IAS Training - Sales Insight Blog

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2010-04-20T23:13:00.001-06:00

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Training Part 3!

2010-04-16T15:38:00.001-06:00

We've covered the first five keys to effective training, so today we will examine the next three. As we've discussed, all of us are more likely to learn effectively if we are actively involved in the process. With that said, let's kick it off with number six.

Training must be completed in phases: Just as training should be done in a certain order, it should also be done in phases. For example if you are training someone on how to use the computer to track inventory, it is vital that you train him or her how to find an item before you train him or her how to order new items. The next phase might be something like how to complete an inventory by using the computer. Always train in phases and include following up to make sure the process was done correctly and then give positive feedback.

The trainee must understand the philosophy behind what you are teaching: When people have an understanding of why things are done a certain way or in a certain order, they are much more likely to follow the guidelines and procedures that you are teaching them. For example, when you explain to them that using a specific closing technique will lead to increased sales and add-ons, they are more likely to follow the advice because every salesperson wants more sales. So don't just "tell" them to use that technique, give them the reason why and your results will be much better.

The trainee must complete a written understanding of what is being taught: Training cannot be effective if you are not completely sure that the trainee is receiving the information that you are giving to them. The easiest way to check their understanding is to have the trainee do a written evaluation on the training. Simply have the trainee write a brief essay and/or answer some multiple choice questions to ensure they have learned the information they are going to need to be successful.

Next time we will continue our review of effective training when we look at the last two keys; as well as, the five criteria for training successfully. Today I leave you with this thought; every person is different and learns in different ways and at different speeds. As a trainer, don't ever be afraid to adjust your training to each individual.

FINAO - Brad Huisken

Training Sales Staff - Part Two!

2010-04-09T14:17:00.002-06:00

Now that we've hit on the four specific areas of training, how do we make sure that training is as effective as it possibly can? There is a saying, "Practice makes perfect", but others will tell you that perfect practice makes perfect. The same could be said for training a new salesperson; if the training is done right, the chances are much higher that your new salesperson will be successful.

Training must begin right from the start of employment - Start with the information that your new employee needs immediately to begin selling. The fringe stuff can be addressed as you go along. I would not allow a salesperson to begin selling until they've demonstrated their knowledge of customer service policies, sales philosophy, operations and some basic knowledge of the goods and services we are selling.

Your training must be consistent - It is vital that you provide the same high level of training to everyone in your organization. In order to help you in making it consistent, make sure you have a training checklist for everyone to assure that all are receiving the same training.

Your training must be done in a specific order - You would not train someone how to schedule a delivery before teaching him or her how to write up an order, because writing up the order obviously occurs before a delivery can be scheduled. Your training should occur in the same order that it will take place in "real life."

You must provide a checklist of all items in which salespeople need training - In addition to providing the training necessary, your other primary goal is to ensure that all of the items are being covered. The easiest way to do that is off of a checklist. No matter how many times you've trained someone, you want to make sure that nothing gets overlooked.

Your training must be fun and not boring - People in general learn more and are engaged more when they are enjoying what they are doing. There are many things on which a new salesperson needs to be trained, but that doesn't mean it has to be boring. Mix things up, talk about product knowledge for an hour and sales techniques for another hour. Involve them in their training as well, make it interactive and you will both get more from the training.

We will continue our look at effective training next time.

FINAO - Brad Huisken

Listen Up!

2010-04-02T14:44:00.001-06:00

Somebody asked me recently what single selling skill do I think is the most important for a salesperson to possess. Head and shoulders above any other skill would be the ability to LISTEN. Customers, or potential customers, will tell you everything that you need to know in order to close the deal, add-on, and develop a relationship, if you can simply ask the right questions and listen to their answers. Far too often salespeople sell based on the reasons they want to sell and not the reasons the customers want to buy. In addition, far too often customers reveal valuable personal information, and yet the salesperson ignores it, or flat out doesn't hear it.

When a customer comes into a jewelry store for example and says, "I am looking for a engagement ring." The salesperson will respond our bridal section is right over there. When the salesperson should be talking about the wedding, how they got engaged, where they are going on their honeymoon, something of a more personal nature. A customer says, "We have family coming in for the holidays and we need a new mattress for our spare bedroom." Far too often the salesperson will demonstrate how the mattress has terrific back support. When in reality the customer may be focused more on price than back support. Another example, a customer comes into a music store and says "I just joined a new band and am looking for a new guitar." A typical sales clerk would say what kind of guitar? A sales professional, who is listening, will say, "Tell me about the new band."

The difference between success and failure comes down to the salesperson's ability to listen and really focus in on the customer from both a business and a personal, emotionally based level. Sell based on the reason(s) the customer wants to buy, focus on the emotional reason behind the purchase, share in the excitement of the emotional reason, and sales will become much easier.

FINAO - Brad Huisken

Training Sales Staff - Part One!

