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Hollis, NH
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Do Sales Tools = Sales Effectiveness?

With the explosion of "Sales 2.0" mentions, how do we evaluate the tools that are available?  Which ones will really drive better effectiveness? 

According to CSO Insights, the #1 issue that worries VP Sales and CEOs, behind increasing revenue, is increasing sales effectiveness. 

In a different survey, 97% of CEOs interviewed are planning on increasing revenue this year.  More interestingly, 67% plan on increasing revenue while REDUCING headcount in the sales department. 

Now, I am not a math major, but, if you want to increase sales and decrease sales people, each sales person has to sell more than they were selling.  Right? So increasing the productivity of each sales person has to be the utmost priority.  The real question is exactly HOW do you do that?  Enter sales 2.0 tools. 

First, let's back up and talk about what Sales 2.0 IS... With all the stuff written, you would think that there is a new Facebook that sells the stuff for you.  The reality is that selling is just as hard (more so) than ever before.  The other reality is that buyers are more informed than ever before, and they EXPECT you to be.  Therefore the first 2 sales calls (introduction, learning about the business etc.) are gone.  Sales 2.0 is the acceleration and abrupt deceleration of the sales process.  It is also the incredible number of tools and services available.

So what are the tools?  Salesforce.com is the most visible tool that sales teams are now using, but InsideView, Connect and Sell, DemandBase, and Kadient are excellent examples of where sales tools are headed.  The key is having the information that you need, when you need it, in a place that you need it, so you can ACT ON IT!  And this is where things sometimes fall down.

For today, let's start with Connect and Sell.  This is a great tool, technology and service... BUT, for it to work, the team has to be ready and trained to use it. If they just throw up on the individuals that they get on the phone, then all you did was add efficiency to a bad selling experience and process.  You will get more conversations, so by simple math you will get more deals, but you haven't really made the sales process an engine.  So a few things to make this a success:

  1. Have a plan and a VERY TARGETED list.  Without a good target list based on a good sales plan, then this is automated "Spray and Pray"
  2. Have an Excellent 15 second introduction.. Get their attention fast and keep the conversation about them, their issues, and their success.
  3. Know what your goal is.. 99% of companies are not going to close anything on one call.  You are probably just trying to set up a time to have a more detailed conversation.  Get their attention, generate some interest, set up a time, get off the phone, move to the next one
  4. Stack industries, verticals or product lines.  This makes the introduction and the conversation easier for the rep to focus on.  If the first call is a bank and the next call is an engineering firm, the mental shift in a few seconds is tough.  make sure that the list is focused every time you use the service.
  5. Turn off your cell phone and forward to voicemail your desk phone.  Close your email client.  FOCUS on the calls and you will be much better.

These tips should help you increase your effectiveness with Connect and Sell.  In the next few days I will talk about how to best use Inside View, Kadient, Demand Base and maybe a couple of others.

Good Selling!

Steve

Selling in Turbulent Times

I was on a great webinar last week presented by Dow Jones and CSO Insights, and I recommend that you listen to the replay.  You can click here to watch the "Successful Sales Strategies" replay.  We can talk about Sales 2.0, and sales effectiveness, or even sales optimization.  But a lot of what is making sales people successful in this economy is a) having good sales intelligence and b) having an effective sales plan or an account plan!

Why did I like this so much?  First, they based the strategies not only on the sales truths that don't change, but on the completely changed realities of selling today.

"We Need the Right Team,
To Do the Right Things,
Using the Right Tools,
Supported by the Right Insights,
To Get Our Customers to Do the Right Thing,
Right Now!"

Now this isn't news, but how you get there today, is very different than just 3 years ago. Today, prospects EXPECT you to know their business, before you come in to meet with them.  You can expect them to know your business before you talk with them the first time even.  The question is now, how do you get to the conversations in real time around issues that they care about as opposed to your product or service?

With the huge amount of information that is available, how do you get what you need in order to have the RIGHT information for a sales call or to target a prospect.  Dow Jones has the product that they acquired from Generate.  Inside View is a great tool that integrates with SFDC.  So does ZoomInfo.  What you have to do is figure out which tools or combination of tools works for your business and your industry.  More importantly, what information do you need to fully have a plan?  Some of my favorite statistic that CSO Insights has on this call is that fully 43% of sales reps are missing quota, and according to their managers, over 50% of the sales reps need to do more research before making a sales call.

