Embracing Technology for Building Stronger Relationships

You may have heard recently about a Texas-based attorney who ended up doing an entire Zoom call as an adorable kitten.  The Zoom call was actually a court hearing with a judge.  The attorney accidentally signed onto the call with a cat filter and could not figure out how to turn the filter off.  He eventually proclaimed “I am not a cat” to the judge, who replied “I can see that.”  The video went viral and the attorney was mortified at first, but then realized that we could all use something to laugh at during these stressful times.

The point here is, like it or not, technology is now playing a huge role in the way we relate to each other.  It is important to keep growing and learning these different ways to connect. 

Video calls have taken the place of door to door and telephone sales, meetings with a co-worker and our team, and even building stronger ties to family and loved ones who are not geographically close.  It was on the horizon, many of us avoided it, procrastinated, or even used excuses, but the pandemic, like a wave brought it to our front door.  So, where are you in all of this?

Were you an early adopter or a laggard? If you are in business, believing things will go back to the way they once were, time to wake up and realize “we’re not in Kansas anymore”.  Virtual technology is here to stay. Do not be left behind just because things seem intimidating to use or you feel it will not be the same as in person.  

I have to admit, I surprised myself. Turning our in-person training to virtual seemed like it would not produce the same results and I would use statements like, “I can’t feel the energy of the group”, “I will look horrible on the camera”, “They’ll never participate the way they would in a live session”. Well, I have been proven wrong. VERY WRONG! While it took extra effort learning how to create engagement and interaction, and learning the formula for balancing chats, polls, discussions and activities, I can honestly say, for our typical training, it is the way to go. 

Do not get me wrong, leadership or team retreats, off-site sales meetings, team building interventions will still be more impactful in-person because you cannot make up the conversations that take place on the breaks, the restaurant or even the bar.  For the most part, if done right, virtual training is the new reality as will be team meetings versus conference calls, many sales meeting and even family connections.  We encourage you to educate yourself as much as you can so that you can keep up with these new and exciting ways to communicate, build relationships and increase productivity.

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Personality Styles and Sales – the Dynamic Duo

Like Batman and his trusty sidekick Robin, sales combined with the knowledge of the DISC personality styles are a fantastic pairing that can put you one step ahead of the competition.  DiSC allows you to connect more easily with your customers.  

iISC, coined in the 1928 book by William Marston refers to four different styles, D stands for Dominance, I style refers to an Influencer, S equates to Steadiness and C relishes Conscientiousness.  We are all a blend of the styles; however we all have a natural tendency to lean into one or two of these styles in our everyday interaction.  Now, imagine taking the time to learn your own style and how that comes across in a sales call.  Then, step back and ask yourself a few simple questions that might provide insights into your customer’s iISC personality type.  You can now prepare your approach, your message and your presentation in a way that resonates to the prospect or customer and they can more readily and easily digest your information. This kind of knowledge is invaluable to you as a salesperson as you open more doors, secure more interest and close more sales.

For example, have you ever felt a disconnect with a customer?  Maybe you approached them with enthusiasm and worked at building rapport only to find they were ready for you to get to the point?  Learning to quickly read the style of your customer can help you adapt your sales approach.  You see, if your customer is a high D style, they may simply want you to get to the business at hand, stick to the facts and provide options. The I style prefers a sales rep who is friendly in nature and tries to identify ways to personally connect. The S style wants to know you sincerely care, and they like solutions that are tried and true. Our C style, well, they may make us work a little harder for the sales as they really do like to dig into the details, do their homework, understand the reasoning logic or even research behind a solution and they want to know you will provide quality in your offerings.

You can adjust your style accordingly as you learn your customer’s personality type.  It is a tool that puts you ahead of the competition because these are important details that other people are not aware of if they are not familiar with iISC personality profiles.

Sales and DISC personality types.  A dynamic duo that can succeed together!

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Accountability is Your Friend

The blue dot keeps me on track and some of you know what I am referencing. I have tried all kinds of diets, but I finally dropped 25 pounds in a year on Weight Watchers on-line and have kept if off for two years. It is simple, all I have to do is get a blue dot every day.  And now, it would be easy to cancel and save the $19.95 per month but I might get comfortable and slowly see pounds creep up, so I get right back on the plan and work for my blue dot and it gets back on track.  The WW App acts as my weight management accountability partner.

Do you have an accountability partner? Someone you can share your day with, what went well, what worked, what did not work?  Someone to review a proposal with before you hit the send button?  Is there someone to brainstorm creative ways to keep in contact with your clients while they may be still on furlough? Find someone to partner with and will help hold you accountable to your goals.  I challenge you to find someone of “like mind” and set up a buddy system.

Nothing formal is required for your accountability sessions.  It could be text chats, phone calls here and there, virtual meetings, or getting a quick coffee together.  Together we are better is not a new slogan yet it really is true. Be sure you find someone who, like you is a leader and a life long learner. You become who you hang out with, so pick and choose wisely.