2010-03-26T13:36:00.003-06:00

It's the day after you've made your hiring decision. The applicant has accepted the position and you have both mutually agreed on a start date. Now it is time to begin teaching and training your new team member. You obviously hired them because they have demonstrated their abilities and knowledge through the interview process. However, no matter how qualified they are, training is going to have to take place.

One of your primary responsibilities as a sales manager is to provide your salespeople with all the tools necessary to be successful. It is also important to remember that people often leave a position because they feel that they are not getting the training and support they need to be successful. Your training will provide the tools that your new salesperson will need to reach the goals and a level of success.

There are four specific areas when it comes to training:

Sales techniques - These are specific strategies and techniques used to close a sale, add-on, handle objections, demonstrate merchandise etc. They may not be used in every situation, but a salesperson must have this knowledge.

Product knowledge - Simply put, this is giving the salesperson the knowledge of the product(s) they are selling and the ability to answer any questions a customer may have about the product(s).

Operations - This involves the process of how to complete a transaction from an operational point of view. This includes everything from how to complete an order form to completing the financial forms to insuring delivery.

Customer service - Customer Service is the salesperson's knowledge of how to treat a customer in order to gain their respect and commitment to the individual salesperson. It is the salesperson's ability to build a customer base of clients that will knowingly and willfully come back to them again and again to satisfy their needs and to recommend that particular salesperson to others. Providing outstanding customer service happens before the sale, during the sale, and after the sale has been completed.

These represent a starting point for your training. If you are diligent in hitting these four areas and your new salesperson is well versed in these areas, then you are both off to a great start. When we are together again, we will examine the keys to effective training.

FINAO - Brad Huisken - IAS Training

When did it happen?

2010-03-19T14:56:00.001-06:00

When did it happen that, "Not a Problem" became an acceptable way to thank a customer after they have made a purchase? Is it just me, am I getting old and set in my ways, or do others think that a customer should feel like a confetti cannon just went off in their heads after they have made a purchase from a company? We all need to be thankful of the fact that we have customers and let them know how much they are appreciated, especially after they have made a purchase. Yes, that's right; I am saying you should even thank someone who didn't buy from you. At least they gave you an opportunity to get to know them and plant a seed for a future purchase. I don't care if the customer didn't spend a dime, spent $10.00, or $10,000. We need to let customers know that they are appreciated

I'm hearing all kinds of unacceptable ways of finalizing a sale that just drive me crazy. To say to a customer, "Your receipt is in the bag", "Not a problem", "Let me know if you have any problems", "Here you go", "Enjoy", just doesn't cut it. Do you really want a customer's last impression of you and your organization to be, "Not a problem?" I contend that, "Not a problem", is a problem. I think that when a customer leaves a store, they need to feel appreciated to the point where they feel so good about the experience, that they might just tell others about the company. Again, word of mouth advertising is, by far, the most powerful form of advertising that there is. No question about it. You cannot buy a more effective form of advertising than one person telling another person how great a particular company is to deal with.

Therefore, here are some tips for thanking customers and inviting them back:

Sincerely thank the customer
Use their name
Use the words I and you
Review the reasons that they bought the item
Invite them back

For example, "Peggy, I really want to thank you for coming in today. I think you made a great decision. I know that Bob is really going to enjoy his new watch. The two-tone band will give him versatility, and the sapphire crystal will give him the durability that you mentioned. Will you do me a favor? Next time you are in the area, stop back in and let me know how much he is enjoying his new timepiece. Thank you again."

FINAO - Brad Huisken - IAS Training

Interviewing - Part Three!

2010-03-12T15:55:00.006-07:00

Now we have interviewed two to three different applicants that we liked enough to bring back for a second time. The moment has come to make the final decision on which candidates we are going to add to our team. I am going to give you some things to consider and some hiring don'ts. However, there is one thing that should always been on the forefront of your mind: how does this person I am going to hire fit in with the rest of the team? Although salespeople often work independently, the team plays a critical role. The impact on the team must be a strong consideration.

When making the decision, here are some things to consider:

The answers to your interview questions
Their ability to carry on a conversation
Did they maintain consistent, direct eye contact with you
Their skills, ability and knowledge
Their internal drive
Your gut feeling

All of those should be taken into consideration as you make your final decision, but never underestimate what your instincts are telling you. This is especially true if you are deciding between two candidates who are very equal in everything from experience to their knowledge and abilities. In that case, it is often going to come down to what you feel inside. Trust that feeling; it is going to be right far more than it's not.
There are, however, some hiring don'ts:

Don't judge all applicants based on one great interview
Don't eliminate applicants just because they may be overqualified
Don't eliminate applicants who may have to take a pay decrease
Don't eliminate applicants who are asking for more money than you can offer
Don't lose control of the interview
Don't waste time with people you know won't work out
Don't sell the position first
Don't allow any prejudices in your decision making

You know who you want to hire and add to your team, and you are very happy and comfortable with your decision, now what? No matter how qualified your new employee may be, there is going to be some training involved. Next time we will look at training your new salesperson.

