As is my custom this semester I assigned my students post-graduation homework in the form of a handout that offers them month by month ideas for achieving sales success in their first six months of selling. The idea is for them to take the foundation they put in place through their work as an SBM student and leverage that with focused and purposeful effort so that they continue to develop into the great businesspeople they wish to become.
If you want to look for this assignment it can be found on my MKTG 4600 course web page at www.partnerbuilding.com/4600/. It is called "Sales Success in Six Months" and the link to it is on the bottom right corner of the site
So the question I had today, as I was cleaning some extra copies of that handout off my desk, is what homework would the alumni recommend? Did they do any of the homework I suggested? Generally speaking, what did you alumni do to continue your SBM education? I would love to see your comments and suggestions for what I would include on an updated "Sales Success in your First Six Months" document.
So your homework is to hit the comment button and share your thoughts.......
Monday, April 30, 2007
Friday, April 27, 2007
Thoughts from Germany
I am in Germany now getting to know my students from the class I will be teaching this summer at Paderborn University. So far my opinion is great. We did a 4 hour class on Thursday and they stayed engaged and active for the full 4 hours. I wish my US students had that kind of stamina in the classroom. They seem very eager, although a bit nervous, about the course and the course requirements. Yet I am very confident they will handle it with eventual ease.
Das Wetter ist schon (missing a umlaut) and that puts me in a good mood, but boy is jet-lag starting to catch-up with me. My Deutsch language abilities are still poor, but it is fun to speak Germ-glish with people here.
My initial reaction to this whole experience is that it will be wonderful and interesting, yet it will be the same. The students will have the same concerns and issues and the campus evironment will be very similar and ultimately if we do our jobs well, both the students and I will learn alot this semester.
Aufweidersehen. Ich gehe und trinke Bier jetzt!
Das Wetter ist schon (missing a umlaut) and that puts me in a good mood, but boy is jet-lag starting to catch-up with me. My Deutsch language abilities are still poor, but it is fun to speak Germ-glish with people here.
My initial reaction to this whole experience is that it will be wonderful and interesting, yet it will be the same. The students will have the same concerns and issues and the campus evironment will be very similar and ultimately if we do our jobs well, both the students and I will learn alot this semester.
Aufweidersehen. Ich gehe und trinke Bier jetzt!
Monday, April 23, 2007
Lessons from Spring 2007 Semester
By this time tomorrow I will be done with the Spring 2007 semester and be on a plane to Germany. As each semester concludes I think back to the key lessons I learned from teaching another iteration of Advanced Selling. So here are a few thoughts to wrap up this semester....
Lesson #1: Don't confuse questions with understanding. I think those of us who teach selling have done such a good job of refocusing the selling task on questioning and listening, that we have actually created a new problem: questions for question's sake. I watched this semester as students seemed to confuse their need to understand the buyer's situation with a need to ask questions. Questions are the tools, not the ends. If it takes one question to understand, wonderful. But if it takes a series of 6-8 questions to understand a single issue, then ask them, combine them with strong listening, and achieve that necessary understanding. The point is not to ask a few questions and move on, the point is understanding. So as you plan out your interactions with customers, focus on using your questions as tools that will help you achieve your end; a strong, robust understanding of the buyer's needs, problems, and situation.
Lesson #2: Make recommendations, don't simply offer options. I just finished my final role-plays and the best ones all shared something in common: they brought me a concrete recommendation that was easy for me to comprehend and make a decision on. The ones that were poor often told me all the things I could do. "Could" leads to lack of commitment. Heck, a lack of commitment is inherent in the word "could." The groups who said, "based on my understanding of your situation, and my understanding of my company's product offering, here is my suggestion and here is why it makes sense" had a much easier time getting me engaged and were much more likely to hear a answer, whether it be yes or no. Those that focused on the myriad of possibilities that I could take, often encouraged me to say maybe. And maybe is possibly the worst word in selling. A good salesperson can deal with a "no", but a "maybe" reduces your options and it is my experience that most maybe's are just drawn out no's. So think about what you do, are you making recommendations, or are you just offering options? If you hear a lot of "I'll have to think it over" chances are you are encouraging this lack of decisiveness by focusing on options, not recommendations.
