Is the Art of Selling Dead?

Is science overtaking the art of selling? It depends...

On the Art side, being personable, listening, asking questions, improvising are all top skills.  Learning your prospect's needs and working to fill them with value-added solutions is the name of the game. 

On the Science side, response times, lead management, CRM systems power the selling process.  Using an integrated contact approach involving email, text and phone along with a more guided approach makes it more clinical.  

No, the art of selling is not dead...and it is not going to be replaced by science.  Professional Sales people today combine art and science to prospect for new customers and 'sell to' current ones.  For more, check out this infographic:

 

Until next time...

Chris Morales

Ignore these 8 Sales Tips at your Peril

"Not listening" is my number 1.  Truly hearing what your prospect needs is one of the most effective ways to secure a long-term customer. That's the bulls eye of professional selling. Find out what your customer really needs before trying to 'sell them' a solution.  Check out the rest of these sales tips:  

Until next time...
Chris Morales

Do's and Dont's of Social Selling

Social Selling sounds like the Silver Bullet.  Set up your LinkedIn profile, sit back and wait for the leads to roll in.  It's not like that.  Leveraging LinkedIn, one of the most influential Social networks for Social Selling requires going beyond the basics of Header Image, Professional Head shot and Headline and Summary.  You need to create content that will be interesting and relevant to your target prospects.  At the least you need to share content that will get you noticed.  There are things to do and things not to do.  Here are some guidelines:

With time and effort you will generate leads...but like in all professional selling, you won't close sales without engaging in person.

And now for my next trick

I've been mulling about what to write about next.  More factoids about marketing seemed dry.  Sharing my point of view on professional selling...well, you'll have to wait until next January when I teach that course again at George Brown College.  

I settled on sharing the content of my book, How to Teach Like a Pro.  The book with illustrations and valuable links is available for sale on Amazon.  If you've ever wanted the inside track on what it takes to succeed as an instructor of Continuing Education courses, check it out.  

In the meantime though, you can get a look at the content in the upcoming weeks on the blog at this link, How to Teach Like a Pro.  Chapter 1 is available now at this link, How to Teach Like a Pro, Foreword, Chapter 1

Thanks to Barry Kuntz of Black Isle Group for his guidance...he's the person that got me started!

Until next time...
Chris Morales

 

How to Succeed in Social Selling

What is Social Selling?  I like this definition from Hubspot:

Social selling is the art of using social networks to find, connect with, understand, and nurture sales prospects. It’s the modern way to develop meaningful relationships with potential customers that keep you—and your brand—front of mind, so you’re the natural first point of contact when a prospect is ready to buy.

While Social Selling may never replace Cold Calls, it has the power to shorten sales cycles and increase revenue.  It leverages online networks such as LinkedIn to find prospects who are most likely to be interested in your product or service. As you build trust with these prospects, they begin to see how a business relationship with you will benefit them...and their customers!

The Anatomy of a Social Seller

The number one skill of a Social Seller is listening.  Listening to conversations that are relevant to her company and clients;  Listening for conversations about people and companies talking about their problems;  Listening to understand your buyers better.

LinkedIn is powerful resource for listening and learning.  People at all levels of companies now have profiles where you can learn a great deal about them before your even call on them;  Many companies have set up Business Profile pages where you can see the employees who work there;  All this linked by by mutual connections:  The people you're connected to who can introduce you to people you want to be connected to.  Take a look at the Anatomy of a Social Seller for tips on how to master this skill:

 

Social Selling Do's and Dont's

Rule #3:  'Don't sell, Tell".  It's Social, we're supposed to be having a conversation.  If you are always in 'Selling Mode' you've changed the relationship.  Nice talking with you...

How to reach the B2B Market with Social Selling

The average salesperson spends 50% of their time in unproductive activities.  Administration, traveling, responding to emails. The percentage drops to 35% for high performers.  They achieve that by staying focused on high-value activities, evaluating prospects more effectively and leveraging technology.  One strategy that aids in all levels of the prospecting process is Social Selling.  That's the art and science of using social networks to do research to be relevant to build relationships that drive revenue.

