Bloggy Business Today

Any ordinary clerk or a mere out of school person can sell if buyers do not object. But, how about when the buyer objects? It is the response to objections that makes the difference between the professional and the amateur salesperson. A professional salesperson considers objections as opportunities.

Any individual can develop skills in handling objections though constant application and practice with the help of the following suggestions.

• Maintain record of objections encountered during sales presentation, be acquainted with each case, prepare and be ready with a competent reply.
• Have information resources available and ready for contact on situations wherein objections or questions cannot be answered with confidence.
• Courteously postpone the response to an objection until the next scheduled presentation, when it is necessary or advisable, where the response will be more concrete and objective.
• Be cautious not to reply impulsively to an objection.
• Be honest to admit of not knowing the answer for a question asked but commit to get back immediately with the right answer.
• Always carry documents that will serve as proof that can be used when responding to familiar objections.
• Have a master list of customers with objections that were successfully overcome. They can be used as testimonials.
• Counter valid objections with offsetting points to prove doing business is still profitable.
• Make it the business to ascertain that the buyer’s stated objection is the real reason.
• Eliminate objections by anticipating them.

According to study, top performers in any field have the same factors that explain for their success. The researched revealed that people become top performers because:

• They were made aware of the performance standards at the beginning of their careers.
• They know at all times how they are performing compared to what is expected of them.
• They are equipped with knowledge on how to handle obstacles they encounter in their career.
• They have mastered the fundamentals of salesmanship
• They see meaningful rewards for good performance based on standards expected from them.

What should be done to develop an average sales person to becoming top performer? The first thing to do is to identify the average performing sales people who do not have any derogatory record. Then, take the following procedures.

• Observe what the sales person does. It must be done discreetly in order not to alarm the person being observed. Make joint calls to determine the work pattern which could be the cause for being an average performer.
• Counteract observed performance. This procedure requires serious thoughts coupled with observations by answering the following questions:

1. What should the sales person start doing? These are the specific behaviors or actions the sales person needs to start doing.
2. What should the sales person stop doing? These refer to the behavior the sales person should stop doing like talking politics, apologizing for prices or making false promises.
3. What should the sales person do differently?
4. What difference will it make if the sales person does?

Be reminded though that, unless the items on the performance diagnosis will produce result, it will be best to skip them.

• Performance evaluation. There are ways in finding out the missing factor that produces mediocre performance by an average performer- by logic and investigating. Pure logic will work provided all facts are available. Otherwise, investigate the problem with the sales person by working through each success factor until the cause of the problem is determined.

The best way to motivate a salesperson for becoming a top performer is to present a list of start, stop and changes and then ask: What is it for you if you do this, and what’s in it for you if you don’t?”

The whole process will determine what is inside the average salesperson’s head that will be the basis of finding out what to do next.

As observed, there are many average sales people because their managers accept their level of performance when it should not. The making of top performing sales person begins with conviction that all people can be top performers.

There are individuals from different field of interest who are known for their expertise in the field of medicine, technology, in business, education, science and others. They worked hard to be where they are today. Working hard would mean acquiring a lot of self-discipline in order to achieve desired goals in life.

There are tactical ways an individual can do to become self-disciplined in order to have a balanced way of life.

1. Make goals with attainable subsets and be ready to provide for self-reward for every little accomplishments leading to the fulfillment of goals and objectives.
2. Carefully monitor development. To implement a concrete plan of self-discipline is by writing down objectives, including subsets, then keep an accurate record of every improvement.
3. Increase tolerance for pain. Often times, fulfilling one’s goal will entail some sacrifice. When hardship and difficulty are feared, it will result to missing out the very endeavors that are the sources of happiness in self-improvement. Pain with a useful purpose place an individual to a higher level of life.
4. Engage in a lifelong battle with procrastination. Procrastinators make their superiors and co-workers angry and also cause confusions in relationships with other people. Procrastinators are either perfectionist or have distaste for difficult task.
5. Be consciously aware about the dangers of luxury. People who have toughened to pain and exercise discipline in order to reach success will eventually finds themselves enjoying comfort and luxury. The status of ease and prosperity conceals serious threats of gradually destroying the lean toughness and eventually become less productive before knowing it.
6. Cultivate strong sense of integrity and keep the promise severely. Integrity will frequently be judged not only by whether one relates facts accurately but also by how well promises are sustained.

Emotional intelligence or EQ can affect every person’s career. A person with low emotional intelligence have difficulty in achieving high performance because of poor working relationships with superiors, peers and subordinates.

Here are some typical characteristics or behavior of a sales manager who encountered difficulties and ruined sales career because of low EQ.

• Ignores consulting the sales force who are the ones implementing the plans and programs for the sales team.
• Have the mindset that the sales force work only because of high commissions.
• Have a closed mind about the views and opinions of others as well as, to new ideas and suggestion from peers and subordinates.
• Expects the sales force to just simply comply with the given instructions.
• Insensitive to the needs and feeling of others and usually undermines the subordinates when errors are committed.
• Do not trust the sales force. Always keeping an eye to see if they are following the marketing plans and programs.

Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize and manage ones feelings and those of others so it can build positive and strong relationship. It is also the ability to make the emotions work for every one by using them in ways that produce the desired results.

The important organizational competencies such as outstanding leadership, customer service and teamwork are based on EQ.

The components of emotional competencies are self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and social skills. These four components are interrelated and compliment each other.

Any manager or leader should be aware of the importance of empathy or having sympathetic understanding specially when working closely with subordinates.

In the workplace, a good manager or leader must exert effort in identifying the concerns encountered by every subordinate, which usually happens during day-to-day operations, according to their personal point of view.

Mark Twain, United States best known humorist and one of most accomplished writes wrote: “The only way to get the other fellow’s point of view is to stand behind him and see the world through his eyes”.

Empathy with a subordinate can be possibly executed by a manager or leader by making sure that:

• The assigned task given to a subordinate is attainable to be achieved or accomplished successfully on time;
• The important guidelines that are supposed to be available are not neglected and discussed thoroughly with the subordinate when a certain task is assigned.
• The assigned goals to subordinate are accompanied with the necessary information needed and that the subordinate have agreed to perform the task.
• The feedback mechanism regarding performance status of subordinate in working towards goals must not falter.
• The attention of the subordinate regarding any development that may be the cause of failure to accomplish and achieve the assigned tasks is done immediately.
• The provision for necessary motivation in order for a subordinate to successful y achieve the assigned task should not waver. The motivation maybe in the form of financial reward or through written recognition.