Lesson #3: Practice Matters. We were able to put two new role-plays into MKTG 4600 this semester and it definitely made a difference. Performance improved. It still baffles me how little salespeople practice. All other performance arts (e.g. sports, music, teaching) spend a great deal of time practicing, yet we salespeople like to think we don't need to or don't have the time to. I watched a student make a rough, but admirable attempt at telling an "imagine this" story in his call today. However, imagine this.... that salesperson put 30 minutes aside, got that illustrative story fine tuned and fully rehearsed, pulled it off in the call, really brought the product to life for the buyer and made a difficult and competitive sale. Suddenly that 30 minutes seems like time well spent. So I ask you.... what is your practice schedule? Or do you only practice on live customers costing you way more than 30 minutes of time?
Lesson #4: Nice does not equal easy. I always get a student who asks if I will be nice to them in the role plays. And I answer "absolutely!" And then I throw them off with unexpected objections, new issues and stubbornly negative opinions. Dang, I am nice! Mean would be being a push over that plays their sales straight man during these calls. Nice is forcing people to earn their success, forcing them to reach their potential. Just letting them slide is actually easier, but it would be the meanest thing I can think of. So, if you want to be nice to yourself, your classmates, your co-workers; be hard on them. Not mean or nasty, just difficult and challenging. Then when they get past the typically difficult buyer they can smile and thank you for being nice!
I am sure there were other lessons, but those stuck out to me as I sat here and reflected. Thanks again to all my students, past, present, and future, who force me to re-learn selling each and every semester. Someday I just might graduate!
Lesson #1: Don't confuse questions with understanding. I think those of us who teach selling have done such a good job of refocusing the selling task on questioning and listening, that we have actually created a new problem: questions for question's sake. I watched this semester as students seemed to confuse their need to understand the buyer's situation with a need to ask questions. Questions are the tools, not the ends. If it takes one question to understand, wonderful. But if it takes a series of 6-8 questions to understand a single issue, then ask them, combine them with strong listening, and achieve that necessary understanding. The point is not to ask a few questions and move on, the point is understanding. So as you plan out your interactions with customers, focus on using your questions as tools that will help you achieve your end; a strong, robust understanding of the buyer's needs, problems, and situation.
Lesson #2: Make recommendations, don't simply offer options. I just finished my final role-plays and the best ones all shared something in common: they brought me a concrete recommendation that was easy for me to comprehend and make a decision on. The ones that were poor often told me all the things I could do. "Could" leads to lack of commitment. Heck, a lack of commitment is inherent in the word "could." The groups who said, "based on my understanding of your situation, and my understanding of my company's product offering, here is my suggestion and here is why it makes sense" had a much easier time getting me engaged and were much more likely to hear a answer, whether it be yes or no. Those that focused on the myriad of possibilities that I could take, often encouraged me to say maybe. And maybe is possibly the worst word in selling. A good salesperson can deal with a "no", but a "maybe" reduces your options and it is my experience that most maybe's are just drawn out no's. So think about what you do, are you making recommendations, or are you just offering options? If you hear a lot of "I'll have to think it over" chances are you are encouraging this lack of decisiveness by focusing on options, not recommendations.
Lesson #3: Practice Matters. We were able to put two new role-plays into MKTG 4600 this semester and it definitely made a difference. Performance improved. It still baffles me how little salespeople practice. All other performance arts (e.g. sports, music, teaching) spend a great deal of time practicing, yet we salespeople like to think we don't need to or don't have the time to. I watched a student make a rough, but admirable attempt at telling an "imagine this" story in his call today. However, imagine this.... that salesperson put 30 minutes aside, got that illustrative story fine tuned and fully rehearsed, pulled it off in the call, really brought the product to life for the buyer and made a difficult and competitive sale. Suddenly that 30 minutes seems like time well spent. So I ask you.... what is your practice schedule? Or do you only practice on live customers costing you way more than 30 minutes of time?
Lesson #4: Nice does not equal easy. I always get a student who asks if I will be nice to them in the role plays. And I answer "absolutely!" And then I throw them off with unexpected objections, new issues and stubbornly negative opinions. Dang, I am nice! Mean would be being a push over that plays their sales straight man during these calls. Nice is forcing people to earn their success, forcing them to reach their potential. Just letting them slide is actually easier, but it would be the meanest thing I can think of. So, if you want to be nice to yourself, your classmates, your co-workers; be hard on them. Not mean or nasty, just difficult and challenging. Then when they get past the typically difficult buyer they can smile and thank you for being nice!
I am sure there were other lessons, but those stuck out to me as I sat here and reflected. Thanks again to all my students, past, present, and future, who force me to re-learn selling each and every semester. Someday I just might graduate!
