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Call Me After the Holidays

Sales Tip of the Week from Mike Leeds – Pro Sales Coaching

Call Me After the Holidays

If you haven't heard this comment from a prospect or customer yet, you soon will.

They may not want to see you until January; however, you certainly can try to set an appointment now for a future time in January.

It also is a common excuse not to see you at all. So, try to uncover the objection up front without being pushy.

Next time you hear this comment, instead of just calling back in January, consider a response like… "I certainly understand. Can we schedule a time now for a meeting after the holidays?"

Having appointments set up for the first couple of weeks in January will help you start the year strong. Otherwise, you may not be able to see these people until late January or even February – losing valuable time. If you sell a product or service with a recurring, repetitive, or a trailing revenue stream, getting a fast start to your year is critical. Mathematically, the first quarter of the year can be worth as much as 42% of your annual revenue opportunity or potential.

Lay the foundation now for a great 2024!

Have a great sales week & enjoy the holiday season!

What Salespeople can learn from a Chip Shot

Sales Tip of the Week from Mike Leeds – Pro Sales Coaching

What Salespeople can learn from a Chip Shot

This term is used in many sports (and some have different meanings). Kicking off the topic of this post, we'll talk about a short field goal which many commentators will call a routine "chip shot." These close-range field goal attempts could be closer in yardage than an extra point attempt (in the NFL). Many times, the commentators will predict these scoring attempts as automatic.

How does the kicker respond to this field goal attempt? Do they prepare the same as if it were a 50-yard attempt?

Now, let's compare this to other sports. How does a golfer prepare for a 1-foot putt after sinking a 20-foot putt on the previous hole? How does a basketball player to prepare for a slam dunk after just hitting a 3-pointer? How does a soccer player or hockey player prepare for a point-blank shot on goal?

As a sports spectator, I've seen the participants take these scoring opportunities as automatics and end up missing the shot or scoring attempt too many times. In some cases, this "miss" could cause the individual or team to lose.

How this can happen to these athletes:

1. They perceived the shot as easy and didn't follow their routine or process.
2. They rushed the scoring attempt.
3. They didn't factor other conditions that are present (the defense of the opponent or weather conditions).
4. They may not consistently practice the "easier" scoring opportunities.

How salespeople can respond to similar situations:

1. Follow the same process for a small sale that you would for a large sale.
2. Take the time to make sure everything is ready (no rushing or short cuts).
3. Be aware of external issues and be prepared to address them if they arise.
4. As the author Harvey Mackay would say "perfect practice makes perfect." Make your approach so well-rehearsed it becomes second nature.

Have a great sales week!

What Salespeople can learn from Dogs

Sales Tip of the Week from Mike Leeds – Pro Sales Coaching

What Salespeople can learn from Dogs

As a dog lover, I can tell you that dogs have two qualities that can be translated into the sales world:

1. Understanding how they can benefit (what’s in it for them.)
2. An incredible sense of loyalty.

First, dogs seem to always want to know, "what's in it for me?" The opening of a cellophane or plastic bag may signify something different to a dog than to its owner (i.e. potato chips versus doggie treats). They recognize the sound of the crumpling even before they smell the contents. If it's meant for them (or if it's dropped on the floor one too many times, and they think it's theirs) they'll come running. If it's something not intended for them (or they don’t like it) they'll continue with their current activity and not pay attention.

Second, the simple fact is that dogs are loyal to the ones who feed them, play with them, and care for them. They'll protect their owners, unconditionally love their owners, and always stand by (or lay down by) their owners.

These qualities can be translated to how sales people should work with the customers:

1. Understand what's important to your customers - and satisfy their needs through benefit-rich applications.
2. Create trust and rapport with your customers - which will translate into long-term loyal relationships.

Have a great sales week!

Image is Everything!

Sales Tip of the Week from Mike Leeds – Pro Sales Coaching

Image is Everything!

Now more than ever, first impressions are extremely important. In a fleeting second, we can form an opinion that is hard to change. Today, we have more tools to help us make that first impression (like web cameras, internet searches, and social media).

Some examples I've seen lately that could be fatal to your sales efforts:

1. A Real Estate Agent's name on a sign in front of a house that looks abandoned and not maintained. What does this say about the agent whose name is on the sign? How about their desire to sell the house?

2. A Copywriter that continually sends out newsletters or email broadcasts with misspellings, typos, and grammar issues. How will they communicate the value that you offer?

