THE VISION COUNCIL
Moderator:Amber Robinson
03-25-15/6:50 am CT
Confirmation # 118508741
Page 1
THE VISION COUNCIL
Moderator: Amber Robinson
March 25, 2015
6:50 am CT
Michael Karlsrud:
I wanted to share with you that this is the first quarter of On the Road Sales Coach of which there will be three more by the time the year is out.And for those of you that are management and are with other companies, I want to let you know that we're launching through The Vision Council a customer service program that's going to be a podcast as well.
And I think that's going to launch in April and be quarterly as well.Same kind of a format except no call in.It'll be just a recorded podcast that your team will be able to download and talk about at a customer service training meeting.So things are beginning to expand as this is a free benefit from The Vision Council of America.
To assure that we maximize our time together, we ask that you keep in mind a few conference call tips.If you're driving because this is On the Road Sales Coach, please be using a hands-free device or pull off the road.We've muted everybody.And the reason why is that we don't get that wonderful background noise as you're driving to your next appointment.So star 6 to un-mute at the end of the program if you want to jump in and have a dialog.
Be respectful of those folks that are speaking today and only break in when asked for comments and questions just simply so we can keep the dialog going and what the program has been planned to do and what's been planned to be delivered.Please keep your comments brief.No soapboxing and don't disparage the conversation or your competition.
This training program was designed with your ideas and tactics that will positively impact your personal and professional development.And so no negative comments are really required or asked for and they won't be tolerated. My name is Mike Karlsrud.I'm the CEO of the Karlsrud Company.You can find me at if you want to give us feedback of today's program.
And with us we have our guest coach who was with us from last year as well.I find him to be one of the most engaging sales trainers I've ever met.He hails from Indianapolis, Indiana; Mr. Tim Roberts.Tim is the founder and Principal of Trustpointe an Indianapolis based sales leadership management training and consulting company.I've known Tim for a lot of years now and frankly I find him to be one of the most knowledgeable folks I know in the world of sales. So Tim, thank you for joining us once again this year for On the Road Sales Coach.
Tim Roberts: I'm delighted to be hanging out with my bubby and everybody else who gives a darn about their sales career.
Michael Karlsrud: Thank you.And for our 2015 opening On the Road Sales Coach Program we're going to begin where all sales begin.And I'm so delighted to have this topic because I was just out at a national sales meeting doing a whole training on the idea of prospecting, challenges and gatekeepers. We're going to talk about prospecting and getting through that gatekeeper, which you all said through a survey in the past was a really important topic.
While it's true that we have many unique approaches to opening up new doors, it's equally true that many, many more are outdated techniques just like everyone else uses and frankly we unwittingly deploy an amateurish kind of approach when we do this. Our guest coach Tim is going to join me as we explore this best of class prospecting practices.And today our goal is to walk away with the dos and don'ts of the gatekeeper madness, passive and active dating strategies and I like the idea of dating strategies; and then making the first call into a prospective customer.
Tim I'm going to let you get rolling on this beautiful hard topic, which is getting inside that gatekeeper's mind.So take it away.
Tim Roberts: Yes.Thanks Mike very much.
Tim Roberts: First of all folks, before I get rolling on this idea of prospecting, getting past the gatekeepers, what your sales call approach should look like.And believe me folks, this business of cracking through to new opportunities is a cold calling psychological game. And I don't mean cold calling literally where you pick up the phone all the time.I'll have comments on that in a minute.But you still have to break through.And it's a psychological game.And so I'm thinking of the TV show Survivor right now.And by the way, I do watch it.I know a lot of you on the call are going oh my gosh, he's one of those reality people.No.Don't judge me like that.Let that go.
I tell you I watch it because it's human behavior.I'm a student of human behavior as are all of you on this call I'm certain.That's what you do is read, study psychology in humans all the time because that's what we're doing in selling.But Survivor you got to think like they do; outwit outthink, outplay.Outwit, outthink, outplay and that's what the psychological madness of getting past the gatekeeper's all about.Can you outwit, outthink, outplay not just the gatekeeper but all your competition?And that's where we're going to really chunk down today.
Before I do that, I asked Michael for permission and I thought we'd call it in 2015 the Over the Road Sales Coach Quickie.And I've got a quickie for you today.A little off topic but I hear it so much from my folks in the optometry world.I hear it all the darn time; this issue about price.