FINAO - Brad Huisken

Interviewing: Part Two

2010-03-05T13:54:00.003-07:00

You have now completed the first interviews and maybe you have two or three applicants that you want to bring in for the second interview. So what is a second interview designed to give you and what kinds of things are you looking for? Let's see if we can answer those questions for you and set you on the road to hiring the next great salesperson.

The second interview is designed to give you the answers you need in order to make your final decisions. The questions should be phrased in a way to gain information about the applicant’s willingness to follow your rules and regulations, has the internal drive to be a successful salesperson, is honest, believes in integrity, has personal goals, and is trainable and coachable. Below are a few questions that should be asked during a second interview.

What is more important to you--success or money?
What are you goals for the next year?
What are your goals for the next ten years?
What do you feel it takes to be successful in sales?
What do you feel would be appropriate action if you were not reaching your sales goals within three months?
What formal sales training have you had in the past?
How often do you make mistakes?
What do you do when you make a mistake?
What would you like to tell me about yourself that may help me make my decision?

As always, remember to give the applicant's time at the end of the interview to ask any questions that they may have about you, the company, or the job for which they are applying. This is where you go into more specifics about what would be required of them including; training, coaching, accountability and your sales and customer service standards. The second interview is where you talk about the salary or pay plan that you will be offering.

That covers the actual interviewing process, but now it is time for you to make a decision. Before you do that, there are some other things to consider. We will take a look at what those are next time. For now, happy hiring!

FINAO - Brad Huisken

Interviewing: Part One

2010-02-26T14:17:00.001-07:00

Previously we talked about recruiting quality people and how it's an on-going process. The question now becomes: once you find a pool of people who are interested in becoming part of your sales team, how do you decide which one(s) to hire? It can be a difficult decision, especially if you have not had much experience. Today we are going to talk about the interviewing process.

The first rule of interviewing is to let the people you are interviewing tell you who they are without prompts. For example, if you advertise that you are looking for a salesperson that is outgoing and aggressive, then chances are good that that's how the applicant is going to act in the interview. The problem is, you might hire someone who may not actually have the qualities you desire. Bottom line: design your questions to find out about the person, don't give them the answers.

Every process should begin with three to five applicants that you decide are worth bringing in for an initial interview. I believe that you should never hire anyone after only one interview. That doesn't mean it has to be a long process, though. The second meeting could be as soon as later that same day if you interview someone you think will be a great addition to your staff.

The first interview should be set up to determine if the applicant is self-motivated, can carry on a conversation, has had any problems with past employers, is reliable, stable and if they are a good fit with the rest of your team. It is also a good time to let the applicant know some of the basics of the job, including a general pay scale, basic benefits and your expectations of them if hired. A sample of first interview questions is listed below:

Why did you leave you last position(s)?
Why do you want to leave your current position?
What did you like most about your job?
What did you dislike most about your job?
What are your strengths?
What are your weaknesses?

These are just a few of the types of questions you would ask in a first interview. Next time we will move on to the second interview and examine what goes into that.

FINAO - Brad Huisken

Hope!

2010-02-19T11:06:00.001-07:00

I talk to hundreds, if not thousands, of retailers on a regular basis, and it continues to amaze me how many of them are hoping that things get better and the economy turns around. I know that HOPE and about two dollars will get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks, and that's about it. To sit back and hope that things get better is going to do absolutely nothing to insure that things get better for your business.

If you have a competitor or two in your town, you have an opportunity for a sales and profit increase. If you have had a competitor or two go out of business recently, you have an opportunity for a sales and profit increase. The retail pie isn't going to get any bigger in the near future; however, your piece of the pie can get bigger. The days of the retail clerk are dead and gone. The person working on your sales floor has to be a trained, professional retail salesperson.

What are doing this year that is considerably different from last year? What changes need to be made in the business to insure its growth? From a sales and sales management perspective, it is time to manage the business and the people using factual, statistical information. It is time to implement non-negotiable sales and customer service standards. It is time to leave the ego at home and realize that maybe there is a better way.

For example: I know that retail store owners spend a fortune to get customers to come in the front door, and yet many owners don't know what happened with them once they got in the front door. With the retail industry averaging a 22% closing rate, what happen to the other 78% of the people that come in the door? Did the sales person capture their contact information with permission for follow-up? Was the customer that didn't buy turned over to another salesperson to give them a chance at the sale? Or was the customer given your typical "Get out of the store free card" (a business card) and told "Come back when you are ready." (OUCH) The customer was ready, they were in your store, they really wanted your merchandise, and yet something went wrong. Oh well, Let's HOPE they come back!

FINAO - Brad Huisken

Show A Little Love!

