A Sales Compass – A Blog by B2B Sales Connections

I have been trying to track down a billing issue with a company for over a month.  After sending yet another follow up email to my account manager today, I finally received a response.  It started out by saying “So-and-So is no longer with our company…”  The first thing that crossed my mind was how long has So-and-So been gone, and more importantly, how long have emails from his customers been going unanswered.

This reminded me of a time when I ran into an ex-colleague who said, “I was really getting upset with you.  I was trying to solve a customer’s admin problem.  I left you voice mail messages for weeks before someone happened to mention that you were no longer with the company.”

Situations like these are very frustrating to both your internal and external customers.  Not only can you lose them forever, the frustrating part of it is that their loss was completely preventable! 

When an employee leaves your company, here are 5 tasks that every manager should do immediately.  When I say immediately, I do not mean within the week, I mean the same hour, or at the very least, the same day.

1. Set an auto-responder on the ex-employee’s email address stating that the employee is no longer with the company and who the customer should contact now.  Just deleting the email address all together will only create an automated undeliverable email message and create further frustration.
2. Change the ex-employee’s voice mail message stating the same as the automated email message.  Also, ensure that you change both the office phone voice mail, as well as the message on the company provided cell phone.
3. Send an internal email memo to all employees in your company stating that the employee is no longer with the company and who will be handling his accounts until a replacement is found.
4. Change all the office locks and security codes that the employee had access to.
5. Change all passwords to all computer programs that the employee had access to.

It’s inevitable.  One day a sales representative will leave your company for good.  Be it by his choice or yours, you have to be prepared and act immediately to smooth the transition.  If you don’t, your own lack of action could cause your company irreparable damage.

Aim Higher!

For a free copy of our white paper How To Recruit The Best Sales Professionals, visit our Download Centre at www.b2bsalesconnections.com/download_centre.php.

Do you need an expert sales management coach who is affordable and accessible?  For less than an average dinner out, you can consult with us every day and receive the personal direction you need.  For more information, check out www.b2bsalesconnections.com/coaching_services.php.

Susan A. Enns, B2B Sales Connections

www.b2bsalesconnections.com, www.linkedin.com/in/susanenns, or www.twitter.com/susanenns

Do you always have to wait for a few stragglers to show up before you can start your sales meetings? The key to fixing this problem is to start your meetings on time, every time, no matter what. Nothing rewards tardy behavior more than making those who showed up on time wait for those who are late. When the meeting start time rolls around, just shut the door and start the meeting. You will only have to do this once or twice before your entire team will be in the board room 5 minutes early waiting for you to start the meeting.

Ultimately, in order for everyone show up on time, they have to want to be there.  Although most sales managers hold regular meetings, few actually conduct productive sales meetings.  Unfortunately, most just end up being a waste of valuable sales time, therefore making it a chore to attend for the sales representatives. 

For specific action items that you can use to take your next sales meeting from a deflating group complaint session to a revenue increasing, motivational team development hour, download Action Plan for Sales Management Success. 

Aim Higher!

If you would like some more ideas as to how to make your sales meetings more interesting and productive, register for our free webinar Sales Meeting Ideas at www.b2bsalesconnections.com/webinars.php.  Webinar doesn’t fit your schedule?  View the presentation video in our Download Centre at www.b2bsalesconnections.com/download_centre.php. 

Do you need an expert sales management coach who is affordable and accessible?  For less than an average dinner out, you can consult with us every day and receive the personal direction you need.  For more information, check out www.b2bsalesconnections.com/coaching_services.php.

Susan A. Enns, B2B Sales Connections

www.b2bsalesconnections.com, www.linkedin.com/in/susanenns, or www.twitter.com/susanenns

No matter how much we wish it wasn’t so, business slows down during the summer. If a prospect isn’t on vacation, chances are he is covering for someone who is. Despite the fact many sales reps use the phrase “the lazy days of summer” as an excuse to do nothing but hit the golf course, there are plenty of productive sales activities to do to keep busy at this time of year. (more…)

Experience has shown no matter where you set your minimum selling price, a sales representative sooner or later will ask you to lower it.  The question is not whether you will be asked permission to discount; the question is when should you say yes.

