Business Development Tip: Understanding buying behaviours

Another sales call from someone using the "buy now or miss out forever" tactic! 

- Should I be flattered that when the advertising space came free, he thought of me?

- Should I be grateful for his concern that I could be about to lose out on the advertising opportunity of the decade?

Unfortunately, I'm not flattered or grateful, and salespeople who pressure me to buy now always get the same result - NO DEAL - because when it comes to buying, whatever it is, I'm a skeptic.

So what?

My skeptical nature means that as good as your product/service is, if you're going to sell to me, I want to consider it from every possible angle. I also want to review your organisation and be clear in my mind that in investing in you, my risk is minimised. If you try to rush this process, I'm out … regardless of how much I may have initially wanted what you had to offer.

But if you show due care and are prepared to work with my skeptical nature, I am likely to buy from you and look to create a long-term business relationship.

If I was a visionary buyer, I would be more likely to buy impulsively when wowed by a brilliant idea and once wowed, the need to check out all the variables is not such a pressing concern. In fact if you took the time to go through the variables with me, it might put me off and risk the deal.

Learning point? 

If your role involves business development, develop your awareness of the typical buying behaviours. Some thinkers argue that there are 8, others that there are 5 (controller, follower, visionary, skeptic, thinker), but it's worth taking the time to read-up on a few of the theories because people's buying behaviour may well differ from their 'every-day' personality.

You do not need to become a psychological genius and in many sales transactions, there isn't time to analyse your prospect in such detail. That said, when you are aware of the tell-tale signs of each buying behaviour, you can then use this knowledge to adapt your process and presentation skills to meet the individual needs of your buyer, something which will improve the return on your activity.

Thanks for reading

I help people to achieve more by developing their resilience, influence and productivity:

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Business Development Tip - Repetition riles!

I had the pleasure of staying in a fantastic converted barn recently with my wife and family. It was a recently renovated guest house, completed to a very high standard, and well worth the money.

The owner was nervous because we were only her 4th customers and she was clearly keen to make a good impression as well as understand if there were any teething problems with her guest house/barn. Whilst her concerns were understandable it quickly got a bit irritating.

1) She mentioned her concerns about the boiler room 3 or 4 times. I went from feeling relaxed to concerned about her state of the art boiler room and how everything was so meticulously set.

2) She reiterated her desire to be informed of any problems so many times, that I started to wonder when all these problems would strike us!

3) Throughout our stay, she continued to check with me that everything was ok. It was ok at first, then it got irritating. She even apologised for checking so many times!

Her barn is a fantastic product which is priced well, but if she's to make the most of it, she will need to:

A) Improve her ability to manage her state: Her nerves are understandable, but her inability to manage them will cause her clients to become nervous, which is not good for business and anyway, it's not much fun being around nervous people!

B) Keep a check on her habit of repeating herself: The bad habits we display with our customers are often the habits we display in our personal lives, so it would be worth her while to recognise that she repeats herself (especially when nervous) and then work with those who are closest to her, in order to explore when she repeats herself in the other aspects of her life. Once she is aware, she can take simple steps to overcome her repetition habit.

When we buy something, whatever it is, we want to deal with people who are trustworthy, confident, clear and to the point. Ensure your behaviour and language score highly on each of these things.

Thanks for reading

I help businesses become more profitable by developing their people: 

Call me - 0121 420 3457 / 07760 444 946

Email me - enquiries@impactlife.co.uk

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Leadership Howler 7 - The Blame Game

“These things shouldn’t have happened because we’d organised the players to be picking up the city targets who we’d singled out for attention. That’s why I’m extremely disappointed."

These are the words of Alex Mcleish, manager of Aston Villa Football Club during the 2011-2012 season, interviewed following his team's defeat to Manchester City. 

Under pressure from the media and the villa fans, Mcleish passed the blame for the defeat onto his players because in his opinion, he'd organised things properly at his end, but his players had failed him on the day. In the face of the pressure and disappointment, Mcleish was on a personal P.R. exercise.

Unsurprisingly, a lack of morale and team spirit characterised his team's performances throughout the season and at the end of their dismal campaign in 2011-2012, Aston Villa barely survived relegation and Mcleish was sacked. 

So what can business leaders learn from Alex Mcleish?

Inspirational leaders accept a share of the blame when things go wrong, something which weaker leaders could not possibly contemplate, ("Why should I take the blame for other people messing up?"). 

Inspirational leaders accept a share of the blame because they accept that the very act of leadership implicates them in the consequences of things going wrong, and they also understand that when they share the blame:

1) They take the heat off their team, which builds rapport and team spirit.  

2) They open up the opportunity for increased learning. When people experience set-backs, or they 'screw-up', there probably is something which the leader could have done differently in order to have influenced a better outcome. By seeking to learn rather than blame, inspirational leaders ask their team members questions like:

"What can I do as your leader/manager, to help you in future, so this doesn't happen again."

"Is there anything I could do, which I'm not currently doing, which would help you to do a better job in future?" 

