Close the gap coaching

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Closing the Sale

One of the biggest challenges for Sales Professionals is "Closing the Sale."

We hear about all the 'closing techniques' that are used:

-the Assumptive Close

-the Option Close

-the Suggestive Close

-the Urgency Close

Personally- I disdain all of the 'techniques' that, in my opinion, tarnish the integrity and science of what selling should be. 'Techniques' feel manipulative and lazy.

Closing the sale properly is about all the work that happens before any commitments are asked for.

Identifying struggles, challenges, and concerns. Digging deeper, asking more questions, and then really listening.

Connecting.

If we've done all of these things then 'Closing the Sale' is just a matter of sharing the solution that will help close the gap between where the client is and where they want to be.

When the time is right and all fears and objections have been addressed, 'Closing' shouldn't be any more complicated than asking the question: Is there anything else preventing us from moving forward?

Due diligence to show our clients the respect they deserve.

Wake Up Early

I love getting up early. Some will be able to relate, some will scroll on past and likely resent me for even suggesting the idea.

Realistically, with family and work, the early morning hours are really the only time of the day I own- I have to take advantage.

We hear plenty about the benefits of getting up early: more time, more energy, more productive, reduced stress, etc.

For me- my favorite benefit is knowing that I’ve been intentional about how my day will turn out from the beginning.

This proactive approach to favorably influencing my day has made a huge difference in every area of my life- personal & professional.

Not often we find such an effective tool that’s 100% within our control.

Quick Benefits of Not Drinking for Salespeople

First let’s level Set: Why is drinking so common for sales professionals?

• To cope with pressure. The expectation to consistently produce results can generate extreme levels of stress. It can be our bosses, our paycheck, the exhausting amount of time it takes to do the work, and sometimes it’s the guilt we feel from not having the energy to engage with our family.

• It’s fun! Most of us enjoy a good time and the initial effects of drinking can inhibit inhibitions and lubricate the social environment.

• It’s always around, especially in Foodservice Sales. Whether it be wining & dining a client, company functions, or happy hour at the end of a long day- drinking is encouraged and readily available.

• It becomes a habit. The regular use of alcohol has the same effect of any other addictive substance, the more often you drink, the more alcohol it takes to achieve the same feeling of short-term relaxation.

Without really understanding the longer-term challenges that alcohol will encourage, it’s easy to get caught up in the perceived short-term escape, especially for us hard-working sales men & women.

Switching gears, here’s some benefits of NOT drinking that are worth considering:

• More Energy- Alcohol is a depressant. This may cause some confusion, but without getting too scientific, our body fights for equilibrium and offers natural stimulants to combat the depressant impact of alcohol. The natural stimulant wears off in the mind as the alcohol effects wear off, but the effect drinking has on the body last well into the night, the next day, and takes severe physical toll over time. Removing this depressant allows us to get better rest and mitigates the unnecessary toll it takes on our mind & body. It’s likely you’ll be surprised how much more energy you have after just a few days of not drinking. In addition- you won’t have to deal with the obvious pain of being hungover.

Benefit to Sales- the amount of work we can accomplish and ability to efficiently manage tasks increase greatly when we have more energy.

• Clearer Thinking- It’s no secret we’re not as sharp when we have a buzz, and I’ve never known anyone to consistently say they think clearer when they’re hungover. Removing alcohol from the mix allows us opportunity to make smarter choices. The list of decisions that suffer can span from something as light as making poor diet choices to whether we’re good to drive and more. To add, it seems like most of us have had an argument or gotten in a fight that would have never occurred if drinking wasn’t involved. Finally, when we’re in a work-related environment, we must not fool ourselves, people are always watching…and there will be consequences. There’s a huge advantage in keeping our wits.

Benefit to Sales- we remove the risk and improve the quality of our work when our head is clear, and our mind is sharp.