One of the best examples of this is highlighted in an excellent article “Making Sales and Losing Money” by Brian Jeffrey.  The article highlights a case where a sales rep, after obtaining his largest order to date, actually loses money on the sale.  Not only does Brian discuss how this could easily happen, he also discusses excellent ideas on how you can prevent it from happening to you.  You can read the article at http://ow.ly/27HXi and and you can browse Brian’s available Sales Management eBooks here.

The bottom line is your company’s fixed costs must be paid whether you make the sale or not.  Therefore, any time a discounted selling price contributes at least one dollar towards paying your fixed costs, it is considered profitable.  As long as all of your variable costs are covered, including the cost of the goods sold plus any variable sales commissions, the discounted price can be accepted.

The Minimum Selling Price Calculation Worksheet is an Automated Sales Tool available for sale in our eStore.  It will will automatically calculate a product’s minimum selling price to contribute at least one dollar towards the payment of fixed costs, given the cost of goods sold and the commissions to be paid on the sale. 

Aim Higher!

Need ideas for your sales meetings?   Join our free webinar where we discuss quick and easy ways to make your sales meetings more interesting and productive.  To register, visit www.b2bsalesconnections.com/webinars.php.

Webinar does fit your schedule?  View the presentation video in our Download Centre at www.b2bsalesconnections.com/download_centre.php.  While you are there, be sure to download a free copy of our white paper “Creating Your Unique Value Proposition”

Susan A. Enns, B2B Sales Connections

www.b2bsalesconnections.com, www.linkedin.com/in/susanenns, or www.twitter.com/susanenns

As sales professionals we’ve all most likely had this problem with a prospect at one time or another.  They were a hot prospect sending you all the right buying signals and then all of the sudden they switched off.  Now they don’t return your calls.  They are unresponsive to your emails and you are left in sales limbo.

Do you keep calling? After all when you last spoke they were set to proceed. Now they are missing in action.  What can you do?

I would like to share a quick little tip that works well.  If you had a good relationship with the prospect and you are willing to take a last shot to see if the person is still engaged, send them an email that says you are going to “close their file”. 

Simply state that you have tried to reach them by phone and email and since they are not responding you would like to close the file.  Let them know if their situation has changed and they are no longer in the market for your product/service it would be best to close the file and move on.

To see an email template example, download EMAIL TEMPLATE TO RESTART STALLED PROSPECTS from the B2B Sales Connections Free Download Centre 

You will be amazed at how many times you get a message back almost immediately apologizing for their lack of communication and telling you the project is still a go but they were caught up in a more urgent internal problem.

 Lets face it in the world of sales you can get  “yes”, “no” and “maybe”.  I want to hear yes, or no because they are answers that give me a clear next step.   Getting tied up with the clients who are a maybe can drain you and waste a lot of valuable selling time.

By taking a minute and offering to close the file, no questions asked you will be surprised how many valid prospects let you know they are still interested but not ready at this moment. Most often the person will tell me their new time frame or suggest we reconnect. Armed with their permission to proceed I will reconnect with them when the time is right and advance the sales process. 

AIM HIGHER

Robert J. Weese

B2B Sales Connections

www.b2bsalesconnections.com

“Fear = False Education Appearing Real” – Darrell O’Dea

For more motivational quotes, download my ebook “Daily Motivational Quotes – If misery loves company, then motivation breeds happiness!”

This eBook is a collection of my favorite motivational quotes all in one place!  Some are sales related, some are business related, but most are just life related. They are in no particular order, just a random thought for each day of the year to help keep you on a positive note.

 This eBook is available absolutely free for a limited time from the B2B Sales Connections Download Centre.

Aim Higher!

Susan A. Enns, B2B Sales Coach from B2B Sales Connections

www.linkedin.com/in/susanenns, www.facebook.com/B2BSalesConnections, or www.twitter.com/SusanEnns