Lessons Learned from Successful Selling 2012

It was another great day at the ISMM Successful Selling show – a ‘must’ for everyone in sales for new ideas, motivation and a day out of the office to refocus, recharge and realign your goals. 
 
My key lessons learned from the speakers today include:

Toby Perkins MP - @tobyperkinsmp

MP for Chesterfield, and Shadow Minister for SME's

• There are 2.2M in sales in the UK. That’s 9% of all workers
• “Sales is the key to economic prosperity”
• In a current A-level syllabus ‘production’ is mentioned 36 times, ‘Accounts’ 32 times and Sales Once! Bearing in mind that ‘until a sale is made, nothing happens’ that is an absolute travesty
• “The pace of technological change will never be as slow as it is today”
• “Sales: The ultimate meritocracy”

Andy Bounds.

Britain’s Sales Trainer of the Year 2010. Free weekly Tuesday Tips: http://www.andybounds.com/tips

• “What you think is relevant is not necessarily what your customers think”
• “When your customer says ‘yes’ – shut up!”
• Research why people say ‘yes’ to you – “facts tell, stories sell”
• Give clients options at the end of the meeting – “how would you like us to help you next x, y, or z?”
• Call clients and ask “what are you priorities between now and the end of the year and how can we help you?”

Allan Pease - @AllanPease

Known internationally as 'Mr. Body Language' and multi-million seller of the ‘bible’ of ‘body language’.

• “92% of all sales professionals in Japan are female”
• Gesture of chin stroking means “weighing up pros and cons” i.e will I or won’t I
• “Woman are better than men at Body Language as they ‘hard-wired’ to realise when a crying new-born baby is is lonely, ill, hurt, hungry, etc”
• “wiping your nose in front of a Japanese client is like bringing a loo roll into a meeting and wiping your butt!”

Grant Leboff - @grantleboff

Sales and Marketing Strategist, Speaker, Writer. http://www.stickymarketing.com

• “HBS study: 60% of customers know their problem and the solution. If you don’t add value you’ll be beaten on £”
• “In meeting with target clients always think of an ‘insight’ “what haven’t they thought about?”
• When tendering have a unique angle and “create the buying criteria”
• “The Biggest enemy in sales is your client being happy with the status quo”
• “We live in a world of Social Proof”
• “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it”
• “When selling, what’s your narrative; what’s your story”

Larry Winget - @larrywinget

The self proclaimed ‘Irritational Speaker’ rather than ‘Motivational Speaker’. Five Time Bestselling Author, Speaker & TV personality. The ‘Pitbull of Personal Development’

• The Secret of Customer Service – “BE NICE!”
• The Secret of Selling – “ASK!”
• The Secret of Leadership “GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO FOLLOW!”
• “Success comes from sacrifice” – “what am I going to give up to be where I want to be?”
• “Are you ready, willing and able to be successful? Everyone is ready, everyone is able but are you willing?”

Phil Jones - @philmjonesuk

Award Winning Business Educator and author of ‘Magic Words’

• “Who are your target customers. Define them. Develop Laser like focus to seek them out”
• “Referrals: If you don’t ask, you don’t get!”
• “Magic Words: “You couldn’t do me a little favour could you? You wouldn’t happen to know someone just like you that could benefit from....”

PY Gerbeau - @pygerbeau

Turned around the fortunes of Euro Disney and the Millennium Dome. Now Chief Executive of X-Leisure

• “Reality of Today: A Happy Customer tells 3 people; an unhappy one tells millions”
• “Great leaders don’t work – they’re on a mission”
• “The role of Hens and Pigs in Ham and Eggs: Hens are involved but pigs are committed!”

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As always a great day! Thanks to all of the guys at ISMM for putting on a terrific show.