2010-02-12T14:06:00.000-07:00

Love is in the air. It is Valentine's Day and Presidents' Day weekend. A lot of the workforce and students have a three or four day weekend. Traffic should be terrific. For retailers that sell jewelry and gift items, it could be an extremely busy weekend. For those retailers who don't sell gift items, and the retailers that do, it is your chance to show a little love and win over a few customers into being lifelong, loyal patrons. I have always preached that retailers need to do something different to set themselves apart from the average. Anyone can create a buy/sell relationship; it takes giving a little something extra to establish your store as something unique, different and extraordinary.

It is Friday afternoon, go out and buy some Valentine's Day cookies, brownies, cupcakes, candies, heart shaped stickers, flowers, whatever you can find, and give them out to the customers that you have walking in the door.

If you aren't feeling the love, focus on Presidents' Day and buy some red, white, and blue items that you can hand out to your customers. You never know what the impact of a little something extra may be. The child that you give a cookie to may just say to Mom in a couple weeks, "Let's go to the store with cookies." You know where Mom is going to go, right back to your store. I know - I have grandchildren, whether you believe it or not, the children are in control. We adults do whatever they tell us to do, and go wherever they tell us they want to go. Besides that, Mom just might really enjoy and appreciate a little extra gesture of getting a rose from their favorite retailer. I sure hope it is you.

Additionally, don't forget to ask every customer "Who is on your Valentine's Day gift giving list?" They might just have three or four people of which they need to buy gift items. As long as they are in your store, enjoying a cookie, they might as well buy the gifts from you.

Have a Happy and Profitable Valentine's Day Weekend!

FINAO - Brad Huisken

Non-Negotiable Standards

2010-02-05T17:11:00.001-07:00

Could you imagine what might happen should your UPS driver show up wearing a purple shirt and shorts? What would happen if the pilot didn't do a pre-flight safety check or your doctor didn't mark the knee on which he was about to perform surgery? These things just don't happen. On the other hand, could you imagine a customer coming into your store without being acknowledged, a repair customer coming in and the salesperson not attempting to show or sell additional merchandise? How about a customer not being sincerely thanked and invited back? These are all things that should be non-negotiable sales and customer service standards in every retail store.

Non-Negotiable standards are those things that are so important to the success of the organization that there is no room for error or deviation. I would be willing to write-up and eventually terminate people for not adhering to the pre-established non-negotiable standards. Sales standards are those things that will have a direct effect on sales - customer service standards are those things that will have a direct effect on the customer's first and last impressions of the store.

With the economy as it is, where customers, sales, and profits are hard to come by, it is essential that retailers institute non-negotiable sales and customer service standards in their stores. According to the latest statistics that I have read, it costs about $50.00 to get a customer to walk into a typical retail store. In clothing stores, the amount may be a little lower, where as stores that sell hot tubs, pianos, and organs are much higher. The amount doesn't matter as much as the fact that there is a cost attached to every customer. For every customer that enters a store and isn't sold something, you might as well take that amount of money and burn it.

One standard that I have implemented in stores that I work directly with is that with every customer, one of three things had better happen. Either the customer leaves the store having made a purchase, or the salesperson has captured the customers contact information, with permission for follow-up, or they had better be turned over to another salesperson to let them attempt to develop a relationship and sell the customer. If the salesperson hasn't made the sale, or developed a relationship where the customer is willing to give contact information, then by golly another salesperson had better have been given a shot at it.

Non-negotiable standards are just one of the five silver bullets detailed at our Train The Trainer Courses. Make a decision to improve your business, make a decision to attend.

Failure Is Not An Option!

Finao - Brad Huisken - IAS Training

The Holidays Are Over, Now What?

2010-01-29T16:27:00.001-07:00

The results are in! It was another ho-hum holiday season for most retailers. Some had sales decreases, some broke even and some even showed a sales increase over a very weak year of 2008. However, not many showed a sales increase over 2007. Here is what I think for 2010. The pie isn't going to get any bigger; however, your piece of the pie can increase significantly. Through others closing their stores and going out of business there is opportunity everywhere. Through the consistent application of sound business principles retailers can grab a bigger piece of the pie!

"You've created a monster! I hope my employees can keep up with the changes! I know that through implementing what the course has taught me, my sales will double!"

"It's what every retailer should be doing. The course points out a lot of ways to increase business simply."

"I learned more in three days than I have in five years in retail. I learned things about sales that I would never have thought about."

These are quotes from retail owners and managers from last weeks Train The Trainer Course in Tampa. Now that the Holidays are over are you going to sit back and hope that business improves, or are you going to take action? If you keep doing things the same way, you will get the same results. I don't want this to be a complete commercial so here are some tips that you can use to make some changes in your business.

In order to institute change in an organization three things have to occur:

They are:

Policy
Training
Incentives!

The Five Silver Bullets to Productivity Improvement are:

Training and Coaching
Goals
Accountability
Non-Negotiable Sales & Customer Service Standards
The Science of a Sales Process

Make a difference in your company and institute the five silver bullets into your organization. Remember, people will improve what you inspect, not necessarily what you expect.

