nz sales manager issue 21
DESCRIPTION
Short and sharp, NZ Sales Manager is New Zealand's free e-magazine for sales professionals. It delivers thought provoking articles from some of New Zealand's leading sales experts, along with interviews, info and ideas to help thousands of motivated sales managers, business owners and sales professionals increase sales throughout the country. Subscribe at our subscription page and get a new issue of NZ Sales Manager emailed to you every four weeks - for free!TRANSCRIPT
APR 1st 2009 / Issue 21
Barriers To success
3 Key challenges in sales Leadership
are You seLLing YourseLf shorT?creating a cV that stands out
feedBacK: The Breakfast of champions
focus on seLLing: The insurance industry
PLus: MP3
interview with web
entrepreneur danny ing
NZsM / APR 1st 2009 / 2
APRIL 1st / Issue 21
This WeeKs MusT readBarriers To successthree key challenges in sales leadership
feedBacK: The BreaKfasT of chaMPionsHow you can train your mind to aim for the top.
no reTreaT, no surrender!MP3 Interview with web entrepreneur Danny Ing
nZsM caLendar
TWo MinuTe ToP-uPare You seLLing YourseLf shorT?Ann Andrews tells us how to create a CV which stands out amongst hundreds.
focus on seLLingThe insurance indusTrYThe first article in a two-part series, on what it takes to succeed as an insurance sales professional.
saLes Training direcTorY
BooK reVieWThe one MinuTe Manager MeeTs The MonKeYThis book explains in simple-minded if abstract terms how to achieve a balance between supervision and delegation.
The cLose
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NZsM / APR 1st 2009 / 3
this week we celebrate our 21st issue, but rather
than bring out the yard glass, we thought it
was a good time to introduce a couple of new
features to NZ sales Manager.
In our first “Focus On Selling” feature, Tom Somerville
gives us an insight into what it’s like in the insurance sales
industry, an industry Tom himself describes as both “brutal and beautiful”. In
Part 1 of his feature entitled “Have You Got What It Takes?” he talks about the
personal foundations for success, and in Part 2 in our next issue, describes the
frustrations of selling a product that truly fits the description of “important but
not urgent” and what to do about it.
We also introduce our first MP3 interview in which I was able to talk to web
entrepreneur Danny Ing, whose business Datum Connect is a finalist in this
years Vero Excellence In Business Awards. While the sound quality is a little
off (my fault!) it’s well worth the download as Danny has some great advice
for all of us, not just about building a best selling business but the personal
qualities required for business success.
For most of us, today also marks the beginning of a new financial year.
Congratulations if you were able to achieve the targets you had set yourself
both in terms of sales and personal income for the previous year. But do not
let yourself fall victim to the “hero to zero” phenomenon! If your year wasn’t
quite as you’d planned, now is the time to put the past behind you and step
boldly into the next twelve months and turn things around. Regardless of
whether you have much say in setting your sales targets for the upcoming
year, only you know what you are truly capable of, and only you will know
if you lived up to your own potential. And at the end of the day (or year!),
mastery of yourself is surely the ultimate goal.
And speaking of new beginnings, a warm welcome to Trudi Caffell who
joins us as Group Editor and whose experience in the magazine industry
will help us ensure NZ Sales Manager just keeps getting better. Don’t
worry Trudi, salespeople are an easily pleased bunch. Yeah right!”
Richard
nZ sales Manager is an espire Media
publication
ABOUT /
Short and sharp, New Zealand
sales Manager is a free fortnightly
e-magazine delivering thought
provoking and enlightening
articles, and industry news and
information to forward-thinking
sales managers, business owners
and sales professionals.
EDITOR / Richard Liew
ART DIRECTOR / Jodi Olsson
GROUP EDITOR / trudi Caffell
ADVERTISING/CONTENT
eNQuIRIes /
Phone Richard on 09 523 4112 or
email richardl@nzsalesmanager.
co.nz.
ADDRess / NZ sales Manager
C/- Espire Media, PO Box 137162,
Parnell Auckland 1151,
New Zealand
WEBSITE /
www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz
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NZsM / APR 1st 2009 / 5
By Jeff thull
T H I S W E E K ’ S M U S T R E A D
When was the last time you …
Received an account update from a member of your •
sales team full of glaring generalities?
Gave into a salesperson, lowered the price and still lost •
the business?
Counted on the ‘superstar’ to hit a home run and found •
out he struck out?
Most of us have experienced these frustrating situations and
have had to deal with the consequences.
