The Art of Sales: Turning Clients into Friends

What Does It Mean to Be a Likable Salesperson?

sales-coaching2 Despite the common perception, extroverted heavy-pushers are not the ideal sales candidates. Confidence sells, but the line between confidence and aggression varies for different people. What clients really crave in a strong salesperson is amiability. They are choosing a contact they can call on evenings and weekends. They are choosing trust.

Trust into Friendship

“Friendship” may sound like a strange word when discussing business needs. Affable salespeople definitely lighten the meeting atmosphere, but the best way to establish real trust is to consistently meet client needs. A salesperson must be both flexible and able to tailor their services to the needs of their client.

The Sales Executive Council published a survey identifying five important aspects to effective sales support:

Offering a fresh perspective. A business relies on their sales reps to provide innovative ways to increase revenue while cutting cost. Their perspective can lower risk or help a company enter new markets.
Flexibility. The ability to change a pricing structure, sales package, or other aspect of the business relationship to better meet client needs.
Creative Thinking. Customers need salespeople who offer alternatives and can change their way of thinking.
The ability to avoid problems. Good salespeople are attuned to all aspects of the supply chain they serve. They know when a raw material hike spells trouble for a line of products and can move quickly to protect their clients from losing money long-term.
Offering education. Clients need to remain informed, and salespeople know where to find the right data, studies, and other information.

Long-Term Coaching

sales-coaching-3 A true salesperson exists to provide support in terms of deals, market knowledge, and product information, while influencing their clients to make positive changes to their business. This ongoing relationship is a skill and like any other skill; it requires practice.

The best way to see a trusting business relationship develop is through experience. Shadowing co-workers is effective, which is why more companies are starting to establish long-term sales mentoring programs.

Sales coaching is another option. It is a uniquely effective service for young professionals, because the relationship the salesperson has with their coach closely mimics the type of bond shared with their clients. Coaching is so important to sales that companies that sell business-to-business (B2B) spend between $4-7 billion on it annually.

Selling with Noble Purpose

The concept of purpose in sales comes from new research surrounding job and client satisfaction and company revenue. Salespeople still live in the shadow of the used car salesman, but as trusting relationships deepen, the salesperson becomes more committed and attuned to their clients. Their job becomes something that is about more than just believing in the products and services they sell – it is about believing in their clients.

Interested in learned to be a better salesperson? CLICK HERE for more sales coaching info.

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News

Thanks To All Those Who Attended

Thanks to all those who attended our sold out Course Connections event last week. Here’s a few photos from the event. Enjoy! And if you missed this event, don’t fret! Our next event is July 16th, 2015. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP NOW:

Course-connections3

From Left to right:
Casey Gocel Carhart, Charity Waltzer , Kim Forrester, Lisa Sepetjian, Karolina Dehnhard,(Sponsor, Budd Larner) Lynn Malanka, Amy Delman (Sponsor. Amy Delman PR)
Back row: Diane Dunn McKay, Bert Baron,Rick Gorab, Vince Egan,(Sponsor, Benjamin Edwards) Susan Ascher, Liz Swinicki, Azad Neenan, Michael Campbell.
Not Pictured; Steve Reiss, Steve Bigach, Kate Sweeney,(Sponsor, Morgan Stanley) Mahvash Saba (Sponsor, Photographer)

Course-connections1

Getting warmed up

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Networking and connecting!

CLICK HERE to Join Us For Upcoming Course Connections Events

Leadership

Could You Benefit from Leadership Coaching? How to Tell

4 Benefits of Leadership Coaching and What It Can Do for You

leadership-coaching-right-for-me Leadership coaching is a helpful development program for people already in, or looking to enter an advanced field. Leadership coaching workshops can teach public speaking, effective presentation, networking, and more. However, many people are unsure what skills can be learned from leadership coaching or what the benefit is to their career.

Is Coaching Right for You and Your Employees?

Because coaching is an investment that requires a dedicated commitment of energy as well as time that can span several months, it’s worth carefully considering if you are ready to take that next step. If you are a business owner and are considering an employee for leadership coaching, it is important to evaluate what they contribute to the organization. Would leadership coaching help elevate their skills? Is that person critical to the company’s success?