And so I'm going to give you one little quick thought.The next time a prospect, a suspect, a potential buyer says to you well, we got to have a better price or it's all about price.The next time they say that, and for those of you who are not driving and who have a pen and a piece of paper, I want you to write this down.The next time somebody says I got to have the lowest price or I got to have your best price, here's what you say.“Agreed.Very critical.We always put our best foot forward.”And then don't say another word.
Let me do it one more time for those of you who are writing.When somebody says best price, got to have the better price, you just look at them and say “Agreed.Very critical.We always put our best foot forward.”
Folks, when they say we need a better price, all they're doing is negotiating.They're - you know they just hammer you for numbers all the darn time.So you have to convey right back with them.This is called - this is rapport.You are matching their belief system.They're only negotiating.It's a weak tactic on their part.They know most sales people cave to that.But you just say “Agreed.Very critical.We always put our best foot forward.”
And I know you always put your best foot forward because I know none of you have a business plan that says our intention is to gouge our customers and prospects.So tell them “Agreed.Very critical.We always put our best foot forward.” Okay.Let's start off with the - let's make a switch now.Sorry about that.I just...
(Crosstalk)
Michael Karlsrud: But Tim they're - Tim, one of the things that I teach - I'm just going to get my little thing in there.They're job is to shut the conversation down as quickly as possible and your job is to keep that conversation going. And that is where I've always seen that price objection coming up.So when they throw it out, you're right.Most people stammer and go “crap.”But...
Tim Roberts: Yes.
Michael Karlsrud: ...I look at it as they're just trying to stop this conversation and get rid of you.And the whole reason why we have techniques in sales is to be able to get the conversation started again.That's how I've always viewed it.
Tim Roberts: Yes.I agree.To me it's simple negotiating stuff.And when you take it away, it opens up the conversation.So after you say that, they're going to come back with a response.Now they're going to look at you like okay, you know, now what do we do. And then what they're doing is giving you permission to go okay then.Where do we go from here?And then you have an opportunity to go in a direction and take the stupid price thing off the table.I want that ended in the conversation earlier so you can get to the business of finding out why they would really buy from you.
Michael Karlsrud: Yes.All right my friend.Let's dive into Point Number 1.What are the dos and don'ts of this gatekeeper madness?What is this gatekeeper madness anyway?
Tim Roberts: Yes.Gatekeeper madness - first of all folks, let's put ourselves - and I do want you to think about this all the time.The big mistake that we often make in sales is we can't wait to sell.We're out there to sell our features and benefits, our products and make things happen.
If you put yourself into their shoes instead of our shoes - I mean really sit there, close your eyes, meditate for a second that you are the gatekeeper in any of the offices, any of the buildings that you're calling on and imagine their world.And imagine that you're the 23rd sales call, prospecting call they've had that morning already.Or the 15th person that's walked through the door saying I would like to talk to the decision maker.And imagine how they roll their eyes day after day after day of taking sales peoples' calls, hearing the exact same thing over and over again.
Michael used the word amateur just a while ago.And the definition of sales amateur is being the same as everybody else.Looking, sounding- just like everybody else.And I've interacted with enough of you and you all think you're unique and different.You tell me things like Tim, but here's what I do and here's how I approach and here's what - how nice I am.Okay.That's all good stuff.But the last 30 people just said the exact same thing to me.So first of all you have to understand you're coming across just like everybody else.
So style.Your own unique style.I think some of you heard me say before my reputation here in Indianapolis is two things.One is trusted advisor.I'm well known for that.And the other is odd little man.I've had lots of people on a sales call, you know, and presidents look at me and say, "Tim, you're an odd little man."And what they're actually saying is I dig you.You're okay with me.This has been a weird conversation but I want my people to sell like you.So do you have a style?Now that's kind of an easy one in my mind.But - and you know the easiest of all.First of all, always be pleasant and steady.Now here's I'm going to challenge you.Leave your enthusiasm in the car.
Enthusiasm has no place in sales.Pleasant and steady.For those of you who are familiar with the disc profile, D-I-S-C, how you want to come across 40 plus percent of the population in North America, a big number, identify with the S style, steady and stable.And certainly gatekeepers are either S’s or C’s.Very rarely are there I’s and they're never D’s.And so you have to start off by matching them behaviorally.Steady, calm, predictable and pleasant.Okay.That's day one stuff.I know you got that.
