in my skills and behaviours.”

Or

“Now I understand why I am good at sales”

In this busy world, too many of us do not take the time to self-reflect. Yet self-reflection can be one of the best things you can do for yourself personally and professionally.

In fact research reveals that self-reflection and self-appraisal are the top key attributes demonstrated on a regular basis by top performing sales people. Is it any wonder then why they are top of their field?

So I thought it might be worth reflecting on Self-reflection.

Self-Reflection involves both skills and an attitude of acceptance

Reflection is “thinking about a thing, particularly with a notion of meditation upon a previous experience or event and its significance” (Penguin Dictionary of Psychology)

In the context of Competency enhancement and self-development, Self Reflection relates to what a person thinks about the feedback received, whether it be direct feedback or your observations of others’ reactions to your actions and the outcomes you achieve.

Reflecting on Self involves:

· Making realistic self-appraisals

· Being willing and able to see those aspects of yourself you are less happy with, i.e. your shadow self

· Being motivated to grow, learn and willing to change

· Creating opportunities to receive feedback – It is hard to give feedback at the best of times. We can enhance the likelihood of others’ giving us feedback by giving them invitations to do so

The benefits obtained from Reflecting on Self can be enhanced through the use of the following key skills.

Skills…

Self Awareness – the condition of being aware of, or conscious of oneself – in the sense of having a relatively objective but open and accepting appraisal of one’s true personal nature.

Self-Appraisal – the process of providing an appraisal of oneself

Adopt an attitude of…

Acceptance - seeing yourself as you really are, even if what you see feels unpleasant, being receptive to any aspect of yourself without trying to avoid it or deny.

Non-judging – taking an objective and impartial approach. Being aware of your judgments of yourself and others and then taking a step back to watch, listen and understand.

I encourage you to take time in your day to reflect on yourself, your goals, your plans, your career and your life. Here are some questions to get you started:

· How has your market place changed?

· How have you needed to adapt and change to stay sales fit?

· What feedback are you receiving from various sources that is giving you further insights into your effectiveness as a sales person or human being?

· Am I aware of all the skills and qualities I possess that allow me to sell, communicate and build relationships effectively?

The time you take to self-reflect might just be worth it.

I came across some research on sales motivation which seems to shed some further light on why it is important to use programs which are culturally specific to your sales peoples motivations and values.

A major study of sales motivation presented at the annual convention of the Society for Marketing Advances has revealed significant cultural differences driving sales success. It has helped explain why some of the better made-in-the-USA sales management practices aren’t more effective in other nations. The answers may lie in what really provides motivation for salespeople.

The study (coauthored by Dr. John F. Tanner, III, associate professor of Marketing at Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business & George Dudley, Behavioral Sciences Research Press) asked almost 41,000 people across nine nations what they hope to obtain from their sales careers. Motivations assessed included:

• opportunities to use talents
• make money, work creatively
• obtain status
• interact with people
• be self-managed
• progress into management
• freedom from routine
• opportunities to be of service to others.

The nations studied include Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Sweden, U.K. and USA. The study used the Sales Preference Questionnaire (SPQ®), to obtain data. The SPQ® assessed sales prospecting call reluctance. The study revealed the following:

“Sales motivation in the US is more money-motivated than in other nations, but there are other more complex motivations at work. 33% of US salespeople and 36% of the salespeople in the U.K. say they work primarily to earn substantial incomes. This compares to only 9% in Norway and 11% in New Zealand, where “lifestyle” considerations such as opportunities to use their abilities and freedom from routine are considered more important.

In fact, successful US salespeople often shun advancement into management, because they can usually make much more money in sales. That further distinguishes US salespeople from those of other nations, where sales is frequently viewed as a temporary step on the way to management.

Over 12% of Australian salespeople actually seek a career in management. For the majority of Australian salespeople, opportunities to use their abilities and freedom from routine are more important motivators than making money, a preference shared by salespeople in New Zealand. However, only 17% of the salespeople in Singapore are similarly motivated. Like their US counterparts, Singaporean salespeople sell primarily to make money.

US salespeople are more money-motivated than salespeople in other countries. But, they are also more service oriented. 14% of American salespeople say being of service to others is their primary motivation. Among the countries studied salespeople in only one other country, New Zealand (11.5%), even approach that level.”

What do these differences portend?

• Knowing what makes salespeople tick is critical for finding and keeping top producers.
• The implications are serious and far-reaching, especially when it comes to multinational sales management practices.
• American sales management and training and procedures adhere to US presupposed values and perceptions, and may not be optimal, or even suitable, for other countries.
• It is often better to access country and culturally specific training for your sales people.

The reality is that most sales managers do not spend enough time with their staff in a coaching capacity. Providing constant feedback and being a role model who demonstrates the right skills.