For additional sales improvement tips, check out our training options and keep checking this blog.  Happy selling!

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Meeting Sales Quotas Requires Planning

Look at your goal for this year. Divide that number by the number of months you have left in the year. Example, If my goal is $100,000 July to December in revenue, then I divide that by 5, I have to generate 20K per month.  Then, outline your prospecting list and identify where you might find this.

You can do so much more if you know and are tracking your ratios.  Consider call to close, proposal to business and you can in some businesses break it down to a daily goal based on the actual number of working days.  Be organized about your prospecting. In other words, Plan your work and then work your plan.

Get some systems in place!  I recommend you look at the calendars offered by Sales Activity Management at SalesActivityManagement.com.   While they market to the insurance industry, they have calendars for everyone. It was this firm that taught me the difference between a SMART (Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic, Timely) Goal and SAMMY Goals. But we all know, if the “why” is missing in SMART.  You will not reach the goal unless you also make your goals SAMMY (Specific, Actionable, Measurable, Motivational and Yours ) style!  If they are not your goals, they are simply an expectation people place on you.

Check back soon for more sales tips!

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When it comes to sales, there is no such thing as winging it

There is a skill associated with persuasive selling that goes back to the times of Aristotle, Socrates, St. Augustine, Martin Luther King, and built into what the specific wording trial lawyer states to win over a jury. Those that are students of the skill are at the top 20 percent of revenue generation in their organization, generating 80% of the business. These people know there is no such thing as winging it when it comes to selling.

Yesterday, I heard a story of a gentleman who got into a sales opportunity. The position, in the medical field, was made to sound glamorous. He is up against a wall and simply hating the business, now hating sales and all his management is doing is telling him, “Get out there and do more”.  Why on earth would this organization even consider letting him waste good sales opportunities without giving him the skills he needs and set him up for success?

This reminds me of some multi-level marketing companies that tell me, we do not call our team “Salespeople.” Instead they are considered Independent Business Owners and the organization brings in leadership training and get them listening to Leadership gurus. Do not get me wrong – if you are going to build a team, you have to lead.  How can they be successful if they cannot sell people on the opportunity?

I am always wary of the call, “I am starting a new business, I want your advice” as so often that is the hook for the bait and switch. Yes, I am a magnet and an ideal prospect for multi-level marketing. Please know, I support multi-level marketing, I refer people for products and careers to those that might be a fit for the individual, my point is simply, we have to give people the skill of moving to the next best activity in the process and the sale will come when the time and the fit is right!

Use this time to sharpen your sales skills.  Reading articles, case studies, and my book (see giveaway in previous post) is a start. To Sell is Human by Dan Pink is another great one.  Three Value Conversations (multiple authors) really helps you with the large account sale.  Do not forget the old classics like The Greatest Salesman in the World and Think and Grow Rich.

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Sharpening Sales Skills and Winning Sales Opportunities

Blink and before you know it, I is a new month. I went from puzzles, baking and cooking while slipping in a few hours of work here and there maintaining contact with friends and clients to waking up with a packed schedule. As we approach July, traffic is beginning to form during rush hours, restaurants are getting full; business is coming back to life.  Now, with that said, is my business all income generating? No. It’s the result of harvesting a few hours a day through the shutdown and now having those business talks, writing proposals, demonstrating new seminars for free and more.

The point here is, whether you are ready or not, the time is here to prepare to make your quotas, not lower them in the final quarter. If you are an entrepreneur or in sales, it is time to get ready because you cannot afford to miss one opportunity.

In the next few posts, I will provide details on these three tips for winning every sales opportunity:

1. There is no such thing as winging it.
2. Meeting quotas requires planning.
3. Accountability is your friend.

For a free e-copy of my book The Sales Messenger, contact me immediately, as I am giving them away for a limited time only.

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Texas Business Achieves Highest Sales Honor for the Fifth Time

Mary Anne and Roy Davis celebrating award

Wiley announced that Dallas-based business Davis Success Solutions is a 2019 Diamond Award winning partner for Everything DiSC^® and The Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team^®. This achievement is in recognition of the company’s continued commitment to improving organizational culture and teamwork.  Typically, this award is announced and given during the April MindLab Conference.  Due to current circumstances, the conference is rescheduled for October 2020 and award winners were notified in advance.

 

“We are proud to partner with Davis Success Solutions in their mission to enrich people’s lives by building better workplaces and high-functioning, cohesive teams,” says Susie Kukkonen, Vice President of Channels at Wiley. “We are honored to have them as an Authorized Partner.”

 

This is the fifth time the Davis Success Solutions has won the Diamond-level award.  The Diamond designation recognizes the Roy Davis’ commitment to building better workplaces with the help of Everything DiSC^® and The Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team^® proven workplace assessment-driven solutions from Wiley.

