Sales Challenges in Any Economy Addressed in New Book by FranklinCovey Sales Performance Experts About Making Selling a Win-Win Process
Companies and sales people find themselves under enormous pressure to sell better and faster, especially selling in today's struggling economy. Competition is fierce and buyers want more for less. Faced with this environment, as well as the usual existing sales challenges, businesses are finding that they can't keep selling as usual - something has to change.
According to Khalsa and Illig, the key to successful selling is to focus 100% on helping clients succeed. "The word 'selling' is tainted with the association of a person doing something to somebody, rather than for or with them," the authors explain. "We think of selling as the process of helping clients succeed in a way they feel good about. To us, helping clients succeed is not a euphemism for sales - it is the essence of sales."
In LET'S GET REAL OR LET'S NOT PLAY, Khalsa and Illig explain how salespeople can "get real." They advise readers to not only focus on their sales numbers and making quotas but to engage their customers in open, honest discussions about their real needs, which build quality relationships based on credibility, trust and mutual respect. Readers will learn how to increase their sales performance through selling strategies and sales tips such as:
- Focus on Warm Not Cold Calling Cold calls are time-consuming, annoying and ineffective. Khalsa and Illig recommend making "warm calls" instead. Rather than spending time reaching out to potential clients, salespeople can build a strong network in their marketplace that gets people to call them. The authors share tips for building a referral network and becoming an expert that people can reach out to.
- Mutually Explore Clients' Problems Salespeople shouldn't guess what problems clients are trying to solve and what results they want to achieve. Khalsa and Illig introduce a new option: mutual exploration. They share tips that will allow salespeople and clients to mutually search for a solution that meets the client's needs, including asking tough questions, establishing clear definitions of key words and phrases and learning to speak the client's language.
- Slow Down For Yellow Lights Clients will often give signals about how they are feeling and what they are thinking. These verbal and visual communications often hint at doubts, concerns or fears that a client might have about a sale. Khalsa and Illig warn against the tendency to panic in these situations and share advice for turning a yellow light into a green light, including how to understand the true nature of the client's concern; correctly phrasing redirection questions; utilizing metaphors and stories; and reframing client perceptions.
- Develop A Meeting Plan The purpose of a sales presentation is to enable a decision, not to inform, educate or entertain. Khalsa and Illig introduce the idea of a meeting plan, which will help salespeople shorten the sales cycle, effectively advocate a solution and obtain a decision more quickly.
LET'S GET REAL OR LET'S NOT PLAY introduces a proven, dynamic approach to the selling process that will change the face of sales relationships. It is an essential tool for all sales professionals whose goal is to set themselves apart from their competition and build long-lasting and profitable relationships.
Join Author Randy Illig, of the FranklinCovey Sales Performance Practice, and Dave Stein, CEO of ES Research, for a free webinar, "Strategies for Getting Your Customers Through The Financial Crisis," March 11, 2009, 1:00 p.m. EST. Register at www.franklincovey.com/spg/events.html. An archived version will be available within 48 hours.
LET'S GET REAL OR LET'S NOT PLAY
Transforming The Buyer/Seller Relationship
By Mahan Khalsa and Randy Illig
Foreword by Stephen R. Covey
Publisher: Portfolio
Price: $26.95
ISBN: 978-1-59184-226-2
FranklinCovey Resources
FranklinCovey Sales Performance Practice: www.franklincovey.com/SPG
FranklinCovey Sales Performance Practice Upcoming Events: www.franklincovey.com/spg/events.html
FranklinCovey Helping Clients Succeed Sales Training: www.franklincovey.com/SPG/sales_training.html
About the Authors
Mahan Khalsa is the founder of the Sales Performance Practice of Franklin Covey Co. and Randy Illig is a senior consultant with the practice. The authors have consulted extensively with many Fortune 1000 companies, including EDS, Microsoft, Oracle, Accenture, Aon, Motorola, and GE Real Estate. The FranklinCovey Sales Performance Practice (www.franklincovey.com/spg) is based in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Khalsa and Illig also helped to develop FranklinCovey's Helping Clients Succeed workshop, which is based upon a methodology that blends the art and science of sales-integrating communication and relationship-building skills with disciplined business thinking and execution process. The principles taught in the workshop enable sales people to become trusted business advisors who maniacally help clients succeed-and produce sales revenues, time and time again. To register for an upcoming public workshop, please visit www.franklincovey.com/SPG/events.html.
About Franklin Covey Co.
Franklin Covey Co. (NYSE: FC) (www.franklincovey.com), is a global provider of training and consulting services in the areas of leadership, productivity, strategy execution, customer loyalty, trust, sales performance, government, education and individual effectiveness. Clients include 90 percent of the Fortune 100, more than 75 percent of the Fortune 500, thousands of small- and mid-sized businesses, as well as numerous government entities and educational institutions. Franklin Covey Co. has 40 direct and licensee offices providing professional services in 147 countries.
On July 6, 2008, Franklin Covey Co. sold its Consumer Solutions Business Unit (CSBU) to a new private equity-funded entity known as FranklinCovey Products, LLC. (www.franklinplanner.com), the exclusive, worldwide licensee of the FranklinCovey(TM) brand. FranklinCovey Products sells the popular FranklinCovey planner, binders and other related productivity and organizational tools and accessories to consumers and small businesses through retail, wholesale, Internet and call center channels. Franklin Covey Co. has retained a 19.5 percent voting interest in FranklinCovey Products, LLC. Franklin Covey Co. also uses the FranklinCovey brand in all of its global training and consulting services. For more information, please visit www.franklincovey.com.
SOURCE: FranklinCovey
Franklin Covey Co.
Debra Lund, 801-244-4474
Debra.Lund@FranklinCovey.com