Tom Gaul: Carrying a Bag

A chronicle of the things I've learned in my 20 years in sales.

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Prospecting- Existing clients...building the Spider Web

Not often thought of, why them you ask? First, you get to skip steps such as initial profile and discovering whether you should deal with them at all. Not to overlook that step however, you already know them. So why them?

TAM- Total Available Market Ask them for projects you aren't exposed to. Other salespeople, departments, wherever you think you might be able to do more business within a company.

Recently, a fellow salesperson reminded me of this idea when he and I were talking about one of their big clients and he wanted to go through his checklist with me as to whether he was availing himself of all opportunities within the account. Result? We found out he wasn't being exposed in a certain vertical that company dealt with for the simple reason that, he never asked!

Best time to do this? I've had the most success right after I provide a good solution and they're happy. People love to brag and justify their own decisions! Makes them look good. Ask for a few folks within that organization that might be able to use your product/service. At best, ask them to send an email describing the success to their co-worker copying you.

Selling Direct- Ask them for referrals of others in their organization, vendors, like businesses. "I am always trying to build my business. If you like it, who thinks like you do? Who should I talk to?"

Lost the sale? You're not dead. There may be reasons they can’t share as to why you lost it. "Thanks for the opportunity and sorry it didn't work out. Did I do a good job presenting the solution?" Yes? "What two companies should I contact if you were me as I wait for the next opportunity to help you?"

My experience- Using this technique resulted in the folks  referring me to a client in another market who wasn't being served well. That referral has resulted in years of creating profitable deals together and all because, I asked. The original client? We did business a few years later after their original contract expired with my competitor.

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Probing- No one likes it at the Doctor’s office but, clients do.

Probing is the best word I’ve found for this process even though it sounds invasive.  I've heard Lawyers call is “discovery” but we are salespeople.  No fancy term needed.

Just like the Doctor’s procedure, you are uncovering what’s not visible or maybe even masked by other signs and symptoms.

With probing, you get information.  What’s their fear of proceeding?  Why this?  Why now?  Why not? Their timeline.

e.g.

What have you liked about your current solution?

What don’t you like?

What do they feel is the best way to change it?

What do you wish the new solution offered?

How did the idea to change come about?  (Who decided it was time to change)  Why would they keep things the same?

Who doesn’t want this to happen?

How do I get you a Gold Star on your review with my efforts?

Do they have budget set aside for this?  Whose budget is it coming from? 

What are the “Must Haves” of the new solution?  Using your competitive differentiators, ask which are important to them.  They don’t necessarily need to know you offer those actually.

What else should I know to help me help you?

Get the mind going?  When a doctor probes an abdomen, they are looking for signs and symptoms of tenderness, rigidity, rebound tenderness, and in those rare cases, color change.  Very little of this is visual.  That’s why they look at the face as they palpate the quadrants.  Develop your questions with that in mind.  Listen to what they say and how they respond.  Your next question developed from the previous answer.

I literally saw the head tech guy of a K12 District say that they were changing to this technology so it would help their Educators teach using interactive tools.  As I listened, if I had closed my eyes and didn’t speak English, it sounded like he was reading someone the riot act!  Thankfully, I picked up on that and I later drove home all the benefits of our product that reduced help desk calls, could be learned by doing and wouldn’t shut the system down if they got in the weeds. 

I wonder if my competitor probed too?  I wonder if my competitor knew what was important to the Tech guy?  If they heard the pain point even though the words didn’t match the tone?

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Looking at new Verticals- should we?

As soon as you decide to explore new verticals, evaluate why.  TAM, who are the players?  What is their buying cycle,, your anticipated value add, barriers of entry, who of your competitors deals with them already?

Interview- Yep, interview.  I learned this technique from my father when he was setting up a family business.  Is there a reason we haven’t explored this before?  What do they expect, how are things sold?  GPO’s, channels, etc.  This is a fact finding mission!

You call and interview those in the middle of the pack.  Or towards the bottom.  You want the big ones but need to speak the language.  And be real about it.  i.e. tell them it’s your job to explore this new vertical.  Describe your features briefly followed by the benefits others have experienced and state what you perceive their benefit to be.  “Am I correct in that assumption”  No?  Perfect. That’s the purpose of this call!  Let them give you their opinion!  Let them describe how they might benefit.  If the call is going well, ask them the right questions to ask and what you should know about the industry to best serve them.

People like to be listened to.  Plus, you get how to speak to their needs.  Are you losing control of the process when they dictate the buying process or establishing needs?  No.  You can always say no.  Remember where I mentioned above that you shouldn’t call the key prospects?  This is one reason.  Tough to say no to them!

At the outset, you’ll also discover whether you should even sell to that market!  Next, you get to decide whether you can adapt to their buying patterns, are they staged or integrated projects or, are they reactive?  When is their buying season and how does that affect your company’s existing business.  What are the nuances and will their criteria make it unprofitable!

Tip while staring at the windshield?  Call a vendor partner or complementary entity and ask them their opinion.  What are their ideas, common issues, who are the players, maybe names of people to call, who are that high maintenance prospects that look great but eat your profit or have unrealistic expectations.  Then do the same for them.

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C.O.I. no, that's not a typo!

In every organization, those with or without clear hierarchy, process or titles, there is at least one COI!