Friday, April 20, 2007
Outstanding SBM Students
I had the pleasure of attending the Marketing Department Awards Banquet tonight. And SBM students shined throughout the program. Here are our best and brightest:
Academic Achievement Awards (Overall GPA of 3.5 or better)
Maggie Bradford
Donald Christofferson, Jr.
Jon Hainen
Heather Marshall
Marquita Mays
Molly Mutschler
Yolanda Newsome
Sarah Nicholson
Megan Petsch
Benjamin Ryan
Matt Schave
Ramie Sliuzas
Jeff Turowski
Marketing Department Senior with the highest GPA: Jeff Turowski (4.0)
Marketing Department Presidential Scholar (University's highest award): Jeff Turowski
Outstanding SBM Student: Jon Hainen
SBM Distinguished Service Awards: Molly Mutschler & Kate Grix
If you know these students please offer your congratulations.
Academic Achievement Awards (Overall GPA of 3.5 or better)
Maggie Bradford
Donald Christofferson, Jr.
Jon Hainen
Heather Marshall
Marquita Mays
Molly Mutschler
Yolanda Newsome
Sarah Nicholson
Megan Petsch
Benjamin Ryan
Matt Schave
Ramie Sliuzas
Jeff Turowski
Marketing Department Senior with the highest GPA: Jeff Turowski (4.0)
Marketing Department Presidential Scholar (University's highest award): Jeff Turowski
Outstanding SBM Student: Jon Hainen
SBM Distinguished Service Awards: Molly Mutschler & Kate Grix
If you know these students please offer your congratulations.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Competing with that top producer - thoughts from Alexi Mavrelis
Alexi (SBM 2004 - Past SBMA President) wrote.... We all have that person or persons in our respective companies that are the ultra producer, the one who sells the most and makes the most time and time again. Is that the person we should be modeling our technique after? Would Eckert categorize them as a "Professional Salesperson" or are they different? Why is it that they are that good? Is it personality type? Experience? Their massive established network? Can we compete with them with the same consistency that they produce? Why or why not?
Eckert's Thoughts: In any area there are superstars - think professional sports, or music. And many of those people are very hard to copy. I am watching a lot of hockey now with the Cup playoffs, and in Hockey you have Sidney Crosby from Pittsburg. 19 years old and a phenom. Can you become him - probably not. His instinct and vision for the game is just out of the realm of most players. So can you role-model and copy him - certainly. Look at the things you can copy - work ethic, techniques, dedication. But in the end all "players" in any sport (selling included) have to find the style of play that works for them.
I strongly believe if you remain committed to the techniques and behaviors of the "professional salesperson" that the SBM program sets forth, that given a bit of time, you will be a strong producer. It will take some time (for instance, you can't possibly have the network a long-time producer has) and you may not become a superstar. But the beauty of this world is we all don't have to be superstars to have productive, healthy and meaningful work lives.
In selling I think there is another element also, and that is ethics. I think there are unethical superstars out there because the marketplace and the workplace allows that to happen. So I think one must be careful not to emulate someone who solely produces, I think you also have to ask if that person produces ethically. I have known "rockstar" faculty who publish more, and get more grants, but do that on the backs of their grad students and at the expense of a healthy working environment. I don't admire or respect these individuals even though on paper they look like rockstars. As much as I like success I don't consider it success if it is done in an unethical or unsavory way.
Lastly, I think you have to be careful defining success. I have spent many hours thinking about how I can be successful. Certainly being a strong faculty member is one of those. But being a great husband, father, neighbor, citizen, and such also plays a huge role. And the fact remains, by defining success broadly, it weakens me in each of the individual areas to a certain extent. Based on my definition though, I feel like a holistic success (on most days!). For example, if I had built the SBM program bigger, stronger, and more successful (as defined by external criteria) but gotten divorced and had a poor relationship with my daughter because of that, would I be successful? I think not. But there is the key - "I think". You will all need to define success on your own terms. It is easy to let others (your organization, your boss, your peers, your industry, society) define it for you, but ultimately you need to be the judge.
OK, now that I have rambled on lets try to summarize: emulate with realism in mind, define success on your own terms, then go after it. Be patient, be thoughtful, be ethical. Use what you have learned, add to it, and I have a strong hunch that most of you will squarely land in the "successful" category.
Eckert's Thoughts: In any area there are superstars - think professional sports, or music. And many of those people are very hard to copy. I am watching a lot of hockey now with the Cup playoffs, and in Hockey you have Sidney Crosby from Pittsburg. 19 years old and a phenom. Can you become him - probably not. His instinct and vision for the game is just out of the realm of most players. So can you role-model and copy him - certainly. Look at the things you can copy - work ethic, techniques, dedication. But in the end all "players" in any sport (selling included) have to find the style of play that works for them.
