COMMENTS
Actually, Dave, I've been thinking about the impact of the internet all weekend and I feel a blog post coming (after Thanksgiving). However, the lead might be something like, "Does your lead generation program make your salespeople weaker? Is your website so successful that your salespeople are actually sending good prospects away?
The internet had not only impacted how businesses sell but how potential customers find vendors. And the web is changing - in web 1.0 the vendor was in control of what got published about them on the web. But in web 2.0, it's customers publishing comments & ratings about their vendors for all to read that has changed how businesses must present themselves and respond to customer service issues. Vendor actions are now much more transparent.
Dave, I read alot of Seth Godin, Tom Peters and the like, and they all talk about building a permission asset, giving away alot of your expertise (like we do on blogs...), and giving the customers reasons to call us and ask for more. I have been recently reading Frank Rumbauskas who talks about changing the way that you prospect. I think this way of prospecting (as opposed to cold calls) is more 21st century. I am just implementing some of it at Emcor. I will be sending out a free article that our president recently had published in a local magazine. The call to action is to go to a website and subscribe to a monthly article of the same type. My (and Frank's) thinking are that rather than cold calling and trying to "catch" someone in their moment of need, I am going to feed them information that while useful, is 9 times out of 10 too difficult to do on your own. That way, when they want some, they will call us. I should start sending out the first articles via snail mail this week, and I will be publishing stats on my blog at
www.johnonsales.com. Sell Hard!
John. John. John. It's amazing how creative salespeople can be when they're trying to generate prospects without actually talking to anybody. Publishing articles, posting to blogs, sending mailers are all great marketing tools, but if you want to sell something TODAY, you probably should stop avoiding it, get off your ___, and call somebody.
Rick, you ole meanie...
The question was "What are you modifying so that your company can take advantage of, rather than resist the changes that are taking place almost daily?" Cold calling is soooo old school. But I still spend a major portion of my day doing it. I'm just also trying this new stuff. So Rick, since you called me out, its your turn - what have YOU started doing differently since 2001 in terms of selling? xoxoxo johnonsales
Hey, hey - no fighting on my blog - you guys are confusing nutrition and exercise. You still have to do the exercises (cold calling) but today you need to use supplments (blog, marketing, enewsletters, events, etc.) to bring people to you!
Awwww, we're not fighting, we just play kind of rough. Rick knows I have nothing but love and respect for him. But here is what I am trying to get at: Rick as an old-shool sales pro. Times have changed, and he remains successful. So, I am curious to know, as you asked in your post, what type of changes he has made since the turn of the millenium, or if indeed he did not need to make any changes to remain successful. Thanks, JohnOnSales
John,
Let's see. Changes I've made since the millenium? In 2000, I had a non-published business phone number. I worked strictly by referral. If you didn't know somebody that had my number, you couldn't reach me. Still I generated enough business to keep me and 4 others busy full-time. How did I do that? Although I didn't know you then, I used your motto. Serve! Nobody ever stole a client from me and my clients were happy enough that they constantly told their vendors, customers, and even competitors about me. When I left that business, we had hundreds of associates working for my clients in 30 states. I didn't have a blog, a newsletter, a chamber membership, (a listed phone), a yellow pages ad, or an advertising program. Why did it work? I'm a good salesman and I believe in selling what I can deliver and delivering what I sell. How did I get that way? I was one of Dave Kurlan's first clients.
OK. Today. I have a blog. As far as I know, it's gotten me a couple of inquiries and no business. That's not why I blog. I blog to meet and interact with guys like you and let anyone who's interested watch. Today, I do have a listed business phone number. That's not where my business comes from. Are you ready? This is what you're waiting for. I am AWESOME at cold calls! Awesome! So far this year, I've gotten ZERO business making cold calls. Why? I DON'T MAKE THEM unless one of my clients asks me to show them how to make cold calls. Then I do....for them! COLD CALLS SUCK! I HATE THEM! I WON'T MAKE THEM unless somebody that I care about asks me how to make them. So, if I don't advertise, market or make cold calls, where's the business come from? How's this http://therainmakermaker.com/2007/07/17/networking-buzz.aspx? How's this http://www.newenglandbusinessexpo.com/seminars.html#3? How's this http://www.dkatraining.com/luncheondetails.html? I don't know how many people saw that article, but my wife's maid of honor came over for dinner last week and asked, "Did I see an article about you?" That article was in June. I didn't ask for it. I got it because I get out there and meet people. I had almost 100 people attend the seminar at the Expo. I'm sure that I wasn't asked to do it because I advertise. It was probably because I get out there and meet people. Finally, I had over 100 executives from 55 companies register to hear Dave speak at Gillette Stadium. I personally invited 20 of the executives that registered. The other 80+ were invited by someone that I told about the event. One last thing. I met 8 of the 20 that I invited in the 30 days before the event.