As we get ready to end Q2 and head into the second half of the selling year, you have to stop and ask... Do I have the right information?  Do I know what information I need to have a successful Territory Sales Plan or Account Plan?  Where can I get the information that I need?  How can I have it all easily accessible in my CRM?

The tools are there, including the sales planning tools.

The question is are you using them and is your team being effective?

The Guy at Sasquatch Music Festival! Sell like nobody is watching.

I ran across this video because a friend and colleague, Trish Bertuzzi, wrote a great blog post about "Crossing the Chasm" in technology sales, and used this video as an example.  Seth Godin used it and said,

"Initiators are rare indeed, but it's scary to be the leader. Guy #3 is rare too, but it's a lot less scary and just as important. Guy #49 is irrelevant."

We as sales people and entrepreneurs are in many ways that Crazy Guy dancing.  But hey! Look what happens if you dance long enough!  Just keep dancing, and dance like nobody is watching.  Maybe that means making huge mistakes on a cold call or taking a huge risk on a sales tactic or strategy.  Just keep dancing and selling.  You will win and you will succeed... somehow.. and maybe with a 100 weird friends dancing along :-)

 

Steve

 


 

Hi! It is great to be here!

Latest Activity

Profile Information

How do you spend your day? (aka what's your job?)
CEO, Plan 2 Win Software.. A small software company that creates tools for helping sales people become more effective. Plan 2 Win Software We have 2
sales tools
that are currently released. We also have the Salesforce.com version for the Application Xchage that will be released in Beta in Early October.

I also spend a great deal of time doing
sales training and consulting.
I really love what I do, and have a lot of fun doing it!
What's your hometown?
W. Monroe, LA
Favorite activities?
Skiing, Theater, Music... I am very involved in community theater and ski constantly in the winter between weekend rehearsals for various musicals that I am working on.
What's your long-term goal? If you don't know yet, that's OK!
I am building a company that will help sales people and take their careers forward. My goal is to build this company to a point where the users are all helping each other succeed. I want to have a life and security that will allow my twin daughters to do anything that they want with their lives.
Achieving our long-term goals involves a lot of baby steps. What goal are you working toward right now?
Building users and sales so we stay a viable entity.
How would you like KF community members help you achieve this goal?
Encouragement, Advice, Referrals
Are there ways not listed that you would like KF Community members to reach out and help you?
I want to meet Vice Presidents of sales, both as referrals and as people whose advice I can seek. As I build sales tools, I think I can get a bit Myopic with my own background and experiences. The more people I can reach out to and get real life ideas and examples, the better my tool sets will become.

I want to meet the Founder of Palo Alto Software, Tim Berry
We ask that each member makes a pledge to the community: What help can you offer to your fellow members?
I will help anyone who wants help with sales, including copies of software and / or sales training.
If you had to put your personal philosophy on a bumper sticker, what would it be?
Life is too short. Love it!
If you have an official bio, post it here.
Steven is a passionate and entrepreneurial sales leader. He has been selling since 1989 and running sales teams since 1998. His career has included:

- WW Vice President of Sales
- Regional Vice President of Sales
- Regional Director of Sales
- Sales Manager - Channels, The Americas
- Sales Rep at every level

Steve started P2W in 2006. Plan2Win was started because he saw a gap in the training and skill levels of today's sales teams. Real territory strategy and key account planning were not being taught, and there were no tools to facilitate the process. That is why P2W was started. The goal of P2W is to create sales tools that enhance the sales person’s activities, not impede them.

P2Ws software, consulting, and sales training push sales people to think analytically, methodically and strategically about their industries. P2W will get them to think about their selling techniques and their territories. We will help them create a sales plan or Account plan that will help them sell. More importantly, we make them think in new ways.
http://www.linkedin.com/in/sharper

Steven Harper's Blog

Steven Harper

Dealing with all of the negative news...

Man, these last few weeks are enough to test the positive attitude of anyone. Financial mess, bizarre politics, murder, mayhem, Hurricanes... What's next locust?!?

I have found myself having to work harder and harder to stay motivated and focused. I don't know about you, but sometimes as I get thrown off balanced and get stressed, I can get withdrawn. What i mean is that I don't spend as much time with people as I should. I get focused on being focused. (Does that make sense?) But I made an int… Continue

Posted on September 19, 2008 at 12:17pm — 3 Comments

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At 11:38am on September 19, 2008, Karen Petersen, Esq said…
I'm very much into community theater as well. What show are you working on right now? Karen
 
 

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