Failure Is Not An Option!

Finao - Brad Huisken - IAS Training

Recruiting!

2010-01-22T14:19:00.003-07:00

A sales manager's success is only going to be as good as the people with whom they surround themselves through recruiting, hiring and training, all of which should be an on-going process. The more skilled a sales manager is at performing these functions, the better your sales team will be at performing their tasks. You've heard of the circle of life? Well recruiting, hiring and training compose the circle of life for a Sales Manager.

In recruiting salespeople make sure you are selecting from a large pool of people. It's basic mathematics-the more people you have to choose from, the more likely you are to find the quality you are looking for.

It's also important to understand that your staff is going to change, maybe not constantly, but it is going to change. People are going to leave for a variety of reasons: they are not suited for sales, they move away, get offered another job, or they are so good at what they do that they become a sales manager themselves. The bottom line is you must always be willing and able to quickly replace those who leave without missing a beat.

Because you already know that you are going to have at least some staff turnover, it is important that your recruiting effort is non-stop. There are many different sources you can use to recruit. The first is to use the resources you all ready have, which is your staff. Offer your existing staff bonuses if they are able to refer someone to you who you end up hiring. The bonus should be divided so that some amount is given upon hiring, a second amount given after six months and a final amount given after the new hired has been employed for a year.

Another recruiting tool is to simply place a recruiting poster, or have a recruiting brochure that you give to customers in your place of business. You never know when a customer comes in to buy something; they may also be in need of a job. This goes back to continuing to expand your potential employee base, a simple poster goes a long way to increasing that base. I am not saying a help wanted sign or poster that indicates you are desperate, but a classy "We are always looking for quality people to help us grow our business", type of statement.

In addition all owners and managers should place a recruiting statement on the back of your business card. Whenever you come across someone who you think may be a good potential employee for you, hand them your business card with an invitation to talk. There are great people out there, you just need to find them. I would also suggest that you talk to placement counselors at your local high schools and colleges. The counselors know their students and may be able to find the perfect person for you. Recruiting is a job that great sales managers perform all day everyday.

FINAO - Failure is Not An Option

Brad Huisken

Sales Management Principles Continued!

2010-01-15T14:21:00.001-07:00

Today we wrap up our look at the principles of sales management by examining the last four of the sixteen principles. As we conclude, it is important to remember that none of these principles are anymore important than the other ones. In fact, in order to be the most effective, each of these principles must work in concert with the rest.

Sales Management Principle thirteen is to give your people quality time. As a sales manager, you have so many tasks and things on your plate, that it may be easy to forget your primary job. Your number one asset is the people who are on your team, and your number one priority is to provide them with the guidance and support that they need in order to be the best salespeople they can possibly be. I suggest that you spend at least fifteen minutes per week of one-on-one time with each of your people.

Principle Fourteen is Business is Business. It is vital that you provide professional support to your sales team. It is equally as vital that you maintain a professional relationship with your staff. They work for you and are not your friends. It is difficult to be friends with someone on your staff while at the same time being their supervisor at work. It can be done, but I do not recommend it. If it is occurring, then make sure that the business relationship is separate from the personal one.

Principle Fifteen is to let your people know what is expected of them. Nothing is more frustrating to an employee than not knowing what is expected of them. As a sales manager, it is your job to set expectations for your salespeople and then make sure they are being met. The expectations should be clear and consistent from day to day and person to person. If your staff fully understands the goals, and the sales and customer service standards that you expect of them, then the likelihood of those goals and standards being met, or even exceeded, goes up dramatically. Make your expectations clear and then expect them to be achieved.

The last principle is probably the simplest one, but also maybe the most important. Make sure your salespeople are having fun. We all are better at whatever we do if we are having fun. Selling is no different. As a sales manager, you can come up with goals, games, contests, and incentives in order to make it more fun for your salespeople to come into work. In short, MAKE IT FUN!

Just remember that each of the sixteen principles we have examined are all important. None of them work as well without the other fifteen. For more information on Sales Management, see our PSMC Professional Sales Management Course listed under the products heading.

FINAO - Failure is Not An Option

Brad Huisken

Top Ten Resolutions For Owners / Sales Managers!

2010-01-08T14:36:00.001-07:00

Previously we looked at the top ten resolutions for salespeople. Therefore, I thought it fair and appropriate that I would share with you my top ten resolutions for storeowners and sales managers. I hope that you enjoy them and make them your own.

I will set goals and constantly work to improve the productivity of my staff.
I will strive to give my people help not hell through devoting time to each individual.
I will manage based on objective information rather than subjective information.
I will become a better listener, communicator, and motivator.
I will conduct weekly sales staff meetings focusing on sales techniques, product knowledge, operations, customer service, and recognition of accomplishments.
I will listen in on sales presentations and offer constructive coaching.
I will make training a process rather than an event.
I create an environment of personal growth and development.
I will adhere to my responsibilities of providing the leadership, knowledge, training, incentives, and consequences in order to recruit, hire, develop, and maintain successful salespeople.
I will provide positive reinforcement at least ten to one over negative criticism.