3. A Retail Men's Clothing Salesperson whose clothes don't fit well. Yeah, I want this guy to help me.

4. An Auto Detailer driving a dirty car. At least it didn’t say "wash me" on the back window.

One thing is consistent with these examples – attention to detail. As the saying goes – "you don't get a second chance to make a first impression." Take pride in yourself and how others see you. If your name (company name) is on it – that tells people what they can expect from you. It's also a statement about your credibility.

You are a specialist in your area, and image is everything!

Have a great sales week!

How to Email a Goldfish

Sales Tip of the Week from Mike Leeds – Pro Sales Coaching

How to Email a Goldfish

A goldfish has an attention span of nine seconds, but people may lose concentration after eight seconds (according to a 2015 Time article citing a Microsoft study), and more recently, comments from Apple TV's Ted Lasso. Basically, assume everyone has a short attention span (like a goldfish) and you will never go wrong. To maximize the chances of people reading your emails, please consider the following tips:

1. Embrace the Subject Line. What is your email specifically about?
2. Get to the bottom line in the first two paragraphs (assuming the first paragraph is an introduction/welcoming paragraph). Just Say It!
3. Details and the back-story should be optional reading later in your email. Some people will read it, while others will not. Be careful not to introduce an important nugget of information at the end of a long email since many people will miss it.
4. If possible, fit your email into one screen shot so people do not have to scroll down to get more information. If it must be a long email, you are increasing the chances of important information being missed or the whole message just being deleted. You must get the reader’s attention in that first screen to compel them to scroll down.

With today’s technology of instant information and multitasking, more people seem to be exhibiting shorter attention spans more than ever. When creating your next email, ask yourself if a goldfish would have the patience to read it.

Special thanks to the creators of Ted Lasso, CliffsNotes, SparkNotes, BookRags and Shmoop.

Have a great sales week!

“You Better Have a Warrant.”

Sales Tip of the Week from Mike Leeds – Pro Sales Coaching

“You Better Have a Warrant.”

The topic of this blog is “Dressing for Success” and is based on a true story about one of my first sales calls.

At the end of October 1981 after 3 months straight of training with AT&T, I was out in the field and ready to finally see customers. These were the last couple of years of the traditional AT&T Bell System, and the divestiture of AT&T was already being planned. I was part of the “new” AT&T sales force which would operate in the competitive post-divestiture environment.

The new AT&T employees were indoctrinated to a very formal training process that rivaled companies such as IBM and Xerox. On our first day, we were given the book “Dress for Success” and instructed to use this information to create our wardrobe. The corporate dress code in 1981 Phoenix was “business casual.” It was rare to witness someone dressed in a suit and tie; especially during the weeks between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

After completing my training, I reported to my office on Phoenix’s Central Avenue in my navy-blue suit with a solid white long sleeve dress shirt (I don’t recall the color of my tie but would be willing to bet it was red). My assigned territory was the lodging/hospitality market, and I had scheduled an appointment with one of my new accounts. These were exciting times, and after 3 months of training I was glad to be out in the field. Instead of driving our own cars for our business appointments, we used vehicles from the Mountain Bell Motor Pool. The car I was assigned was a late 1970’s Dodge Coronet (a popular car model of police departments at the time). The Mountain Bell logos on the doors were faded, and the 4-door white car was also equipped with spotlights, simple hub caps, and black-wall tires.

The account I was visiting was located on Van Buren St (the “red light” district of the city). As I pulled into the parking lot of the motel, people started scattering and I wondered what was going on. I got out of the car, put on my suit jacket, and walked in the front door. Some additional “guests” made a quick exit as I approached the registration desk. The motel manager, wearing a tank-top style t-shirt and shorts, quickly walked up to the desk as I was taking off my sunglasses and said, “This time you better have a warrant”. I was stunned by this comment and responded by saying, “Sir, I’m from the phone company, and…”. The angry manager cut me off said, “You’re not a cop… so get the $#&! out!”

I was devastated as I returned to my office. My manager and some of the veteran Account Executives had a hard time containing their laughter when they heard my story. I thought I was set-up, and this was some sort of rookie hazing. It was not. I was one of three Account Executives assigned to the Lodging market and had a variety of property types ranging from the Van Buren motels to some of the larger resorts in the valley. Our directive was to dress in business attire (suit and tie) for all sales calls. This worked fine for the business hotels and resorts, but I still had several lodging properties where this attire wouldn’t work. It took me over 2 weeks to get special approval to “dress down” to visit the balance of my accounts.