I strongly believe if you remain committed to the techniques and behaviors of the "professional salesperson" that the SBM program sets forth, that given a bit of time, you will be a strong producer. It will take some time (for instance, you can't possibly have the network a long-time producer has) and you may not become a superstar. But the beauty of this world is we all don't have to be superstars to have productive, healthy and meaningful work lives.
In selling I think there is another element also, and that is ethics. I think there are unethical superstars out there because the marketplace and the workplace allows that to happen. So I think one must be careful not to emulate someone who solely produces, I think you also have to ask if that person produces ethically. I have known "rockstar" faculty who publish more, and get more grants, but do that on the backs of their grad students and at the expense of a healthy working environment. I don't admire or respect these individuals even though on paper they look like rockstars. As much as I like success I don't consider it success if it is done in an unethical or unsavory way.
Lastly, I think you have to be careful defining success. I have spent many hours thinking about how I can be successful. Certainly being a strong faculty member is one of those. But being a great husband, father, neighbor, citizen, and such also plays a huge role. And the fact remains, by defining success broadly, it weakens me in each of the individual areas to a certain extent. Based on my definition though, I feel like a holistic success (on most days!). For example, if I had built the SBM program bigger, stronger, and more successful (as defined by external criteria) but gotten divorced and had a poor relationship with my daughter because of that, would I be successful? I think not. But there is the key - "I think". You will all need to define success on your own terms. It is easy to let others (your organization, your boss, your peers, your industry, society) define it for you, but ultimately you need to be the judge.
OK, now that I have rambled on lets try to summarize: emulate with realism in mind, define success on your own terms, then go after it. Be patient, be thoughtful, be ethical. Use what you have learned, add to it, and I have a strong hunch that most of you will squarely land in the "successful" category.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Starting a topic.... don't wait for me
Somebody asked if comments should be limited to responses to my posts - what fun would that be? If you want to make a comment on anything just hit that comment button now and let it rip.
Friday, April 13, 2007
National Collegiate Sales Competition (NCSC)
The 2007 NCSC was held at Kennesaw State University just north of Atlanta and via the new tournament style, WMU entered the competition ranked #1 in the nation based on our consistently strong finishes over the last four years. And once again the team did fantastic. We finished 4th as a team and both Molly Mutschler and Joe Kotz made it to the semi-final round. This performance should assure WMU of a #1 or #2 seeding for next year's competition. And it continues the tradition of WMU finishing in the top 5, a feat WMU has achieved for 5 consecutive years - something no other school has accomplished!
Some SBM Program Survey Results
We recently distributed a survey to 450 SBM Program alumni (2002 - 2006 Graduates) and 281 completed the survey. Some quick facts about the alumni of the Sales & Business Marketing Program at Western Michigan University include....
- 81% started their careers in sales and the same percentage currently work in sales
- 71% are in outside sales with another 29% doing inside sales
- 63.1% of alum report selling mainly in a B2B environment, while 25.9% report functioning in a mainly B2C selling world (11% report a 50/50 split)
- "Relationship Building Competencies" were deemed "Most Critical" for success by 60% of the Alum
- 57% of SBM Alum work in Michigan and the other 43% work in 20 different states.
- 94% report being either "Highly Satisfied" (66.5%) or "Satisfied" (27.4%) with their SBM Program experience
- 95% reported being either "Highly Prepared" (59%) or "Adequately Prepared" (36%) when they left the SBM Program in terms of their readiness to succeed in an entry-level sales position.
- The median self-reported annual salary/bonus/commission is $41-50,000 per year. 14.4% of alum reported making in excess of $75,000.
- The three industries represented most were Financial/Insurance, Pharmaceutical/Medical, and Communications/Technology. However no single industry represented more than 16% of the alumni, and 12 industries had at least 5%.
Add these all up and what we found is the SBM Program Alumni are the salespeople we thought they would be and they feel strongly that the SBM Program gave them the preparation they needed to be successful in their careers. Look for a longer report sometime over the summer.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Are you Trustworthy?
TRUST: The belief that another will fulfil their obligations and their promises.
TRUSTWORTHY: Deserving of trust
So how does one become trustworthy? Being a good person is not enough. If you expect to earn the trust of your buyer you need to incorporate three things into your approach....
