As sales people we are taught to ask questions to find out valuable information about the prospect. We are taught to use a combination of open ended and closed ended questions to get the desired result but what about the questions themselves? I have learned that it’s not always what you ask but rather how you ask that is important. 

Art Sobczak, owner of Business by Phone and producer of the weekly TelE-Sales Tip suggests that anyone attempting to create leads by phone should make every attempt to gain commitment from the prospect instead of asking for permission. You can read Art’s article here. 

Essentially what Art is saying is that instead of asking a prospect for permission such as “Can I send you a proposal?”, gain commitment by asking “If I send you a proposal will you look it over and we can discuss it in more detail on Wednesday? Generating leads using this method, as we do at SCG’s Perfect Pitch Contact Center, allows you to more quickly move the prospect towards trial.

Many sales people mistake activity for accomplishment. If you’re calling someone just to “stay in touch” you won’t accomplish much more than making another call. The goal of prospecting is to move the prospect from unaware to trial as quickly as possible. This is done most cost effectively by setting goals for each call and gaining commitment to take appropriate next steps on future calls incrementally moving forward towards a trial of your product or service. The benefits of a prepared phone conversation was a topic for my blog earlier in the year.

Have you been guilty of calling for just the sake of calling?

Read more blogs at SCG’s 41 Stories.

 -Randy West

Recently, American Needle became one of dozens of companies that lost their contract when Reebok signed an exclusive 10-year agreement with the NFL to produce licensed apparel for all 32 teams. American Needle recently filed an antitrust lawsuit against the NFL for what they felt was a collaborative effort on the part of all 32 affiliated teams to keep them from manufacturing NFL licensed apparel. The U.S. Supreme Court however ruled unanimously against the NFL in their attempt to request broad antitrust protection against such cases. The high court stated that the NFL had to be viewed as 32 individual teams and not a collective business—particularly when selling branded apparel such as jerseys and caps.

The NFL is an interesting business model, and possibly no different than other franchised businesses. The primary responsibility for any corporation that sells franchises is to most importantly establish a singular brand identity. Having a set of rules and procedures to be followed by each franchise owner ensures the integrity of the brand remains intact. However, the question the court ruled on indicates that unlike a Subway or McDonald’s restaurant, each local franchisee is to be considered a separate entity.

When the NFL decided to award an exclusive contract to Reebok, they in essence dictated to each franchisee what their profit margin on branded apparel sales would be for the next decade. In order for any company to stay in business, they must have the ability to leverage the competitive landscape and negotiate their own deals with vendors which promotes fair competition to develop distinct products and set prices that ultimately determine their profit margins.

Competition is fierce among the NFL’s 32 teams for market share of their branded apparel. But the question is do they compete against other professional sports and entertainment options for branded apparel or compete among themselves? This ruling suggests the latter, and I’m hopeful it will set precedence in other sports leagues that may attempt to do the same thing.

What do you think of the Supreme Court’s ruling?

-Randy West

A couple of weeks ago while walking through the Minneapolis skyway, I happened across a temporary Panasonic showroom displaying the latest in 3D television technology. One of the highlights of the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show was Panasonic’s exhibit of their latest line of HD televisions.  The stunning visual effects allowed Panasonic to walk away with Best in Show honors for their TC-PVT25 series. I have to admit that I was both intrigued by and skeptical of this new technology.

I was absolutely floored by what I saw! After putting on their special glasses I could immediately see the difference in depth perception.  It was like watching TV through a window. In one scene my vantage point was directly above a juggler which allowed me to see the three balls rising right out of the television—I felt I would be hit in the face if I didn’t duck.  It was simply amazing. Unfortunately I am not one of the millions of people that have seen the recent Avatar movie, so my most recent 3D movie experience was watching Spy Kids 3D with my two boys a few years ago. The movie came with four pairs of cheesy blue and red colored glasses, and while the special effects of that movie were ok, they are nothing compared to what you see with this new technology. 

The cost of these new sets are about the same as what many people paid for last year’s higher end 2D models, about $2,500.00 and they come with one pair of glasses. Additional pairs cost $125.00 a piece and require periodic battery replacement. ESPN is one of the first networks to step forward with plans to launch a new network dedicated to bringing exclusive 3D programming. With demand for more content on the rise, other networks will likely step up to the plate as the year goes on. 

3D is definitely here to stay but I don’t think the technology will be widely accepted until further advancements are made that would enable 3D viewing without the glasses.

Are you ready for 3D TV?

-Randy West

Before making your first call to a prospect it is important to think through what key messages you want to communicate to your audience.  These key messages are derived from a core brand strategy and are necessary if a company would like to regularly communicate a consistent message, regardless of the communication platform.