Many managers today are still focusing too heavily on short term efficiency and not long term effectiveness. Development of staff through on-the-job coaching is a critical function of modern day managers but can take second place to some of the more urgent, but less important priorities.

On-the-job coaching is something that managers recognise they need to do with junior members of the team. When it comes to salesperson with several years experience, the sales manager would prefer not to do it. The rationale goes along the lines that the senior people do not need it. They have been selling for years and they would resent the sales manager going out on a coaching day with them.

It is true that it is not much use you going out to coach people if you cannot add anything to the call. However you are the sales manager and you should be able to add something even to the most accomplished salesperson.

Added to which is the fact that those sales people who have been selling for years are not automatically good salespeople and as we have already discussed, the job of selling is constantly changing.

The 12 step approach for on-the-job sales coaching involves the 3 phases:

• before the call,
• during the call,
• after the call.

Before the call

1 Check the customer records etc.
2 Question the objectives of the call. “Anything else? Can we aim higher?”
3 Review the call/sales plan/presentation plan:

• Key sales techniques
• Likely objections and solutions
• Any problem areas and recommendations
• Role play important points if necessary

4 Agree on your role. Usually shut up and observe the call.
5 Summarise and encourage

During the call

6 Watch and listen

• How the call goes versus the plan
• Strengths
• Weaknesses
• Improvements from last time

After the call

7 Decide on the key learning points

• 2/3 no more
• Identify some good points

8 Overview the call

• What happened versus the plan
• Let the salesperson lead: “How did you go against your plan?”
• “What did you achieve compared to what your objectives were?”
• Don’t get into the detail of the call at this stage

9 Analysis of strengths

• What did you do well
• Let the salesperson take the lead. Add your own comments

10 Analysis of weaknesses

• “What would you have done differently?”
• Use non directive questioning techniques to let the salesperson solve his own problems. Avoid telling. Focus the questions to the areas where the key learning points are.
• Why did it go wrong?
• What should you have done? Why?
• Role play if necessary

11 Agree on action plan to address the learning points
12 Agree on the next action with the customer

Giving away the margin and undercutting your prices because you can’t say ‘NO’ is no good for anyone. It devalues you, your product, and your market. If done on mass then customers expect ‘cheap’ all the time, not fully appreciating the real value of the products or services they buy. All you do is risk devaluing you and your business.

Just look at the ‘perpetual sales’ going in retail all the time. No one ends up making any money and people go out of business. If you are in retail check Debra Templar’s website www.retailservices.com.au and read what she has to say about this. She is appalled at the state of many Australian Retail businesses and their inability to hold their prices and run successful businesses.

Let’s face it; there will always be someone offering their products or services cheaper than you. But are they offering exactly the same as you? Make sure you know how you compare to the competition. It’s worth it – are you comparing apples with apples?

If your customer is saying “I can get the same thing much cheaper down the road” don’t just accept this as truth. Too many sales people accept these statements at face value not bothering to check if it is true or not. And some customers try this tactic to see if you will cave in or not so they can get something at your expense.

A particular example springs to mind for me:- I recall, in the early days of starting my business, meeting with a recruitment consultant with the express need of helping me find an admin person. I needed an admin person and I didn’t have the time to find one myself so I was ready to buy. The meeting went well and I thought she would do a good job for me. Having been a recruitment consultant myself I knew what was good value in this field. So I asked her how much her fees were. Her immediate response, with no prompting or bargaining from me was this “Oh it’s 12% but you can have it for 10%!’ I was quite shocked. Not only hadn’t I haggled, I didn’t even say anything to indicate I wanted a discount. I would have paid 12 % but instead, took advantage of the discount. Why not was I going to say ‘oh no I’ll have it for 12%’? She was clearly at fault here and had assumed that I would try and beat her down on price so she got in first.

This got me thinking about what is the real price for things and why do so many sales people drop their prices time and time again. If sales people continually do this it can leave the customer doubting the people they are buying from and questioning the real value of what they are getting.

Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of “The Little Red Book of Selling” points out that more than 74 percent of all people are willing to pay the recommended price. He suggests that your prices need to be fair and your need to be firm. You need to be able to stand your ground and know how to prove your value. He then recommends that you ditch the other 26 percent and let them hammer your competition into no profit and bankruptcy, and concentrate on the customers who are willing to pay.

