Is Business Protocol Dead?

Is Business Protocol Dead?

If you ask a highly successful sales person what the keys to their success are, they would likely start by pointing out the importance of doing due diligence research prior to approaching a potential client or customer. They’d be less likely to start by pointing out the importance of protocol when it comes to interacting with potential clients and customers. They would however remind you not to forget it.

The tools we have access to have changed the business landscape, and it would be easy to convince ourselves that all business decisions come down to dollars and cents so it shouldn’t matter how we present ourselves. In one sense that might be true. But think of it from this perspective… if both you and your competition have access to the exact same information, and can offer the exact same deal, how will you differentiate yourself from them?

One way to ensure your forward momentum is to take the time to make sure you do as good of a job presenting yourself as you do of presenting what you have to offer. Here are 3 time tested do’s and don’ts of sales protocol.

1.     Don’t talk to people like you know them—before you know them.

Do:  Dale Carnegie said, "A person’s name is the sweetest sound to them in any language." But that doesn't mean Mrs. Debra Nice, the president of a company you’d like to do business with, will appreciate you calling her Debbie. Address people formally until you are invited to do otherwise.

2.     Don’t disregard the chain of command.

Do:  A chain of command might be annoying to deal with, but it serves a purpose. If you disregard it and go straight for the chief decision maker, you might get the “yes” you were hoping for, but he or she is very likely to turn the deal over to the people you just stepped over—not the best way to build a business relationship. Be respectful of the people you interact with as you work your way up the decision maker chain, and they will be more likely to return the favor by speaking well of you and what you have to offer to their higher-ups.

3.     Don’t speak poorly of your competition.

Do:  Successful sales people know that their clients and customers aspire to rise to the top of their market. But trash-talking your competition doesn’t provide any positive information about how you and your company can help them achieve that goal. Keep your presentation/discussion focused on what the client really cares about—how the product and/or service you offer will improve their position in their marketplace. Do a good job with that and your competition won’t matter.

Yes, these sound like common sense protocols everyone would know and follow, but they’re rarely taught, so many sales professionals end up learning them the hard way. Once you include them as part of your own best business practices though, they are evidence to potential clients/customers of your confidence, professionalism, and experience.

Alan Luoma is a Sales Coach with extensive experience in industrial sales, sales management, new product development, sales and product training. He works with a national sustainable packaging company and their distributors to increase sales. Alan is an expert that speaks on eliminating behaviors that prevent you from being successful in sales and uncovering sales prevention departments that hinder your success. He is a member of the Hartford Springfield Speakers Network, The National Speakers Association and New England Speakers Association. You can view his profile on LinkedIn, or contact him at Luoma@snet.net

The Power of Focusing on the Present.

When was the last time you were talking to someone and they pulled out their cell phone to answer a call or read an email that just pinged its presence? What was your response? Did you think to yourself, “Wow, I would never do that – very disrespectful and unprofessional.” Or did you pull out your own cell phone to check for messages and emails glad the other person reached for theirs first.
We all feel the demands of our jobs. And yes, we have technologies at our disposal that make staying in contact easier, but that’s not the same thing as connecting. Regardless of the excuse you are using – multitasking, juggling priorities, making the most out of the time you have, etc. –be prepared to admit that trying to do everything at once is NOT the best recipe for success.
Consistency builds confidence. When you apply the idea of consistency to the ways you connect with your clients, it builds their confidence in you. Here are five simple consistency solutions that will show your clients how much respect you have for them and their time:

1.  Set specific times for answering phone calls, correspondence, and email. Make sure to communicate your daily ritual to people so they'll have a good idea of when you'll be responding to them. If you absolutely have to interrupt a conversation to take a call, let the person you're speaking to know you might be interrupted before your conversation begins.

2.  When you're in a meeting shut off your portable devices and focus on the meeting. Think about the message you're sending when your phone rings (loud enough for everybody to hear) and you stand up and run out of the room like a rabbit being chased by a hound. Yes, you’re important, we get it. But is that the way you do business? Here one minute – gone the next?

3.  When you're sitting down to focus on work that needs to get done, turn off your cell phone and portable devices, and shut off the email notifications function on your computer. If you've been setting yourself up for success, your clients already know you do this. Nothing beats getting a project done early as the result of your focused thought.

4.  If you have to take calls while you're driving, commit to using a headset or speakerphone. If you need to look at notes – or take notes – please pull over. You're putting both yourself and everyone in the path of your car at risk when you don’t.

5.  Don't restrict these solutions to work. It’s just as rude to interrupt the conversations of family and friends. Turn your devices off when it’s appropriate.
Our devices may put us in contact with each other quicker, but no device can do the job of making the connection that’s necessary for building relationships. Relationships, both professional and personal, are built when you treat people with respect.

Alan Luoma is a Sales Coach and Speaker with extensive experience in industrial sales, sales management, and sales and product training. He holds key accounts with a national sustainable packaging company, is a motivational speaker, and provides sales training to individuals and groups. He is a member of the Hartford Springfield Speakers Network. You can view his profile on LinkedIn, or contact him at Luoma@snet.

You Have No leads?

You have no leads. Your company doesn't provide you with any leads. Your vendors rarely ever send any quality leads your way. Yes, your numbers are slowly and steadily declining, but what do they expect from you? It’s not your fault!

Well, to be more precise, it’s not your fault that sales is a tough business. It’s not your fault that the economy isn’t currently in an upswing. Nor is it your fault that your boss has a business to run and probably a big fat mortgage hanging over his head. But facts are facts; there is business out there. There are people turning prospects into clients – you’re just not one of them at the moment.

When you first thought about going into sales you probably thought it would be a good job for you because you like to talk to people. Everybody relaxes when they’re enjoying a good conversation. Now that both you’re career and financial success are attached to your ability to talk to people though, getting that good conversation rolling might not be coming quite so naturally. One quick way to decide if this has anything to do with what’s been going on is to review your elevator speech. Regardless of whether it’s delivered face-to-face, over the phone, or with an email, take a hard look at it. Make sure your need for a sale isn’t hidden between the lines.

When you were getting ready to make those first few sales calls you probably had confidence in your ability to get along with people too. That confidence made it easier to strike up the conversation and keep it going all the way to a signature on the dotted line. Confidence is a good thing, but like anything else we build or create within ourselves, it needs to be maintained or else it will just start slipping away when a client doesn’t sign – or worse – signs with someone else.

One way to build your confidence back up is to invest some time into researching your industry. What short-term and long-term trends are currently influencing your industry? While you’re researching that, research your clients (as well as your prospects) to see what effects those trends might be having on them. What new challenges or advantages will they need to adjust to? What innovations are being offered by your company that you are excited to share? Knowing the answers to these questions will provide the confidence you need to comfortably step into knowledgeable and relevant business conversations that get the ball rolling in the right direction.

A great smile and an excellent business manner will help you throughout your career in sales. But building and maintaining long-term relationships takes more. If you want to do more than survive your sales career, there’s no escaping the fact that you have to do more.

Alan Luoma is a Sales Coach and Speaker with extensive experience in industrial sales, sales management, and sales and product training. He holds key accounts with a national sustainable packaging company, is a motivational speaker, and provides sales training to individuals and groups. He is a member of the Hartford Springfield Speakers Network. You can view his profile on LinkedIn, or contact him at Luoma@snet.net