• Look Better- it’s not hard to tell if someone is a regular drinker or not. Whether we like it or not, there are some shallow aesthetics tied to sales. We might be able to get away with it when we’re young and invincible, but just about all of us older than 35 wish we would have been a little more responsible when it came to sunscreen, flossing, and how much we drank. It takes a toll. To make matters worse, those of us that either sit in an office or drive in a car for many hours a day are constantly reminded of the size of our gut. Alcohol is a lot of empty calories. Give the bloated, red-faced, baggy-eyed appearance a break. It’s not a good look.

Benefit to Sales- potential clients’ first few impressions of us include our appearance, let’s put our best foot forward.

To reference an analogy from William Porter’s book Alcohol Explained- drinking alcohol is like borrowing money from a greedy loan shark; however, this loan shark deals in feelings. It advances you short-term good feelings, but you pay it back with more intense bad & longer term bad feelings. Like any good loan shark, it will always take much more than it gives.

Call to action: go alcohol free for a month. Give it time to clear your system and see how you feel. Find ways to cope and have fun without the sauce.

If this message sounds familiar don’t hesitate to contact me directly- I’ve been there.

Be a Good Teammate

We are living in a virtual world and I am a virtual girl...er, boy.

Whether we like it or not, so much of our work life has transitioned from an interactive face to face climate to a virtual environment.

Many of us miss the in-person meetings that we used to joke- could’ve been an email! We miss our people.

Due to cost savings and the effectiveness of virtual- it’s probably here to stay well into the future.

This is an opportunity for us to be upset about something we cannot change, or we could really leverage the benefits of the flexibility and efficiency that comes with a virtual meeting when run well.

Effectively running a virtual meeting is a massive opportunity, but a topic for another day. Human connection and how to strengthen relationships with our Co-workers is the focus today.

Before we had the convenience of in-person meetings that would facilitate interaction. Now we have to be intentional about making those connections.

So- the call to action in this virtual climate is for all of us to be more intentional about connecting with each other virtually.

Turn the cameras on so that we still show up as humans.

Proactively reach out to your teammates: show gratitude, give support, celebrate success, and most importantly, be empathetic. Seek to understand them better by asking questions and really listening.

We don’t have the benefits of overt non-verbal communication to shape interaction, so we’ve got to do the best we can with the tools we’ve got.

Personally- thanks to technology, some of my strongest relationships are with folks that I’ve never even met in person.

Be a Good Teammate

It seems like the challenges in recent times has put a spotlight on all leadership- good and bad.

Leaders will always be an easy target for blame and criticism. It's part of what makes it so difficult and stressful.

However- putting all the responsibility on our leaders is lazy and professionally immature. We can do better.

One of the lessons I've learned recently is how important it is to have empathy 'up the chain.'

Our leaders need our help. In most cases they're trying their best and don't have experience leading through some of the challenges we've faced this year.

How can we help?

PROACTIVE ALIGNMENT

Instead of waiting to be told what to do and then complaining about a lack of structure or direction- what if we proactively schedule time with our leaders, share the solutions & value we can bring, and ask specifically how our skills could best benefit the team?

The answer to this question will provide alignment and peace of mind for us. It will also drive the results our leader is expecting.

Manifest destiny.

Don't wait to be told what to do. Actively seek how we can contribute in a way that aligns with what's expected.

Raise the Bar

"Be so good that they can't ignore you"

-Steve Martin

Do you know exactly what your clients expect from you?

Do they know how good you could be?

In my industry, the two most common responses to what a client expects out of their rep are:

-they answer my calls

-they get me my stuff

Interesting to me how much each of us has to offer compared to how little is expected of us in many cases.

No question that we are all very busy.

The challenge is: are we busy doing the things that our clients views as valuable?

We have an awesome opportunity to redefine the expectation for our role and raise the standard of excellence.

If we can figure out what's expected and exceed it consistently- we'll become the brand of our industry.

It would be high praise to be known as the gold standard that everyone else is trying to emulate.

Do it for your clients' benefit.

Solve problems, listen to your clients, they'll tell you exactly what they need if you ask the right questions.

This concept applies to just about every position in sales or leadership.