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Casual Articles - Selling is About Asking - not - Telling
Everyone is in sales whether they realize it or not. We sell in every aspect of our lives. We sell our ideas to other people. We sell our love to our spouse and children. We sell our friendship to our friends. We sell our leadership to our customers, team members, and staff. Selling is an all encompassing function. It is also the single most important element in any business.How can you cultivate selling skills in employees who don’t normally think of themselves as salespeople? People in your company who are tentative, introverted, and are not really inclined to engage and embrace a prospect or a customer to get them to buy from you.You can cultivate the sales skills of everyone in your company by teaching them “strategic selling.” Strategic selling means having an advisory relationship with your prospect or customer. It is when you put the interests and well-being of your prospect or customer ahead of your own.<
CCRC: “Senior housing, Mary speaking how may I help you?”
PROSPECT: “I’m looking for information on your community.”
CCRC: “I can help you with that. “Your name please.”
PROSPECT: “Teri.”
CCRC: “Hi Teri, thanks for calling senior housing. Have you visited our residence before?”
PROSPECT: “No.”
CCRC: “Can you tell me what type of information you’re looking for?”
PROSPECT: “Yes, just general.”
CCRC: “Ok, so that I’m better prepared to understand your specific needs I have a few questions I’d like to ask.”
PROSPECT: “Ok.”
CCRC: “Are you gathering information for yourself or someone else?”
PROSPECT: “My parents.”
CCRC: Ok, do your parents live close by?”
PROSPECT: “Yes.”
CCRC: “That’s great, have they been in the community a long time?”
PROSPECT: “Y
Part Two of Creating Well-Defined Processes SeriesNext Week: ImplementationLast week, we raised the question: how do you know where to begin? How can you identify a gap in one of your company’s core processes?The answer: follow the money trail…But how do you follow the money trail, and what will that mean for your business? To answer this, let's look at five steps to identify your core processes and any needs for change.Step 1: Define Your Business ModelThe following question might sound very basic, but you should first ask yourself: what business am I in? You’ll ask this because you want to follow the money trail: to identify how exactly you earn revenue and from where that revenue comes. And this also defines your business model, which sets how you make money. By examining your business model (including mission and vision statements), you see not only how you can make money but als
As an upper level manager in the senior housing industry I was constantly challenged by helping the sales and marketing staff understand the difference between asking and telling. Just this one challenge was costing the company millions of dollars in lost business on an annual basis. Here’s an example:
Let’s assume you’re responsible for helping your parents move from their existing residence to a senior housing environment, know as a CCRC (Continuing Care Retirement Community)–or ALF (Assisted Living Facility). Depending on the health and finances of your parents, coupled with the emotion and lack of experience or knowledge in the area of senior housing, this could be a daunting and confusing task. Because your parents would want to remain in the immediate area you find a local CCRC and place the call. Below are 2 scenarios, one with an unskilled salesperson the other a skilled salesperson.
Unskilled Salesperson
(This scenario is based on the assumption you have limited knowledge in the senior housing industry and you are not prepared to ask the appropriate questions.) You phone a local CCRC to get information. Upon calling you’re transferred to a sales or marketing counselor. You ask to receive information about senior housing. The sales or marketing person may ask a few questions about your situation but most likely will not; instead, you will be barraged with all of the benefits and features this community has to offer. The call would go something like this:
CCRC: “Hello, Mary speaking how may I help you?”
PROSPECT: “I’m calling to get some information on your residence.”
CCRC: “Ok, can I get your name?”
PROSPECT: “Teri.”
CCRC: “Hi Teri, is this for you or someone else?”
PROSPECT: “My parents.”
CCRC: “Ok, what are their names?”
PROSPECT: “Their names are Bertha and Ben.”
CCRC: “How old are Bertha and Ben?”
PROSPECT: “78 and 81.”
CCRC: “Ok Teri, let me tell you about our residence. We have a beautiful community located on a lot of land overlooking a beautiful lake with swans and fish. We also have a lot of people just like your parents so there are a lot of things to do. We serve 3 meals per day and snacks and we have an activity director that will get your parents involved in all kinds of fun stuff. We also have a nurse on staff and laundry facilities as well.”
PROSPECT: “That’s great Mary. Can you tell me how much it costs?”
*It’s no wonder the primary question moved so quickly to cost. There wasn’t much warmth, empathy, compassion, or understanding of my parents or their needs. What would it matter how many things you have, such as lakes, swans, etc., if those things aren’t important to me or my parents. Why would I need to visit if you haven’t given me a reason? The purpose of the initial phone contact is to get, not give, information and schedule an appointment.