1. Unwavering Reliability: do you consistently do as you promised? This is simple in concept, yet difficult in action. The first question to ask yourself is whether you have a system to produce reliability. That is, how do you document and track the promises you make, and what is your system for moving those promises made into the promises kept category. If you don't have a good system that works for you (versus one the Steven Covey tries to sell you) I can pretty much guarantee you are failing the reliability test more often then you should.
2. High Levels of Capability: are you a resource and a value to your customer? If you are reliable, but lack capability, then you will receive limited trust. What capabilities are needed? Think two areas: knowledge and skills. First you need to have the product, process, industry, customer and general knowledge that makes you a resource to your client. Without this knowledge you have limited potential for trust. Second you need the skills that would make you an asset to your client. these might include listening skills, analytical skills, and communication skills. With knowledge and skills you become capable of meeting your obligations.
3. Honest Communication: are you willing to frankly communicate the dependability and capability of your company and its products. The reality is that as salesperson, you are often directly responsible for the promises made, but only indirectly responsible for the promises kept. The kept side often involves the many people and processes within your firm that "touch" the customer. Your level of trustworthiness will be partially determined not just by your firm's performance on these, but also on your communication related to the performance of these. Put simply, if you communicate weakly or slyly, you should expect lower levels of trust.
So there you have three factors to consider when you ask yourself: am I trustworthy? If you don't like the answer to that question, hit each of these areas and improve the belief in others that you will meet your obligations and fulfil your promises. And continue being a good person - it won't hurt, but it won't be sufficient on its own.
TRUST: The belief that another will fulfil their obligations and their promises.
TRUSTWORTHY: Deserving of trust
So how does one become trustworthy? Being a good person is not enough. If you expect to earn the trust of your buyer you need to incorporate three things into your approach....
1. Unwavering Reliability: do you consistently do as you promised? This is simple in concept, yet difficult in action. The first question to ask yourself is whether you have a system to produce reliability. That is, how do you document and track the promises you make, and what is your system for moving those promises made into the promises kept category. If you don't have a good system that works for you (versus one the Steven Covey tries to sell you) I can pretty much guarantee you are failing the reliability test more often then you should.
2. High Levels of Capability: are you a resource and a value to your customer? If you are reliable, but lack capability, then you will receive limited trust. What capabilities are needed? Think two areas: knowledge and skills. First you need to have the product, process, industry, customer and general knowledge that makes you a resource to your client. Without this knowledge you have limited potential for trust. Second you need the skills that would make you an asset to your client. these might include listening skills, analytical skills, and communication skills. With knowledge and skills you become capable of meeting your obligations.
3. Honest Communication: are you willing to frankly communicate the dependability and capability of your company and its products. The reality is that as salesperson, you are often directly responsible for the promises made, but only indirectly responsible for the promises kept. The kept side often involves the many people and processes within your firm that "touch" the customer. Your level of trustworthiness will be partially determined not just by your firm's performance on these, but also on your communication related to the performance of these. Put simply, if you communicate weakly or slyly, you should expect lower levels of trust.
So there you have three factors to consider when you ask yourself: am I trustworthy? If you don't like the answer to that question, hit each of these areas and improve the belief in others that you will meet your obligations and fulfil your promises. And continue being a good person - it won't hurt, but it won't be sufficient on its own.
Purposeful Selling
Welcome to my blog on selling. I hope to use this share my thoughts on selling as well as provide a line of communication between myself and the students and alumni of the Sales & Business Marketing Program at Western Michigan University. I hope to update it at least once a week.
Why the title, "Purposeful Selling?" Well, first that is the name of the selling oriented book I am working on - so I might as well do some blatent marketing! Second, because if I can have one impact on the world of selling it would be to get salespeople to take a more purposeful approach to their selling. If I could wave a magic wand salespeople would "wing-it" less and instead they would smartly apply preparation, good technique, and adaptive execution to their selling. I strongly believe if they could do this they would be more successful and we, the selling community, would go a long way towards achieving the goal of earning the title of professional salepeople.
Why the title, "Purposeful Selling?" Well, first that is the name of the selling oriented book I am working on - so I might as well do some blatent marketing! Second, because if I can have one impact on the world of selling it would be to get salespeople to take a more purposeful approach to their selling. If I could wave a magic wand salespeople would "wing-it" less and instead they would smartly apply preparation, good technique, and adaptive execution to their selling. I strongly believe if they could do this they would be more successful and we, the selling community, would go a long way towards achieving the goal of earning the title of professional salepeople.
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