In today’s marketplace of increased complexity, constant
pressure is placed on the sales team to deliver the
numbers, but too often sales managers are expected
to select, shape and coach their team to excellence
with few tools and they often fall short of giving the
quality support that is required to develop a team of top
performing professionals.
there are many challenges in leading a winning sales team.
Our research has identified 3 key challenges that sales
managers most commonly face. How are you currently
approaching these situations and are you getting the results
you are looking for?
Barriers To success
3 Key challenges in sales Leadership
NZsM / APR 1st 2009 / 6
chaLLenge nuMBer 1
reVersing The 80/20 ruLe
“The sales results of my top performers run significantly
higher than those of my average producers. Our team pretty
much reflects the ‘80/20’ rule.”
It may be a challenge to build a sales force of all ‘20
percenters’ but doubling this group is certainly within reason.
the good news is that the top 20% are not doing anything
superhuman and their behavior patterns that impact their
success can be defined and replicated. Accepting that 20%
of your salespeople bring in 80% of your revenue is like
accepting that 80% of your manufacturing machines are, on
the average, producing one-fourth of your most productive
machines. that output level would never be acceptable; it
would be absurd.
Building a uniform selling system is required to define the quantity
and quality of activities for individuals to produce at top performing
levels. this system will enable managers to monitor and measure
improvements in the team’s performance.
chaLLenge nuMBer 2
seVere Pricing Pressure
”Even though we provide a highly technical and
complex solution, we find that our prospects,
and even our most knowledgeable customers, are
forcing us to compete as a commodity with severe
pricing pressures.”
The more complex the situation becomes, the more
customers and salespeople alike try to simplify things.
To the customer, the simplest differentiator is price,
and in the absence of a quality decision process to
help them understand the value of your products and
services, they will tend to focus on it and use it as the
criterion when making their decision.
Your customers should be looking at their situation
in ways they have not thought through before
and quantifying the consequences of not having
your solution. Your role is to guide them through a
collaborative decision process, much like a doctor
would do as they diagnose a patient.
For example, if you help your customer/patient
come to an understanding of the severity of their
situation, they will be willing to invest in resolving
their problem.
chaLLenge nuMBer 3
resisTance To changing BehaVior
“I realize I’m supposed to be the coach, but even after
repeated coaching sessions, my salespeople keep bringing
issues to my desk that should have been easily handled
without me. They just don’t get it!”
They get it, but if you keep doing it for them, they have no
incentive to change.
Go beyond proactive to inter-active. A proactive manager
gives the salesperson direction and a plan, assumes the
salesperson will execute effectively, and waits for the
results to roll in…management by assumption. By the time
the results are reported, it’s too late to provide productive
guidance. It’s like an athletic coach handing out the game
plan, asking if there are any questions, and then heading
back to their office to work on administrative details as the
team takes the field.
To use an interactive approach, first, reach agreement with
the salesperson on an action plan that defines specific
behaviors, in terms of the quantity and quality of their sales
activity. then interact with the salesperson regularly and
‘course correct’ as you move forward.
sales leaders who can meet these challenges will
replace frustration with confidence and direction for the
individuals on their team and themselves. the results ...
a high performing team producing more profitable and
predictable revenue streams.
Jeff Thull is the author of best selling books
Mastering the complex sale, The Prime solution,
and exceptional selling and is president of Prime
resource group. Visit his website at
www.primeresource.com.
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i read the phrase ‘feedback is the breakfast of champions’ more than ten years ago in a book on
networking and never forgot it.
I have since been reminded constantly that feedback is a
large piece in the success jigsaw, both for businesses and
individuals generally.
hoW To ProsPer froM feedBacK
the obvious and yet still under utilised way to use feedback
as a business tool, is to get glowing testimonials from your
happy, satisfied customers.
Put them on your website, include them in any promotional
material you send out (as long as you have permission from
the author), add a verbal version to your phone line when
your customers are put on hold and get it working for you.
“If it’s good enough for them, it’s good enough for me” is the
thought you are trying to encourage in your prospects mind.
When and how do you ask for a testimonial? The best time
to ask is when your relationship with your client is at its best,
usually immediately after you have delivered your product or
service.
Say “Hi Mrs. Jones. Just a quick follow up call to check that
everything is working as it should? Were you happy with the
service Mrs. Jones?”
NZSM / NOV 12tH 2008 / 8
feedBacK: The BreaKfasT of chaMPionsBy Paul Kernot
NZsM / APR 1st 2009 / 9
Once you have listened to their positive feedback, say
“Could I ask you to put that in writing Mrs. Jones? It would
really help my business to progress.”
Human nature is such that people like to help other
people, particularly if they like you and you have done
something for them that they appreciate.