Social Selling in B2B

Social Selling definition: 
'Social selling is when salespeople use Social Media to interact directly with their prospects. Salespeople will provide value by answering prospect questions and offering thoughtful content until the prospect is ready to buy'.

Chris M Morales

chris.morales@bell.net

@ChrisMoralesTO

647 393 3855

The opinions expressed on this blog are my own and are not associated with any other group or organization

B2B Marketing...Hungry For Content

Content, content, content...If you've heard it once...

The appetite for content is unending especially in Social Selling.  Showing thought leadership and sharing content relevant to prospects is at the core of helping prospects navigate the buying process.  Professional selling gets a boost when sales people leverage content about their products and services that differentiates them from competitors.  White Papers, Articles, Blogs, Webinars, Product Demos...Content!

Chris M Morales

chris.morales@bell.net

@ChrisMoralesTO

647 393 3855

The opinions expressed on this blog are my own and are not associated with any other group or organization

Summer School at GBC

Summer school at George Brown College and class is in!

Two GBC classes are approaching their final stages this summer:  Professional Selling and Starting a Small Business. The students both classes have been involved, interested and enthusiastic in both courses. And that's made it special.

The Professional Selling course focuses on improving selling skills through building long-term relationships.  The premise is that a customer-for-life relationship begins by qualifying a prospect properly.  Then by asking the right questions, build trust in solutions that add value for the customer. Many of the concepts covered can be applied to jobs that are not primarly sales positions and that's what makes this course valuable.  Anyone looking to improve their understanding of how to perform better in their current job, look for a new job or change careers will enjoy this course.

The Starting a Small Business course winds up this week with our final class, a Field Trip for ice cream! One of the students opened an ice cream shop in the west end of Toronto and we're holding our final class at the shop to see a small business in action.  In this class, we've been through a complete assessment of each student's business idea covering market assessment, marketing plan, financial planning and culminated with a finished Business Plan.  Each student completing the course learned the key concepts on how to start and run their own business.  

Both courses are on again this fall at George Brown College Continuing Education.  You can register now at these links:  Professional Selling Fall 2017 and Starting a Small Business Fall 2017.

Chris M Morales

chris.morales@bell.net

@ChrisMoralesTO

647 393 3855

The opinions expressed on this blog are my own and are not associated with any other group or organization

Social Selling 101

Social Selling: What is it and how important is it to the Selling pocess?

LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook are the Big 3 Social Media Channels for Social Media Marketing...and Social Selling.

Social Selling 101:  Provide content to help your prospects make a buying decision.

Chris M Morales

chris.morales@bell.net
@ChrisMoralesTO

647 393 3855

The opinions expressed on this blog are my own and are not associated with any other group or organization

S.E.X.Sells! Part 2

"The eyes have it!"

Stripped down to the basics, people like to talk to other people.  And despite email, telephone and web sites, they like to do it face-to-face.  Successful sales people embrace that.  



In Part 2 of S.E.X. Sells!, Pennock_ESQ shares more of his thoughts and experience in direct selling:

So, in SEX Sells, Part 1 we went over our smile.  Have you been practicing?  Because a great smile is just the beginning of SEX.
Next, we need to remember our eye contact.  This is the most important part of SEX. 

You don't want to be that creepy person who is always smiling but always looking around.Strong eye contact is important for 3 reasons.   The first, is it establishes your relationship.  When meeting with your prospective customer, maintaining your eye contact builds trust.  What you are saying will be taken more seriously and show to your customer that you have their best interests at heart. 

The second reason to maintain eye contact is to take control of the situation.   Strong eye contact shows that your time is just as valuable as the customers,  and they need to act accordingly.   

The final reason to maintain strong eye contact is because this is where you will find your first buying signs.   The eyes are the windows to the soul, and if you pay attention,  they will tell you when you should close. If their eyes light up, the deal is done.  If they break eye contact, they are starting to think about whether they need the product or not. Start to close. If you are in a tough negotiation,  the more they blink, the more likely it is you are winning. 

Now, lets rehash.  Your smile will build your relationship,  establish control of the situation and know when the time is right to close. 
So, don't blink.  You might just miss your next sale.

