SpeakerSue – Sue Hershkowitz-Coore, CSP

4 Ideas to Kick Start 2012 January 5th, 2012

Ideas to make this year your best ever: Update yourself.

1. If you aren’t yet, become involved with Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Twitter isn’t about what you had for breakfast and yes, sometimes people do tweet about it. Get over it. There is more brilliant, real time research posted on Twitter each day that it will make your head spin. Start by following people you respect, check out who they follow and who follows them. Give yourself up to 15 minutes a day to read what others are saying (maybe a great recipe for their breakfast treat or maybe neuromarketing research that increases upsells by 38%!)

2. Limit routine emails to 5 sentences or less. Some emails, of course, need to be longer, but if you can’t write a routine message (even a prospecting one!) in fewer than 5 sentences, you’ve lost your reader. In fact, go for three: Sentence 1: About their success. Sentence 2: About you and your need. Sentence 3: About their success. (By the way, this isn’t a new idea but if it’s new to you, do it!)

3. Get rid of every old email templates and create messaging that is exciting to the buyer. Most of your customers are interested in the same things: saving time, making money, saving money, enhancing time, being happy, secure, safe and smart. Talk less about your typical benefits (we’re a convenient location) and more about how they benefit from your benefit (You can save time, money and transportation hassles because of our convenient location close to the airport. Your meetings can be more productive – and end sooner!)

4. Email your clients for no reason other than that you’re thinking of them. Hi Name, When I read this article, I thought of you. Here is the link in case you missed it. Wishing you all the best, Me (Remember to provide the link to a great article that will help them create greater success!)

What else are you doing to update yourself?

How to be a more happy person in 2012 and beyond! January 2nd, 2012

I was rushing home New Year’s Eve day and remembered that my toe polish was chipped. I mean, truly, could there be a worse omen with which to start the new year? I pulled into a random nail shop on my way home (I’d have to make an appointment at my place and who had time?) and was greeted by a sign on the door that said, “Please do NOT ask for a nail technician by name. You will be assigned one.” Really?

I was going to leave right then and there until I remembered that I didn’t know a technician there to ask for by name. I got my toe polish changed but more than that, a new year’s blog post!

Dedicated to all those who would like to live a sweeter, nicer, more productive life, here are two simple truths (keep reading for how to apply them) to change your life:
Tell people what you can do (instead of what you can’t)
Tell people what they get to do (instead of what they can’t).

Action step: Tear down every sign and replace it with a more positive wording.
Right now, look around your work space and office. How many negative signs do you see? (They often couch themselves as being funny like: I only have time for one person today, and you aren’t it.
I’d like to help you out, which way did you come in?
Your mother doesn’t work here so clean up after yourself.)
Sometimes they’re just rude or demanding.
We don’t accept checks or charge cards. No shoes, no shirt, no service. No returns.
Surround yourself with positive thoughts!

Action step: Listen to your words.
Put a rubber band around your wrist and every time you say something negative, something that could easily be said in a more positive way, snap it. You’ll break your negative pattern in a hurry.

Listen for any variation of Murphy’s law (If it can go wrong around here, it will. Left to itself, things always go from bad to worse. No matter what line I stand on, it’s always the longest. The probability of anything happening is in inverse ratio to its desirability. Murphy was an optimist.) and the everyday undesirables like:
You’re wrong. I don’t know. I can’t do that. It isn’t my responsibility. It won’t work that way. What’s the catch (there has to be a catch)? Oh and my favorite: No problem (or: No problemo!).

Get your team to make up a list of the negative phrases around your office, post the list (and their kinder, cheerier replacements), and anyone heard saying any of the negative phrases, has to pay $1.00 into an office fund. End-of-week beer party!

Action step; Ask everyone to print out their last 5 emails and bring them to your next staff meeting.
Together, highlight any negative words used and ask the team to brainstorm how they could have made their message more inviting.

Here are some hints to help in your search:
Any sentence with the word NOT:
We do NOT offer
I canNOT attend
This room type does NOT provide
You canNOT
This will NOT work
This rate does NOT include

Say what you can offer, when you can attend, what the room type provides, etc. Write your ideas so that people know what the next step is (rather than what they shouldn’t do as a next step):

Don’t forget to submit your expenses within 30 days of the presentation.
Please submit your expenses within 30 days of the presentation.

You can’t be productive if you don’t have a plan.
Plan to increase productivity.

Partners are not invited to attend the working sessions.
Partners are invited to all sessions, other than working sessions.

This is not a secure form.
Please use< form XYZ> to ensure security.

