motivation

Have You Watched Sell It Like Serhant?

It might just be one of my new favorite reality shows for a couple of reasons.

One, I don’t think I’ve ever seen an instructional reality TV show about selling. I don’t think you can count infomercial types on late, late, late night with someone hawking their sales training program. In Sell it Like Serhant, Ryan gets into the sales trenches with sales reps who need help improving their sales game and saving their jobs.

Two, Ryan Serhant gets it when it comes to sales. Clearly, that’s why he is one of the top real estate brokers/sellers in the world. He knows that so much goes into being successful in selling not the least of which is hard work, creativity, the ability to connect with people. Attitude and how you present yourself also matters. And, no matter how well you might “technically” know your product or service, that isn’t what closes deals.

Don’t take my word for it.

Watch the episode where Ryan is working with a young woman – Amanda – whose job is to sell hot tubs. She’s new on the job and she can barely sell one hot tub a month. Her job is on the line because she is not producing like her sales peer.

As you see in the episode, Amanda isn’t lacking for technical knowledge about the various hot tubs available but she cannot connect with people on a personal level. She doesn’t smile, her voice is monotone and boring, and she looks like she gives 5-minutes thought to her appearance, if that. Now, you don’t have to spend hours getting ready to go to work or wear Armani to be taken seriously, but your appearance does matter. Your appearance cannot be an after thought if your sales job means personal face-to-face interaction with buyers.

In the trailer for an upcoming episode, Ryan is working with a young man who is a real estate agent. The guy gives off the energy of a stereotypical salesperson who is so focused on his agenda that he can’t see or hear anything else.

In the preview, we see the rep take a young woman into an apartment that she clearly doesn’t like. Her initial comment just walking into the building tells you all you need to know. She says the place looks sketchy. Clue #1. Sales rep completely ignores the comment and says the building has character. Um, no. The place looks like a dump.

I already know this isn’t going to be the residence for her. So does Ryan. Not that rep though. He pushes on.

As they walk into the apartment, it becomes abundantly clear that this woman will NEVER rent that apartment. EVER. But this salesperson isn’t listening to a word she is saying. It reminds me of the salesman who tried to sell me a specific car even though I said multiple times I couldn’t stand the car. What did he do? Pulled out all the stops to pressure me. What’s not to like, he says. It’s a great color. My wife loves this car, he says. I say, who cares. I don’t like the car, and I’m the one spending the money. He got a little pissy with me and still kept pushing. Hint – not a good sales technique unless your objective is NOT to close the deal. To this day, I’m convinced his manager was offering a spiff to get that car off the lot, and I couldn’t run fast enough to get away from that guy.

So, back to the real estate rep that Ryan is there to help. The rep must think his ears are only for hearing sounds, because he isn’t listening to his buyer. Not even a little bit. Just like the car salesman I mentioned, this agent goes into high pressure overdrive. I think I have to say it. Some objections cannot be overcome.

–The buyer asks about a window that really isn’t because it brings in no light and faces the interior shaft of the building. She says it’s dark. She’s right. Clue #2.

–She says someone was probably killed in this building. Clue #3. Hello?

Right after that comment, we see the tone deaf sales rep saying, the landlord is negotiable so you can probably do $2,400 a month (it lists at $2,450). He says she’s getting value because of the price? Only in New York? Safety, security and actually liking where you live doesn’t matter? Only price does? Hum.

–The buyer opens a cabinet door under the sink and says, “Oh, is that blood?” Clue #4.

The salesperson keeps pushing wasting everyone’s time when they should move on to the next property. But, no. The rep keeps trying to sell her on other features and then says, “So how do you feel about this one. Are you ready to sign?” Dude. Come on. How did you not know that she would NEVER rent that apartment, as if saying that someone was probably killed in the building isn’t a big enough clue.

The full story will be revealed this week during the show but the back story is that this rep was once the high flyer in his office but he is now being bested by a competing rep at his company. That combined with other issues has totally led this salesperson to lose sight of how to do his job well.

But even the show trailer, as do the other episodes, emphasizes something important about being good in sales.

In almost all selling scenarios, and I’m not talking about buying commodity products on Amazon, Sell It Like Serhant reinforces the message that sales is a people business. Experience and how you connect with people and establish a rapport matters. If you have a crap attitude, lack motivation, cannot clearly communicate a value message that buyers care about, do not listen to what buyers are telling you, and are only concerned about your commission check, you may make a few sales in the short-term but you will never survive over the long haul.

Anything that breaks down the myths about selling and shows how to do it right is a positive for all of us in sales, and that’s why I’m sold on Sell It Like Serhant!