I hope you all have a very happy & prosperous New Year

FINAO - Brad Huisken - IAS Training

Top Ten New Years Resolutions for Salespeople!

2009-12-31T13:26:00.001-07:00

As we enter a new year, I thought it appropriate to reflect on the past and look toward the future in regards to our business lives as salespeople. Therefore, I thought I would share with you my top ten resolutions for salespeople. I hope that you enjoy them and make them your own.

I will set goals and constantly work to improve my productivity.
I will strive to develop a personal trade relationship with all customers.
I will deliver the finest customer service possible.
I will attempt to close every sale once merchandise has been shown.
I will attempt to add-on to every customer in a non-pushy and aggressive manner.
I will work to increase my knowledge in sales techniques, product knowledge, customer service, and operational skills.
I will be part of the solution rather than part of the problem.
I will look at my job as building a business within a business and look for opportunities to grow the business.
I will take responsibility for my own success.
I will treat my customers, co-workers and supervisors with respect and dignity, as I want to be treated.

I hope you all have a very happy & prosperous New Year.

FINAO - Brad Huisken - IAS Training

21 Concepts For Success!

2009-12-24T10:17:00.004-07:00

Surround yourself with successful people.
Work at something that you enjoy.
Give people more than they expect.
Be cheerful, positive and enthusiastic.
Be forgiving of yourself and others.
Be generous.
Be grateful.
Make persistence a way of life.
Discipline yourself to save money.
Treat everyone you meet as you want to be treated.
Commit yourself to personal growth and education.
Commit yourself to quality.
Work to achieve your definition of happiness.
Be loyal
Be honest.
Be a self-starter
Be decisive.
Take responsibility for every area of your life.
Be bold and courageous.
Take care of the people you love.
Don't do anything that wouldn't make your parents proud.

FINAO - Failure is Not An Option

Brad Huisken

Your Success In 2010 Depends On The Next Few Days!

2009-12-18T11:35:00.001-07:00

In talking to retailers around the country, I am hearing that for the most part, traffic is up over last year. However, the average sale has decreased. So be it! With that being said, the way to increase sales is to get more people in the store spending less. During the next seven days, you will probably have more new customers come through your doors than at any other time of the year. While I hope it is extremely busy and you do not have time to eat lunch or even take a break, now is the time to plant a seed to help insure your success next year. What you do in the next seven days and how you treat every customer will have a direct reflection on your results next year.

The days of retailers sitting back and waiting or hoping that things are going to improve has long since passed. It is up to all of us to make things happen now. While many stores become more of a clerk environment, rather than a sales environment during the next week, do not fall into the trap. Please do not simply take orders and write up sales slips. With Valentines Day right around the corner, anniversaries, birthdays, graduations, birth of a child etc. all are opportunities to sell future items. I would strongly suggest that with every customer, especially new customers, that you take the time now to capture name, address, telephone, and/or email address WITH PERMISSION FOR FOLLOW-UP.

The job of a salesperson is to convert customers into personal trade customers: people that think of you as their friend in the business. In order to develop friends, you have to capture contact information. In addition, the real skill comes in capturing, and noting, personal information that you can relate back to with the customer during a future phone or email conversation. A month from now when you call and ask about their ski vacation to Steamboat Springs over the holidays, it will be a much different conversation than simply trying to sell additional items. The process of developing friends takes a concentrated effort on the part of the salesperson. The future contact becomes easier and future sales happen based on your ability in the next few days to plant the seed for the future. I assure you, that if you have the customer’s permission to follow-up, and you relate some personal information in your follow-up, additional sales will happen.

DON'T BE AVERAGE - BE EXCEPTIONAL - MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

FINAO - Failure is Not An Option

Brad Huisken

You Never Know!

2009-12-11T12:02:00.004-07:00

You never know unless you ask. With Christmas, fast approaching it is extremely important to emphasis how important it is to ask every customer to buy. A salesperson job is to “Cause the exchange of ownership of a product, based on the customer's wants and needs with integrity! In other words, a salesperson's job is to create and close sales. Unless you ask the customer to buy, you just never really know. You may have missed an opportunity to close a sale or even add-on to the sale if you don't ask. Some customers just need that little extra push in helping them to make a buying decision.

A good client of mine called me after the last holiday season to share a story with me. He mentioned that many men are last minute shopper. We all know this to be true. The last few days of the season, he started suggesting to these, last minute shoppers, that she knows that she is going to get something special from you for Christmas. This year why don't you surprise her with a New Years Eve gift as well? He sold over $30,000 in New Years Eve gifts simply because he mentioned it and asked the customer to buy.