 

About Davis Success Solutions
Davis Success Solutions (DavisSuccessSolutions.com) is committed to providing professional training solutions and resources with outstanding support. The company focus is delivering workplace performance improvements that align with the professional development goals of organizations and individuals. It has been that way since the beginning of Davis Success Solutions in 2004.  With his extensive management and training experience in various industries and professions, Roy Davis has a proven track record of helping organizations improve communication, processes, productivity and ultimately their profitability and efficiency.  Owner and president of Davis Success Solutions, Roy has almost fifteen years of experience using DiSC®-based tools. Roy Davis, in collaboration with his wife Mary Anne (Wihbey) Davis of Peak Performance Solutions, deliver client-focused solutions and engaging training to their customers throughout the United States and internationally.  Both are certified Everything DiSC® training facilitators and accredited facilitators for The Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team®.

 

Roy Davis says, “I find my partnership with Wiley is an increasing factor in my business success.  Offering Everything DiSC^® and The Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team^® training programs and profiles has been of great benefit to my customers as well. I look forward to similar success with the PXT Select^® hiring and placement tool. I am proud to receive the Diamond award for three years straight [2017-2019] and for a total of five times.”

 

About Peak Performance Solutions

Peak Performance Solutions (PeakPerformanceSolutions.com) is committed to “moving individuals to action” through training and advanced learning. Mary Anne (Wihbey) Davis is president and owner of Peak Performance Solutions.  She is an internationally recognized sales and management consultant and trainer.  Her company provides multiple business training and coaching options for her clients, including customized workshops.  Mary Anne is also the author of “The Sales Messenger: 10 Lessons for Sales Success in Your Business and Personal Lives,” which went into a third printing in 2018.

 

Mary Anne added, “Coordinating with Davis Success Solutions on Everything DiSC^® and The Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team^® has allowed me to offer even more options to my client base.  Participating with Roy in the MindLab conferences and associated awards program, along with receiving Wiley certifications, have taken my company to a different level from when it was started in 1994.”

 

About Everything DiSC® and The Five Behaviors®

Everything DiSC is the leading suite of DiSC®-based workplace training and assessment solutions. These advanced applications combine online assessment, classroom facilitation, and post-training follow-up to create powerful, personalized workplace development experiences. With a global network of independent Partners, Everything DiSC solutions are used in thousands of organizations, including major government agencies and Fortune 500 companies.

 

The Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team is the result of the partnership between Wiley Workplace Learning Solutions and Patrick Lencioni, author of The New York Times best-selling book, “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team”. This team development program improves team effectiveness and productivity through the understanding and application of The Five Behaviors: Trust, Conflict, Commitment, Accountability, and Results. This unique learning experience helps individuals and teams build effective work culture through communication and collaboration.

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Ten Questions Leading to Impactful Lunch and Learn Topics

Lunch and Learn Topic Ideas

A Lunch and Learn is an easy way to encourage continuous leaning in your organization. These short informational sessions can provide quick training opportunities for your staff.  If you are thinking about adding Lunch & Learns to the list of educational options you offer in-house, consider the 10 questions below to get ideas for possible training topics.

1. Have your teams been trained, yet still seemed to fall short in some areas of team-building and collaboration?
2. Do you already have topics you would like to introduce to the team?
3. Is it important to reinforce your company values and business ethic policies?
4. What new products or additional services could you introduce to sales and service staff?  
5. Is there a new management strategy you want to educate staff on and gain buy-in for?
6. Did you do a big training event last year that you should do quick refresher for on one or more key components?
7. Is there a new technology tool in the company that several people need a basic introduction to instead of actual hands-on training? 
8. Are there advanced topics your technical staff members can learn as small snippets of information?
9. Does your leadership team want to learn new skills, however they do not feel they have the time to go to long training workshops?
10. Are your employees feeling stressed or burnt out and in need of solutions?

If you answered yes to any of the above, then a lunch and learn session may be the answer to getting the training out there quickly.  With all the new virtual meeting options out there, you can include remote attendees as well.  Just be sure you test the presentation and technology options before the lunch and learn starts.

For more tips on delivering Lunch & Learn training, see Learn At Lunch: A Great Team, Sales, and Management Training Option.

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Diamond Award Winners Two Years in a Row!

Wiley announced the winners of their product sales awards at the April 24-26, 2019 MindLab Conference in Denver, Colorado (more photos from event).  Among the Diamond-level winners were Roy Davis (owner of Davis Success Solutions) and wife, Mary Anne (owner of Peak Performance Solutions).  Since both Davis’ are certified/accredited facilitators for Everything DiSC and The Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team training options, their separate training companies are able to collaborate on delivering training workshops and seminars to their various customers.  Both Roy and Mary Anne Davis are also asked to speak on DiSC, leadership, and team-building topics at many association luncheons or dinners.  Additionally, Mary Anne is sought out as a sales/marketing speaker.  Roy Davis is also a popular speaker for career development topics.