Until next time...

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Chris Morales

chris.morales@bell.net

647 393 3855

Linkedin:  Chris M Morales 

S.E.X. Sells! Part 1

We all do it...Selling is the heart of business and commerce. In the B2B world of Marketing and Media Sales:  Getting the customer to 'Buy' the Creative/Campaign/Media Plan;  in B2C:  Awareness, Consideration, Preference and of course Buying the product or service!  

In this week's guest post, Sales Professional Michael Pennock, ESQ, tells us why the 'S' of Selling is so important.  Pennock is a successful sales professional who has recruited, trained and managed Direct Sales Teams for over 5 years.  This is Part 1 of 3: Sex Sells...and it all starts with a Smile:

SEX Sells 

This is the truest statement in any marketing and sales environment.  Why wouldnt it be?  SEX is great, and if it felt like cutting your hand off, nobody would want any part of it. 

But SEX is the first step to closing any sale.  Let me explain.   

Yes, some gorgeous model accompanying you on your sales call would certainly help close every sale you go on.  But I assure you, the moment you walk into any meeting,  you have all the SEX needed to get the deal done. 

First, SMILE, its contagious.   Have you ever tried to not smile while looking at someone else smiling?  Its like trying to keep your eyes open when you sneeze. You can't do it.   Your smile will help ease the tension and keep the atmosphere comfortable. 

Now, keep smilig.  Whatever happens, that smile should not leave your face.  I don't mean that you should sit there and grin like an idiot, but a comfortable smile throughout your presentation will help build your relationship with your customers and keep what can be a tense situation,  nice and relaxed.
Now let's practice.  It may seem funny, but seriously,  practice your smile. Practice it until you have to make a conscious decision to not smile.  Your smile is the first thing a prospective customer will see from you, and a great smile will be the foundation to a positive first impression. 

So, let's rehash.  Start with a smile. Keep smiling. Then keep smiling more. It will make the difference between a sales called, and a sale closed.

Until next time...

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Chris Morales

chris.morales@bell.net

647 393 3855

Linkedin:  Chris M Morales 

How Content Generates Leads

Return On Investment (ROI) and Return on Marketing Invenstment (ROMI) are deeply ingrained now in the Marketing lexicon.  It was always like in the Direct Marketing days...pre-digital marketing.  Now that same ROI expectation has been applied to all marketing activities.  CEO's now demand that their CMO's forecast ROI...it's not good enough to talk the Brand Awareness Story.  

In many companies still Marketing (creating demand) is separate from Sales (making money). Digital Marketing marries the two:  Content created by Marketing (blogs, white papers, marketing communication, etc.) can be shared by the Sales Rep who wants to use Social Media more effectively.  Here's an infographic that illustrates how that can be done: 

I work with companies that want to improve the effectiveness of their entire marketing and sales operation. I help them find digital marketing experts who know how to create and deploy content;  I help them find and train Sales Reps who know how to take advantage of Social Media.  

  

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Chris Morales

chris.morales@bell.net

647 393 3855

Linkedin:  Chris M Morales 

B2B Social Selling

I went to an informative session last week put on by Edelman Digital in their Toronto office.  The topic, "The Case for B2B Social" caught my attention personally as an Executive Recruiter in Digital Marketing and professionally on behalf of my Clients in the B2B space.  A key insight:  even though it's B2B, people are having conversations about your business in Social Media.  Not having a presence is ignorance and ignorance in this case is not bliss!  Social Media Marketing is an effective tactic in creating awareness, preference and consideration...and in the case of business owners looking for results Social Selling can drive sales and revenue.

Recently I connected with a company operating in the B2B space.  They are a leader in their business sector and have been in business for many years.  Their success traces back to a culture that is puts customers first. They use technology to empower their entire operation;  they use Social Media technology to connect with their customers.  Think Zappos.  

So how does Social Selling work in the B2B space?  The Infographic below outlines the Social Selling Anatomy of a B2B Decision Maker.

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Chris Morales

chris.morales@bell.net

647 393 3855

Linkedin:  Chris M Morales