If you and/or your sales staff are telling vs. asking, you’re losing revenue! Please take the time to acquire the skills necessary to obtain information by asking great questions.*
Skilled Salesperson
You place the call and ask for information about senior housing. This time you’re connected to a skilled version of Mary:
CCRC: “Senior housing, Mary speaking how may I help you?”
PROSPECT: “I’m looking for information on your community.”
CCRC: “I can help you with that. “Your name please.”
PROSPECT: “Teri.”
CCRC: “Hi Teri, thanks for calling senior housing. Have you visited our residence before?”
PROSPECT: “No.”
CCRC: “Can you tell me what type of information you’re looking for?”
PROSPECT: “Yes, just general.”
CCRC: “Ok, so that I’m better prepared to understand your specific needs I have a few questions I’d like to ask.”
PROSPECT: “Ok.”
CCRC: “Are you gathering information for yourself or someone else?”
PROSPECT: “My parents.”
CCRC: Ok, do your parents live close by?”
PROSPECT: “Yes.”
CCRC: “That’s great, have they been in the community a long time?”
PROSPECT: “Ye
Absolutely. E-letters should be an integral part of nearly every company’s marketing plan. They are both time and cost effective, reaching all of your clients and as many potential clients as you have permission to solicit via email. I am a huge advocate of e-letters; our company sends one out every month and we receive additional work because of contacts made through our e-letters. Developing e-letters is part of our client services.So why have I recently talked clients out of using e-letters for their businesses? Because e-letters are not a quick fix solution. They should be one tactic in an established marketing strategy.Have a marketing plan If you don’t know where you’re going and what you’ll say when you get there, don’t bother communicating. You need to have your company’s branding messages developed. Mission – The basis for your brand is what your company provides to customers and wh
Unskilled Salesperson
(This scenario is based on the assumption you have limited knowledge in the senior housing industry and you are not prepared to ask the appropriate questions.) You phone a local CCRC to get information. Upon calling you’re transferred to a sales or marketing counselor. You ask to receive information about senior housing. The sales or marketing person may ask a few questions about your situation but most likely will not; instead, you will be barraged with all of the benefits and features this community has to offer. The call would go something like this:
CCRC: “Hello, Mary speaking how may I help you?”
PROSPECT: “I’m calling to get some information on your residence.”
CCRC: “Ok, can I get your name?”
PROSPECT: “Teri.”
CCRC: “Hi Teri, is this for you or someone else?”
PROSPECT: “My parents.”
CCRC: “Ok, what are their names?”
PROSPECT: “Their names are Bertha and Ben.”
CCRC: “How old are Bertha and Ben?”
PROSPECT: “78 and 81.”
CCRC: “Ok Teri, let me tell you about our residence. We have a beautiful community located on a lot of land overlooking a beautiful lake with swans and fish. We also have a lot of people just like your parents so there are a lot of things to do. We serve 3 meals per day and snacks and we have an activity director that will get your parents involved in all kinds of fun stuff. We also have a nurse on staff and laundry facilities as well.”
PROSPECT: “That’s great Mary. Can you tell me how much it costs?”
*It’s no wonder the primary question moved so quickly to cost. There wasn’t much warmth, empathy, compassion, or understanding of my parents or their needs. What would it matter how many things you have, such as lakes, swans, etc., if those things aren’t important to me or my parents. Why would I need to visit if you haven’t given me a reason? The purpose of the initial phone contact is to get, not give, information and schedule an appointment.
If you and/or your sales staff are telling vs. asking, you’re losing revenue! Please take the time to acquire the skills necessary to obtain information by asking great questions.*
Skilled Salesperson
You place the call and ask for information about senior housing. This time you’re connected to a skilled version of Mary:
CCRC: “Senior housing, Mary speaking how may I help you?”
PROSPECT: “I’m looking for information on your community.”
CCRC: “I can help you with that. “Your name please.”
PROSPECT: “Teri.”
CCRC: “Hi Teri, thanks for calling senior housing. Have you visited our residence before?”
PROSPECT: “No.”
CCRC: “Can you tell me what type of information you’re looking for?”
PROSPECT: “Yes, just general.”
CCRC: “Ok, so that I’m better prepared to understand your specific needs I have a few questions I’d like to ask.”
PROSPECT: “Ok.”
CCRC: “Are you gathering information for yourself or someone else?”
PROSPECT: “My parents.”
CCRC: Ok, do your parents live close by?”
PROSPECT: “Yes.”
CCRC: “That’s great, have they been in the community a long time?”
