In the book Achieve Sales Excellence Howard Stevens developed the seven rules of the customer from conducting 80,000 customer interviews over 14 years. This research also included 7,500 sales reps.  Neil Rackham’s research with Xerox, IBM, and other companies with over 1500 sales transactions, agrees with Steven’s research. From my own anecdotal experience: (Being a right brain thinker, I am not the analytical type who does such research), they are right on the money. And, if you learn and apply these 7 rules in your sales processes, you will succeed. I will cover the 7 rules briefly. 

To truly understand and apply the full meaning and impact of these rules, I highly recommend studying Achieve Sales Excellence. (I have read the book 17 times!) If you are a senior leader, the last section of Steven’s book asks eight questions for identifying world class sales organizations. These are some direct and tough questions, but ones that should be addressed. Your analysis will help you assess whether you are in the 20^th, or 21^st century; in terms of your sales strategy and processes.

 The 7 rules of the Customer are: 

• You must be personally accountable for our results
• You must understand our business
• You must be on our side
• You must bring us applications – not just products
• You must be easily accessible
• You must solve our problems
• You must be innovative in responding to our needs

Is your selling strategy based upon building solid relationships through the sales rep's likeability factor? If so, you are getting a declining return on the sales rep's ability to get new business or even maintain existing customers. Most sales reps are very high in the red or relationship quadrant. (Whole Brain Thinking) (Herrmann) They have good people skills and can win others over (WOO ability) quickly. The strategy behind WOOing is that they are trying  to build trust. The assumption is that if someone likes me, they will trust me.

The likeability sales strategy or relationship selling tactic is breathing it's last breath. In today's business environment, the majority of decision makers don't have time to discover if they like you before they know  what value you offer. Today's decision maker does not have the time for building interpersonal relationships (red quadrant) unless there is an obvious value to be gained. The traditional relationship selling model of being liked first assumes the likeability factor will then lead to the opportunity to show value.

• Productivity in Selling
  

  Tim Ferriss does an excellent job in addressing the habits or "to dos' that we do that kill one's productivity. In sales, the temptation is that if you are not answering emails, then you are not being customer focused. Unfortunately, that is not true. Emails start controlling you  and you lose focus, become inefficient, and decline in your ability to truly meet your customer's and prospect's needs.

  Your mind needs protecting. Following these rule will keep your mind refreshed, your time more productive, and your life in a much better balance.

• http://fourhourworkweek.com/2007/08/16/the-not-to-do-list-9-habits-to-stop-now/

20 Causes of Sales Problems

Below are 20 problems that cause VP of Sales and business owners great distress. These mostly sales process issues that result in poor sales. If you are having less than stellar sales results, see if one or more of these reasons are the culprit.

11 Ways to Build Trust

Reducing Objections Through Building Trust

Howard Stevens writes in the book Achieve Sales Excellence that there are 4 key criteria buyers use when deciding to make a buying decision and the percentage weight given in that buying decision. Those are:

1) Sales Rep's Competence - the ability to build trust and add value - 39% of the decision

2) Total Solution offered - products, services, bundled solutions, etc. - 22% of the decision

3) Total Quality - company and product/service reputation of quality - 21% of the buying decision

4) Price - what the customer will pay - 18% of the decision

No Questions - No Sale - Improving the closing ratio

• Jill Konrath makes a great point in her latest blog about sabotaging the sale by not asking enough questions. sabotaging the sale

  A good sales rep relates the product or service features to true business situations. If you are quick to answer the customer’s problem before understanding how the problem impacts their business, you are sabotaging your own sale. Don’t tell what your service or product can do, let them discover through asking relevant questions digging into the deeper issues. Question asking is the key to a Customer Aligned Selling approach and is integral to an effective sales process.

   

Is your selling strategy based upon building solid relationships through the sales rep's likeability factor? If so, you are getting a declining return on the sales rep's ability to get new business or even maintain existing customers. Most sales reps are very high in the red or relationship quadrant. (Whole Brain Thinking) (Herrmann) They have good people skills and can win others over (WOO ability) quickly. The strategy behind WOOing is that they hope to build trust. The assumption is that if someone likes me, they will trust me.

In 21st century, a sales strategy that focuses on selling something versus helping the customer buy is just plain outdated. People are sick and tired of being sold to, but.... everyone still likes to buy. Most marketing departments are still trying to generate leads through promotion of their products and services, i.e. features and benefits, not providing valuable insight into how their offerings are adding value to a business. A promoted benefit is only a benefit if the customer sees it as such. Just because Marketing department says it is a benefit does not make it so.

Below is a link to an article on different tactics to use to revive a "mostly dead" sales opportunity (think Miracle Max - The Princess Bride movie).