Change your words and you’ll change your word in 2012 – and beyond.

What suggestions do you have for more positive communications?

Are you a professional sales person? November 30th, 2011

Jeffrey Gitomer is one of the most brilliant sales people I know. He has created an empire by providing smart selling strategies and packaging them in a no nonsense, direct and clever way. Who couldn’t respect the authenticity of a logo that states exactly what he wants “BuyGitomer!” Time and again he reminds sales pros to focus on the professional part of their title instead of on the selling part (actually, I just made them up and I really, really like it).

Gitomer is a friend (disclaimer) and he posted another great article today. To a point. The New Cold Call – It’s NOT Cookie Cutter makes outstanding points about cold calling. And it could have been better if the title stopped at: It’s not COOKIES!

The article focuses on focusing on your buyer. Jeffrey loves a certain type of cookie and was wowed when the cookie company (finally) realized what a great advocate he could be, and sent a brilliant sales professional to Gitomer’s office loaded with his favorite cookies. If you produce or sell a favorite prospect’s anything, and you aren’t making it easy for that prospect to be able to enjoy and brag about your goods, shame on you!

But more…it’s not really about the cookie (jn this case) or about the stuff you schlep to the trade show to attract folks to your booth (for all the wrong reasons). It’s about being a professional. It’s about doing your research (I really don’t like the word homework – that seems boring!) and knowing what matters to your prospect. And that, I believe, is the point of the Gitomer article.

Here is what the point isn’t (to me): Don’t think that just because you come with cookies or any other tchotchke, that to your prospect, you are worth seeing, interrupting their work flow and taking up their time. You are worth seeing when, as Gitomer says, you have prepared. When you make a “targeted, strategic” call – whether on the phone or in person – you are definitely worth their time.

Prepare!
Know what you want to get from the call.
Be clear in your own mind why they should want to take your call/accept your meeting request.

And I love these Gitomer questions:
What is the one question or statement that may get me to the decision maker?
What is the one question that I want to ask the decision maker to engage them?

SpeakerSue’s advice?
•Be authentic!
•Don’t try to “sell” anyone on anything.
•Understand that often your first call goal is just to start a relationship so that you can follow-up and so that your follow-up will be focused (on them) and appreciated (by them).
•Extend your hand and invite them to buy.
•Follow-up as you say you will.
•Love them and they may just return the favor.

And, with a personal note, send the goodies (your products or their favorite thing) after the meeting/trade show. Consistently act like the professional you are and see what happens.

Change your words and change your world November 13th, 2011

As much as I’d like to jump on the bandwagon about Rick Perry, I’m going to try to take the high road and tell you that unless he stops thinking and saying that he “is not any good at debates,” he will continue to stink at them.

It’s all about what we say to ourselves.

Well, not completely. We can tell ourselves that we’re good at debates, cooking, presenting, running, golfing, parenting, communicating, dancing, card playing, gardening, cold calling, writing, networking or whatever, and still not be great at it. But here is my truth: If you tell yourself you’re bad at it, you definitely won’t get good.

So often when I’m facilitating a program on presentation skills, a participant will say to me, and often to the entire group, “I’m just not good at presenting.” And I want to simultaneously hug the person and slap ‘em upside the head because as long as they continue to think that way, they aren’t going to get much better.

Change your words and change your world. Become aware of when you’re putting yourself down and stop it. Try saying “cancel, cancel” to yourself to bring awareness to what you’re doing (and if you say cancel, cancel, it’ll make you laugh, too!) and then replace it with a positive thought like: I am a good debater, cook, presenter… you get the point.

Yes. Really. Your brain doesn’t know the truth between aspiration and truth but aspiring to be bad isn’t the key to success.

Change your words and change your world.

Do you agree?

How NOT to write an “I’ll get back to you” email November 1st, 2011

Many organizations today require their sales teams to respond within some arbitrary amount of time to RFPs. Instead of asking a simple question on the RFP or on the phone, the sales person is taught to say, “And, I’ll have that for you within 24 hours” (or whatever). Then, because the sales person is slammed (a good thing), she throws together a proposal, adds the words personalized just for you, and gets “points” for responding in a timely manner.

The question is, who is she getting the points from? Not from the customer! (It’s a bad thing for the customer!) She gets “points” from the company that set up the shop criteria that states “all customers must receive an response within 24 hours or you get dinged.”

It’s true that some clients absolutely need your response that quickly. But rather than slapping everyone into the same boat, the smart company realizes that asking the simple question to the client, May I ask when your deadline is for this proposal? Or, May I ask you if it would be helpful if I have this completed for you by tomorrow at this time, or will next week work for you? Or (on an RFP: Proposal deadline:, the sales team gets to prioritize need, not feel so slammed, and can actually personalize each proposal with more than dates and rates.

