Selling Services: The ABC of Professional Selling

Description

More than ever, our economy relies on the service industries - but selling services is far different to selling tangible products. This book demystifies the selling of intangibles and teaches the required skills to grow any professional service business. Leveraging his 30 years' experience, leading sales expert Clifton Warren offers 26 lessons to help readers navigate the selling of complex and intangible solutions. Each chapter covers an important concept from A (Accountability) to Z (Zigzagging) in a concise and readable format, including a 'to-do' action list that makes the book both a workbook and a study guide. By successfully applying the steps in each chapter, professionals will substantially improve their performance and results, and anyone looking to drill down into specific topics will find additional resources to explore. B2B sales professionals in banking, insurance, finance, and other services, and small business owners such as lawyers, architects, and engineers, as well as professionals transitioning into sales roles, will appreciate the thorough and easy-to-follow guidance this book provides. Cover Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Table of Contents Acknowledgments Other Works By Clifton Warren Introduction Why I Wrote this Book How this Book Is Written Chapter 1 A – Accountability: Breaking Through Your Natural Ceiling What Is Accountability? Why Is Accountability Important? How Does Accountability Work? What Is the Accountability Loop? Why Is Self-Accountability Difficult? How Do You Implement an Accountability Process? Top Performer Perspective What Does ClearView Do? How Many People Do You Have? How Do You Create a Culture of Accountability Across Your Business? Key Takeaways Chapter 2 B – Beliefs: Making the First Sale to Yourself What Is a Belief? Why Are Beliefs Important? How Do You Develop a Belief in Your Offering? What Are Misbeliefs? How Do You Develop the Right Mindset? What Is a Sales Philosophy? Top Performer Perspective What Does Steadfast Do? How Large Is Steadfast Today? Have Your Beliefs and Attitudes Changed With Increased Compliance and Government Regulation? Key Takeaways Chapter 3 C – Client Centered: Maximizing Your Vital Few What Is Client Centered? What Is the Vital Few Concept? How Do You Segment Clients? What Is Client Lifetime Value? Top Performer Perspective What Does Victoria Mortgage Group Do? How Do You Deliver Client-Focused Services? Key Takeaways Chapter 4 D – Discipline: Maximizing Your Strengths What Is Self-Discipline? Why Is Discipline Important? What Is the Law of Familiarity? What Is a Pyramid of Priorities? What Is the Endless Chain Concept? How Do I Implement Self-Discipline? Top Performer Perspective What Is the History of CBN? How Large Is CBN? How Do You Approach Discipline? From My Time in Field Experience Key Takeaways Chapter 5 E – End Results: Knowing What You Want What Is Begging With the End in Mind? What Is an Ideal Client? How Do You Identify Your Ideal Client? Your Current Client Base What Are Their Habits? What Are Their Goals? How Do They Buy? Create a Dream List Identify Needs Identify Fears What Is a Whole Client View? Top Performer Perspective What Does Procurement Australia Do? What Is the Size of Your Team? How Do You Focus On End Results With Your Clients? My Time in the Field Key Takeaways Chapter 6 F – Focus: Finding Your Doughnut What Is a Personal Doughnut? What Are Models? Sales Model Service Model Marketing Model Organization Model What Is Raising the Bar? How Do You Implement These Models? Top Performer Perspective When Was LMI Founded? How Did You Get Started? How Has Your Focus Expanded? My Time in the Field Key Takeaways Chapter 7 G – Goals: Aiming High to Hit High Targets What Are Goals? Why Are Goals Important? How Do I Establish Priorities? Got-to-do Ought-to-do Nice-to-do How Do You Make Goals Bite Size? Number of New Clients Retention Revenue Leads How Do I Translate Goals Into Action? How Do I Implement This? Top Performer Perspective When Did EBM Commence? How Many Employees? What Services Does EBM Provide? How Do You Pursue Your Business Goals? My Time in the Field Key Takeaways Note Chapter 8 H – Habits: