Archive for the ‘Sales’ Category
Posted on March 19, 2009 - by Yasser
Develop a process, a formula, an algorithm…
At Spiderz we charge AED. 370 per hour for web site maintenance. This is our hourly base rate. When customers request updates to their web sites, we use the hourly base rate to calculate number of hours of work required on a project. This helps us establish a cost fairly quickly.
If you deal with customers you need to develop a process, a formula, an algorithm that makes their life simpler and you need to apply it over and over again, consistently.
It’s just that simple and helps build trust.
Posted on February 25, 2009 - by Yasser
Three principles that improve customer service
Instead of dealing with the lady who carries an attitude, I’d be happy to deal with a touch screen that displays an interactive menu and takes my order. That way I would have enough time to scan the menu, make my choice and place the order.
Principally one of three things make people unhappy and sometimes angry at work (specially customer service):
- an excessive work load,
- bad supervisors, and
- bad-tempered customers
Remedies?
- Adopt computing technology that makes it smooth for customers to deal and interact with your business. Automate for productivity.
- Educate supervisors that front-desk staff are humans and they need to be taken care of - persist! All humans need adequate breaks and appreciation. Persist.
- Get rid of bad tempered customers. Move them to a room to discuss their matter away from other customers. They not only insult and disregard, but also affect the environment of your store. Find a quick way to settle their matter. Tell them to never come back!
Posted on February 24, 2009 - by Yasser
Great sales happen…
… when you listen and pay attention to your customers.
Focusing solely on your product and it’s wondrous features would seldom help a customer who has a particular need and would be happy to buy your product if it delivers just that (or a little more).
If the need is met and you see it coming, head for closing the deal as professionally as possible. You’ll see that good customer love to move forward as soon as they’ve made up their minds about you and your offer.
Happy selling!
Posted on September 11, 2008 - by Yasser
A proposal that your customer may want to read…
… is one that includes everything they told you to include on it.
It may be well to ask your prospect, guest or citizen what do they expect on a business proposal. If you can, ask them if there’s anything particular that you need to include.
Chances are you will find everyone has a different definition of what a proposal constitutes. Someone may just want to know your price, others would want to see credentials (and your price) yet others may want to have you do a few mock-ups for them (and still see your price).
I have written proposals into the hundreds and I don’t write them anymore. Over the years I’ve got used to a one page ‘final’ quote that you may term a ‘pro forma’ invoice with an option to approve it (we follow this up until approval and later present our invoices).
Having said that, you may want to try a few things and settle for something that really works well for you. In the Dubai market, I have yet to come across a citizen who would have the time to ready anything more than three to five pages, and yet you will find people hurling page upon pages in your face (and at most times the information that they share works counter productively towards closing the sale).
If time is money, it all starts with a coincise, to the point, make it or break it document that requires action. That action is an approval or revision (of your sales offer).
Don’t waste other people’s time. It hurts your sale.
Posted on August 27, 2008 - by Yasser
Three quick ways to get out of your prospect’s hair…
… and three quick indicators that tell you how good a prospect they really are…
To add something of value, most of my prospects never see me face to face or talk to me over the phone. Their first point of entry into our relationship is either via our website or through my colleague who would handle their call and talk about their requirement in detail.
I would usually get a summary note or an email to follow-up. In any case I end up with one of two things, an email address and/or a telephone number.
Getting out of their hair:
- Respond to the initial quote request and indicate when you’ll get back to them. Don’t give a definite day or time, just estimate the number of days you require and give that figure to them. A good example is, ‘I’ll get back to you within three work days.’
- Prepare the quote and any related information. Don’t go into details that can be sorted our later (sometimes I omit Payment Terms if I’m not asked to submit them) but answer all their questions and try to cover any issues that they may want to know about (e.g. length of service, discounts available, quality or guarantees).
- Deliver the quote via email. Ring the prospect and inform them about your quote and that it has been delivered (you may want to use regular post or fax it across but I never use these two methods as a first choice).
Indicators that tell you how good a prospect they really are:
- If this is the first time you’re talking to them, you may have to break some ice. Your first email (one that you send to inform them about when you’ll get back to them) and the latter one that you follow-up with the quote should help to break the ice. Your phone call is your third contact so it should get you a good response and if they’re serious about the requirement, you’ll find out. The first indication is that the ice is broken and you get a buzzing response. A buzzing response would be, ‘Thanks, I’ll definitely have a look and get back to you!’ or ‘Ok, great, I’ll have a look.’ or ‘Thank you, have you included your pricing?’ (notice that serious buyers would want to get as much information as possible and will begin a conversation right away). Great buyers talk to you.