An even better way to use feedback is to ask what you did
that didn’t quite match their expectations.
We all know that it costs around ten times as much to get
new clients as it does to keep the one’s we already have
but once again, human nature dictates that the majority
of people are afraid to ask what they are doing wrong or
could do better.
A temporarily damaged ego is far better than a permanently
damaged public image, not to mention your bank balance.
There are seVeraL WaYs To generaTe This Kind of
BriLLianT feedBacK:
1. Design a feedback form for people to fill in after your
work is done. Offer them the opportunity to go in the draw
to win a prize if they return it. If you do this, just be aware
that your strike rate is likely to be quite low i.e. you won’t
get many of them returned. And of those you do get, some
will tell you what they think you want to hear rather than
upset you. Therefore, a good idea is to:
2. Assign the responsibility of following up on the phone
to a third party. Hire an independent person on a part
time basis to conduct a quick survey of
your customers. they will need to tell the
customer that they are independent and
encourage them to be completely honest.
this way you are more likely to get the real
oil from them which you can then use to
improve your service.
founder of PK sales Training, Paul Kernot is a highly respected new Zealand motivational speaker and corporate trainer. You can visit his website at www.paulkernot.com.
3. Join a business mentoring group. A guy I once
worked with now runs a business facilitating meetings
between business owners and key personnel around
New Zealand.
His company hand picks individuals in groups of 8 - 10 so
that they work together well. During the year they meet in
various locations around the country and as well as sharing
general business ideas, the whole team focuses on one of
the group’s business or particular challenge they are having
per meeting.
Human nature is such that people like to help other people, particularly if they like you and you have done something for them that they appreciate.
4. Join a mastermind group. A client
of mine last week told me of a coach/
mentor he is working with who has an
interesting addition to his programme.
each new client he takes on is introduced to his
last ten clients and joins their mastermind group.
this is a more localised version of the groups I
mentioned above. they meet regularly for a business
breakfast to share ideas and to gain inspiration and
encouragement from each other.
there are many other feedback ideas that businesses and
individuals can use.
The key is communication. You can’t get to where you
want to go without knowing where you currently are!
NZsM / APR 1st 2009 / 10
T H E I N T E R V I E W
since starting off in 2002 in a dingy flat
in south Auckland, Datum Connect
has built over 900 websites for
businesses throughout New Zealand and
Australia, and as far away as the UK and the
Netherlands.
From small beginnings, Datum Connect
is a finalist in this years prestigious BDO
Spicers under-$5million category of the Vero
excellence in Business support awards in
May.
Download the MP3 of NZ sales Manager’s
interview with hard working business
founder Danny Ing for some interesting and
humorous insights about building a best
selling business from scratch.
DOWNLOAD THE INTERVIEW HERE:
Danny Ing - Part 1.mp3 (9mb)
Danny Ing - Part 2.mp3 (9mb)
No Retreat, No surrender!danny ing, 34 year old founder of website design company datum connect shares his hard learned lessons on customers, staff, pain, and what it takes to build a successful business with no money, experience or management skills!
NZsM / APR 1st 2009 / 11
FRI 1 MAYtHu 30 APRLWED 29 APRILtue 28 APRIL
MON 27 APRILtHu 23 APRILWED 22 APRIL
tue 21 APRILMON 20 APRIL
WED 15 APRILtue 14 APRILMON 13 APRILFRI 10 APRIL
tHu 9 APRILWED 8 APRILtue 7 APRILMON 6 APRIL
FRI 24 APRIL
SUN 26 APRIL
sAt 25 APRIL
suN 19 APRIL
sAt 18 APRILFRI 17 APRILTHU 16 APRIL
suN 12 APRIL
sAt 11 APRIL
suN 5 APRIL
sAt 4 APRIL
FRI 3 APRWED 1 APRIL tHu 2 APRIL
SUN 3 MAY
SAT 2 MAY
NZsMCALeNDAR
Managing Difficult CustomersZealmark GroupAuckland
sales Prospecting seminareMA NorthernAuckland
“Creative or Just Competitive?”Rev sales NetworkAucklandCold Calling Workshoptop Achievers sales trainingAuckland - Eastsales Basics seminarGeewizChristchurch
Key Account ManagementDavid FormanWellington
Key Account ManagementDavid FormanWellingtonsales skills 1Zealmark GroupAucklandHit the Road Running sales seminartop Achievers sales trainingAuckland
Hit the Road Running sales seminartop Achievers sales trainingHamilton
sales ManagementGeewizWellington
sales skills 2Zealmark GroupAuckland
Networking Workshoptop Achievers sales trainingAuckland - West
Introduction to supervisionZealmark GroupAuckland
Professional sales NegotiationsAchieveGlobalAuckland (April 22-23)sales Development David FormanAuckland (April 22-23)Workplace Coaching & MentoringZealmark GroupAuckland
Advanced serious sellingGeewizAuckland
Cold Calling & Prospectingtop Achievers sales trainingAuckland - South
sales PlanningDavid FormanWellington (April 20-21)
sales Development David FormanAuckland (April 20-21)
Hit The Ground Running Sales seminartop Achievers sales trainingChristchurchManaging through LeadershipZealmark GroupAucklandsales Basics seminarGeewizAuckland
sales skills Level 2eMAHamilton
sales skills Level 1eMAAuckland
sales Development David FormanChristchurch
sales Development David FormanChristchurch
sales Development David FormanChristchurch
sales Development David FormanChristchurch
Professional Prospecting skillsAchieveGlobalAuckland
Professional Prospecting skillsAchieveGlobalAuckland
Prospecting & New Business DevelopmentDavid FormanChristchurch
NZsM / APR 1st 2009 / 12
T W O M I N U T E T O P - U P
Are You Selling Yourself Short?