In addition to ensuring a consistent message is delivered to each prospect, I’ve noted three other important benefits of integrating key messages into a prepared phone presentation for sales and lead generation calls:

• At SCG’s Perfect Pitch Call Center , we develop well conceived phone presentations that contain a greeting, a call purpose that includes at least one benefit, probing questions, responses to objections and a closing.  These five elements enable our agents to maintain control of the call and ensure both a uniform message and a consistent experience for the prospects. 
• Being comfortable with your key messages and knowing your content prior to making “live” calls is paramount and will help sales agents feel more natural, allowing the call to take on more of a conversational style. 
• Lastly, a prepared presentation with strong key messages and consistent delivery will allow you to monitor productivity and make changes if necessary. 

If you are struggling in this area or would like to learn more about our approach please contact me at 612-288-2402 or email me at randyw@scgpr.com.

-Randy West

My son’s Peewee hockey team participated in a tournament recently in Anoka, MN.  His first game was scheduled for 7:50 pm on a Friday night.  When I saw the schedule I immediately began thinking about my options for getting to the game on time.  My dad is retired and loves to watch all activities involving his grandkids (including practices) so I knew I could count on him to bring my son to the game! But how would I get there? 

On most days I commute to work by bus from a park and ride lot in Cottage Grove.  My first thought was to drive in to work that day and just meet them at the rink but then I started thinking about the costs and time associated with this decision.  Driving to work adds a considerable amount of time and aggravation to the commute (particularly with freshly fallen snow).  Not to mention the extra gas coupled with paying for parking in downtown Minneapolis.  I knew there had to be a better way.  And then an idea hit me like a train, the new Northstar commuter train to be exact.  I went online to find departure times and fares to Anoka.  Much to my surprise I learned that the train station in Anoka was less than two miles from the ice arena!  For $4.00 I could ride the rails to Anoka and be there in 25 minutes—during rush hour no less.  That made my decision easy.  When Friday came I parked my car at the Cottage Grove lot, hopped on the bus which took me to downtown Minneapolis and after work I walked through the skyway to the train station.

The passenger cars on the Northstar train are double-decker and each car is equipped with cushioned seats, onboard restrooms, tables with electrical outlets as well as storage for luggage.  The ride was very smooth and quiet with the train capable of reaching speeds of up to 79 miles per hour.  There was one minor five minute delay as our train was forced to come to a stop to allow an approaching train to pass before we could continue.  Despite the delay I was able to step off the train and into my dad’s van (he had arrived five minutes earlier).  Unfortunately for him his commute wasn’t quite as smooth.  It took him an hour and thirty-five minutes to travel 50 miles due to rush hour traffic. 

This worked out so well for me I hope to do this again when my son plays in another tournament in Elk River in February.  Too bad there isn’t a commuter rail line connecting more of the metro area.  

-Randy West

During the last twenty years there has been a major shift in the way companies develop and manage their customer and prospect relationships.  As recent as the early ‘90’s I was one of thousands of sales people using a card file filled with 3×5 cards containing the most sacred of customer and prospect information.  Efficiency for me was having all of my contacts organized in a tabbed file with each day of the month represented in numbers 1 through 31.  Realizing a need to schedule follow up calls beyond the current month, I implemented another tabbed file containing each of the twelve months.  The system worked for me but it also left a lot to be desired. 

Recent communications advancements continue to impact how CRM is handled. A recent Nielsen Company study found that two-thirds of the world’s Internet population visited a social networking site or blogging site. There are now more venues than ever to communicate with your target audience, so CRM packages will have to adjust.  Now, instead of only keeping track of what a prospect or client said to you in your last phone conversation you will need to track what they have posted on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. 

Although how we manage client and prospect relationships has evolved, the overarching message remains the same― maintaining relationships, no matter what method you utilize, is vital to organizational growth.

-Randy West

Thanksgiving is upon us! It’s time to pile our plates high with turkey, yams and pumpkin pie.  But before we do, we asked ourselves, “What are you thankful for this year?”  Here’s how we replied…

Steph is thankful for her clarity and sanity.

Whitney is thankful for her family. “They can always make me laugh and have given me such unwavering support throughout this year.”

Trevor is most thankful for “my beautiful, healthy baby girl Luella. I am also thankful for how stinkin’ happy she is all the time!”

Joy is thankful that, “even though my family lives in three different states, we will all be together for Thanksgiving!”

Patricia is thankful for the trust our clients have placed in us during this challenging 2009.

Patrick is thankful that our agency was able to withstand the economic downturn and that our clients have generally weathered the storm very well.