All award levels are based on sales of Everything DiSC and  The Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team Wiley products lines.  The two highest awards Wiley gives are Diamond ($125K+ sales) and Emerald ($75K+ sales), which are celebrated at a special Authorized Partner evening of the MindLab event.  The Davis couple has won Diamond in 2018, 2017, 2015, and 2013.  They have won Emerald in 2016, 2014, and 2011.  Other Wiley awards levels include:  Ruby, Sapphire, Topaz (new for 2019), and Opal.  Many of the other awards have been won by Davis Success Solutions each year since Roy began his authorized partnership for the variety of DiSC profiles in 2005, shortly after staring his business in 2004.  The selection of Everything DiSC behavior profiles and associated reports includes:  363 for Leaders, , Management, Productive Conflict, Sales, Work of Leaders, and Workplace which can be for both personal and professional communication use.  The Davis’ began offering  The Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team products and training in 2014 and PXT Select assessments and reports in 2017.

Working with Wiley to increase the training offerings of Davis Success Solutions and Peak Performance Solutions has been successful for both companies.  It has also been extremely beneficial to their clients as well.  Customer success stories have been published in Training and Development Magazine (an ATD publication) and as examples published by Wiley.  The Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team success stories include AmerisourceBergen and City of Schertz.  Working with Southwest Business Corporation is an Everything DiSC success story (see also testimonial video).

Peak Performance Solutions has been in the training business since 1994.  Roy Davis and Mary Anne (Wihbey) Davis’ companies have been co- facilitating workshops since 2004 for synergistic success, before the two independent company owners married in 2010.  Each company has other training offerings, besides those based on Wiley products, which are unique based on their individual expertise.  As well as their standard course offerings, both companies also offer customized training in each of their areas of expertise designed to meet their varied client needs.  For training outside their scope of knowledge, each training company may contract with other experts that they collaborate with, in order to insure customers get the best options to fill specific skill gaps within the client’s organization.

Check out their company websites or contact Roy Davis at Davis Success Solutions or Mary Anne Davis at Peak Performance Solutions to find out how they may help you with your training needs.

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What Training Do Sales Reps Really Need?

• “My sales manager told me I just need to make more calls.”
• “My sales manager takes 50% of my commission to come on a sales call
  with me and doesn’t close deals that I know I could.”
• “My company offers product training, but I cannot see
• m to get sales training.”

Above are just a few comments I heard from Sales Representatives in the past week.  These are people who are hungry for success in sales. My life is sales and training.

I have had a passion for  sales and training for 30 plus years. I was fortunate to receive

incredible sales training and sales coaching.   We did a survey of a large sales group and it showed that 53% of the sales people had not been to any type of sales training in over 5 years!

That is like not sending your professional sports players to training camp. A small investment of time and money will yield more sales, a confident attitude, and improved customer relations! You want all of that, right?

Four leading experts agree that the following are keys to success: prospecting, building rapport, call management, active listening, communicating effectively, questioning, time management, showing value, managing objections, closing techniques, and maintaining customer relationships.  Only one expert said “product knowledge.”

Here are a few expert reference articles:

• 14 Sales Skills Every Sales Rep Must Master
• 11 Sales Meeting Topics Your Sales Reps Really, Really Want
• 10 Essential Selling Skills Every Sales Rep Needs
• 10 Essential Sales Training Topics for New Sales Reps

Ok, that is what the experts say – what about actual sales reps?  At Peak Performance Solutions, we did a pre-training survey of 79 sales people to see if their needs matched our training plan for their department.  Their highest desires were to learn how to: build/maintain customer relationships, manage objections/concerns, prospecting, understand customer needs, ask questions, follow a sales process, and understand customer personality styles.  Less than a fourth of the respondents also included: communicate value, time management, presentation skills, and meeting management.

Please note continuous learning should start with onboarding and live training.  Then the continuous part could be computer tutorials, reading books, keynote speakers, off-site seminars, and short concentrated workshops in single topic areas.

So if you want to increase sales immediately, here are a few quick tips for sales training opportunities.

1. The Basics of Sales: Like a professional ball player, your reps need to get brilliant at the basics. They need to learn the art of engagement and have a purpose for every step of the sale.
2. Questioning without Interrogating: Selling is not telling and there is an art to asking questions to get the answers to need, want, budget, buying motives and decision makers without interrogating. We practice the Socratic Method that stimulates critical thinking in a way that helps a client uncover their own need without being talked at.
3. Body Language: It is amazing to me how many cues are lost in translation. If I am going to be a master communicator, then I would surely think it important to read what the clients are “saying” or not saying.

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