- A prospect who’s really serious about buying a product will respond with some enthusiasm. If you find lack of enthusiasm or a lack of response or a few famous ones, ‘I’ll get back to you.’, ‘I’ll check it.’, ‘We’re currently evaluating proposals from several companies, so we’ll get back to you.’, I must say you may well be wasting your time. Sometimes it’s just not the right time, or you’re perceived to be a cut-throat salesman and hence the defenses are up and I do suggest that you don’t rush for the sale but let it rub in - if your call oversells, be prepared to face the slack, but that’s not exactly why we make the call. The purpose of the call is to inform your client that you delivered the quote and that they may review it and get back to you if they require more information. How they choose to respond to this invitation is what let’s you analyze them and their approach. Lack of interest on their part reveals a flaw somewhere in their buying cycle and these are some of the prominent ones that come to my mind: the buyer is price hunting, is not interested in buying a quality product, lacks corporate purchase experience or is a newbie at purchasing, reports to too many decision makers, isn’t the right person to talk to (not the decision maker), is taken by surprise when you get back on time and call-up or is simply shy (not probably the best choice, but some people are shy over the phone).
- Lastly, a great prospect will talk about their project, not ‘only’ about your price. If someone is focusing only on price, they ring three bells in my mind. First, they really don’t have a big/good budget for this work (product or service) at this moment (which is a good acceptable and genuine reason). Second, they’re hunting for a product or service at the lowest rate (which is a poor yet prevalent buying practice) and would only give emphasis to what you have to say if your price was/is the lowest. Third, prices on this product or service vary considerably from one seller to another and the buyer is in a fix. If there’s a great focus on price, ask them politely if they’d want to share more information and get involved. It’s tough to sell them your product if only they want to buy is a lower price, but there are ways to get things moving and the best one I find is to confidently state, ‘We can offer you an amazing price, that’s not a problem.’ I’ve found that once you make this move, you find your prospect relaxed and willing to talk about the project. If this happens, it’s good for your sale.
In brief, where there is a will, there is a sale!
Posted on July 15, 2008 - by Yasser
I’m open for business…
… so buy from me.
The reason why you never really sell is because you’re never really open to customers, you’re open for customers. A guy steps in your shop, you could at least smile at them and try to sell something more than just your wares. You could sell them your good old smile…
Consider this, what do you sell them if you’re not human anymore? A vending machine does its job too, but then it’s impersonal, straight to the point and sells hard. Notice how you pay first, pay more at times and are bound to buy something if the drink you want is out of stock? Well, that’s a machine.
If you’re human, why not use your human capabilities? Smile, listen, converse, assist and make an impression. That’s what builds a business. Unless you believe otherwise, I must say I’d prefer the vending machine if you are not human.
Posted on June 29, 2008 - by Yasser
Selling or buying?
The only sale that will go through is the one that’s being discussed and is one that was initiated first. During a sales call, if you attempt to discuss your client’s product insinuating that you or your company may be interested to buy it or become a future customer, you’re not going to make your sale.
The idea isn’t to try and build a relationship that doesn’t exist but it’s to try and identify if your prospect has the keen interest to give you a chance and buy your product.
That doesn’t happen if you try to buy a product from someone who you want to sell to, not the least bit during your first meeting. If the meeting is not working out and you really don’t see a chance that you’ll have progress, probably that’s when you should move to your next best prospect.
Posted on May 12, 2008 - by Yasser
Just give me your price!
If it’s possible, don’t hesitate to give your price, but mostly it’s not fruitful. Price isn’t a factor that’s on top of the mind of serious buyers. It’s one factor not the only one.
If your service costs vary depending on your customers’ requirements, it’s not a good idea to give a price up front. It’s best to mention that your price will depend on their requirement.
This gives you a chance to understand their requirement better, but some customers may not want to invest a lot of time getting into details. In that case it’s better if you give a price range and ask them to submit their requirement.
Price ranges like most estimates should cover all aspects of a project so you ought to be careful. Mention that your final price may be different and that if the project brief is changed at any stage, you have a right to reassess your costs and hence the final price.