How to Develop an Intrinsic Motivation Culture

By Barbara Giamanco 1 Comment

October’s guest post is from Matthew Murray, Managing Director of Notable. Notable develops marketing leads in Singapore and matches SME service providers with clients looking for their services. In his post, Matthew shares his thoughts about developing a sales culture motivated to succeed. Enjoy the post!

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Motivation doesn’t always come naturally to a sales team, but it is a critical component in meeting sales quote and retaining staff. How well engaged an employee intrinsically feels has a direct impact on their motivation to succeed. A poorly motivated employee can negatively influence a company’s overall success, with disengagement costing businesses across the nation up to $300 billion annually.

Interestingly research has shown that Managers and Executives feel more engaged within their organization than the employees they lead at a ratio of 45% to 23%. What’s concerning is that according to the same research, 69% of disengaged employees are willing to leave their roles for just a 5% pay rise. So, what is it that managers can pass down to their team in order to lift the overall motivation levels?

Install A Sense Of Community

There’s evidence to suggest that installing a sense of community within a sales team can help to motivate and energize its members. One characteristic of a community is a shared value, goal or interest. Strategic Sales Consultant Adrian Davis states the importance of each team member representing an integral component to a goal’s success in order to promote collaboration. Excellent communication is a key player in making this happen, but it’s not something that appears from nowhere. Management Professor Christine M. Riordan suggests the introduction of an office ‘water cooler’ (by which she could be referring to a literal water cooler, or simply a hang-out area within the office), whereby sales employees can have a gossip and a catch-up. Whether they want to discuss the football scores, the latest soap-opera storyline or how well their latest fad diet is going, these small communications interconnect the team and give them a sense of unity which can then be funneled into a sales focused environment.

Consistent Recognition

Recognizing talent and remaining consistent in praise and reward can help to maintain a steady level of motivation. Many employees feel under-appreciated at work and the majority stating that they would work harder if they felt more recognized by their manager.
A 2012 survey by SHRM and Globoforce showed that 41% of companies that use peer-to-peer recognition have reported a positive increase in customer satisfaction. Furthermore, following the implementation of a program, companies have indicated a 28% lower frustration level among team members.

Lead The Way

The relationship between a manager or supervisor and their sales team is paramount in maintaining a motivational culture. Up to 80% of employees who are dissatisfied with their immediate supervisor are disengaged with their job, and surveys have shown that the less a supervisor cares about an employee’s personal life, the less motivated those employees are.
So the answer is quite simple. The management style being used needs to be thoughtful and appropriate for maintaining motivation. Some of the key characteristics to highlight are accountability, a passion for the company culture, lots of positivity and an abundance of openness and honesty. It is especially common for first-time managers to default into ‘productivity mode’ and focus too much on how to generate leads and close deals. Gretchen Spreitzer, Professor of Management and Organization at Michigan University, advises on regular one-to-one meetings with employees to ensure their well-being is optimal and workload is manageable.

Another idea is to create a date for monthly or bi-monthly post-work drinks at the local bar. These social occasions should always include management, which forms a sense of equality and humanness away from the hustle and bustle of the sales floor.

Practice A Little Office Feng Shui

A well lit, tidy office has the potential to improve overall sales productivity. But many employees feel that their office environment isn’t helping them focus or perform. In fact, the American Association of Interior Design stated 68% of employees dislike their office aesthetics and lighting system. Dim lighting and clutter can cause headaches, stress, fatigue and irritability. By inviting more natural light into the building and reorganizing overcrowded cupboards and drawers, you can be sure that the vibe across the office will be positive and harmonious.

Motivating a sales team shouldn’t be something that only happens consciously once in a blue moon. It needs to be installed as part of the everyday functioning within the team. This way, engagement levels will remain high and sales revenue will be sure to sky rocket.

Sales Management Effectiveness: How to Radically Improve Sales

By Barbara Giamanco Leave a Comment

I’m starting something new today. Often, I receive requests from folks who would like me to publish their guest posts, but up to this point, I’ve not done that much. Well, I decided that from now on, once a month I’ll include a guest post along with my own. This one comes from Monika Götzmann who is the EMEA Marketing Director for MHI Global. It is a good piece, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

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In order to achieve outstanding sales success, your sales team members need incentives, inspiring sales training and the right attitude. However, they also need the support of fully committed sales leaders, who are able to dedicate the necessary time to developing their team’s skills and helping members to fulfil their potential.

An effective sales manager has to balance a number of different roles; acting as a coach, motivating staff, developing the right strategies, delegating tasks and getting their own hands dirty when necessary. Here, we take a more detailed look at how an effective sales manager can radically improve sales within an organisation.