The Benefits of Leadership Coaching

Leadership coaches guide people through a course of action, help them learn from their mistakes, and evaluate their progress. In addition to these benefits, leadership coaches also provide these advantages:

Problem Solving that is Relevant to YOU. You may have spent time at sales, management, communication, or other skill-building seminars. These are often filled with valuable information people can understand intellectually. However, intellectual learning is different than learning from experience. In other words, seminars provide information that may be difficult to apply. Because coaches are working on your specific challenges, all the lessons are relevant.
The trickle down effect of Coaching. The objective of coaching is to better prepare lead managers and their employees into new company phases, guide product launches, and more. Company leaders are responsible for large teams of people, and their behavior affects everyone.
Increased Personal Development. Coaching is not always sought because an employee in leadership experiences stagnation in their career. It is often utilized to cover gaps in their training or development. Whatever the reason, every person who successfully implements leadership coaching moves closer to superstar status in the company and sees his or her career accelerate.
Coaching Improves Confidence. Employees new to a leadership role may find it daunting. Instead of overseeing projects, they are now overseeing people who expectantly wait for their word. It is a role that requires a tremendous amount of self-confidence. Coaches are great for guidance and helping new leaders realize they have someone to turn to for guidance. This safety net makes it easier to make decisions and improve skills before they get their wings and fly on their own.

CLICK HERE for more information about Leadership Coaching.

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Sales

6 Signs You’re a Natural-Born Salesperson

The Recipe for a Successful Sales Career

ambition-confidence Has anyone ever told you that you’re a natural-born salesperson? If they have, they’re probably commenting on your confidence and enthusiasm or your way of getting people to listen to you. A topic often discussed is whether salespeople are born with the natural talent required to succeed, or if they can be taught to sell. The answer is likely a mixture of both.

A good example is coaching. Sales coaching teaches people to build and develop closing and persuasion skills for a positive career in sales. Most bosses will not hire a coach except for those who naturally have a gift for sales. Yet, without the coaching, many people see their careers stagnate without learning new skills. This chicken and the egg scenario is frustrating for people looking to advance their careers and daunting for those just starting out.

If you were ever curious whether you exhibited the classic signs of a skilled salesperson, here is the basic recipe:

Introversion

This is probably the most surprising factor because a common stereotype of salespeople is that they are friendly, open, and love being around people. But wait, isn’t that extroversion? Well, a study of the top-ranked salespeople found that they were 30% less gregarious than their average and below-average counterparts.

Part of this phenomenon might be due to a salesperson’s ability to establish dominance over the sale. While clients perceive outgoing people as more friendly, and thus, trust them as friends, an introverted person explains less of their thoughts and more easily establishes dominance.

Conscientiousness

The classic stereotype of the used car salesman is not applicable to sales. 85% of top salespeople carry a strong sense of duty. They are reliable and committed to the product they sell and the company they represent. Dutiful salespeople excel at getting their customers to buy into the company’s brand.

Humility

Megalomaniacs are not the best at relating to people. Most people do not like dealing with someone who is in their face, attempting to close, right out of the gate.

Humility works when collaborating with team members, too. A salesperson who alienates coworkers with swagger and greasy charm better hope he carries himself on his numbers because his peers certainly won’t help. Humility allows a salesman to support his team and involve company consultants, technical support, and management to assist landing accounts.

Confidence

People who are easily embarrassed or overly self-conscious make poor salespeople. They are too worried about what others think of them to get the job done effectively.

Ambition

Less than 10% of the best salespeople are easily discouraged and overwhelmed with their job. Salespeople need to trust that they can always outperform their numbers from the year before.

Curiosity

This trait describes a person’s willingness to absorb information. Inquisitiveness improves salespeople’s product knowledge, and it drives their understanding of why customers should buy it. Curiosity is also a telling sign that a salesperson is actively engaged in sales calls. A curious person will ask more questions, try to see the situation from the customer’s point of view, and discern the truth.

Interested in learning to step up your sales game? Click here for more info!

Additional Resources:
What Makes a Good Salesman
Are Top Salespeople Born or Made?