One company had the right idea but just forgot to help their sales team apply the idea in a winning manner. In this organization, you could take longer to submit the full proposal but you had to get back to the customer within 4 hours telling them when they could expect it. But without proper training, here is how the first email looked:

(6 hours, plus a night, after original email!)
Good morning Springer,
Thank you for thinking of our property for this program! I am currently reviewing your request and will get back to you later today regarding our availability. I look forward to working with you.
Warm regards,

and the follow-up 5 hours after that:
Good afternoon Springer,
Thank you for your interest in our hotel for your 2014 program. Unfortunately, we are not able to confirm groups more than 2 years out and we are unable to offer a proposal for these dates. Please keep us in mind for any other programs you have which may be considering this area.
Thank you.

What went wrong? Everything! This is exactly how not to write an “I’ll get back to you” email.

How could this have been improved?
1. Open and quickly review the proposal before writing back. The sales person could have saved herself an email if she had done that.
2. Pretend you’re a human being. Try being a bit more positive. More kind.
3. Don’t try to upsell when you’ve just told them you won’t do anything for them.
4. Solution-sell.
5. Eliminate the word “unfortunately” and tell them what you can do instead.
6. Offer to follow-up (if you want the customer’s business).

Does your company give you an exact amount of time when you must get back to your customer? What happens if you don’t respond within the allotted time (and you’re caught)?

Meeting planners, do you really care if you receive the proposal back within 24 hours? Would you prefer to be asked for your need time?

Share your thoughts.

Want to book more business? Show up and… October 19th, 2011

For the record, even if they are still together, to me, Woody Allen is a creep, though it turns out he was right: “Eighty percent of success is showing up.”

An Auckland, New Zealand client, yesterday, told me that as an experiment, curious to see what they’d receive back, a company (with apparently too much time on their hands!) sent out 557 RFPs for a legitimate meeting they were having. The response was astounding for those of you want to book more business.

•Twenty percent never responded. No thanks but no thanks, no nothing.
•Seventy-five percent sent back generic responses with information that didn’t pertain to the client’s specific requests. All responses were put into this category if they didn’t answer all the questions asked or omitted responding about key drivers mentioned by the customer.
•Only 5% of the hotels personalized their responses and actually provide all needed information.

This is a woot! woot! to me because that means that instead of ever having the competitive set we imagine, we have a tiny little subset of capable competitors. (And this competition may not be the 5-star luxury hotel by the sea [that we've been selling against and lowering our prices to beat] but the 4-star remodeled hotel in the middle of the nowhere that tries harder!) By taking the time to show up, and by showing up respectfully and in a pleasing, customer-centric manner, it becomes easy to sell more, more easily.

Show up by becoming your customer. If you were in her high heels or his running shoes, what do you need to know to do business? And here’s what I’m betting… it isn’t features that you need because you can easily google those; it’s that the sales person cares enough about you – respects you and your time, and yes, your business, too – that he will take the time to pay attention to the details and help you feel valued.

So, maybe Woody wasn’t right even on this. Success isn’t just about showing up; it’s only showing up smart.

Why your last email may destroy your career October 10th, 2011

Someone I know in my personal life is sweet and loving and totally capable. But when she emails, she is nothing short of rude. Her emails sound like she is barking out orders: Tell this person this and Do this and Remember this. There is never a please or a reason (though I admit to always knowing the reason the directive is being given).

Given what I do – help people communicate more persuasively and influentially – you’d think I would have sat down with her and gently explained how poorly she represents herself to others in the email she writes.

If it hadn’t been for my mother, I definitely would have had that talk. But when I was a senior in college (and knew everything), I sent my mother back a letter she had written to me. An intelligent woman (who, with my dad, paid for my entire college education!) but for some reason, she never capitalized the days of the week. I had put up with this for 4 years of college (life is tough!) and had had enough. So, about to graduate with a degree in English and Education, I circled all the days of the week in this particular letter, in red, and sent her letter back with one of my own. In the return mail, came a succinct message from my mother: “Dear Sue, If you ever correct anything I write again, daddy and I stop paying.”

So you can see why I’m pretty gun shy about talking with this person who lives in another state and whose emails drive me nuts.

But I am telling you (and hopeful she reads this too!) because so often we don’t even realize the negative impression we make on people. I absolutely know this person would never be rude yet every time I open an email, I bristle! I work hard to give her the benefit of doubt and have to admit to stooping to a low place and sometimes responding in kind (by simply answering: Fine.). Be certain your emails extend your reputation, invite your recipients to buy into your ideas and create a sense of likeability.