PROSPECT: “Y
Many professional resume writers strongly recommend including an objective statement on your resume. I agree...under one condition. It has to be so good that it reaches out and COMPELS the reader to call you for an interview. Most aren't.If you're interviewing a prospective resume writer (and you should definitely interview them before hiring them), ask him for a respresentative object statement from his porfolio. Is it compelling to you? What's compelling to you might not be compelling to somebody else, but what's NOT compelling to you probably wouldn't excite anybody else.If you came to me asking for help on your resume (and people have done that frequently), I would counsel you to avoid an objective statement. Instead I'd recommend you use a summary statement instead.What's that?It's a compelling marketing tool that outlines your big-ticket, attention-grabbing accomplishments and skills. You might cal
PROSPECT: “I’m calling to get some information on your residence.”
CCRC: “Ok, can I get your name?”
PROSPECT: “Teri.”
CCRC: “Hi Teri, is this for you or someone else?”
PROSPECT: “My parents.”
CCRC: “Ok, what are their names?”
PROSPECT: “Their names are Bertha and Ben.”
CCRC: “How old are Bertha and Ben?”
PROSPECT: “78 and 81.”
CCRC: “Ok Teri, let me tell you about our residence. We have a beautiful community located on a lot of land overlooking a beautiful lake with swans and fish. We also have a lot of people just like your parents so there are a lot of things to do. We serve 3 meals per day and snacks and we have an activity director that will get your parents involved in all kinds of fun stuff. We also have a nurse on staff and laundry facilities as well.”
PROSPECT: “That’s great Mary. Can you tell me how much it costs?”
*It’s no wonder the primary question moved so quickly to cost. There wasn’t much warmth, empathy, compassion, or understanding of my parents or their needs. What would it matter how many things you have, such as lakes, swans, etc., if those things aren’t important to me or my parents. Why would I need to visit if you haven’t given me a reason? The purpose of the initial phone contact is to get, not give, information and schedule an appointment.
If you and/or your sales staff are telling vs. asking, you’re losing revenue! Please take the time to acquire the skills necessary to obtain information by asking great questions.*
Skilled Salesperson
You place the call and ask for information about senior housing. This time you’re connected to a skilled version of Mary:
CCRC: “Senior housing, Mary speaking how may I help you?”
PROSPECT: “I’m looking for information on your community.”
CCRC: “I can help you with that. “Your name please.”
PROSPECT: “Teri.”
CCRC: “Hi Teri, thanks for calling senior housing. Have you visited our residence before?”
PROSPECT: “No.”
CCRC: “Can you tell me what type of information you’re looking for?”
PROSPECT: “Yes, just general.”
CCRC: “Ok, so that I’m better prepared to understand your specific needs I have a few questions I’d like to ask.”
PROSPECT: “Ok.”
CCRC: “Are you gathering information for yourself or someone else?”
PROSPECT: “My parents.”
CCRC: Ok, do your parents live close by?”
PROSPECT: “Yes.”
CCRC: “That’s great, have they been in the community a long time?”
PROSPECT: “Y
"La loi du Bake and Shark" was a phrase first coined by a Frenchman visiting visiting Maracas Beach, a popular spot on the island of Trinidad. Trinidad is the larger of two of the main islands that make up the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.He observed that the majority of people on the beach bought a sandwich called "Bake and Shark" from one stall although there were many stalls to choose from. People would rather line up at the popular stall and wait for up to 30 minutes before getting served than to go to another stall where a similar sandwich could be bought in less time and in some cases for less money.This author explained to the Frenchman that this was the way most Trinidad and Tobago natives behaved. They would use the popularity of a vendor to decide where they were going to buy. The vendor with the most customers would get even more and those with fewer would get less. They base this on the assumption that
*It’s no wonder the primary question moved so quickly to cost. There wasn’t much warmth, empathy, compassion, or understanding of my parents or their needs. What would it matter how many things you have, such as lakes, swans, etc., if those things aren’t important to me or my parents. Why would I need to visit if you haven’t given me a reason? The purpose of the initial phone contact is to get, not give, information and schedule an appointment.
If you and/or your sales staff are telling vs. asking, you’re losing revenue! Please take the time to acquire the skills necessary to obtain information by asking great questions.*
Skilled Salesperson
You place the call and ask for information about senior housing. This time you’re connected to a skilled version of Mary:
CCRC: “Senior housing, Mary speaking how may I help you?”
PROSPECT: “I’m looking for information on your community.”
CCRC: “I can help you with that. “Your name please.”
PROSPECT: “Teri.”
CCRC: “Hi Teri, thanks for calling senior housing. Have you visited our residence before?”
PROSPECT: “No.”
CCRC: “Can you tell me what type of information you’re looking for?”
PROSPECT: “Yes, just general.”