Posted on April 30, 2008 - by Yasser
The problem with the sales process…
… is that you never know where exactly it begins. In most cases if your work is good, you’re bound to sell your product or service right before you even talk to your new client.
Somebody or something sells before you do and it could be anything from a strong recommendation to a piece you wrote on your web site. It really begins in a place that you’re not aware of and probably you may never know.
So where does a quote come in? Or a proposal or anything of the sort? How do these instruments contribute towards the sale if they actually have no direct relation to the fact that someone is interested in your work and would like to hire your service?
Closing is a good answer. They all help in closing the deal. If done right, a one page quote, a detailed proposal and everything in between are designed to encourage decision makers to enter a contract. Some sales people prefer short quotes that are clear-cut and easy to understand, whereas some prefer detailed proposals that cover everything from top to bottom, giving a very precise description of all aspects of the project.
What format do we use? It’s the shorter one because we often do a quote very close to a sale. I’ve written detailed proposals in the past but I reckon that most people don’t have the time required to review one.
Then there’s another problem, as a writer do you have the stamina to produce a unique proposal for every project? A really focused, well researched, to the point and technically accurate one?
Unless your job is to produce quotes and proposals at your business, my answer is a big NO! Most often these documents are poorly drafted, lack details and are full of mistakes. While reading them you will suddenly realize that your corporate name has changed to another and that price you agreed to isn’t there anymore, there’s some other product that’s quoted for and the person who drafted it isn’t the one you were dealing with!
Oh, yes! Microsoft Word isn’t a miracle software and for that matter you really don’t do a great job when you hastily borrow another quote to fill in the gaps and send it over to your new prospect. Funny?
Quote or proposal, it’s not what sells for you. There’s another force doing the job.
Find what that is and you may hit a goldmine.
Posted on April 29, 2008 - by Yasser
How many apples are you selling?
‘Great apples!’ Can you give me a price for 12 with the skin, and 12 without the skin or 12 cut from the center and yes, 12 when they are half rotten. Could you also give me an indication into how much you can discount?
Obviously, we want to buy all our apples from your store and would love to keep coming back. What more, we’ll recommend your store to all our friends and everyone we know.
Can you give me a quote with all those options and with all the relevant details like when exactly would the apples arrive at my office, how quickly can you return them if they are rotten and how much would it cost us to remove the skins ourselves if the cost is too high?
If all goes well, I’m willing to talk to our manager and present your quote to them and we’re definitely going to go for the lowest price but our main consideration will be top quality. So the deciding factor is quality but at a very good price. Can you meet that? After all, we know you have an excellent portfolio and that you’ve been supplying apples from mid-2002 and we would love to do business with your company in future.
Please make sure you give us your best price and consider this as a special deal. We think we can do great business. Thanks and I look forward to your quote and proposal.
What on earth do you think would happen? What on earth does happen in reality? You get your apples? Or you get kicked out of the store?
Good or bad, try not wasting you time printing those quotes and writing those proposals.
Serious buyers don’t beat about the bush.
They buy, make you money and stay loyal for ages.
Posted on April 28, 2008 - by Yasser
What’s a quote worth?
Nothing at all if you equate dispatching quotes with closing sales. The quicker you dispatch, the quicker your prospect is on the defensive. (A quote is a document that’s a couple of pages in length and may sometimes be known as an estimate or service order.)
When someone asks you to send a quote and that too with certain variations on their requirement, the first hint I get is that the client is trying to check our price or they aren’t clear on what exactly they require. The hint may lie in the amount of time they take to discuss the project and above all, how quickly do they want to put that telephone down and move to the next company on their hunting list.
Rule of the thumb is to clarify all aspects of the project that you consider important and highlight issues that your client may have missed. Most often well informed buyers take the early plunge, trust you more and understand what they’re getting involved in right from the start.
If done right, a quote should seal the deal with an official signature and stamp, not act as a document that goes back and forth from the first day your client requested one. Some clients would request it anyway, so you may have to create one for official purposes, but get the idea, it’s good to do a quote when you’re very close to the sale.
Here’s what we do:
- Engage prospects to an extent that they clearly understand their requirement and can make a decision.
- Discuss all aspects of the project, clarify issues that they questioned us about and state our pricing. We list all our costs upfront. Hidden costs lower credibility, so we don’t hide anything.
- Ensure we let them know our payment terms and conditions.
What’s an alternative to a formal quote?
