How To Write Business Emails That Get Results – Email Tips for Salespeople
Sales people, business leaders and marketing types are always looking for the magic dust when it comes to writing emails.
Well, in this video, you’ll see why most ‘persuasion techniques’ fail when it comes to email. It’s not because your writing is weak.
It’s not because you use the wrong font. It’s much deeper than that. It has to do with the state of mind you’re in when you write them.
And once you’re done with the video, head over to http://emailitsellersguide.com/ to check out the 20 most common scenarios that create ‘email opportunities.’ I think you’ll find some you recognize.
Self Esteem, Comfort Zones and Sales Success
As sales trainers and coaches, we learned early that whether someone takes our information and implements it has more to do with the “inner game” than any sales technique or move. Moreover, we learned that our self-image and self-esteem was at the root of that insight.
Recently, Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale, sat down at The Advanced Selling Podcast with a special guest, Terry Daniel, who has a vast background in psychotherapy and specializes his work around personal growth and learning.
Terry introduces a brief discussion about self-esteem, comfort zones and a tip on how to even know what to work on.
The purpose of this episode is to look at yourself and take action on what Terry recommends.
Also mentioned in this podcast:
- Terry Daniel quotes the book No Time for Tact: 365 Days of the Wit, Words, and Wisdom of Larry Winget by Larry Winget
- Watch Whiteboard Wednesday – A New Sales Web TV Show hosted by Brooke Green
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
When One Door Closes, Another Opens–If You Have Your Mind Right!
I was recently invited to lunch with 2 members of an executive team who were interested in joining our public sales training program. Their company is at a size where leadership is the only face of the company, therefore, responsible for bringing in new business. I was really excited about the opportunity as we are always looking to raise the bar in our public programs, and these 2 would definitely do that.
The first question I asked them was, “Why do you think you want to join our group?” What they told me had nothing to do with sales training and everything to do with growth, leadership in a changing environment and really deciding what they want to be in the next 5-10 years.
I think joining our sales group was the only solution that came to mind. They were obviously feeling some discomfort with everything that is going on, and sales training would put them with other smart people, learning new stuff. That can feel good when things back at your office are a bit discombobulated! 
Can You Handle The Truth?
You Can’t Handle the Truth!
What a great line from a great movie. And you know what, it’s true!
In sales, not only can we not handle hearing the truth, we have a hard time telling the truth. Why is that? Why do we think that we, and our prospects, do not deserve the truth? One reason—it’s HARD.
In order to hear or tell the truth, your intent has to be about the other person. We are naturally wired to protect, defend and “get.” Focusing our intent on the other person isn’t natural. When we are hearing the truth, and it’s not what we want to hear, it hurts, but at least it’s a “clean” break. You can move on. Deal with it. It’s kind of like a band-aid—a quick yank and you’re done. Not a slow, hair-by-hair excruciating RIP!
So, why as salespeople do we deserve the truth? I’ll tell you why. Because if you are working with your prospect, and you are operating with HIGH intent, which is only to HELP (not sell stuff), the truth is the only thing you have to work with. How many times have you walked away from a meeting with a prospect with homework? You know, “Oh, I need a quote on this,” “Oh, you know what, if you can call me again in a few weeks, we can talk,” “Oh, if you jump through this flaming hoop, maybe I’ll work with you.” All crap.
And, all our own fault. Yes, that’s right. If you don’t create a space where your prospect feels safe to tell you the truth, you won’t get it. If they are afraid the truth will turn you into a whimpering pile of goo, a crazy stalker, an angry slime-ball—you’re not going to get the truth. Can you blame them, really?
How do we set the stage for truth?
First, get your head right.
Repeat after me—“The market is abundant, so I don’t need to get squirrelly about getting business from everybody that I talk to. I do not have to emotionally invest myself in every opportunity that presents itself.”
And—“My intent is only to help my prospects discover their problems and educate them on what I do to help people with those problems. If they want me to help them, great, if not, that’s okay.”
So, now the tactical part of setting the stage for truth. We call it the upfront agreement. It’s where you communicate your operating philosophy to your prospect, and it sounds like this:
“Hey Joe, thanks for inviting me in today. As I said in our phone conversation, I’ve helped a lot of companies like yours, but I’m not sure that we are the best fit for you. So, I’d like to ask you some questions, share with you how we’ve helped other folks, then you can ask me any questions that you might have. At the end of this conversation, we can decide together if we should go forward or not. If not, perfectly okay. Does that sound alright?”
Your job, your obligation, is to create a space where your prospect (and clients) can tell you the truth…and only the truth. If you can’t wrap your head around that, work on it. Get good at it or you will be spinning your wheels.
Trust me—I speak the truth.
Why Am I Here?
I started to blog about asking your prospects this question during a first meeting: Why am I here? But then, I thought the more interesting question was: Do WE know why we are here?