Acquiring the Tools for Success What Are Habits? Why Are Habits Important? What Are Sales Habits? Finding Ideal Clients Building Relationships Identifying Needs Presenting Handling Objections Closing Obtaining Referrals What Are Personal Habits? Habit of Self Organization Habit of Being Proactive Habit of Being Client Centric Habit of Leveraging Relationships Habit of Affiliation Habit of Cultivation Habit of Learning How Do You Replace Poor Habits? How Do You Acquire Good Habits? Top Performer Perspective What Habits Has Your Organization Adopted? View From the Field Key Takeaways Chapter 9 I – Ideas: A Versatile Clean Four-Letter Word What Is an Idea? Why Are Ideas Important? Where Do You Find Ideas? Monitoring Conference Topics Reading Niche Market Journals and Newsletters Annual Reports Newspapers Speaking to Key Industry Players Following Trends Podcast and Social Media How Do You Sell With Ideas? How Do You Package Your Ideas? Top Performer Perspective How Do You Encourage New Ideas in Your Business? Time in the Field Key Takeaways Chapter 10 J – Jargon: Understanding Market Buzzwords What Is Jargon? Why Is Jargon Important? What Advantages Does Jargon Provide? Where Do You Find Jargon for an Industry? Go Deep With the Internet How Do You Use Jargon? Emails Example of a Generic Approach Example of an Effective Approach Proposal Writing What Are Some Common Industry Terms? ARR B2B B2C Benefit BANT Buyer Persona Buying Criteria Buying Process/cycle Churn Rate Closed Opportunities Closed-won Closed-lost Closing Ratio Cold Calling Cross-selling Customer Acquisition Cost Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Decision-maker Discovery Call Feature Forecasting Gatekeeper Lead Lifetime Value Net Promoter Score Objection Opportunity Pain Point Pipeline Positioning Statement Profit Margin Prospecting Qualified Lead Sales Methodology Social Selling Sound Bite Stage Top of the Funnel Up-selling Value Proposition Weighted Pipeline Top Performer Perspective How Do You Incorporate Industry Buzzwords? What Are Some Common Buzzwords Or Jargon? View From the Field Key Takeaways Chapter 11 K – Knowledge: Getting Smart About Selling What Is Sales Knowledge? What’s the Difference Between Knowledge and Skills Training? What Is Continual Learning? Take Charge of Your Own Training and Development What Knowledge Areas Do I Need? Audit of Your Skills and Capabilities Top Performer Perspective How Do You Stay Informed About Your Business? View From the Field Key Takeaways Chapter 12 L – Listening: Be All Ears What Is Listening? What Is Active Listening? What Is Passive Listening? What Is Paraphrasing? What About Note-Taking? How Do You Handle Ramblers? Top Performer Perspective How Do You Practice Listening in Your Business? View From the Field Key Takeaways Chapter 13 M – Marketing: Promoting and Selling Your Offering What Is Marketing? Why Is Marketing Important? Specializing Differentiating Knowing Your Ideal Client Focus What Are the 5Ps? Positioning Packaging Promotion Persuasion Performance What Is Indirect Versus Direct Marketing? Direct Marketing Indirect Marketing What Is an Ideal Client? How Do You Package Your Expertise? What Is a Verbal Message? Your Label – Job Description Your Process Your Expertise Their Problem Top Performer Perspective Who Is the Target Market? View From the Field Key Takeaways Chapter 14 N – Niche: Becoming Someone Special What Is a Niche Market? Why Niche Marketing? How Do You Select a Niche? How Do You Become the Go-To Person? Other Ways Raising Your Profile Top Performer Perspective How Did You Discover Your Niche Market? View From the Field Key Takeaways Chapter 15 O – Observational Marketing: Paying Attention to Your Market What Is Observational Marketing? What Are the Advantages? What Are Vation Sources Observation Sources? LinkedIn Newspaper Newsletters Industry Trade Publications Business Publications Clubs and Associations Trigger Events How Do You Record Your Observations? What Is Record, Listen, and Investigate? Develop a 24-Hour Awareness Use Observation to Learn New Skills How Do You Track What You Learn? Top Performer Perspective What Are You Observing From Your Clients? View From the Field Key Takeaways Chapter 16 P – Prospecting: