Jan06 Email4

Sales Tip for January 2006 - Volume 4

Danny Wood is one of New Jersey’s most respected sales force development experts.

His work has been recognized by business leaders and corporate managers for providing their people with the aptitude to realize millions of dollars in additional business that would otherwise have never materialized or been lost to competitors.

"I have finally gained great control over the sales process in my firm."
Marc Blumenthal - Principal
Sax, Macy, Fromm

"Our staff has new confidence and much less fear."
Richard Magid - President
Soundboard, LLC

"I can’t remember the last time I heard, Boss – Our prices are too high."
John Fernandez - Owner
Signmasters, Inc

"Our sales went up 30% since we started with Danny’s program."
Jim Margiotta – President
PBI-Dansensor America, Inc.

Secrets of Sales Superstars ...
Qualify Pain

Sales superstars are skilled at asking the right questions to quantify a prospect's pain. They lead the prospect through a journey of discovery by comparing the financial gap between where the prospect is today and where the prospect would like to be. Superstars walk through how big the issue is, what it costs the prospect in lost profits or productivity, and if the cost matters to the prospect. These steps help the prospect formulate the cost of the problem, present it in a way the prospect will understand, and help the prospect calculate the cost of doing nothing.

When dealing with the cost of a problem the superstar knows it has to be credible to the prospect. Superstars allow the prospect to do the math themselves, making the numbers belong to the customer. Prospects are also asked to be conservative in their estimates. Both the prospect and the superstar know the numbers are speculative so keeping the estimate conservative adds a layer of belief. Poor salespeople frequently assign their own numbers to a prospect's problem by asking, "Wouldn't you agree that this is costing $xxx?" By assigning this cost without any input from the prospect the poor salesperson loses credibility with the client since the problem may actually cost more, less or nothing at all.

The final thing that the superstar does is make sure the amount of money the problem is costing is enough for the prospect to care about. Superstars ask, "Is this enough to matter? Is it important enough to take action?" There is no sense in doing a great dog and pony show presentation if the problem is not important enough to fix or the prospect has no commitment to take action. Superstars make it a point to know the importance of the problem.

Be a superstar and quantify the problem. Help your prospect understand if there will be a return on the investment. By shifting focus from price to the real issue, the cost of hiring the superstar becomes a needed investment.

Don't Miss Our Next Complimentary Live Executive Briefing:

Friday, February 17, 2006
(click link above for more info and to register)

Danny Wood Enterprises, LLC
201 Route 17 North, Suite 300
Rutherford, NJ 07070
Ph: (201) 842-0055
Fx: (201) 842-0789
Danny@DWESalesGrowth.com
http://www.DWESalesGrowth.com