By Ann Andrews
creating a cV that stands out
Ihave just read of a caretaker position being advertised.
700 people applied for the job!
Imagine the poor person who had the enormous task of
wading through 700 CVs. Do you think he/she would
have read every CV? I think not. I’m sure they would have
found ways to weed out the vast majority – at best, they
would have gone through 30 or 40 and the rest would have
probably gone into the recycling bin.
so how do you get your CV to stand out if there are
hundreds of people chasing the same job? Not so long ago,
if a job was advertised, most owners or employers would
probably have received two or three enquiries. Suddenly,
the jobmarket has changed beyond recognition. Now
managers will be receiving more CVs than they will be
able to cope with and they will find ways to ditch anything
that doesn’t stand out in some way, shape or form.
In this article I want to share some tips for preparing your
CV so that it will get noticed. And please remember, your
CV isn’t designed to get you the job, it is designed to get
you the interview.
PREPARING A CV
In readiness for creating a CV – write a story about every
job you have ever had; the skills you learned and your
achievements along the way. then…..
1. Condense that info into a really short and sharp synopsis
– no more than 3 – 5 pages. And even those pages need
lots of white space. use bullet points rather than sentences.
Busy managers do not have time to go through 55 pages
of everything you have ever done in your life. the aim of
this preliminary exercise is to write the story for yourself; to
remind you of all the amazing things you have achieved in
your working life.
2. Put a photo in your CV. Two schools of thought here –
some think “Yes” put a photo in your CV to make you more
memorable. Others think “No” – particularly if you are not
photogenic (and some of us aren’t). If you don’t photograph
well, then leave it out! If you do decide to put one in the CV,
then make sure it is a corporate looking photo – no cleavage
(women) …no shirt open to the waist (men – or women!).
3. Abbreviate your qualifications – most people know
what a BCom or an MBA is – you don’t need to go into
masses of detail.
4. Make sure you mention any recent training –
organizations do like to know that you are a life-long
learner. But make sure it is recent training, no-one is
interested in something you did 20 years ago.
In particular highlight any training that is relevant to the job
being advertised.
NZsM / APR 1st 2009 / 13
ann andrews csP is a consultant on human resource issues, a professional speaker, and Md of The corporate Tool-box. Visit her website at www.thecorporatetoolbox.com.
5. Have some very strong testimonials – include contact
details so references can be checked. Don’t ask relatives for
testimonials.
6. Make sure you mention ways you can add value to the
organization in particular mention skills and results you
have achieved. But don’t lie. You will be found out.
7. If you are not good at writing – pay a professional to do
it for you – after all this is a document which is designed to
‘sell’ you. What are you worth?
8. If applying on-line – keep it short and simple
but ‘bold’ your achievements – they will stand out.
DON’T USE CAPS – IT FEELS AS THOUGH YOU ARE
SHOUTING!
9. use a coloured cover and put your CV into a
coloured envelope or sleek, slim, black box – it will
stand out.
10. Hand deliver your CV if possible – and make
sure you impress the receptionist – in my own case,
I used to ask our receptionist to put a smiley or a
not smiley on the application depending on how
well the applicant had treated the receptionist! First
impressions count.
11. Include a link to a 2 minute video of yourself
12. Get one of your referees to make a 3 minute audio about
how great you are and what you did for their company.