Here is a brief start. Please post your suggestions to this list to ensure email recipients understand our intent as well as our content.

1.Start with a salutation.
Hi Name, Good morning Name, even “Hey Name” when you know each other. But, please start friendly to set friendly tone.

2. Please is a good word to use and softens any directive.

3. Being brief is a worthy goal; being blunt, not so much. Instead of just “yes” or “here it is” or “Will do” (all positive words), make it even more helpful to the reader by adding a bit of friendliness, perhaps:
Thanks for asking! You can count on it by Friday. Or:
Happy to help! You’ll have it before you leave.

4. End with a friendly close.
Try: All the best, Wishing you all the best, Warm regards, Warmest regards. Let your recipient how warmly you feel about them.

5. Stay away from text talk.
If it’s an email, spell out the words.

What else should we add to this list?

2.5 tips to trade show better October 6th, 2011

I’m going to IMEX next week to meet with a client flying in from Hong Kong. After our meeting, I’ll have time to walk the floor and watch sales people as they start and cultivate business relationships. The investment – being on the show floor whether in hosted buyer format or old-fashioned booth – can only be returned with a smart and specific sales strategy that follows the event.

Tip #1: The actual number of cards you collect (just as an arbitrary number of prospecting calls you make) isn’t nearly as important as the number of trusting relationships you start and foster. How many people will remember you when you follow-up with them? Instead of just “showing up and throwing up” when you meet prospects, stay totally, 100% focused on them. Explain what you do in terms of what they can do because of their relationship with you. Help them feel comfortable talking instead of you doing the talking so that when you follow-up, you actually have an authentic connection and a contact who will want to open your email (regardless of how good your subject line is!) or take your call even if they’re in the middle of three other things.

Tip #2. Plan your follow-up strategy. You already know that following-up leads is critical. But what do you say when you follow-up? And what will you say (email or voice mail) if (for whatever reason) they blow off your first approach? Or your second? What do you say when you do get them on the phone? What will you say in your LinkedIn message? Before the trade show, plan your communications strategy. Determine how you’ll deal with new leads and warm leads and how you’ll stay in touch to help them feel safe and smart selecting your service or product.

Tip #2.5, Ditch the promotional products. I love promotional products but they have to have a reason and attracting people to your booth shouldn’t be the reason. (If it is, you end up with lots of people with your promo product and poorly qualified leads which turns out to be nothing less than hair pulling-ly frustrating when you call them after the show and they don’t respond, because all they were interested in was your promo product.) So that I don’t alienate the entire promotional product industry, consider mailing the tchatkes to the new friends you make with a nice hand-written note. At the very least, align the product with your brand image. The Peabody Hotels give out the cutest shower ducks because they are famous for their adorable ducks. That’s smart (other than that I always accept a duck even though I’m not a buyer [but I am a friend] ) because it relates to the brand. But why a hotel would give out a logo-d measuring tape or fine chocolates, is beyond me. Save your money and invest in sales training instead. Just sayin…

Agree or disagree?

An easy and authentic way to sell when your prices are higher… October 2nd, 2011

“All they care about is price. Especially if it’s an on-lne RFP or a third-party.” If I had a dollar every time a salesperson said that, and believed it, I’d never again feel guilty about buying my daily Starbucks.

Yes, there are a few people who buy on price alone. They want the cheapest and they don’t care or don’t realize that they may not be getting the best deal. Here’s what I say to that: If your service or product isn’t the cheapest, then those people aren’t your prospects. Move on.

Most people just use price as an excuse (or a negotiating tool) when we don’t help them to feel confident and competent choosing us.

When your price isn’t the lowest,

Sell safe and smart. (Notice I didn’t say “value!” Of course, you are selling value. It’s just so much easier to sell if you think about helping them feel safe and smart about their choice than how you can prove value or worth to them.)

Help your prospect feel authentically and totally comfortable about making their purchasing decision.

All of us are fearful we’ll mess up; that we’ll discover that we could have done “better” just after we commit to a purchase. That old Mastercard ad got it right, though. There are things that are “priceless” and feeling good about the decision – feeling smart and secure – about the choice is one of them. It’s up to you, the sales person, to help the other person feel that way by conveying the lack of risk involved in the purchase.

