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Time Maximization in Sales
Segment 1:
Addressing the Time Stealers
Segment 2: Planning Your Daily Time Blocks
Segment 3: Managing Your Account Lists
Segment 4: Tools and Tips to Make Time Maximization
Permanent
Past Training Tips
Non-Verbal Communication
Negotiation Strategies That Win
Merged Selling
The Art of Renewing a Client
Time Maximization Strategies
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Time Maximization
In Sales
Getting The
Most Out of Each Moment
-By Greg Bennett
Segment 3:
Managing Your Account List
Properly managing our time in a
pro-active vs re-active fashion has been a consistent theme over the
first two segments in this four segment series on Time Maximization
in Sales. We will continue that theme as we address pro-actively
managing our customer and prospective customer lists. The key
again is to have a plan and work our plan or we won't "manage" our
list...it will manage us.
Some Mistakes Salespeople Make With
Their Lists and Some Recommended "Fixes":
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They haven't given each client
and prospect a rating based on some sort of criteria. Whether
you signify clients by A, B and C...or 1,2 and 3...or Red, White
and Blue, it's important that you come up with a ranking system
that signifies the level of priority this client represents.
-
The criteria you use to
prioritize clients or prospects could be -- amount spent (or
could spend)...size of the account...potential of account
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FIX: You should
immediately come up with some easy to remember and track
criteria for how to judge your clients, then your prospects.
Give each category a name (A,B,C...1,2,3,...etc.) Then
you should go through the list and determine where every
client and prospect fits...write it down next to the
account.
-
They treat each client and
prospect the same. If I spend $100,000 a year
with you, and someone else is spending $5,000 a year with you,
I'd expect to get better treatment (more focus...more
attention...more opportunities... more 'stuff'). Now it
would be great if we all had the time, energy and discipline to
treat EVERY client like he's spending $100,000 a year...but we
don't...so let's get back to reality. The unfortunate
truth is we usually treat all clients like they spend at the
lowest levels, not the highest. So given our limitations,
we need a way to make sure we're treating our clients and
prospects at a level that is appropriate.
-
FIX: Once you've
'tagged' a client with an A,B or C...you need to come up
with some standard ways you will service each client or
prospect type. These are just general rules of thumb,
doesn't mean you will follow this exactly every time...but
should be the "norm". Here are some example questions
one would use to determine a level of contact. I'm
sure there are many more you could add.
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How often do you need to
talk live with this type of client?
-
How often do you need to
send something (email, hand-written note, etc.)
-
How often do you need to
send a special "gift" or something that makes more
of a splash? (Weekly? Monthly? Quarterly?
Annually?)
-
They rely on their memory and
haven't standardized excellent service. Without an
orchestrated plan of attack and systems in place the level of
service and follow-up you provide will be sporadic based on how
busy you are.
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They have no idea how the client
wants to be managed or treated. I wish more
salespeople would ask me, "Hey Greg, when I'm calling on you,
how often do you want to hear from me? What types of
things would you like me to keep you up to date on? And what's
the best way for us to communicate? Phone. Email. In
person?"
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FIX: When
developing a follow-up and service plan with a client, ask
the following questions:
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"How
often do you want to hear from me, Bob?"
-
"What is
the best way to do that?"
-
"What
would be some things you'd like to see from me on a
regular basis...articles...ideas...etc.?"
-
"If we
plan on just sitting down and doing a 30,000 foot review
of what's happening, how often do you think we need to
do that?"
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NOTE: This is not
saying that we should give up our role as doctor and
expert...once the client gives their answer, we can always
come back with..."Okay, once every 6
months is fine, however we have new things coming out all
the time...I'll put down here that we'll do a sit down every
six months, but I'll make sure you're aware of our new
products every month...how's that sound?"
In our final segment in this series
we'll cover some strategies for making these ideas a part of a
longer-term solution and not just an immediate sugar pill that makes
us feel better for the moment.
===============================================================
Greg
Bennett, a partner in the innovative brand expansion and
consulting organization, Altitude Premium Consulting, LLC, has been one of the top sales and sales management
trainers in professional sports and entertainment since 1988. He
has created and delivered training programs for over 80+ professional
sports teams and leagues, along with several Fortune 500
companies. Altitude Premium Consulting provides training as
well as the creation of premium-branded goods for pro sports teams,
entertainment companies and
corporate sponsors, and is in a
partnership relationship with Kroenke Sports Enterprises,
owners of the Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, Pepsi Center, the
Colorado Mammoth and several other sports and entertainment entities
throughout the United States. Bennett can be reached at (303)
405-6110, or you can email Greg directly at gbennett@pepsicenter.com
.
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Altitude
Premium Consulting,
LLC
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