OK, John. You tell me. What do I do different? Is this old school or leading edge?
Hello Dave and Rick,
Cold calling and what has changed
I rememeber the old Cutco days going door to door with Rick selling knives to single working hope chesting girls.
I remember selling Cable and Lawn services door to door.
In the late nineties and early part of this century I did canvassing for home improvement leads.
Also before the do not call list, telemarketing was a huge source of leads.
Although most salespeople would say this type of lead generation sucks it worked. It taught me not to fear rejection and I could always insure that I had leads even though others did not.
Now this has all changed. People are more informed than at any time in our history due to the vast information easily obtained on the web.
The biggest change I have seen is that people want to buy from people they know and trust.
People hate the old manipulative sales techniques
and can smell it coming a mile away.
Solution and consultitive based processes are required to earn consumers trust and confidence before they will buy. Consumers hate being sold. They love saying yes if the saleperson creates the right environment where they can buy the right solution for their problem from the right saleperson.
Now you must build relationships either in person or through blogs, e-zines ect.
We must provide more value than was ever expected in previous years.
We must be known as a resource. The one to go to.
We must be known as the expert.
We need to ask more questions to understand our customer's needs.
We need to develop our brand.
We need to give value first and not worry about reciprocation.
We need to not smell like a salesman.
We need to be farmers.
We need to stop wasting our's and our prospects time.
Salespeople need to ooze with integrity.
Joining and leading professional referral groups has been the most significant change in this corner. By helping others get what they want first builds credibility and branding. I used to think it was who you knew that was the most important. Now I know it's all about who knows you and what you can deliver!
Rick is right that his Buzz article and Expo seminar attendance were the result of his tireless efforts networking with and for others. He puts so many people together and doesn't ask or expect anything in return. He gives and gives and gives and knows that if he gives well his success will be assured.
Finally, it is obvious that the web has brought huge changes to way we do business today. But I think if we rely too much on the web we might become complacent with building relationships because it is hard work.
Mark
Mark -
Great comments you posted here - thanks for sharing - they deserve their own blog post!
Michael
Great comments by all. Keep them coming.
DAVE! Great Topic - thanks tons!
Rick, you pose a great question. I did read those articles, btw. I am a better networker now than I have been, but I still need major work. I am an effective cold caller, but I wish I was awesome.
In answer to Dave's part of the question, it sounds like you have made some changes with the times, but more "for fun" than in a way that really affects your business. Like you, I see the blog as an extension of networking and meeting new peers.
To your question, I would say it was old school, just because that is the way that you have always done it. New school in that most salespeople still don't know how to do that stuff effectively. We all came up using the "tricky" closes, so I am sure you know them all well. Do you still use them? or do you find that part of the whole net 2.0 thing makes it useless?
For myself, I can't use the old closes anymore, but I can and do ask the right questions and hold my prospects accountable. I use article distribution and stuff like that as part of my networking, but I also network in person more, too. As always, Rick, thanks for your input!
xoxoxo JohnOnSales
Wow! There are a lot of powerful comments out there. This was one of the best exchanges I have read on the Internet blogs yet.
I agree that the selling styles have changed significantly. The only that hasn't really changed is the need to get in front of your prospects. Cold calling may be old school; but, until you find a better way to actually talk to your prospects and establish dialogue, Networking, Cold Calling and similar activities are still they only way to get it going.
Yes, you can build your brand, share information, establish credibility via the Internet. All are powerful and productive marketing tools. They are not going to put you in front of your market in a meaningful conversational way. Selling is still about face-to-face interaction. Nothing is a substitute for that.
Other big changes are the old school of making deals. Business today is about adding value and being a valuable resource to clients and businesses. Used to be we could chase deals and make transactions. Today, if you are not building a strong vale based relationship using your knowledge, your strategic partners, your referrals, and your commitment to a long term client relationship, get out of the business. The process has passed you by. Keep those comments coming!