Hard sell: solutions to the 21 biggest sales problems

Entrepreneur, August, 1997 by Robert McGarvey

So how do you excel in sales if it's not your natural calling? The solution is simple: Learn to do it. The good news is sales is a highly learnable skill. But where can you get first-rate sales training if the $5,000 and higher daily fees charged by top trainers are out of your budget? Top sales trainers from around the nation give you a head start in the following pages, offering their solutions to the 21 biggest sales problems.

1 Fear of rejection

Tom Hopkins is a leading sales trainer whose book How to Master the Art of Selling (Warner Books) has sold more than 1.3 million copies worldwide. His solution:

Psych yourself up for making calls whether in person or by phone. Look at it as a numbers game. If every sale puts $100 profit in your pocket and you average five calls per sale, tell yourself every 'no' is worth $20. That little technique can help you plow through the fear of rejection.

2 Not qualifying prospects

Jeffrey Hansler is the owner of Huntington Beach, California-based sales training and development company Oxford Co. He has worked in sales for 25 years and taught the subject for nine years. His solution:

I use RADAR to qualify prospects. The key to RADAR is asking questions. Done right, RADAR tells you how much time to spend with prospects; that is, can they and will they buy? Here's how RADAR helps you qualify clients - and save time.

Rapport: Do you have rapport with the prospect? In other words, is the or she answering your questions honestly and sincerely?

Acknowledged interest: What is the prospect's acknowledged interest in solving a problem? Does he or she see a problem?

Decision: Who are the decision makers, and what is the process they use to make purchases? Ask, "If you were going to make a decision today, who needs to be involved?"

Acknowledged funds: What is the prospect willing to invest in time, money and energy to solve the problem?

Risk coefficient: What is the risk factor based on the prospect's prior experience in making a similar decision? If prospects have lever purchased a similar product or service, they have a negative risk coefficient. However, if they change vendors every two years, and they've been with their current vendor for 18 months, the risk coefficient is positive and you have a very good chance of gaining a customer.

Weeding out unlikely prospects using RADAR can be done in two minutes, on the phone or face to face, and with individuals or committees.

3 Gaining a prospect's trust

Nicki Joy is a sales motivator in Rockville, Maryland, with 26 years of experience. Her solution:

There are two facts about trust: 1) We trust people who are must like ourselves, and 2) we trust people we can agree with. Knowing that, how can we create customer trust and loyalty?

* Find out what you have in common with the customer, and refer to it. This can be as simple as children, a fondness for travel or a love of reading. Use these similarities to remind the prospect of your bonds.

* Condition prospects to say "yes" by asking questions they will agree with. Say "It's a great day, isn't it?" or "You got an early start today, didn't you?" Little questions like these help start customers on a momentum that builds trust. Customers think "If I can say yes to him, I obviously agree with him, and if I agree with him, I probably can trust him."

4 Fear of cold-calling

Dan Sherman is a San Francisco sales trainer and author of You Can Be a Peak Performer (Million Dollar Press). His solution:

Know that when someone doesn't buy from you, it's your ideas that are being rejected, not you. So don't take rejection personally. Also remember three key facts:

* If you truly believe in your product or service, don't worry about interrupting someone to tell them about it. You're offering help to someone who would benefit from your solution.

* Don't overprepare - you have to plunge in and make those telephone calls. Your best training will come through the actual call process as you hone your presentation. The way to succeed at cold-calling is to continue making calls.

* Keep a winning attitude. Only those who expect success to happen achieve their dreams.

5 Not knowing your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)

A proven way to sell a product or service is knowing bow and why it stands out in the marketplace. Jeff Blackman is a Glenview, Illinois, business growth specialist and author of Peak Your Profits (Career Press). He tells bow to create your USP:

* Make a proposition that each customer who buys your product or service will receive a specific benefit or benefits. Your USP can be how your business is operated; how your product is developed, manufactured or marketed; or elements that go into your product or service that are of significantly higher quality than that of your competitors.

* Make sure your competition doesn't offer the same proposition; yours must be unique. Your USP can be something that your competitors have but have failed to capitalize on. The first company to define that benefit and educate their customers has a unique and profitable pre-emptive advantage.