Even the CEO has one!    (more on that as you read on)

In every organization I’ve dealt with, someone has a voice that is heard over everyone.  That COI.  That Center of Influence.

Isn’t it always the CEO or highest decision maker in the process?  Nope.

The COI is uncovered as you ask how they decided on a certain product.  Why they picked this office location.  Why they chose that type of furniture…the colors, the logo, the type of laptops they use.  With questions like these, you will uncover a common thread somewhere.  The funny thing is, maybe your point of contact never put one and two together.  At a local thriving business in my town, it’s the owner’s wife who decided the layout, the location and what type of equipment they use.  Thankfully, she has skills but indeed the owner got initial and final say from his wife.

An interesting aspect to this COI is their opinion is often sought within informal settings such as walking out the door or at the water cooler.  The CEO or highest decision maker may ask that COI while walking down the hall.  They will be thought of as that “go-to person” when the big cheese wants an honest opinion. 

The worst part is, we may never meet the COI and very rarely are privy to those conversations.  But finding out who they are will help guide you as to the key elements to address.

Curious lesson I’ve learned---I’ve dealt with that highest decision maker who have in turn, asked their admin.  Since then I’ve always treated their admin with equal business stature!

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Smelling smoke

A phrase meaning something is amiss.  Sometimes you can't feel the heat from the fire or even see the flames but you smell the smoke.

When this happens in sales, we often want to hide or ignore it but, addressing it is less painful to us and our clients.

The photo above was taken in Fort Collins CO.  About 4 to 5 miles West of town this fire started from a lightning strike a few days before.  Lightning strikes can smolder and more often than not, extinguish themselves.  This one didnt.  The resulting fire is now called the worst in Colorado history.  Respect to all the firefighters and support staff trying to contain it!  More than 50K acres have burned!

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not only Christmas/Holidays/Birthdays but...

You get Christmas/Holiday cards and maybe even one on your Birthday. Here’s one I was taught years ago that has proven fruitful….

Find every significant date in your client’s history you can. Date they were hired, date the company started, when they reached a revenue goal, whatever was significant in their development?

Try to visit them on that “anniversary” and bring your normal donuts or fruit tray. Borderline cheesy you say? I’ve never had it turned down. Been introduced as the guy who remembered when we were founded.

Want to really score points? Email the guys in your database on say… Feb 5th. Tell them to buy a Valentine and then an envelope that fits both the card and its accompanying envelope. This is where you score points. Huge points, as in brags on all the social media site type points!

Write the Valentine (source nice things to say on Google if writer’s block) address it to your significant other with a stamp on it. Put it inside the bigger envelope and address it to:

Loveland Postmaster for special greeting

Loveland, CO 80538

Mail it by Feb 6th and the Valentine arrives by the 14th and then, let them get the mail. You’re in it for about $3.85 and it shows thought. Forethought even. (Apparently that means something)

You’ll owe me!

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If we had ham, we could have ham and eggs if we had any eggs.

My buddy Carl ran a sales force.  He had a few salespeople who talked to end users that use products Carl's company didnt make.  In the off chance that they might have them to sell someday?

He suggested finding clients that might buy what they DID make and had in their warehouse! 

There's an idea!

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Want to Buy a Toothbrush?

Also known as, creating a market or need.  I’ve known this parable for years and forget who originally told it to me. I wish I knew so I could give them credit! 

A salesman walked into a company asking for a job. The boss said that there weren’t any openings. The salesperson said, "let me prove I can sell and then we'll talk about whether you have a spot for me!"

The boss leaned back, pondered and said, “OK, here are a bunch of toothbrushes you can sell. They are too short and the bristles are so hard they'll cut your gums.  Whatever you get for them, you can keep, but you have to come back and show me the money.”

Hours went by and the people on the streets weren’t buying the toothbrushes because of their obvious faults; so the salesperson got creative. 

He went out into the field, picked up some cow dung and made it into little bite-sized nuggets.  He put powdered sugar on them and gave them to people to eat as they walked by.

After tasting them, the people said “Oh, this tastes like _____!”   to which he retorted...

“Well it is!  Want to buy a toothbrush?” 

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You're Asking a Nun to Dance

This phrase came from one of my favorite sales trainers, Dick Green.  

This refers to focusing on a prospect that looks very attractive yet, you are never likely to land.  

In these times of being "P.C." which is, of course, the appropriate option... let's rephrase it to...

You're asking (insert attractive actress/actor) to marry you!

It's possible although highly improbable and, while plausible, takes effort away from someone who might actually say yes!

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"It's better to get a little of something than a lot of nothing"

~Dr. Herb Cohen

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"In the field of opportunity, it's plowing time again"

~Neil Young

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Three 3's to Remember

I've found that deals move more efficiently when I am prepared, understand and share the three 3's. 1. 3 Reasons why I should have them as a client 2. 3 Reasons it will help them, or their company 3. 3 Reasons why it will help them today

What has proven interesting through the years is that when I come in prepared this way, the prospect and I find out quickly if we are on the same page. It saves a lot of time and uncovers what they truly need or want.  ~twg

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I share many of my stories of the sales "road" with my sons.

So they finally told me I should create a blog where I can share them, along with those of my colleagues.  

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"On your death bed, you will reach full consciousness."

The Dalai Lama