I was in a town just outside of Saskatoon recently. The day after the training seminar the owner of the company wrote me to tell me that one of her salespeople followed the training that I had given and made a $20,000 sale for an anniversary gift. Needless to say, the salesperson was "flying high".

Just because people are talking about how bad things are, that sales are terrible, and Christmas is going to be a bust doesn't mean that you have to buy into the doom and gloom. Make sales happen through asking. If you were to close one or two, maybe even 5 more sales a day because you asked, it might make the difference between a bad, good, and great holiday season. All the statistics that I am hearing tell me that traffic is "up" in most stores and that the average sale is down. Increase your average sale by asking people to buy additional merchandise. Sales professionals should be asking every customer, "WHO ELSE IS ON YOUR HOLIDAY GIFT GIVING LIST"? You just never know - until you ask.

FINAO - Failure is Not An Option

Brad Huisken

Sales Management Principles Continued!

2009-12-03T23:56:00.005-07:00

As a manager, it is often hard to believe you were a salesperson at one point. You should always take the time to remember what it is like in the trenches. The worst type of manager in any field is the one that finally gets to management and immediately forgets about those who are doing the sales work to make the manager look good.

All of that leads us to the next principles to being an effective sales manager. Principle number 7 is: you must be on the floor. This is the best, and only, way for you to keep an accurate pulse on what is going on and what your salespeople are experiencing everyday. By being on the floor, you can listen to the presentations of your staff and be better able to provide the coaching and/or training that salespeople need. Managers should be on the floor to accept turnovers, do takeovers, and generally keep the spirits high. Meet and greet customers, introduce yourself, and be active in making things happen on the floor. Being involved affords you the best opportunities to be an asset to the salespeople working with you.

Great managers provide communication that is direct and to the point, which is principle #8. It is easy for a person to become confused and frustrated if the training point is not clear. Your salespeople will be much more effective if they know exactly where they stand.

We've been talking a lot about training and coaching. While those are both important, positive feedback is more important. Catch people doing something right is principle #9. Your positive feedback should be 10-1 over negative feedback or coaching. Most of us respond much better to coaching if we also know that we will be praised for doing our jobs well. It is much easier to cause change when it is done in a positive manner. If all the manager does is criticize, then the salespeople tend to tune out communication.

As we pick up next time, we will focus on why it is important to continually strive to improve and why nothing ever stands still.

For more information on sales management check out the PSMC - Professional Sales Management Course by clicking here.

FINAO - Failure is Not An Option

Brad Huisken

Sales Management Principles!

2009-11-18T21:27:00.000-07:00

Last week, we discussed the three different types of salespeople, and how a sales manager should go about identifying the types and how to help them to increase productivity. Today I want to begin the process of examining the principles to being a more successful and effective sales manager.

The first of those principles is managing each of your people as individuals. As we touched on last week, no two people are the same and they do not react the same way. A successful sales manager will take the time to get to know each of their salespeople, and how to work with them in a way that will lead to both increased sales and a happy employee. If coaching or constructive criticism is necessary, then it should always be performed in a one-on-one private session. However, I always encourage you to praise a salesperson for a job well done in public. Often times, nothing motivates a person more than being told they did a good job in the presence of their peers.

You probably became a sales manager because you were a successful salesperson; don't forget where you came from. Remember the hard work that got you to the position you are in now, and apply the same principles as a manager. If you are asking your staff to be at work at 8:00, then you should be in before them and working every bit as long as they are. Salespeople are going to respect you if you adhere to the standards that you set. In this case, "Do as I say, not as I do" does not fly. Lead by example which is principle number two. Your sales staff, along with increased productivity, will follow.

Install discipline within your organization is principle number three. In any team, sport, or business, discipline is always vital to a successful organization. Every element of society has its own rules and regulations. Your job as a sales manager is to make sure your staff knows all of the rules and regulations, as well as the reasons for their existence. You also must not be afraid to enforce the rules and regulations when necessary. The fastest way to lose the respect of your staff is to have different rules for different people, so don't do it! All rules and regulations should be written down. If it is not written down, it isn't real!

Next week we will kick it off with the Golden Rule of Sales Management! In the meantime, remember your biggest asset as a manager is the people you manage!

FINAO - Failure is Not An Option

Brad Huisken

Three Different Types of Salespeople!

2009-10-30T11:46:00.007-06:00

As a sales manager, your plate is full with everything from scheduling, security, operations, maintaining merchandise, keeping up with the daily and monthly paperwork to dealing with the everyday ups and downs. However, the most important job that you have as a sales manager is ensuring that the salespeople under you are performing to their fullest potential. This is not only the most important job you have, but it is also the most difficult. You are dealing with people, and no two people react the same way.

Salespeople are all different in the sense that what motivates one salesperson may not motivate another salesperson. It's up to you to find out what motivates each of the salespeople under you, and then apply it to maximize sales for everyone. There are three types of salespeople that you will encounter as a sales manager. We will define those for you today and give you a brief synopsis of how to get the most out of each of them.