Coaching Talent

Perhaps the single most important sales management role is acting as a coach for sales team members. This means not only having a role in training them, and indeed in training up new sales leaders through sales executive training, but also serving as a role model for the team to look up to.

An effective sales leader will strive to develop the skills of individual team members, working with them to formulate achievable performance targets. With that said, they will also chip in and help with sales activities themselves, in order to lead by example and positively steer sales behaviours.

Developing Strategies

Another key role for any sales leader is the development of coherent sales strategies, in order to put sales talent to the best possible use. This includes managing sales resources properly, making sure staff adhere to company policy, providing an expert insight into the marketplace and implementing new procedures.

“The best strategists are leaders, policy makers and visionaries,” explain Seleste Lunsford and Mark Marone in the MHIGlobal document Sensational Sales Management: The Key to a Winning Sales Team. “They provide clear mission and vision statements to their teams in an effort to provide context for sales activities.”

Motivating Staff

Providing staff with the necessary skills and strategies to succeed is crucial, but sales teams will only achieve excellence if they feel motivated to do so. While some of this motivation will come from individuals, the onus is on sales leaders to provide the right incentives and prevent performance from dropping.

Examples of ways staff can be motivated include:
• Financial compensation and a fair pay structure within the organisation
• Verbal recognition for excellent or improved performance
• The possibility of career progression within the organisation or team
Radically improving sales performance requires an extra effort from staff, but for those effort levels to be maintained in the long term, staff must feel like they are appreciated. All staff must be paid fairly, exceptional performers must be rewarded and leaders should delegate to different staff, in order to keep activities fresh.

About the Author:

Monika Götzmann is the EMEA Marketing Director for MHI Global (formerly AchieveGlobal), a global sales training and customer experience company. It specialises in providing exceptional sales training courses and helps organisations develop business strategies to achieve sales success. Monika enjoys sharing her insight and thoughts to provide better sales and leadership development training.

Do You Have a Sales Mindset?

By Barbara Giamanco 2 Comments

Perception is reality so the saying goes. Never is that more true than when it comes to the process of selling. How you view this critical business function will either help or hinder what you plan to achieve. It seems to me that more than one sales person out there needs this reminder. For the record, I’m calling anyone – that means you too Mr. or Ms. business owner who needs to sell a product or service – a sales person.

Great selling is an art. Those people who do it well understand that it takes a plan, it’s hard work, requires internal motivation, takes time, it requires consistency, and it’s about building relationships with people. Let me say that again…sales is a people business. You won’t get far if…

• You can’t get over your fear of rejection.

• You can’t check your ego at the door.

• You think “selling is bad” versus “sales is simply a way to help others solve their business problems”.

• As a business owner, you think that selling doesn’t apply to you.

To me, these concepts are blindingly obvious. Still, I am often amazed at the people I meet who have something to sell, but they insist that they “hate” selling or that they just don’t want to do it. To me this attitude tells me a few things about you:

1. You naively believe you can avoid sales and still succeed at hitting your revenue goals and personal earning goals. Not gonna happen folks! To be clear, marketing is not selling, so don’t delude yourself in thinking that sending out marketing emails or newsletters is all it takes.

2. Ego is in the way. In other words, the focus is on you – the sale you want to make – not on what is necessarily best for your prospective buyer. Go into each sales call determined to understand the needs of your buyer without pitching what you have to sell.

3. You don’t believe in the value of what you have to sell. If you don’t believe, no one else will. It’s that simple!

4. Fear of rejection is stronger than your desire to succeed. A “no” doesn’t mean never, nor is it a personal smack down of you as a person. No will happen no matter how good you are. Use it as a learning opportunity. Was the timing off? Was your value proposition confusing? Did your competitor offer just a little something extra?

5. You believe that one or two contacts means the sale will automatically close. Yeah, yeah, I know that a good many sales training programs out there will tell you that they can help you close the deal in two conversations. It certainly can happen IF you happen to meet someone at the exact moment they are ready to buy, you’ve established quick rapport and perhaps the product is at a low enough price point that there isn’t much worry about making a buying mistake. If what you sell is a complicated sale, it’s an intangible service or you are asking for a lot of money, prepare for the sale to take some time.

Sooo…do you have a sales mindset?

If you found yourself saying…ooppss, that’s me…when you read my list of 5 above then your sales mindset needs work! If you hope to generate revenue now and in the future, you need to develop a sales mindset fast. Love it. Embrace it. Enjoy it. If you believe that what you have to offer can help others get what they need…selling is not hard at all. What you focus on expands, so focus on success!

Now that I’ve given you a kick in the butt…stop making excuses. Get out there and get selling!

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