Golf Networking

How Golf Can Help You Make a Career Change

The Perfect Swing: How Golf Can Ease Your Career Change

golf-ladies The economic downturn of 2008 left many people questioning where their careers were going and whether they could expect to stay with the same company for the foreseeable future. Seven years later and we’re still asking ourselves these same questions – but what do they have to do with golf? A day on the pitch is a proven method for keeping your career in the fairway, staying flexible, and standing out in the eyes of a potential employer.

Networking and Relationship Building

Golf may seem like a sport reserved for those already in the know, but it is a fantastic opportunity to get your foot in the door and make a good impression. For those looking to make a career change, it is an irreplaceable way to make a solid first impression and earmark your place in an employee’s mind. Even if you are just considering a transition, it is a chance to uncover new opportunities and make new connections.

Front-nine Interview

You may be booked to play a round of golf, but the opportunities at your fingertips far outweigh the value of a beautiful day on a gorgeous course. If you’re hitting the fairways with a network connection or a prospective employer, that means you’re guaranteed at least a couple hours to get know each other – but you can promote yourself as a qualified candidate (without a hard sell) well before you hit the 19th hole. This happens in the following ways:

Build a positive association. The good news is that you have a way to communicate and explore a new business opportunity. The great news is that there’s likely no place in the world your colleague, boss, or potential boss would rather be. Depending on the kind of golf being played, you’ll have the opportunity for teamwork, friendly competition, and shared stories – all experiences rightly associated with a good time.

Reveal your personality. Golf is a demanding sport. It takes concentration, consistency, patience, and a hundred other resume soft-skills an employee is more likely to believe by seeing in action. Fortunately, this is the perfect chance to showcase how personable and qualified you are as a person – and a prospective candidate.

The Club House

Finally, actually walking the course is only a part of the awesome nature of golf. After tee time, a substantial amount of time is devoted to socializing and celebrating at the club house. This is further opportunity to develop professional relationships, but perhaps it is even more valuable as a chance to cultivate personal relationship. This is a place for eating and drinking, relaxing, and enjoying the rest of your day at the club.

Join us for Upcoming Course Connections!

Additional Resources:

Leadership Public Speaking

Using Humor in a Professional Presentation

Humor in the Office? How to Make Jokes during a Presentation

humor2 Humor is the perfect way to connect with your audience, mix in some good feelings with potentially tedious material, and improve personal confidence. Yet many people seem to think that there is no place for humor in professional presentations. Effectively using humor in a presentation can make it entertaining and memorable while getting your point across. Even career coaches teach professionals how to incorporate humor into a presentation.

The Benefits of Humor

I get it, your quarterly numbers are no place for a stand-up routine, but consider the benefits that a single, well-placed joke will bring:

A relaxed audience. Most of your coworkers dislike meetings and presentations. This means they are not looking forward to hearing you talk. Do not take it personally. Instead, make them laugh, put them at ease, and remind them you are in control. It helps maintain their interest in you.
A relaxed speaker. This means you. Once the audience chuckles, maintaining composure and clearly communicating your message is much easier.
Humor improves communication skills. The more you look forward to telling those one or two well-placed jokes, the harder you work on the presentation. After the audience laughs, it makes speakers relay information with more confidence and puts them at ease in front of people.
Good-natured jokes set you apart. The lucky people in any office are the ones whose coworkers do not mind attending their meetings. It makes presentations easier, but it also makes you better at your job.

How to Instill Your Talk with Humor

Humor is hilarious when it works, but it quickly turns the audience against you when it doesn’t. This is often caused by improper delivery. Here are some tips to get the funny bones jingling:

Do not rely on the cliché jokes. Humor depends on the unexpected. Every once in awhile, something is just so funny you cannot pass on the opportunity, but use these moments sparingly.
The presentation does not have to open with a joke. Many people try this technique, which often leads to awkward transitions to the source material.
Do not be afraid to hang the lampshade. In other words, say what everyone is thinking. Acknowledge the hot, stuffy room or the inconsiderate construction workers blowing dust into the parking lot. If you say what the audience is thinking, they will immediately trust you.
Use humor relevant to your business, industry, or job function. People are less likely to think you are trying too hard to be funny if you utilize jokes rooted in truth.

CLICK HERE to read about the benefits of leadership coaching, and discover more great ideas like this!

