• You find that you’re sending out a lot of proposals, yet you’re not getting many of the engagements

• Or your potential clients don’t make a buying decision after your sales presentations -- they put it on hold, or simply say they’re going to keep looking

• Or your potential clients often say, “That’s too much – can you do it for less?” And wait for you to lower your prices.
   

Here’s the good news! Now there’s a way to solve those challenges. And more.

My career was as a top salesperson, sales manager and in sales technology (CRM). I sold to C-Level executives, and VPs and managers in Fortune 500 and Big 5 firms, including: Citibank, Bank of America, Chase, Watson Wyatt Worldwide, Ernst & Young, Walgreens, Hewitt Associates, Gateway 2000, Edelman Public Relations, Cellular One, and GE Capital. I had a huge geographic sales territory at one point. And managed national programs for PricewaterhouseCoopers. That meant a lot of time in airports back and forth across the U.S. And designing sales presentations to fit the different cultures of the executives I sold to.

For example, in New York, you have about 30 seconds to grab someone’s attention. You must be quick and on target with your Value Statement, and answer the question, “Why should I listen to you?” in less than 10 seconds. Or you lose them. . . . Gone. Lost. Forever.

In Chicago, if you jump in too quickly with your Value Statement and into business, it puts them off. Know the local news, sports, politics and challenges. Talk about them first – before you talk business.
In the west and southwest, be careful to not sound like you’re “breezing in from New York to sell them something”. That’s the worst thing you can do. They’ll cut you off in a minute, and you’ve lost them. Forever. Know the local news, sports, politics and challenges. Talk about them first – before you talk business. And be prepared to talk about your family, where you went to school, and how you came to be doing what you’re doing. Once they know you, business goes well.

Icebreakers for people in each state I traveled to made all the difference in starting the sales conversation on the right note. Call me at (877) 327-5058, and I’ll tell you the best icebreaker I ever discovered.

Here are some examples of challenges I’ve solved:

1. PricewaterhouseCoopers brought me in to start and manage a national selling skills program for partners and senior consultants. The partners and consultants were experts in their areas of risk management, auditing and employee benefits. They were not salespeople. Yet it was everyone’s job to bring in new clients. Especially those on the partner track. Before I came in, their thinking was, "We don’t have to sell. We’re Big 6. Clients come to us." All that changed. Everyone had to bring in new clients.
   
   
   Before the program started, it was up to me to get the buy-in of all of the Practice Leaders and Managing Partners of each office across the U.S, and their cooperation after the course to reinforce the new principles and techniques. I did that with a lot of traveling and in-person visits. The courses started, and the program went very well. The results were increased sales, and the size and scope of engagements as much as 25, sometimes more.

2. A Mission Impossible assignment came my way, too, at PricewaterhouseCoopers. You know, "Your mission, should you choose to accept it...". My mission was to get a CRM system implemented before Day 1 of the merger between Pricewaterhouse and Coopers & Lybrand, 3 months away. I pulled together the team, got the buy-in of partners, salespeople and the national technical support organization. And we got it done on time. Even the training of the salespeople across the U.S. Whew! All done on time.

3. One of the most challenging sales situations I faced was an invitation to give a presentation to a large commercial real estate company that wanted to choose and implement a CRM system for their brokers and agents. The invitation said:

"Be here on May 8th ready to give a 15-minute presentation to the 25-30 CRM Task Force members (some on teleconference lines). The decision will be made that day." What a challenge! (Or was this a "Mission Impossible?") I accepted.

Their philosophy was that 15 minutes is plenty of time to say what you do and why we should choose you. Any more than that, you haven’t cut through the clutter and B.S.

Fortunately, there was time to prepare, and prepare and prepare. I knew that the top sales producers often spent 2+ hours preparation for every hour of the presentation meeting. I spent more than that preparing, and listened to and took the advice of my mentors, Jerry and Iris Vass. I built the Call to Action and clear, vivid pictures so the task force would see in their minds what it would be like if they chose my firm.

All of us who were competing for the engagement sat in the same room to wait for the call, and then to wait for the final decision. (And talked! Very interesting.) The suspense built and built. Each person came out looking stressed and relieved at the same time. And had no comment for the rest of us as we waited.

I was the fourth of five to present. I went into a room filled with serious-faced brokers and agents, many sitting with crossed arms. I was to present from the front of the room. The teleconference star was on the table in front of me, clicking with static. I gave my presentation, with the strong opening question. Then illustrated with my vivid pictures why choosing me was clearly the best decision. They asked 3 relevant questions. After answering them, I returned to the room to wait. Two of us were called back into the room one at a time. And then we waited.

The answer came in 10 minutes. I’d won the 6-figure CRM consulting contract on the spot after a 15-minute presentation.

What I do works because of a unique combination of:

• analytical and problem-solving skills and abilities

• my seeing everything as a system, to be streamlined

• and designing the best solution and strategy for the desired outcome
   

I’ve always been motivated by streamlining and getting results. Even as a child. When I discovered the Scientific Method – coming up with a concept or idea, then testing it step by step until you get the "perfect" results – I knew that always be a part of what I did. I’ve always looked for faster, more streamlined ways to do things. Especially sales.
 

When I first started as a salesperson for a company that sold an accurate database of executives that companies used for their marketing, I asked the salespeople there how long it took and what the process was for selling the database. They all said that it took about 4-5 in-person visits (lots of time spent traveling), and easily 6-8 weeks, often longer. Well, that didn’t make sense to me at all, when the product was so good and exactly what Marketing Directors really wanted.

So I set out to see what made it take that long, and to streamline the process. A colleague and friend of mine, Iris Vass, always said, "It’s easy when you know the answer." Sure enough – it was easy to rephrase the Value Statement, redesign the sales presentation and the meetings so that the buyers decided and sent the contract in to me in 1-2 weeks, often with one sales visit.

Now you know my approach and examples of the results I achieve. Let’s talk right away to see how I can get similar results for you. Call me at (877) 327-5058 and we’ll get started.

We'll talk first about your situation, goals and desired outcomes. I’ll look for clues that the 5 Primary Sales Builders are in place. If you want a copy of my article on this simply fill in your name and email address below:

After our conversation, I’ll give you my recommendations and strategies that fit your situation and desired outcome. And several ways we can work together to achieve them.

I have designed modules and workshops for lead generation, prospecting on the Internet, creating and giving compelling sales presentations, compelling proposals and presentations, handling objections, what to say in tough situations, mastering follow-up and getting the most out of CRM systems.

The results I get don’t happen with a half-day workshop or presentation. So I don’t do them. We work together as partners to get the results you want. The most popular way to work is a combination of consulting, workshops and sales coaching.
Rather than my giving you a menu of what I can do for you, call me with a specific scenario, and I’ll tell you what I’ll do with it.

Sincerely,

P.S. I believe in the New Orleans custom of Lagniappe – which means "a little something extra". It's a Louisiana French word, derived from American Spanish la ñapa, and originally meant a gift given to a customer by a merchant at the time of a purchase, such as a 13th beignet when buying a dozen.

Call me at (877) 327-5058 or fill in your name and email address below:

And you’ll see what I mean about Lagniappe – a little something extra.