How many of us have led a sales meeting that sounds like this?:
"OK, everyone, before you run off, let me show you our new mobile program.
"We have a baby bear package for $10,000.
"A mama bear package for $25,000.
"A papa bear package for $35,000.
"I have put together some collateral that spells out the features and benefits of each package.
"Next week in your one-on-one meetings, I want a list of clients to whom you are going to present this program.
"And in the next few days, I will be unveiling a bonus program for the people who sell the most packages."
Sound familiar? My guess is that if you haven’t led that meeting, you have certainly attended it.
We talk to Sales Managers who express frustration that the tools they are trying to monetize either don't get presented to enough clients or don't sell for enough money.
The first place to look for answers is the way the manager introduces the program in the first place. When you present a new program to your sales team, you are modeling the way you want your sales people to present it to their clients.
So if all you do is list the tools and the benefits in a generic way, that is exactly what your sales people will do.
Any sales person who was paying attention when you introduced that new mobile program is going to run to her desk, contact one of her favorite clients and say, "We have a brand new mobile program. I need to come down to show it to you!"
The client, who already loves her, is going to say, "Great. Come on down."
The sales person will get to the client's office and – right there on the client's desk – she will imitate the way you introduced the package to her.
"We are launching a new mobile program.
"We have a baby bear package for $10,000.
"A mama bear package for $25,000.
"A papa bear package for $35,000.
"Here's the collateral with the details of each program.
"Look them over and let's talk next week about whether you want to buy any of them."
Oh and by the way, that client meeting counted as a presentation.
So, is the program being presented? Technically, yes, but not in a way that will ensure it gets sold or much less create any sort of premium for your tools.
Let me give you two concrete tips for the next time you introduce a new tool to your team.
Tip #1 - Get the sales team involved in customizing the tool that you have just outlined.
You will need to prepare for the meeting by bringing the name of a client, some basic information about that client's marketing situation, and a reasonable marketing objective.
Now, facilitate a brainstorming session in which your team develops ideas on how to customize the elements of the program you have just introduced to create a result for the client.
It would be even better if you allow enough time to discuss two different clients so your team could see how the same tool could be customized to accomplish two different marketing objectives.
Tip #2 - Always carve out time in the next series of one-on-one meetings to review the new tool and how it might help specific clients within each sales person's enterprise.
One-on-one meetings give your sales people a chance to become vulnerable and ask questions that they would not ask in a full staff meeting, like, "I don't know how to sell something like this," or, "I'm a little nervous about how to justify the cost."
After you have met with every seller, they'll have a better sense of how to present the new tool, and you'll have a better handle on which clients are actually going to see a custom presentation in the next few days.
Yes, it's a little bit more work. But we know it will make you more money.