MOST Analysis

Mission Statement

Selling is essential in any leadership role – whether you are selling a product, service, concept or yourself. There is a new way of selling – one where you can sell authentically by “serving” not selling. Discover how to master the sales conversation without feeling icky about it. Learn the S.E.R.V.E. Sales Success Formula for selling authentically with ease. Discover how you can inspire your ideal clients to say YES to taking action/working with you – closing sales like it’s second nature. You will have the opportunity to practice your skills by role playing with your fellow participants to ensure you have mastered the S.E.R.V.E. Sales Success Formula.

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Objectives

01. History of Sales: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
02. Selling Principals: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
03. Psychology of Sales : departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
04. Women in Sales: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
05. Pain to Solution: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
06. Research and Prioritize: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
07. Use Storytelling: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. 1 Month
08. Building Trust: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
09. S.E.R.V.E Formula: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
10. Easeful Follow Up: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
11. Handling Objections: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
12. Selling Confidently: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month

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Strategies

01. History of Sales: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
02. Selling Principals: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
03. Psychology of Sales : Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
04. Women in Sales: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
05. Pain to Solution: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
06. Research and Prioritize: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
07. Use Storytelling: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
08. Building Trust: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
09. S.E.R.V.E Formula: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
10. Easeful Follow Up: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
11. Handling Objections: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
12. Selling Confidently: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.

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Tasks

01. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze History of Sales.
02. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Selling Principals.
03. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Psychology of Sales .
04. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Women in Sales.
05. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Pain to Solution.
06. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Research and Prioritize.
07. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Use Storytelling.
08. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Building Trust.
09. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze S.E.R.V.E Formula.
10. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Easeful Follow Up.
11. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Handling Objections.
12. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Selling Confidently.

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Introduction

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Authenticity is the most important virtue salespeople can demonstrate in today’s selling environment, even if it means showing your hand earlier than you would in a poker game.

The old world: One-way information flow from seller to buyer.

Previously, salespeople largely controlled the flow of information in the buyer-seller relationship. Buyers were forced to rely on salespeople to provide the information they required to make purchasing decisions, including pricing, product specifications, and customer evidence.

The old sales world was like a high stakes poker table, with buyers and sellers wearing dark sunglasses and headphones to avoid tipping their hand. Negotiations were disjointed, trust was low, and these processes frequently resulted in buyer’s or seller’s remorse.

If you’ve tried to buy software in the last two decades, you’ve probably encountered the old world of sales. As a buyer, you were most likely greeted with something along the lines of:

“Are you interested in our product?” Please complete this contact form, and a sales representative will contact you within the next 5-10 business days.”

That was the status quo – buyers were expected to provide a laundry list of information about their company without providing any insight into critical questions such as:

• Will this product be useful to me and my team?

• How much time and effort will it take for me to see any benefit?

• How much will purchasing this product actually cost me?

As business professionals, we understand how this information gap benefits salespeople by giving them more control and leverage over a deal. It’s the same advantage you have in poker when an opponent is unaware of your hand, and you can take advantage of the situation to your advantage.

This one-sided relationship does not lead to a win-win opportunity. Customers were at the mercy of salespeople in the old world of sales, making questions like “Is the sales rep telling me the whole story?” or “Am I getting a good deal?” impossible to answer. Bluffing is entertaining in poker, but less so in business.

The new world: A two-way conversation between buyers and sellers.

Thank goodness that the buyer-seller dynamic has shifted dramatically in recent years. We’ve progressed from buyers and salespeople keeping their cards close to their chest to both parties laying their cards on the table. This is primarily due to two factors:

1. Buyers are much more educated these days due to an unlimited access to information at their fingertips.

2. Buyers want to buy from an individual/company that they know, like and trust.

To add value, we need to go beyond product information and walkthroughs.

In my experience, we must first be authentic, which means removing our poker face in favor of a friendly smile. Buyers today expect candid and transparent conversations, and our goal as salespeople should be to create a mutually beneficial partnership with our customers. Being more transparent as a salesperson may be unsettling at first, especially if you were taught to keep your cards close to your chest, but the benefits of being transparent and authentic outweigh the discomfort.

Males have traditionally dominated the sales industry. Women are still underrepresented today. According to a 2014 study conducted by law firm Fenwick & West LLP, women held only 11.7% of senior sales executive positions among Silicon Valley’s 150 largest companies.

When it comes to pay, women are also at a disadvantage. Female salespeople are paid 63 cents for every dollar earned by their male counterparts. Oracle Corporation is one of several companies that have been sued for allegedly paying male sales representatives more than female sales representatives.

“Why aren’t there more women in sales?”

The real question is, “Why do we need more female salespeople?”

1. Women Are Good at Sales

First and foremost, women are excellent salespeople. According to HubSpot, women are 5% more likely than men to close a deal.

Furthermore, Professor Joel Le Bon of the University of Houston’s Bauer College of Business Sales Excellence Institute examined the sales performance of his 989 students over a seven-year period. The findings revealed that female top performers outnumbered male top performers by 62.5%. In addition, female top performers outperformed male top performers by 73.9%.

2. Women Can Improve Your Bottom Line

A diverse set of perspectives, ideas, and backgrounds benefits your bottom line.

Let the numbers speak for themselves on this one. According to a University of Illinois at Chicago study, companies with greater gender diversity are 15% more likely to profit. Furthermore, companies with a higher proportion of female board directors have a 42% higher return on sales than companies with a lower proportion of female board directors.

3. Women Can Help You Improve Your Customer Connection

Not only will having women on your sales teams benefit your bottom line, but it will also help you connect with your customers more effectively. To approach customers with empathy, your sales force should reflect the diversity of your customer base. Peak Sales Recruiting puts it succinctly:

“A more diverse sales force is also more likely to reflect the make-up of customer organizations and to have representatives who can connect and cultivate strong relationships with a diverse customer base.” If everyone in the sales organization looks the same and has similar experiences and points of view, they may struggle to find common ground with customers and prospects.

Women have traits and skills that make them natural salespeople, such as the ability to build trust, nurture relationships, listen, and make recommendations.

Let’s face it selling is difficult. It’s not for the faint of heart, and it takes the right selling approach to be truly successful.

Even though many are women are designed to be great salespeople they frequently struggle with sales due to lack of confidence.

Building your confidence in sales is an often-overlooked key to becoming a great seller.

In fact, you will never be able to sell effectively unless you develop sales confidence. It is absolutely essential for your success.

Confidence in sales means closing sales, building rapport with prospects, and demonstrating the value of your offering.

Prospects will begin to think, “They don’t need me, but I definitely need them,” when you have genuine sales confidence.

Studies show that only 31% of salespeople effectively communicate with senior executives.

This is due to the fact that the majority of salespeople lack the confidence to sell at a higher level.

When you gain confidence in sales, you will be perceived as a trusted advisor who provides genuine value to prospects.

In the Authentic Selling Workshop, we reveal a new way of selling – one where you can sell authentically by “serving” not selling.

You’ll learn relationship selling principles, solution focused selling techniques, how to research and prioritize leads, build trust with your prospects, and how to overcome any objections. You’ll also discover how to master the sales conversation without feeling icky about it. Learn the S.E.R.V.E. Sales Success Formula for selling authentically wi