In the face of a global recession, we need real selling skills more than ever.

Overview of Collaborative Selling

Why and how the sales environment has changed

The distinctions between collaborative selling and traditional selling
The importance of radically differentiating yourself, your company and your offers from competitors
Building profitable relationships vs. transactional selling

Time and Territory Management

Tracking your calling patterns
Planning your yearly calendar
What are the givens during the year?
How many actual selling days do you have in the year?
Categorizing your accounts
Identifying the potential in an account
Calculating the time required to realize the potential value of your accounts
Calculating your anticipated numbers, your year to date numbers and what you need to meet your goals
Calculating the productivity required to meet your goals
Calculating your return on time invested
Developing a weekly plan
Strategies for scheduling your time more effectively
Creating a daily plan
Identifying the top 10 requests from your customers
Strategies for streamlining those requests
Working in quadrants
Developing an integration plan between you and your inside sales rep
Tips for scheduling appointments
Using the checklist method before and after appointments to increase efficiency
How to help the customer use your time effectively
Contact management

Targeting New Customers

Using a different approach for different customers (instead of delivering the same pitch to everyone)
Methods for filling your pipeline
Personal advertising
Online marketing
Tip club
Articles
Advertising specialties
Newsletters
Industry participation
Trade shows
Personal selling
Direct mail
Publicity
Public relations
3rd Party Marketing
3rd Party testimonials
Speeches
Positioning your company in the minds of potential customers
Competitive factor analysis
Identifying customers whose needs match your strengths
Understanding your competitive advantage
Preparing for the call
Understanding what you know
Identifying what you don’t know and how you’ll find out
Developing a strategy for the call
Scripting your key points

Contacting New Customers

Opening statements that will set you apart from the pack
Getting into the right mindset (understanding the purpose of the call)
How to effectively research your prospect before the call
Dealing with initial resistance
Working with gatekeepers
Other obstacles
Voice mail
Email
Turning all cold calls into warm calls
What to do when you get an interview
What to do if you don’t get an interview
Building a strong relationship

The Ultimate Sales Interview - Exploring

The purpose of the interview – Prescription before diagnosis is malpractice
Adopting the right mindset
Letting go of the outcome and focusing on the process
Understanding mental maps
Setting the right tone for the meeting
How an exploring interview looks different from all the rest
Topics to explore
Open-ended exploring questions vs. closed fact-finding questions
Creating a questioning plan
Clarifying, expanding and redirecting questions
The questioning cycle
Question openers and softeners
The first question to ask all new customers
Taking notes or recording your calls
Mind-mapping and note taking
Identifying the need gap
Understanding the customer’s entire world and context rather than just product or service needs
How to identify the customer’s values, feelings, goals, beliefs, opinions and ideas
Working on an opportunity even if there isn’t an immediate need for your products or services
How to give the customer a reason for the “next call”
Managing the process - ending every meeting with plans, actions and what’s next
Exploring self evaluation
Using an exploring grid
Using a criteria sorting grid
How to effectively transition from exploring to collaborating
Understanding the differences between personal relationships and business relationships and building both simultaneously
Identifying and exploring with the power base

Deep listening

How to listen like a therapist rather than a salesperson
Marginal, Evaluative and Active Listening
Identifying poor listening habits
Giving feedback while you’re listening
Relationship styles
Sorting styles
Effective Demonstrations
Building excitement and anticipation around your demonstration
Using future pacing
Involving your customer
How to get back on track after an interruption
Carefully selecting your terminology
Using anchors
Customizing the demonstration to the customer’s need gap
Using benefits language
Reframing your disadvantages
Using 5 Sensing

Collaborating
Examining your findings
Matching your uniquenesses and advantages to his needs
Meeting your customer’s success criteria
Using a competitor grid
Understanding where you fall short
Writing a report of findings rather than a proposal
Preliminary review of your findings and scheduling next meeting
Presentation of your report
Where to start
Feature, benefit, feedback – the three methods
Using a comparison checklist
Menuing
Keeping resistance to a minimum
Handling resistance
Using effective feedback questions

Confirming

Summarizing all of the competitive advantages your product has to offer – when and how to do this
Identifying positive buying cues
What to do if you don’t get a “yes”
Doing a post sale analysis
Recognizing smoke screens
The five P’s that stall customer commitmen

Assuring Steps for servicing the sale Understanding this is where the real work begins Measuring how well your solutions are serving your customers The 1-5-15-30 Day follow-up schedule The different types of implementation failure and how to handle each Understanding the costs of getting a new customer How to handle buyer’s remorse How to be a customer-driven sales person Dealing with an angry customer	Dismantling Limiting Viewpoints Identifying the limiting viewpoint Putting the limiting viewpoint on the table Exploring for the background that has led to this limiting viewpoint Distinguishing between a customer’s belief and a fact Dealing with facts Dealing with beliefs

The Image of Excellence Creating a great first expression Dressing for success The power of eye contact Carriage and posture Your handshake Your voice Common courtesy Punctuality Restaurant etiquette Showing depth of knowledge Showing breadth of knowledge Having versatility Contagious enthusiasm Using your sense of humor Taking risks Discipline	From Trial to Loyalty The four stages of creating loyal customers How to know when your customer is loyal How to move your customers through the four stages Gaining Greater Share of Mind with Your Existing Customers Consulting skills Your role as educator Helping your customer solve larger business issues Total system solutions Bringing their customer’s perspective Speeding your learning process Sharing best practices Using your resources Using information as a competitive weapon Honing your research skills Collecting ideas Using agendas and follow-up tactics Teaching the power of focus Becoming a coach to your customers Sitting down to discuss a new way of working together Helping them grow their business Positioning your company in your customer’s minds Dealing with limiting viewpoints

Management Curriculum Coaching Courses Coach a Collaborative Selling Team Coaching Skills Creating a Sales Driven Culture