I recall my days working as recruitment consultant for Morgan & Banks. We were not the cheapest in town, in fact we were in the upper quartile for fees and service. When I met with potential new customers to see if we could work with them we would also discuss the fees we charged. We charged 15% and upwards for recruitment assignments as compared to the industry average at the time of 10% or 12%. Many prospective customers assumed that we recruitment consultants were all alike and baulked at the idea of 15%+. Now I could have crumpled and said ‘ok you can have it for 12%” but I didn’t. Instead I asked them what they were getting for their 10-12% so I was able to understand what was on offer and what they saw as value. Once I had that information I was then able to compare our service offering to what they were getting. What they found was there was more on offer for our 15%+ than what they were getting for 12%. And they were able to compare and contrast the various offerings using evidence not just hearsay and make an informed decision. And so was I.

More often than not they went with me and paid the 15%+.

Don’t forget The price is just an arbitrary figure until it is ascribed a value. It means nothing in of itself. Sure the pricing of your product or service needs to be pitched in the right market level, however, make sure you can articulate the value of your product or service offering using real evidence. If you do your homework you might find that you are selling yourself, your products anfd services too cheaply. Here are some hints:

• Make sure you know how your products and services compare and contrast with that of your competition.
• Make sure you fully understand what the customer needs and what they value so you can build a sound business case for using you and make sure you have an economic case to justify your price point. Know what your Return on Investment (ROI) offering is.
• Stand up for your business. Do not fear confrontation or conflict. Be proud of what you do and tell your customers that you do not discount unless it is based on volume. Make sure you can always make money.
• If your strategy is to buy market share then be very careful as lifting prices from a lower base is much harder. And you don’t want to end up like Visy or Amcor.
• Do not give things away to keep the customer ‘sweet’ either, they will not respect you and will keep trying to take advantage of you at your expense.

Learn to sell to the ‘right’ customers:

It helps to identify a ‘Viable’ customer – someone who can buy from you right now for the right reasons. Do they have the following three conditions operating simultaneously?

• MONEY – the willingness & ability to pay for it?
• AUTHORITY to make a decision, and
• A real NEED for your product or services?

If so then sell to them, if not move to the next customer but always leave the door open so they know to come back to you when they are viable.

Clients don’t expect to be coerced, bullied, tricked or intimidated into buying. They don’t expect to be treated like an idiot by sales people who just talk at them and flash brochures or product sheets. Relationships do not work effectively if they are forced!

Clients are now after ‘Business people’who can sell.

Most clients know what they are after even if they don’t know how to articulate it sometimes.

The ‘market challenger’ or ‘early adopter’ clients are open to new ideas and innovations and whilst they don’t know what they don’t know they are often happy to see competent sales people to learn and keep up to date with the latest ideas and innovations. They want to stay ahead of the pack. A key part of our job, as sales people, is to help clients articulate what they need in language they can relate to and understand so they can get what they need.

Today, clients expect to deal with a real professional who knows their own business and how that business is able to serve the client’s business well.

As sales people, we need to listen beyond the obvious product need and get to know how our offering fits in with our clients’ overall business or personal plans. Here are some suggestions on how you can do this:

• Determine the expressed client needs by asking questions, which get you understanding their situation for their point of view. An initial question I often use is ‘What are your key priorities and issues you need to address in the next … months in relation to your company’s sales performance (insert your own area of expertise)?’
• Press for more information to identify the business issues underlying the client’s needs
• Creatively draw on the full resources of your business to see what possible solutions you can offer

Clients expect to be ‘helped’ these days. They expect the sales person to have a reasonable degree of business acumen & commercial awareness. You need to be aware of the bigger picture and your place in it. As you well know the world does not only revolve around your product or service.

You can build your credibility and value as a trusted business partner if you:

• Look to further the interests of your client’s business as well as your own
• Keep current on developments that affect clients’ business strategies including emerging trends and clients’ competitors
• Have a long-term perspective on the way you do business with clients
• Expand the client’s understanding of what a business relationship can be
• And do not forget your ‘Economic Argument’, your ROI (return on investment). Look for ways you can contribute to your clients’ profitability.

As a sales person make sure you always have a valid business reason (VBR) to position you in context of your client or prospect’s business. Think in terms of how the client will perceive you and your value to their business.

An excellent barometer for how your clients feel when you are interacting with them is to imagine you are one of your clients and you are being served by you. Really put yourself in your clients’ shoes and describe your sales and service approach in as much details as possible. What did they say about you and your value to them?

‘Success’ is but an artistic term

And after proper investigation, we as sales people should be able to define what ‘Success’ will looks like in partnership with the client and have a planned approach for change. Remember ‘Success’ is but an artistic term until you give it substance. You need to make sure you can link your client’s goals and desires to work with you to tangible actions and outcomes. We are living in an increasingly evidenced based society and you need to be able to link your business offerings to real outcomes.

No fluff and spin!

You need to be able to communicate achievable objectives for the relationship while challenging the creativity of both the client and your organisation.

In short, in at least Business to Business sales, clients are now after ‘Business people’ who can sell.