Sales Training:

Sales Training America is a world class sales training and custom development training company specializing in sales training and sales skill development of our client's sales force. At Sales Training America we help our clients improve their sales profitability through the development of their sales management and sales efforts through SalesForce.com implementation. Sales Training America offers both public (open enrollment) sales training seminars well as the development of customized sales systems and sales seminars for Fortune 1000 companies across United States and Canada.

Are you one of the many corporations now focusing on core sales activities while implementing SalesForce.com while outsourcing non-core functions in response to intense competition?

If you are, Sales Training America can help there too. If you simply want to outsource some of your sales or sales management training or if you want to redefine yourself completely to survive mergers, acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, downsizing, or corporate restructuring we can help you.

For free, no obligation information on how we can help you with your sales training needs please contact us today.

Sales Training Tips:

Sales Training: Are You Fishing Or Selling?

Are your salespeople getting all the way to the presentation stage and then not winning the business? Not an uncommon problem. In fact, during a recent sales meeting that I was in, the sales reps began describing the current status of their sales opportunities. One of the sales reps, John, decided to tell the group about a sales deal that he had just 'closed'.

Now, before I finish that story, I must tell you this one.

Recently, I was talking to my friend, Whitey, about the trip my wife and I had taken through the Florida Keys. As part of that discussion, I related to Whitey my tarpon fishing story.

Me: We hired a guide and went tarpon fishing.

Whitey: Catch anything?

Me: As a matter of fact, I caught a 5 foot, 125 pound tarpon.

Whitey: What was that like?

Me: It took 20 minutes to 'leader the fish' and I was thinking "this isn't so tough." Our captain, Captain Dan, said, 'You're not done yet. It'll be at least another ten minutes before you get that fish in the boat." Just then, the fish took off 300 feet of line and made a couple of big jumps out of the water. I immediately started trying to reel back in all the line I had just lost.

Whitey: So how long did it take?

Me: 35 minutes and at least 20 trips around the boat! I nearly fell into the water but I finally got the fish back to the boat.

Whitey: That's cool! Did you get a picture?

Me: Uhmm, not really.

Whitey: How come? Didn't you have a camera?

Me: No, we had a camera. I, uh, we, uh... never really got the fish in the boat. You see, tarpons are catch and release. They're not good to eat. They're considered a sport fish and so it's catch and release.

Whitey: So you got it close to the boat and the captain held it to get a picture and take the hook out?

Me: No, not really. You see, what happened is that I finally got the fish next to the boat and Captain Dan reached for it once but couldn't quite reach it. Then just as we were getting it along side of the boat the second time, it jumped out of the water, snapped its head, broke the line and got away.

Whitey: Then how do you know it was 5 feet long?

Me: We were estimating.

Whitey: And because you didn't get it in the boat, you couldn't weigh it.

Me: Uhm, that's right.

Whitey: (one full minute of uncontrollable laughter...)

Me: What are you laughing at?

Whitey: Let me make sure I have this right. You didn't get the fish in the boat, you didn't measure it, you didn't weigh it and you don't have any pictures.

Me: Uh, yeah, that's about right. (I start to laugh.)

Whitey: Well, now that is some fish story!

Now, going back to the first sales story, here is a summary of John's 'closed deal'.

They really liked the presentation.

They really liked us.

They are certain that, unless the current provider comes in with an unexpected great deal, we will get the business.

The prospect will certainly recommend that the company go with us.

If we show them a contract for 15 months instead of 18 months, that would be great.

They are going to check with one more reference, but they don't anticipate a problem.

I'm supposed to call them next week for final details and to schedule a time to get the contract signed.

The deal, if sold, is a million dollar sale.

The deal, if sold, is supposed to transact on August 1, 2010.

No deposit.

No contract signed

Supposed to talk next week.

The decision maker wasn't in the room.

I don't know about you, but to me, this sounds like one heck of a "fish story!" To make sure that your sales team doesn't continue to just "fish", make sure that you instill and inspect a disciplined sales process that includes a process to fully qualify prospects so that you can get them 'on the boat.'

Source: Tony Cole link

Related: Sales Training

Back to Sales Training Seminars and Tips