The first are the under-achievers. These are probably people who have just gotten into the field and are trying to find their way still, or people who have been in the field but are not performing. Your job here is to determine if they truly want to be a salesperson and if so, do they have what it takes? If the answer to both questions is yes, then your task is to give them the knowledge, skills, and tools to reach the next level.

The next type is where 80% of salespeople fall, and they are called safe-zoners. These are salespeople who have reached an acceptable level and then may have gotten too comfortable. They sell just enough to make a living for themselves but are not nearly as productive as they could or should be. Your job is to determine what is needed to get them to reach the next level.

The last type is a sales manager's dream. They are the over-achievers, the salespeople who are self-motivated and driven to always sell more than the other guy or more than they sold the day before. Your job is fairly simple here; keep them at that high level, but more than likely they will keep themselves at that level.

It is your job to determine what type each of your salespeople are and then find out what you need to do to get each of your people to the next level or, with over-achievers, to keep them operating at a high performance level. Remember their performance, both positive and negative is a reflection on your skills as a sales manager. For ideas on specific techniques to help increase your or your salespeople's, productivity, refer to our PMSA Relationship Selling Program.

FINAO Failure Is Not Option!

Brad Huisken - President, IAS Training

The New Might Be Killing You!

2009-10-17T08:35:00.000-06:00

This is the time of year when many retailers will be hiring additional staff for the upcoming Holiday Season. Some retailers are hiring because of growth and others due to natural attrition. No matter why, or when, you hire new sales staff. Don't let the new salespeople kill your sales and profits. It costs a fortune to recruit, interview, test, check references, hire and train new people, not to mention how much new employees may cost in lost sales revenue.

I was recently in a store that had just hired a couple of new salespeople. Both had been with the company for about three months. One of the new salespeople had sold about $40,000 during the current month. The other new employee had sold about $4,000 during the same period. A gigantic $36,000 difference between the two new employees. The gap was even more substantial between the new salespeople and the experienced sales staff. Both of the above mentioned new salespeople were working about the same number of hours and helping about the same number of potential customers.

Should the new salesperson that was only producing about $4000 in sales be terminated? I don't think so. When a new employee is hired you are telling them that you are going to give them the opportunity to succeed, make a living, support their families and/or lifestyle, reach their goals, and to be successful, in a fair and equitable environment. My first question would be have we given both of the new employees the training that they need in order to be successful. Training is the responsibility of management. My next question would be what specific sales strategies have the new employees been trained to perform. The first thing a new employee should be trained on, other than time clock, schedule, restrooms and the basics etc. is how to effectively turnover a sale. Too often, how to turnover a sale that is going no where, is one of the last strategies that salespeople are taught. It should be one of the first things.

It doesn't matter if the new people have experience in your industry or not, all new people need to know how to turnover a sale. New people, in many cases, don't know all the product knowledge needed, all the opertional knowledge needed, not to mention sales and customer service skills for the new company. Don't let new employees kill your business just because they are new and don't know how to maximize sales and profits . They need training and experience in order to grow to be successful within the organization. An effective turnover program will protect the company and allow new employees the time needed to gain the knowledge and experience to be successful.

FINAO Failure Is Not Option!

Brad Huisken - President, IAS Training

Know Your People!

2009-10-09T10:53:00.001-06:00

There's a belief by many that you don't win with strategies or plans; you win with people. Do you believe that? I certainly do and that's what I want to touch on today. As sales managers, it is important that you hire and train the right people. However, the hiring and training piece is the easy part. It requires effort and time on your part as a successful sales manager. I will begin by sharing with you an experience that I had last week.

I was having my lunch and at the next table were some type of utility workers that were having what appeared to be a "working" lunch. Although I wasn't trying to listen, we were pretty close and it was tough not to, not that I had any clue what they were talking about anyway. They proceeded to discuss work related items and the like and then it happened. After they had finished the "business" part of their discussion, the gentlemen who was obviously the supervisor asked his employee a question that raised my eyebrows.

He asked, "How are you?" Simple question, right? The employee started to answer in work related terms and the supervisor stopped him and said, "No I mean how are YOU doing, how is your family, are you doing okay?" The employee told his supervisor about his wife, and although I couldn't hear all of the details, it was obvious that there was something going on that was bothersome. They talked for a while longer and then the supervisor said, "Well, hang in there. If there is anything that I, or the company can do to help, please let me know."

As they headed off I was thinking WOW, if I was that employee there is not anything I would not do for my supervisor. Anybody can be a "manager" and tell people what to do but a successful manager cares about their people both at work and away from work.

As a sales manager, don't be afraid to learn and know about your salespeople. If you take the five minutes to ask how your salespeople are doing from time to time, you will be happy with the results.

FINAO: Failure Is NotOption

Brad Huisken - President, IAS Training