Finally, approval came, and I dressed in a Mountain Bell polo-style shirt and business casual slacks. At the motor pool, I picked up an AMC Gremlin (which hardly can be confused with a police car) and returned to the motel where I was asked to leave. This time, no guests scattered as I entered the property. I introduced myself to the manager who was dressed about the same as he had been the last time, we “met.” After we both apologized to each other about the event from a couple of weeks back, we had a great business conversation. Within a couple of weeks from that point, I closed the sale.

Bottom line: I suggest working to find a balance between respect for the customer’s comfort level and the image you are portraying as a representative of your company. This is a major factor in building business relationships. Also, this situation temporarily scared the crap out of me for my selection of a career.

Have a great sales week!

Are you focused on “Base Hits?”

Sales Tip of the Week from Mike Leeds – Pro Sales Coaching

Are you focused on "Base Hits?"

Baseball coaches will consistently tell you that base hits win baseball games. Home runs are nice when they happen, and they look great in the highlight films. However, statistically speaking, they are much harder to hit. If you're trying to hit a home run, you have a greater chance of striking out or flying out. Part of this is mental, but physically the baseball swing is also altered to hit the ball over the fence.

Base hits by comparison are easier to obtain, and multiple base hits in an inning tend to result in runs being scored. Coaches refer to this as "putting the ball in play" (line drive or ground ball). Fielders will also tell you that it's easier to catch a fly ball then it is to catch a line drive or ground ball.

Converting this topic to sales has tremendous merit as well. Many smaller sales can equal a large sale. In my experience as a sales coach and sales manager, I have seen countless sales people struggle with this concept. They put "all their eggs in one basket" hoping for the "big one" to come through. If it does, they are rock stars. If not, they have nothing to show for their efforts. Concentrate on a balanced sales pipeline with all sizes of sales opportunities, but dominated by small and mid-sized opportunities. There are a lot more "base hit" sales out there, and the sales cycle may be considerably shorter than with larger opportunities. Additionally, building loyalty with these customers may lead to additional sales over time (both large and small). Some larger sales develop as a result of several smaller sales. The "home run" sales will come (sometimes when you least expect them), but don't count on them to "make or break" your sales year.

Have a great sales week!

Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?

Sales Tip of the Week from Mike Leeds – Pro Sales Coaching

Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?

This blog title may sound familiar – it’s a 70’s song title from the group Chicago…

Daylight Savings Time started this past Sunday for most of the USA. I’ve assembled some helpful tips to keep in mind when dealing with customers or prospects across the country.

48 of the 50 states follow Daylight Savings Time (DST). The exceptions are Arizona and Hawaii, along some of the Native American Reservations, and the U.S. Territories of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. 

1. When making phone calls across the country, maximize your results by considering the time zone you’re calling. For example, west coast salespeople may want to start their day by calling the east coast. Since it’s coming up on lunch time in the Eastern Time Zone and nearly half of their workday may be over. (If you specialize in calling back east, you may want to alter your workday and get an early start – vice versa if you’re calling from east to west.)
2. Never assume that the number you are calling is physically located in that area code or time zone. With the portability and mobility of today’s wireless technology, many people keep their established cell phone numbers when they relocate (in addition to traveling). For example, one of my neighbors here in Scottsdale has a 310 area code (Los Angeles) for his work/cell number. He relocated here from L.A. a couple of years ago and his number is well circulated among his client base. If you’re not sure about someone’s location, ask what time zone they’re in. This is very common today, and soon area codes as whole may be totally blurred or irrelevant.
3. When making a phone appointment, always use the customer’s time zone as a reference point. To reduce confusion (especially if you’re in AZ or HI), you do the math. For instance, I look forward to speaking with you on Wednesday at 10:00am your time (or Central Time).
4. If you’re in one of the areas that does not participate in Daylight Savings, using the name of your “standard” time zone can be very confusing and can create many issues. For example, if I schedule a conference call and state that it starts at 8:00am Mountain Standard Time (since AZ isn’t on DST), my call participants may think I really meant Mountain Daylight Time and I’ll be an hour late. If you’re located in AZ, I suggest that you eliminate the confusion by adopting Pacific Daylight Time as your time zone (as opposed to repeatedly explaining to people that we’re still on Mountain Standard Time).
5. Take advantage of the additional hour when calling your customers in the European Economic Community during this period of DST.
6. In the last few years, DST has been extended by a few weeks. The time will change back to Standard Time on November 5, 2023. (Unless changed by Congress.)

Have a great sales day!

Chunking Down Your Sales Activities in 2023

Sales Tip of the Week from Mike Leeds – Pro Sales Coaching

Chunking Down Your Sales Activities in 2023

When exceeding sales quotas, there are two major challenges when looking at sales activities required to exceed quotas on an annual basis. First, the number can seem impossibly large and unattainable. Second, the large number of months remaining in the year can reduce the sense of urgency for immediate success.