Getting Meetings With Prospective Clients What Is Prospecting? Why Is Prospecting Important? Traditional Prospecting Consultative Prospecting Client-centered Prospecting What Are the Different Prospecting Approaches? Email Prospecting Telephone Prospecting What Is Social Media Prospecting? Top Performer Perspective How Do You Prospect for New Business? Is There Anything You Would Like to Improve? View From the Field Key Takeaways Chapter 17 Q – Questions: The Other Side of Listening What Are Sales Questions? Why Are Questions Important? What Are the Best Type of Questions? Open-ended Questions Close-ended Questions Leading Questions How Do You Prepare Sales Questions? Top Performer Perspective What Type of Questions Do You Ask When Working With a Prospect? View From the Field Key Takeaways Chapter 18 R – Referrals: Leveraging Existing Relationships What Are Referrals? Why Are Referrals Important? What Are Referral Relationships? What Are Client Referrals? What Are Non-Client Referral Sources? What Are Niche Market Referrals? What Are Strategic Alliance Partners? What Are Personal Network Referrals? What Is a Referral Mindset? What Is Referral Seed Planting? Top Performer Perspective Where Does Most of Your Business Come From? View From the Field Key Takeaways Chapter 19 S – Service: Your Process for Turning Prospects Into Clients What Is a Unique Service? Why Do You Need a Unique Service? How Do You Design a Unique Service? How Do You Name Your Unique Process? How Do You Present Your Service? The Initial Appointment How Do You Covert Prospects Into Clients? What Is Nurturing? Top Performer Perspective What’s an Example of Unique Service You Offer? View From the Field Key Takeaways Chapter 20 T – Time Management: Getting Stuff Done What Is Time Management? What Are the Time Management Fundamentals? How Should I Prioritize? What Is the Morning/afternoon System? What Is Delegation? What Is Time Blocking? Avoid Busyness What Is Living in Your Calendar? Top Performer Perspective How Do You Block Out Time to Get Stuff Done? View From the Field Key Takeaways Chapter 21 U – Upgrading: Staying Sharp What Is Upgrading Your Sales Skills? Why Is Upgrading Important? What Are the Fundamentals? Knowledge Skills Attitudes How Do You Improve Your Client Knowledge? Top Performer Perspective What Is Your Market? How Do You Deliver Value? View From the Field Key Takeaways Chapter 22 V – Value Selling: How to Avoid Competing On Price What Is Value? What Is a Value-Based Mindset? How Do You Create a Value-Based Approach? Do Your Research Don’t Lead With a Sales Pitch Share Your Value Teach Don’t Pitch Be Genuine How Do You Present Your Value? How Do You Present Value in Your Proposals? What Is the Value Link? Top Performer Perspective How Do You Convey Your Value to a Client? View From the Field Key Takeaways Chapter 23 W – Win-Win: The Ethical Way to Sell What Is a Win-Win? Why Is Win-Win Important? How Do You Create a Win-Win? Be Willing to Walk Away Be Selective With Client Acquisition Stay in Control What Are Buyer Zones? What Are Objections? Lack of Need Top Performer Perspective How Do You Create a Win-Win Relationship? View From the Field Key Takeaways Chapter 24 X – X Factor: Developing Your Personal Power What’s an X Factor? What About Optimism? Why Is an X Factor Important? What Are the X Factor Elements? Taking a Long-Term View Result Thinking High Energy Grit Agility Self-control Critical Thinking How Do You Find Your X Factor? Top Performer Perspective What Is Your X Factor the One Thing You Do Better Than Anyone? View From the Field Key Takeaways Chapter 25 Y – You: Packaging Your X Factor What Is a Personal Brand? Why Is Branding Important? How Do You Build a Personal Brand? What Is Your Story? What Are You Against? What Obstacles Have You Faced? Who Are Your Ideal Clients? How Do You Put Your Brand to Work? Top Performer Perspective View From the Field Key Takeaways Chapter 26 Z – ZigZag: How to Recover From Setbacks What Is Zig-Zag? Why Is Zig-Zag Important? Create a Personal Plan Time Block to Keep Your Focus Get Accountability to Keep Your Focus Check Your Environment Energy Here Are Some Energy Ideas Top Performer Perspective View From the Field Key Takeaways Reading Material Index