CCRC: “Ok, so that I’m better prepared to understand your specific needs I have a few questions I’d like to ask.”
PROSPECT: “Ok.”
CCRC: “Are you gathering information for yourself or someone else?”
PROSPECT: “My parents.”
CCRC: Ok, do your parents live close by?”
PROSPECT: “Yes.”
CCRC: “That’s great, have they been in the community a long time?”
PROSPECT: “Y
Marketing is essentially project management. A marketing plan consists of several projects designed to promote your small business using various methods. There are five basic steps to follow when putting together your marketing plan that will ensure you get the most marketing bang for your buck.Step One: Marketing Goals The first step is to write down the marketing goals you have for your small business. Whether it be increasing sales by 10%, releasing a new product, or improving online sales, you should write down all of your goals.Once you've got everything written downs, go over each goal and make sure it is realistic (do you have the staff to service 10 new clients?), if not, revise.Step Two: Set Your Marketing Budget Before you can plan how to achieve your goals, you've got to know who much you can invest in the methods you'll use. Be realistic about your budget and don't spend more
CCRC: “Senior housing, Mary speaking how may I help you?”
PROSPECT: “I’m looking for information on your community.”
CCRC: “I can help you with that. “Your name please.”
PROSPECT: “Teri.”
CCRC: “Hi Teri, thanks for calling senior housing. Have you visited our residence before?”
PROSPECT: “No.”
CCRC: “Can you tell me what type of information you’re looking for?”
PROSPECT: “Yes, just general.”
CCRC: “Ok, so that I’m better prepared to understand your specific needs I have a few questions I’d like to ask.”
PROSPECT: “Ok.”
CCRC: “Are you gathering information for yourself or someone else?”
PROSPECT: “My parents.”
CCRC: Ok, do your parents live close by?”
PROSPECT: “Yes.”
CCRC: “That’s great, have they been in the community a long time?”
PROSPECT: “Yes, 32 years.”
CCRC: “Ok, can I get their names Teri?”
PROSPECT: “Yes, Bertha and Ben.”
CCRC: “How old are Bertha and Ben?”
PROSPECT: “Bertha is 78 and Ben is 81.”
CCRC: “Could you tell me a little about their current housing arrangements?”
PROSPECT: “They live in their own home.”
CCRC: “How about their health?”
PROSPECT: “Bertha is doing fine but Ben is having some issues.”
CCRC: “What type of issues?”
PROSPECT: “He’s in the beginning stage of Alzheimer’s.”
CCRC: “Has that been diagnosed by a physician?”
PROSPECT: “Yes, it has.”
CCRC: “Ok, has the doctor made any recommendations?”
PROSPECT: “Yes, he indicated that it would be best if we started looking at senior housing options.”
CCRC: “Have you discussed this with your parents?”
PROSPECT: “My mom only.”
CCRC: “How receptive is she.”
PROSPECT: “Very.”
CCRC: “Is there a reason why you have not included your dad in this conversation?”
PROSPECT: “Yes, he would be upset.”
CCRC: “When you say upset what do you mean by that?”
PROSPECT: “Well, he’s determined to stay in their house until he dies.”
CCRC: “I understand - that’s not uncommon. This must be difficult for both you and your mom.”
PROSPECT: “Yes it is.”
CCRC: “Let’s talk about time frames. There are a number of decisions involved in this process, have you or your mom thought about when a move would occur?”
PROSPECT: “No, not really.”
CCRC: “Just a few more questions Teri, then I’ll make some suggestions. Aside from your parents and yourself will anyone else be assisting in the decision making process?”
PROSPECT: “No.”
CCRC: “Ok, do you live close by?”
PROSPECT: “Yes, within 10 miles.”
CCRC: “Ok, my suggestion would be to schedule a time for you and possibly mom to visit with us as the first step in the process to help both of you determine if this might be the right choice. Do you work during the week?”
PROSPECT: “Yes.”
CCRC: “Are you off on weekends?”
PROSPECT: “Yes.”
CCRC: “Would this Saturday work for you?”
PROSPECT: “Yes.”
CCRC: “Morning or afternoons?”
PROSPECT: “Afternoons.”
CCRC: “Would 3:00 work?”
PROSPECT: “Yes.”
CCRC: “Ok, would your mother be coming with?”
PROSPECT: “No.”
CCRC: “What is the best number to reach you at?”
PROSPECT: “555-555-5555.”
CCRC: “Ok, Teri I look forward to meeting with you on Saturday at 3:00.”
This one Skill
"Asking – not – Telling" will change your bottom line results SIGNIFICANTLY!
What do you have to lose? MORE SALES?
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