TEB Reader…

A few months ago the following short read was posted to The Empty Bin dot com:

http://www.theemptybin.com/the-show-up-and-throw-up/

To help combat the “show-up-and-throw-up,” on March 8^th and 9^th, The Empty Bin will be hosting the Miller Heiman course, “Conceptual Selling.”

We’re extending invitations to this powerful sales methodology 2-day workshop to TEB readers; Conceptual Selling® may be the right solution if your company is trying to:

• Transition from a product-led sale to a solution-led sale.
  
• Differentiate your products and services from your competitors.
  
• Professionalize your sales force.
  
• Implement a consistent process to plan customer interactions.
  
• Provide management visibility into significant opportunities.
  
• Ensure customers and prospects are as engaged in their buying process, as you are in the selling process.

We’re asking for those that attend to handle their own travel arrangements, and we will coordinate and sponsor hotel lodging, lunches and dinners, and the cost of the course itself ($1595/person).

To receive an invitation to this private event, please contact Craig (craig@theemptybin.com)

Mostsales people are like a Soda Machine, does that include you?

If I want a soda, I show up in front of vending machine “row,” look at the sodas available, put in my 75cents and walk away with a can of carbonated sugar-water.

There’s so much information out there today, that most sales people have allowed themselves to be reduced to a simple Soda Machine.  The Buyer does his/her own research on the options available, which includes you and your stiffest competition… then calls in the vending machine (salesperson) to share availability and pricing.  Buyer then makes his own decision.

Why wait until the end of the sales process?

If you’re acting like a Soda Machine, spewing up availability and pricing at the end of the sales process, you’ll never be able to demonstrate value for your product/service.

Too many times us sales people show up to a meeting or appointment and TELL! TELL! TELL! about our products and/or services.

It’s called the ‘ol “show up and throw up.”

We TALK TALK TALK, and continually “throw up” a bunch of features & benefits.

Stop talking. Ask questions. Practice Golden Silence.

By asking great questions, we can truly understand the problems that the customer is facing… and how our products or services can help provide a solution.

Think it through in the most basic way: you could likely tell me 1,000 things about your widget-service. Out of those thousand, are you planning on guessing which ten to tell me and “throw up” in the twenty minutes you have in front of me?  Most of us actually just use the ten we’re comfortable speaking about, and hopefully some will relate to the customer’s needs.

Why take that risk?

Ask some questions… understand my problems… then share with me the relevant information about your products & services!  Accomplish just this, and we can begin to morph into true sales professionals…