When walking, I have different routes that range from 1.5 - 5 miles. I know these routes well, and can gauge at any point how far I've walked, how much further I have to go and how much time it will take. This gives me a sense of accomplishment, and helps me reach my target. On a shorter route that requires several laps to equal a mile, the sense of accomplishment can be even more immediate. It’s very easy to say, "just 1 more" and really stretch the target.

As mentioned before, when looking at annual sales activities that are needed to drive annual sales results, the number can seem overwhelming. For instance, it may be necessary to make 1,000 new contact attempts in a calendar year to assist with achieving a sales quota. Good things will happen to your sales results if you attempt 1,000 new quality contacts over the course of a year. 1,000 contacts may sound like a lot; however, chunking it down equates to only 4 new contacts per sales day. This is based on 250 workdays and is a very attainable number. This method works well if you can discipline yourself to achieve the daily activity, and will lead to 20 contacts per week. If some days are more challenging than others during the week for calls, you can spread the 20 contacts in different amounts for each day over the course of the week. The important item in this topic is to make sure you hit your daily target, and not wait until Friday to accomplish a week's worth of contacts. (At this point, the activity may not be completed or not completed at the quality level that is needed.)

After you calculate your "chunked down" sales activity target, consider the methods below to assist you with improved short-term success. These methods can be used on a weekly basis, but daily is highly recommended if your schedule permits.

1. Stroke Tally. Use a whiteboard, spreadsheet, or simple pad of paper that is visible and accessible in your workspace to track your success. You can track contact attempts, people reached or both. 
2. Marbles or Pebbles. This method involves moving items from one container to another container to track success as each activity is completed. Colorful marbles or pebbles in some sort of festive container that is visible and accessible in your workspace can help keep you motivated. 
3. Playing Cards or Flash Cards. For this method, you use cards to create a "count-down" of activities that need to be accomplished. A suit within a deck of playing cards gives you up to 13 (starting with the King as 13 and working downward through the suit to an Ace as a 1). Punch a hole in the upper corner of the cards and connect with a key ring or loop. Starting with the King (or whatever your highest activity number is), you can flip the cards over through the Ace to get to a blank card (which I recommend customizing to celebrate your accomplishment). Keep the key ring/loop with the cards on a hook in your workspace so they are always visible and accessible to help motivate you.

With any of these methods, your co-workers or teammates can also see your progress, celebrate your success, and help keep you on track. Using your imagination, there may be other methods you can develop to track your sales activities. The bottom line is to keep yourself motivated to attain daily/weekly targets - so whatever works best for you!

As with sales quotas, you can "over assign" the activity numbers. Rounding up or using higher numbers will help you compensate for vacation and holiday times. The results of "chunking it down" will dramatically improve your chances of blowing through your sales quota and maximizing your sales commission earnings potential.

Have a great sales week!

Aim for your Goal (not just your quota).

Sales Tip of the Week from Mike Leeds – Pro Sales Coaching

Aim for your Goal (not just your quota).

It's more than just semantics; these words have very different meanings yet are often confused in the sales world.

"Quota" is basically what the sales plan calls for a company (or a salesperson) to attain or reach a certain level of profitability. Essentially, this is the number that salespeople need to hit to keep their jobs. Another word that can be used in this scenario is "Expectation."

A "Goal" in the sales context is the number people should aspire to reach. It should be greater than the quota. As an example, a sales "quota" could be $1 Million - while the "goal" could be $1.2 Million.

Using the numbers above, a person could attain 98% of their "goal" ($1.18M), yet they still exceed their "quota" and finish the year at 118%. If a person uses the term "goal" in place of the word "expectation," it would be like receiving a kickoff at your own goal line and running it all the way to the other team's 2-yard line as the game clock expired – you didn't score (you were short by 2 yards).

Many years ago, I coached Girl's Softball. A challenge we faced was that the girls were getting thrown out frequently at first base. They seemed to slow down as they approached first base. So, I ran a drill that Softball and Baseball coaches everywhere probably run their teams through. I used my shoe to draw a line in the dirt about 10 feet past first base. This line was the point that I asked the girls to run to (and then look at the base coach to see if they should head towards second base or hold up at first by turning out). The result was that the girls were running at "full steam" when they hit first base. The goal was now a point beyond first base.

Your sales goal in 2023 should be a number greater than your sales quota/expectation. Blow through your quota – and shoot to exceed your goal!

Happy New Year & have a great sales week!