So what are the big points for me in getting past a gatekeeper?First of all ladies and gentlemen, you got to know the numbers.You have to understand in prospecting that buyers are very aware that most sales people will only make a couple of calls before they give up.The rule is between four and nine calls, before they start to really pick up the phone or engage you in a face-to-face conversation, I know lots of you do what I call drive bys or walk ins.It takes time.And the reason it takes time is because you have to build credibility in their mind.Let me do that again.You have to build creditability in their mind.And what you have to do is analyze the word credibility.What does credibility mean for them?How will they begin to perceive you as a credible resource of information that is a valuable asset to their office or their organization?
They're looking for trusted advisor resources.Credible.So you can't go around just passing out candies, leaving behind brochures of literature.They don't care about any of that.
Michael Karlsrud: Well that's a really good point but I also - not but.And I also want to share this.Statistically we've always said that it took about six to seven calls before somebody will even buy anything.And buy meaning buy you or buy your trial product or your trial service, whatever it might be.And statistically most sales people will quit at four.And what's ironic is that if I'm on a four week call cycle and ironically today is the end of March.So if I started calling on an account way back in January, they haven't given me anything and they won't give me anything for another 30 days, I'm going to probably get discouraged.Right.I'm going to probably sit back and go gee, I've been calling on this guy all year.Literally.I've been calling on this guy all year and they're not giving me anything.
And this is where most - I find statistically and looking at your numbers if I'm on a four week call cycle, I'm going to quit at the end of April.But what you're saying is hold it.We got to get to July.We have to get to July before the average person is going to sit back and say I think you're credible enough.
Tim Roberts: And Mike, that's where I think that this idea of dating comes in.Sales people are too quick to get engaged or to get married.I've often thought of it as they seen us as sales horny.You know, we just want to get in there (instead of) the first thing.And they actually want us to date them.So how do you date them?Is it just showing up in their office or picking up the phone and dialing them over and over?No.You got to be creative than that.
Another phrase - what the modern social marketers use - they refer to dating as teach content.Teach content.You have to teach them a little bit about you before they even want to make eye contact with you.And that's where Mike's saying you got to hang in there till past July.January to March is nothing.That's nothing in the scope of time.You've got to stay in the game with thoughtful stuff, not just the same old visit.My fear is that there are too many managers that are saying you got to be persistent.Just keep showing up.Well heck.That has nothing to do with trust or credibility.All that says is wear them down.And I don't now but I'm - I don’t' want to live a life where my plan is I wear people down.That's not a strategy.
Now Mike, the other thing about strategy too, the world has become both voicemail and email, even texting right now.I tell you, folks really have to get clear on having an email or a voicemail strategy.It's real easy for the gatekeeper now to say yes, just one minute please.I'll connect you to the doctor or I'll connect you to the VP, whatever it is.And then they're just sending you into their voicemail.They know that he or she is not going to pick up the phone.What is your voicemail or email strategy to get somebody to have a conversation with you?And we...
Michael Karlsrud: I was going to say that's a big thing.So how would you go about that because we're all struggling with that?How do you get - how do you garner enough attention that somebody wants to actually call you back?
Tim Roberts: Yes.For me in my world I have a - for voicemail I have a four call strategy and out.Now I say out folks because I have lots and lots of prospects I can call.If somebody is not going to respond to my call within four times it's really not a good prospect in the short-term so I'm going to close the file for probably nine months. In your world if you're calling on in each market, you've got - you have to apply a little bit different approach and I'll explain that in a minute.But my voicemail strategy is very similar to the email strategy.And for those of you that are employing an email strategy, let's say it was a four emails and out or five mails - emails and out.You know what you have to do.You got to be really jiggy, creative with the subject line.What do you put in the subject line?
For example, on mine.If I leave a - if I have a meeting with them or I leave an initial voicemail or email, the second thing in the subject line is simply going to be following up with you.The second email is going - the subject line is going to say pretty darn hard to get a hold with an exclamation point.And then the text in it is fun.And then the third email the subject line is I can't take a hint.And then the fourth one is - because this is actually the fifth text but it's called fifth times a charm.