Additional Resources:
How to Infuse Humor throughout a Professional Presentation
Business Humor – How To Use It In Your Next Presentation
Humor has it: Why use Humor in Business Presentations

Golf Networking

Thanks to All Who Attended!

Greetings Friends and Fans,

Firstly, let me thank our sponsors, who help make every Course Connections event a truly special and successful day: Kate Sweeney of Morgan Stanley, Karolina Dehnhard of Budd Larner, PC, Sally Glick (not present) of Sobel and Co, CPA’s, Vince Egan of Benjamin Edwards and Amy Delman of Amy Delman Public Relations.

And a special thanks to our pros, Joe Haggerty and Ross Seaman. Remember them when you want to take your game to the next level!

Maribeth's-picture-of-May-28--2015-Course-Connections

Top Row, from Left to Right: Trevor Starer, Lynn Malanka, Vince Egan, Tammy Blau Honorable Judge Glenn Berman, Karolina Dehnhard, Susan Ascher, Kate Sweeney, Azad Neenan

Seated: Cynthia Gavenda, Amy Delman, Rose Marie Moeller, Maribeth Eckert

Now think about our attendees: Honorable Retired Judge, Family Law and Matrimonial Attorney, Personal CEO, Wealth Manager, Event Planner, Title Insurance Producer, Publicist, Nurse, College Graduates and Executive Coach/ Business Strategist! The best part of the whole thing: we spanned five generations and all connected because of our love of golf and our love of meeting new people to make this the best event to date!

Our next event is Thursday, June 25th. I am capping all future events at 16 attendees, because the beauty and success of Course Connections rests with QUALITY connections, NOT QUANTITY. So if there is someone you would like me to include in my next email blast, please send me their email address and I will invite them!

Thanks again for being my friends and fans! Love you!

CLICK HERE to join our next round of COURSE CONNECTIONS!

See you on the links,
Susan

Solopreneur

Personal Brand Development Basics for the Budding Entrepreneur

As a solopreneur coach, I teach ambitious individuals how to reach for and achieve their dreams. Among these lessons are networking, business management, accounting, and more. Foremost among these skills is personal branding. It is one of the first things new business owners must create, and serves as a master key to public perception.

A personal brand is not just your identity, but your story and personality. It relays to consumers what type of products you offer. It serves as a gauge of user experience. Consumers should immediately identify with your brand and see it as something they could relate to.

For example, if your personal brand story involves a young man from a poor household rising to the top of his field selling high-end products, you should position yourself to provide a luxury service for those less able to afford luxury. Perhaps your service is the most reliable among your competitors, or it’s available 24/7. Whatever you are offering, it all starts with your story.

Find Your Niche

Before you tell that story, your company must identify with your demographic. Your story must appeal to those outlined in your business plan. The story should be true: never say you grew up in a rural area if in fact you hail from Los Angeles. Before you create your brand and its logo, it is very important to understand what urges the customer to make a purchase. After your initial market analysis rolls in, you can begin to craft your story.

Tell Your Story

Marketing is storytelling. Stories are easier to remember than facts, and people are more likely to remember information populating a story. It makes people care about who you are and the services you provide.

Think of it another way: the business is important to you. However, when your ad is crammed in between several others on a website or on the radio, customers will likely tune you out. Your passion will never catch fire with consumers unless your story makes them care.

Here are some simple tips for effective personal brand storytelling:

The story should outline your business origins
Explain why your product or service is important to you
Make clear the benefits realized by consumers when they work with you
Give a mission statement that all of your employees wholeheartedly embody
Make your story easy to identify with, to the point, and quick

Your story is a tool for strengthening relationships with customers. It should be subtle and easy to digest. The story should be approached with the customers in mind, not your business needs. Potential customers intuitively know stories crafted with their needs in mind are more customer-oriented.

Personal Branding is a challenging process. Would you like to master your mission statements and company storytelling, and improve your PR results? Let’s work together to develop sustainable goals and a business model that appeals directly to your target market.

CLICK HERE for more information about solopreneur coaching.