We use the sentence Why am I here? as a tool in our up-front agreement. The up-front agreement is a vital part of the sales process. It’s where you get your head right—where the client can understand how you think and how you work. We teach our clients to be detached from the outcomes of a meeting—so detached that they bring no expectations to the meeting other than the intent to help the prospect…help them with problems or challenges…help them to exploit an opportunity…help them to understand what we do. Don’t get me wrong, this is good stuff.
But, how often do we ask ourselves the question “Why AM I here?” I think so many of us go through life doing what we think we are supposed to do, without thinking about why we’re doing it.
I do this job. I work for this company. I’m meeting with this prospect. I’m participating in this RFQ. I’m saying these words. I’m putting together this plan. WHY, WHY, WHY??
When’s the last time you thought about why you are doing what you’re doing? Do you wonder that if you don’t dig into the reason, you are minimizing the value of whatever it is you’re doing?
Trust me, you are. Just doing a job, but not having your heart in it, going on a sales call with a prospect that is not an ideal client – what value do you think you are going to bring? Completing an RFQ that you can’t win, really? Come on!!!
Value your time, value your value, value your prospect’s time. If you can’t come up with an answer to “why” that reeks of high intent – STOP DOING IT.
How to Sell a Premium Product in a Commodity World
You just got the phone call from a prospect who saw your presentation, who shared their pain with you, who you felt was a really good fit, but the answer came back, “No, we’ve gone another direction.” How are you feeling about yourself? Not so good, huh?
The problem may have more to do with your mindset than it does with your product or sales approach. What I find is that most salespeople who struggle to sell premium priced products in a commodity/price sensitive world are those who struggle mentally with the value of their own product and, specifically, of their role in the sales process.
As long as you look at your role as being there to “sell something to someone,” you won’t have the right mindset to sell a premium product.
So what should be your sales mindset?
1. The price difference is miniscule compared to the value delivered. I know we all believe that about our product, but have you ever written down the 10-50 value components of your product and assigned a value to each one that the customer would either save on or profit from? No? Then how do you expect to explain it to them in a way that’s factual and opinion-less?
2. Never be attached to the sale. When you are attached to the sale/needy/hungry/desperate, you give off a vibe that says, “I don’t believe very much in my product, but I really need the business.” If you’re giving off that vibe, they are reading that vibe loud and clear. Their reaction is, “Thanks, but no thanks.”
Now, I realize that we talk on this blog and on our podcast (www.TheAdvancedSellingPodcast.com) about detachment. It’s not as easy to detach as it is to talk about detaching. But you’ve got to figure out a way. Go to a coach, hire a therapist, talk to people who are your mentors, who have made it big in a business, to teach you how to do it. Status quo won’t work. Desperation is not a good strategy.
Sales Is Like Dating
I was watching the Today Show a couple of months ago. They were interviewing a panel of famous men—a chef, a comedian, an actor and an author. It’s really irrelevant what they do for a living, I was more fascinated by the topic: Dating Dilemmas. The entire time I was listening to them I was thinking oh my gosh, it’s like selling.
Here is what I gleaned from what they said and how we can apply it to selling:
Prospects will “date” you for years but not make a commitment. However, they will try “dating” someone else and be married in a month. What gives??
Has this ever happened to you? “We’re not ready to move forward yet. We have too many other things to get in line.” BUT, when you follow up a month later they have signed a contract with your competitor. Your competitor (the other chick) has done a better job of connecting the dots for the prospect. They have shown the value that they can bring to the relationship—how life will be easier with them in it. My guess is, they put all of their energy into helping the prospect and not into getting something for themselves. They made it easy for the prospect to be with them. I don’t know for sure, I’m just sayin’.
Your guy can’t marry you because he’s not financially secure. In the business world, this sounds like “Sorry, but this just isn’t in our budget.”
The truth is, it’s never about price. It’s a belief issue—a belief that the prospect has a problem compelling enough to do something about, belief that they want to invest the money that they have into fixing that problem, most importantly, a belief that you are the person they want to invest in to fix the problem.
You better do a good job of creating a space where your prospect can tell you the truth. If not, you will be working on the wrong problems. Problems that the prospect doesn’t believe really matter or that they want to put money towards to fix. You’ll be chasing your tail (waiting for a ring) for a long time.
“Why haven’t you called me???”
Here’s the truth—neediness isn’t sexy. It’s not sexy in dating; it’s not sexy in business. If the prospect feels like you need them more than they need you, they will run for the hills. I promise. Yes, it’s true.
Sometimes you have to fake it. You need to approach your marketplace everyday as if you don’t need the business. If you don’t do that, you will feel like a cold, clammy, wet washcloth to your prospects. In order to have people call you back, they need to like you. They have to believe that you should be in their life for whatever reason; you create an opportunity, fix a problem, have great ideas, make them think, help them grow. Whatever it is, trust me, it will have them wanting to call you back.