I often discuss projects over email and when I foresee a sale, I use this phrase, ‘… if all looks well, we can create a quote and dispatch for your approval.’
The key is to get their approval and close the sale. Everything else is a waste of time.
Posted on April 20, 2008 - by Yasser
It’s easy to disappoint people who trust you…
If your product or service are mediocre and just about the same as
something that’s available next door, give me a reason to buy from you. Fast or I have options.
Given that we can buy top quality products and services for almost the same money that you’d spend on a pretend-to-be good quality product or service, there must be a real compelling reason for people to buy from you and keep buying. Why should I stay a loyal customer and keep coming back if you’re a mediocre something? An ordinary outfit?
It’s very little that you need to do to keep your customers but you find people missing the opportunity and never giving a damn of who just bought from them or why they were there in the first place? It’s one thing to believe that you’re offering a great product or service and a totally another to actually produce one.
To keep customers you have to give them a reason to keep coming back. They’re there because they chose you, made an assumption that you’re good, thought that they’d give you a chance and probably they just paid part of your electricity bill in the process.
How sad when you disappoint?
Posted on April 17, 2008 - by Yasser
Well, where did Babu go? He used to be here…
Great customer service happens when you get to know your customers.
Ever stepped into a store, bought something, got excellent service, tipped the the guy and left happily, only to find that the next time at the exact same store there was someone else attending you in a completely different way and that you wished you could find the old guy who you got to know?
Companies reassign their staff from store to store, department to department, have day-night shifts, promote people, fire them and send you back to square one. All of a sudden, there’s a new attendant who doesn’t know you and you don’t know them.
Business relationships help you sell more, buy more and satisfy your social need of doing business with someone who you care about or someone who cares about you.
The human factor counts.
Posted on April 17, 2008 - by Yasser
Sell me once, for life…
A brilliant sales process should be backed by a comprehensive customer service and support program.
Everything you say and do or everything that your colleagues say and do after the sale either make or break a long-term business relationship. Post-sales is when you sell for life.
A brilliant sales process does not promise repeat sales, customer loyalty and word-of-mouth.
Your customer service does.
Posted on March 29, 2008 - by Yasser
Default set to discounting?
Do you offer a discount to every prospect who knocks at your door?
Because if you do, you have a serious problem with your pricing. Or you’re scared.
If you’re offering me a discount without my asking you and for no particular reason, you’re giving me the impression that your service is overpriced.
On the contrary, if you’re scared that you may loose the opportunity, begin a conversation and wait to see if it develops into a win-win.
A discount must have a purpose. Does yours?
Posted on March 23, 2008 - by Yasser
The service volume discount
How many times during one year you would:
Pay a visit to your doctor?
Go for a haircut?
Repaint your house?
Service your car?
Rent your apartment?
Get a mortgage?
Furnish your office?
Build a new website?
Individuals, small and medium businesses purchase services once every x number of times and buy one instance, at most.
Large businesses (at times) buy services in bulk. When they do, they may order ‘a x times your service’ quantity.
That quantity may qualify for a discount. That discount happens when the order is one whole and placed today.
Tomorrow is a myth.
Posted on March 22, 2008 - by Yasser
Discounting exceptions
In boom time, don’t discount.
In recession time, discount.
Why? It may give you a lease of life.
Posted on March 21, 2008 - by Yasser
Good discounts
A 5, 10, 15 percent discount is good. A service grows when you make a profit each time you sell.
Repeat sales are periodic. The same customer won’t buy several times a year, but several times every few years. The only opportunity you have to make money is those few times.
Discounts are for good customers. 15% per sale is good value. We’ve used this at Spiderz and it does a great job for us.
Posted on March 21, 2008 - by Yasser
The problem with discounting
The higher your discount, the lesser you earn.
A discount undermines credibility when its too high.
It diminishes the perceived value of your service and brand.
It gives you a false hope of closing a sale by offering it.
And most of all, it hurts when you deliver a service at 100% commitment but at lesser monetary value.
Resist giving discounts.
Posted on March 20, 2008 - by Yasser
Why discount?
Your service costs an x amount to consult, design and develop.
A prospect requests a discount. You refuse politely.
A bad customer requests a discount. You refuse politely.
A good customer requests a discount. You accept and grant it.
A discount is a y amount that you’re willing to let go for happy customers who keep coming back.
Service marketing is quite different from product marketing. The more you discount the lesser your chances of growing.