Golf Networking

How Golf Helps Build Leadership Teams

How Playing Golf Helps You Choose Your Leadership Team

Golf is not traditionally considered a team sport. However, it has improved the business skills and discernment of many professionals. It is an excellent way to gauge candidate potential if you’re undergoing leadership training or choosing a new management team. Wondering how? Here’s the low down on how a game of golf can seal the perfect approach for your business leaders.

Pinpointing Leadership Qualities

On the surface, playing golf is a unique opportunity to evaluate personnel and identify strengths and weaknesses as leader outside of the workplace. This peak into personal lives and behaviors can play a part in screening potential business moves and leadership potential. Consider some example of how this can be done:

Decision making. Golf is a game of patience, preparation, and consistency. Everything from approaching a lie to following through with a swing takes deliberateness to be executed properly. Sound like favorable qualities? It may be a casual setting, but watching how your candidates perform on the pitch lets you know how they’ll perform in the office. Are they creatures of habit? Do they respond well to change or less than ideal circumstances?
Accountability. Golf is also a game of etiquette. You may not catch a coworker lying about his or her score, but you may note some behaviors related to decorum and politeness. Is someone forgetting to fill in his or her divots? These may seem like minor details, but they can speak volumes of a person’s awareness and leadership.
Self-control. Even the pros can let fly with their clubs when they’ve made a bad shot. Consistent bad behavior, though, may indicate a greater problem. You can keep an eye out for poor attitudes, as well as how a candidate gets along with others in a competitive setting, to gage their potential in a position of leadership.

Golf and the Leadership Metaphor

While we’ve covered some tangible ways you can keep an eye out for leadership qualities, the sport as a whole is a lesson in leadership.

Know when to call the Hail Mary. We’re mixing our sports analogies here, but good decision making skills and knowing when to make the tough call are essential for a trailblazer. It may be safe to play it short, but if making par won’t cut it, a leader must know when to take a risk.
The mental game. Golf takes a unique combination of intimate focus and an understanding of the big picture. If a person can drive the ball 400 yards but has no short game, he or she will have trouble keeping up. Just like in business, the ability to execute and the ability to finish are equally important.

Learn more about the connection between golf and leadership at Course Connections.

Additional Resources:

Golf Networking

The Connection Between Golf and Sales Success

Selling Clients on Golf: How Golf Helps Your Sales Career

If you want to sell a product successfully, you need your audience to listen. With cellphones out and tablets ready, this can be difficult to do in a traditional meeting. An informal place like a golf course, however, can make this much less challenging. Playing a round of 18 with potential clients helps you build rapport and increases the chances your product will sell. Here’s how:

Personal Development

While golfing with a client gives you plenty of relaxing time on your own, there is also plenty to take from the game of golf that can be applied to improve your sales career on an individual level. Discipline, focus, and consistency are essential to the game, and they are essential to sales performance. These qualities can be honed through the sport and applied to your career, developing better decision making skills and learning how to respond to bad lies, unfortunate bounces, and the hazards of the course. Furthermore, playing with a potential client allows you to see his or her application of these skills and how he or she responds to certain situations.

Opportunities for Women

Golfing presents unique opportunities for professional women. It is an excellent way to assimilate with all coworkers, and it is a useful way to avoid being excluded from opportunities to meet new contacts and build lasting relationships. Since golf has traditionally been a male-dominated sport, participation is a good way to stay active, maintain a presence within a company, and preserve a competitive spirit. If you’re in a position where success relies on making connections, finalizing sales, and building a system of referrals, meeting at a golf course is a much-needed resource.

Shared Interests and Event Opportunities

A game of golf is a bonding experience. Whether or not you’re teamed with your client, you’ve secured a few hours devoted to shared time on the course and plenty of opportunity to talk business. Aside from enjoying a fresh change of scenery from the typical office hard-sell backed by a power point slide, you have the opportunity to relax and make your client comfortable on a personal level. If a purchasing decision is made, these feelings are likely to be carried on throughout the relationship.

Furthermore, a shared interest in golf opens the door for new opportunities and events in the future. Host events, create fundraising opportunities, or sign up for programs related to golf. This is an excellent chance to expand your relationship with clients, network by introducing them to coworkers and other parties, and help them feel more a part of your organization.

Improve your golf networking skills at Course Connections.

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