13. Have a generic CV for highlighting the key points of
your career to date, but make sure you tailor your CV to suit
each job you apply for – different jobs will need to draw on
different parts of your skills, talents and experience.
14. Google yourself. See what is on Youtube, Facebook
and MySpace, and any of the other social networks – this
process is used more frequently than most would be
employees realize – if you are presenting a professional
image in your CV and you have a Youtube clip of yourself
half naked at a drunken party, which image is going to
make the biggest impression? I don’t know how you get
such photos removed, but I would move heaven and earth
to remove them.
15. Be enthusiastic when you write your CV and letter
to the company – that may sound very strange, but
enthusiasm comes across, even in a written document. If
you don’t get enthusiastic about what you have to offer –
who will?
16 Believe in yourself. If you have recently been made
redundant, you are probably feeling pretty battered.
17. try and do things that keep you busy and
motivated, use the time to go to the library and find
out what is happening in the world; in the market; in
your industry. I know a number of people who have
been made redundant; found another job and then
wished they had used the time to paint the kitchen,
or clear up the garden. But most of all, do things that
make you feel good about yourself, because when you
get that interview, you want to present that wonderful,
cheerful and energetic you!
NZsM / APR 1st 2009 / 15
Tom somerville is a co-founder and director of Brokers independent group. Visit his website at www.biggroup.co.nz.
F O C U S O N S E L L I N G : I N S U R A N C E
I started my insurance career with Prudential 11 years
ago. At that time the recruitment process seemed to be
one of mass recruitment and self selection. since then
I’ve seen many come and go in our industry and have tried
to nail that X-factor that would identify a broker as a sure
bet. trouble is it isn’t that easy to pick when recruiting.
Here are some of my observations.
Sometime in the first 12 months each new entrant who
succeeds at above average levels will get to what I call the
“Caesar point”. This is where they burn the ships behind
them and make a full commitment to becoming the best
they can at this chosen profession.
these people have the ability to make powerful
commitments and keep to them. I remember making such
a decision myself. I decided that if I couldn’t succeed at
this, I would never succeed at anything. That decision was
the making of me both professionally and personally.
Another example of this is we have a recent recruit in our
team at the moment. All the
profile testing said don’t touch
him, not teachable. Yet this guy
was given the chance because
he promised he would not let us
down. He is currently the most
Have You Got What It Takes?Ever thought about selling insurance? In the first article in a two-part series, insurance expert tom somerville offers some insights into what it takes to succeed as an insurance sales professional.
successful consistent new team member amongst a group
of six new brokers.
the insurance industry is both beautiful and brutal. It was
described to me once as the easiest “hard job” and the
hardest “easy job”.
I say “brutal” because your effectiveness gets measured in
dollars every month. There is no hiding from it. Whether
you are succeeding or failing comes right down to an
indisputable number. This causes some to try and hide,
some to quit and others to strive for improvement.
It’s ‘beautiful’ because the factors that determine everyone’s
success are found between their ears. It’s a journey in
personal challenge and self development. A complete
mind game. It is human nature to progress to the next
personal barrier that keeps a lid on us. We stay where it is
comfortable until we are ready to confront and grow again.
For those who make that commitment to face up and grow,
who are coach-able and disciplined, financial rewards can
come relatively quickly. It is normal for a new broker to earn
in excess of their pre-insurance income within the first year.
Jim Rohn said, “If you want to get to the top, stay in line.” I
like this because with most industries the longer you stay and
keep growing, the better it is. People usually leave because
they get to a barrier and blame the business not themselves.
To succeed in professional insurance sales, the key is a
willingness to commit to your own personal growth, and
taking full personal responsibility for your own success.
the insurance industry is both beautiful and brutal
NZsM / APR 1st 2009 / 16
NZsM / APR 1st 2009 / 17
R E S O U R C E C O R N E R
How management
can effectively
rid themselves of
‘monkeys’ - other people’s
responsibilities that cling
to them and prevent them
managing efficiently.
This book explains in simple-minded if abstract
terms how to achieve a balance between supervision
and delegation for reduced tension and improved
productivity in the work-place.
“There is a high correlation between self-reliance
and morale,” stress the authors. With humor and
logic they describe the delicate business of assigning
monkeys to the right masters and keeping them
healthy, ie, fed, and cared for, “...If monkeys are
managed properly, you don’t have to manage people
so much.”
If you’re a fan of The One
Minute Manager series this
installation is a must have.
The one MinuTe Manager MeeTs The MonKeYBy Ken Blanchard Published by HarperCollins Business
$23.67 from
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Don’t wish it were easier, wish you were better.Jim Rohn