ISSUE TWO | SUMMER 2010
Cameron and Clegg. A case for sales training? No question about it…
The Conservative/Liberal Democrats alliance will alter the shape of British politics forever. David Cameron calls this deal a "a seismic shift" and both leaders say it has sprung from agreeing a firm "common purpose" in the face of difficult challenges ahead.
Sometimes in selling, you face a tough hand of cards and careful negotiation is the only way through. Any deal will involve substantial concessions on both sides. But the knowledge that you need to compromise in order to seal the deal can concentrate the mind.
So what really happened in the recent general election? How did the Conservatives fail to win a majority? How did Labour lose so many seats? Why did the Lib Dems lose seats when everyone expected more from them? Well here's a non-political theory. All three party leaders and their teams put their parties first and not their customers (the electorate). When the time came for the customer to decide, the answer came back, "No, this is not what we want!"
Like many sales situations, the respective political parties knew the competition would be tough. They thought they had done their homework but they misread the situation. The politicians thought they could exploit the media. But radio and TV presenters ask questions and too much time was spent posturing and providing prepared answers. Too little time was spent trying to really understand the needs and wants of the electorate. It's the same in sales situations. Don't just state your position and expect buy-in. Ask your customer's for real feedback instead. Why respond to an opinion poll when what you should really do is work with usable data from your customers?
How many times did we hear angry voters ask, "Why don't they talk to us?" The whole world expects Cameron, Clegg and Brown to answer questions and make statements. But this time voters wanted dialogue. The electorate was angry and/or disillusioned with politics, but most of the questions the electorate ever get asked are about voting preferences. Market research firms are paid to obtain feedback on future policy but this time party leaders should have asked more questions. Customers would prefer to respond to questions rather than just listen all the time to espoused dogma. Reflect how good could it have been for party leaders to show genuine interest in understanding the electorate? Of course there will be some bitter pills to swallow in the coming months and these policies were never going to be presented in full during an election but equally no party convinced the voters that their way was the right way. They failed and there is a cost attached to this failure.
In business, a truly confident leader is curious and 'honours' customers by being interested in their views. So consider carefully the business you go after. Trust your ability to ask. Don't be afraid to get opinions from customers. Have the courage to invite feedback. It's always better to get information before you give it.
For more information look at our 'Are your negotiations Win-Win?' Programme.
The Executive Summary of the 2010 Miller Heiman Sales Best Practices Study is here…
Driving Sales Results in Any Economy
For most businesses, 2009 was a tough year. Virtually every industry felt the effects of this historic recession. Companies cut costs and tightened their teams to unprecedented levels. Amazingly, there were businesses that actually thrived. But how, you ask? How did companies achieve results in such a challenging economy? What did their sales organizations do differently that produced results?
Miller Heiman, the leading sales performance consulting and training company, answers these questions every year in an annual study that produces thought provoking results. This year was no exception. The 2010 Miller Heiman Sales Best Practices Study engaged respondents ranging from account managers to high-level executives with the objective of analyzing how the behavior of a World Class Sales Organization is different from that of the average sales organization. Read more in the full Study here…
Ash from Icelandic volcano for sale online
It's always worth looking for a new angle in sales. Ash from the volcano in Iceland that caused major travel disruptions across Europe recently, is now being sold over the internet. "We were approached by someone who wanted a delivery of volcanic ash from Eyjafjallajoekull. Then we started to offer it for sale," said Sofus Gustavsson of the Icelandic online shopping site Nammi. told the Norwegian daily Dagbladet.
"We are now delivering ash to the whole world - Australia, the United States, Germany, Finland and Norway," he added. Currently the company is offers the greyish white volcanic ash for about 108 dollars per 160-gram jar. The money raised is channelled to the voluntary aid and civil defence organization ICE-SAR, which has been involved in cleanup operations after the eruption.
When things are looking negative, just try a shift in your thinking.
The volcano at the Eyjafjallajoekull glacier, south-east of the capital Reykjavik, erupted in April caused a six-day shutdown of European airspace last month that left hundreds of thousands of passengers stranded and cost airlines billions. But Nammi proves it's always worth taking a different look at things and finding new. Take a look at what Miller Heiman have to say in this article on how to create a competitive edge
Create a Competitive Edge: Differentiate
Consider actionable advice to differentiate yourself to meet the needs and motivations of your prospects.
The value of differentiation cannot be overemphasized. A successful differentiation strategy can help you overcome price competition and sell on value.
Part 1. Differentiate Yourself: Real World Advice.
Part 2. Use the customer… to set goals!
Part 3. Competition? What competition?… Read more