Think about yourself for a moment, instead of your prospect. You know someone with an impeccable reputation for doing chemical peel facials, or you can use a Groupon coupon for half the price (and get double the number of facials, except that when you google the esthetician you learn that she just graduated from school, um, last week). Which would you select? Some of you may jump to the Groupon thinking price alone. But then, realizing it’s your face and chemicals are involved, you’d start emotionally rationalizing your price decision. I’m betting you’d persuade yourself your price decision is good by saying something like, “I bet she learned the latest techniques because she just got out of school,” or “Someone had to give me a chance when I started too.” So even with the great price, other factors came into play. (Those who picked the impeccable reputation will also emotionally rationalize by the way – that they’re safe and smart with their decision and they’d rather have one excellent peel than two that might leave them scarred.)

So back to your prospects… it’s up to you to connect the emotional dots for them. Help them experience a “priceless” experience by helping them feel safe and smart. Remind them of the genuine benefits – the lack of risk – when they choose you.

Ask yourself: What happens if my prospect makes a bad choice? If your prospect is a meeting planner, maybe they have unhappy, stressed, unproductive attendees. If it’s an association planner, maybe they have a poorly attended meeting. If your prospect is a procurement officer, maybe they have people wasting time and spending more money. If your prospect is a third party, maybe they have customers who leave them and talk poorly about them and they go out of business.

Whatever the risk is to your prospect, help them grasp how your product or service allays that risk. In addition to the simple and proven to work money back guarantee, choose and use words that convey a sense of safety. Speak your truth and connect the dots. Here are some ideas for the previous situations:

Your meeting goals will be supported by the environment and professionalism of our experienced team.

You can count on your members being excited to meet here.

Your travelers will be grateful for such a convenient location and they’ll start each day, refreshed and ready to productive. You can count on no hidden costs like late night taxis because a shuttle isn’t running, or more expensive meals because the hotel’s restaurant closed early.

You can feel confident knowing your customers will be delighted and will loyally return to you.

Why “Great, let me think about it” should really really scare you … and how to respond September 29th, 2011

Through your perseverance, determination and great emailing, you finally land an appointment with a prospect during your sales blitz. You walk in with your sales collateral and “goodies” and after a few awkward moments of small talk (Oh, your granddaughter is adorable, um, that’s my youngest daughter or something less embarrassing but just as inauthentic), you launch into your sales pitch. You, of course, leave time (or at least you think you do) for questions at the end. During the appointment, your prospect takes several calls (you insist, of course) though she seems entirely engaged with your presentation, smiling and laughing and even adding her own comments. You finish and ask for those questions and she says, “You know, I really don’t have any. It sounds good and I have another meeting to get to. Let me think about it and I’ll get back to you.”

Okay. Okay! At tomorrow’s sales meeting, you’ll have something to report.

But what? Because she said she had another meeting, it would have been disrespectful to continue to probe. On the other hand, this one simple thought will change everything: Take back control.

I’d say, “Thank you for letting me know that it sounds good and that you have another meeting. I’m delighted you’re interested in (fill in your blank here – but not about your product or service, about the benefit she’ll receive) in helping your team feel confident when they prospect, with tools that help them grow business. If we don’t connect (give an ample amount of time) within the next few weeks, I’ll follow-up with you then. Thanks again.”

By taking back control, I don’t feel weird, or have to come up with some devious scheme to have a reason to call back. I can get on the phone or start the email with,” Hi Name, As promised, I’m following up…”

I also could have asked for her commitment to my call back. I could have said, …I’ll follow up with you then. Will that be okay?” If you ask that, though, be prepared, just in case she tries to take back control by saying, “Oh, that’s okay. I appreciate it but I’ll call you back when we’re ready.” (If this happens, you can always go back to, “Perfect. Thank you and if we don’t connect before the end of the year, I’ll stay in touch.”

Yes, there are about a million other things that could be done to make that sales call better. Here are a few:
-Upgrade your sales presentation into a sales conversation
-Leave the goodies home and send them as a follow-up with a handwritten note
-Be prepared with how you’ll start the meeting (you control it!) by knowing what small talk you’ll use (if any) and how you’ll transition into your business conversation (hint: make it about their time and be real!)

Want more? I’d be honored to learn more about your company to see if I can help you create winning sales conversations. From email prospecting to F2F sales conversations, How to Say it to Sell it determines your sales success. Master your sales conversations and you sky rocket your success.

My Latest Book

Power Sales Writing (McGraw Hill)
Power Sales Writing, Revised and Expanded Edition: Using Communication to Turn Prospects into Clients

"Your customers can ignore your correspondence or you can read this book. It’s that simple!" — Larry Winget, television personality and #1 bestselling author of Shut Up, Stop Whining & Get a Life

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