Carol is so thankful for Makarei, her little granddaughter. “We get up at 4:30 in the morning to get ready for work and school.  On Saturdays she has piano lessons and choir practice.  She goes with me to Lay Organization and Missionary Society meetings and stays in a separate room dancing and singing.  Makarei is the joy of my life and I am so happy to have her in my life.”

Chad is thankful for his family.

Randy is thankful that his cousin Trent returned safely from Djibouti, Africa, after spending a 7-month tour of duty in the Marines.

Jenny is thankful for the small group she joined recently through her church. “We meet each Sunday night for a time of faith, fun and fellowship. It has already been such a gift and a wonderful way to start a new week. And our host is truly Rachael Ray Jr. so I leave each week with lunch for Monday!”

Jeron is thankful the economy has reminded him (and certainly many others) how much more valuable family, health and friendships are than material items.

Jane is very thankful to have a wonderful, big family that surrounds her with love and support. “I am also thankful that both Dan and I are employed and that our family is healthy and happy. And I am thankful to have been fortunate to have adopted such an amazing, loving dog to add to our family…we are so blessed to be able to share every moment of Lily’s life.”

What are you most thankful for this year?

We hope you enjoy your holiday with family, friends and those closest to you. Happy Thanksgiving from all of your friends at SCG!

The YouTube video “The Magic Hockey Helmet” has been viewed more than 217,000 times. In my opinion the world would be a better place if the view count were in the millions. The video was created by a nine year old Canadian hockey player who is wise beyond his years. Although he is recounting his own observations in hockey his message really transcends sports. In the video this young man talks about a transformation that takes place when he puts on the helmet and skates onto the ice for a game. Sadly the transformation he is referring to is largely that of parents who live vicariously through their children. Without the helmet, he is treated with respect and encouraged to do his best. With the helmet suddenly he’s treated as if he were 10-20 years older and immune to verbal assaults.

As a father of two young boys who participate in sports, I have witnessed numerous instances of verbal abuse directed at the kids, coaches, officials and even other parents in attendance. I have not personally witnessed any physical confrontations but it does happen. In 2000 a New Jersey man was convicted of manslaughter after beating a man unconscious during a youth hockey game. Both men involved had 10 year old boys playing in the game. Ironically the altercation began because the convicted man objected to the rough play on the ice.

The boy in the video quoted former Toronto Maple Leafs captain George Armstrong who said, “Hockey in Canada will be in good shape when parents decide that it is being played for their children’s benefit and not their own.” Well said young man.

-Randy West

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWjBvcfhRX0

The key to any effective lead generation program is the ability to deliver the right message to the right audience at the right time. Rest assured, if you’ve done your homework you will have the right message and the right audience. But delivering that message at the right time can be much more difficult for a number of reasons. Let’s be honest, decision-makers are not sitting at their desk waiting for your call. In most cases, they’re probably working on business objectives and your call is viewed as an interruption. Often times the result is a quick “I’m not interested” followed by an abrupt click ending the call.

With this in mind, my calling strategy begins by asking the decision-maker, “Is this an okay time to talk?” In doing this, I am helping differentiate myself from others while practicing one of our agency’s core values of putting others first.

When the concept of asking for time was first introduced to me I was hesitant because it gives the decision-maker an easy opportunity to end the call. I imagined that virtually everyone if given the opportunity would say, “I’m right in the middle of a meeting” or “This is a really bad time.” And while I do hear those responses, the vast majority respond positively. In fact, many decision-makers have even thanked me for asking! The next time I connect with them, they will remember my thoughtfulness and will be more receptive to my call.

-Randy West

If you had a tooth ache would you call your optometrist to take care of you? Or if you were told you needed triple bypass surgery would you schedule it with a pediatrician? Of course not.

When it comes to prospecting for new business though many sales and marketing managers opt to have anyone from customer service representatives to receptionists handle this important task. Never mind that they have invested tens of thousands or in some cases hundreds of thousands of dollars to build their brand. One phone call made by an untrained or unprepared employee can wipe out every nickel you have invested in your reputation in an instant.

Working with a professional call center has a number of advantages. Most significantly, your sales reps can spend more time in front of qualified prospects and enjoy a higher closing percentage. Here’s what to look for in a call center:

1. Experienced staff that specializes in B2B calling.
2. Staff that receives ongoing skills training specific to outbound lead generation.
3. Automated dialing that ensures a consistently higher volume of calls.
4. Sophisticated contact management system that provides better lead management and reporting capabilities.
5. Ability to quickly fine tune key messages.
6. Data collected from calls can be shared electronically.

-Randy West