Thanks for reading

I help businesses become more profitable by developing their people: 

Call me - 0121 420 3457 / 07760 444 946

Email me - enquiries@impactlife.co.uk

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Business Development Tip: Follow up avoids mess up

I recently signed up to a three-month trial for a monthly magazine. The cost of the trial was only £1 and in return I would receive the monthly magazine for three months. After 3 months, the cost would increase considerably, at which point I had the opportunity to opt out.

I received the magazines (which were pretty good) but having had no contact from the company representative who signed me up, I opted out just before my 3 months was up when I was due to start paying a full subscription.

The representative should have put a note in his diary to call me at around 2 months, in order to check that I was receiving the magazines, to find out what I thought of them, and to learn more about my buying needs (pains and aims - see my earlier pains and aims blog). He didn't bother though and as a result, I made several assumptions:

1) He doesn't care: If he really cared about my business and his product, he would have contacted me to discuss it and if he doesn't care, is it a good idea for me to invest in the business he represents? Of course not!

2) He's lazy: How long does it take to pick up the phone? How much organisational skill does it take to put a note in your diary to follow up your prospect? The answer to both questions is 'not much'!

As a customer, I don't like dealing with salespeople who I believe to be lazy. I want them to be interested in me and make me feel like they value my business, whether it is a £5 purchase or a £1000 purchase.

3) Marketing trick: I assumed he wanted me to forget about how the 3 month trial at £1, would then move to the full subscription, and that's partly why he didn't call me. It appeared that the whole thing was a bit like a gym membership you keep for a year, but you barely use or think about, until after a year, you realised you've wasted a lot of money!


Outcome: My experience of the publisher was entirely forgettable, they learned nothing about me and I unsubscribed just in time. Coincidentally, the company representative I dealt with has since launched his own business and for some reason, he has me on his mailing list ... but guess what ... I'm not interested and have unsubscribed! 

Tip: Every potential customer who shows an interest in your product must be systematically followed up with a friendly phone call which is non-scripted and is focused solely on the customer's needs and experience ... because no news is not good news. No news generally means no business ... which is definitely bad news!

Thanks for reading

I help businesses become more profitable by developing their people: 

Call me - 0121 420 3457 / 07760 444 946

Email me - enquiries@impactlife.co.uk

Connect with me on Linkedin - http://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpain

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Business Development Tip: How to avoid the mistakes of Toby Carvery marketing

I was recently listening to Heart radio station (not my normal channel I hasten to add) when up popped an advertisment from Toby Carvery. If it had been April 1st, I would have thought it was a prank, but it wasn't April 1st.

• Toby Carvery claims to do the 'best roast dinner you'll ever have'.

• Toby Carvery then describes each part of the roast dinner in detail including 'succulent meats', 'fluffy, 7 centimetre high yorkshire puddings', 'crunchy roast potatoes' and 'famous gravy'.

Am I the only person for whom the above statements and Toby Carvery simply don't go together?

My memory of the Toby Carvery is of over-cooked meat, potatoes as tough as old shoes, yorkshire puddings which are either too soggy or too dry and as for the famous gravy, I'd rather take my own!

So what's this got to do with your business?

When you deliver your message to your customers:

1) Play to your strengths: Focus on delivering a message which genuinely draws out your unique selling points but which also balances integrity and a compelling reason to buy.

If the Toby Carvery focused less on things they don't deliver and more on the things they do really well, such as:

A) Low-cost roasts (which are decent enough and good value for the price - with a bit of english flair, this feature can still be effectively articulated without compromising the truth)
B) Large portions (for most of the meal, you serve yourself)
C) Consistency (you know what you'll get whether you go to a Toby Carvery in Scunthorpe or Birmingham)

... they would deliver a message which is still impressive, but which also paints a realistic picture of what the Toby Carvery experience is really like.

2) Be careful with your promises: If I'd never been to the Toby Carvey, but I now tried it out on the strength of that radio advert, I'd be mightily disappointed. I'd probably write something about it on Facebook and Trip Advisor and I'd never go back - why do Toby Carvery want that? The truth is they don't and they could easily avoid such a scenario if they played to their true strengths.

Thanks for reading

I help businesses become more profitable by developing their people: 

Call me - 0121 420 3457 / 07760 444 946

Email me - enquiries@impactlife.co.uk

Connect with me on Linkedin - http://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpain

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Learn what makes you successful

I recently worked with a sales account manager who's sharp, enthusiastic and commercially astute ... I'll call him Paul for reasons of confidentiality!

He told me that one of his best customers had advised him that they'd been looking to use only two suppliers, but that having reviewed the options, they decided they would only use Paul. Paul was so pleased with this outcome that he forgot to ask why they'd made this decision.

Problem 1) 

Without knowing why, Paul has missed a golden opportunity to learn what to avoid doing for this particular client and it's therefore possible that he could make the same mistakes in future that his competitors clearly made.

Problem 2) 

He won't have learned what his customers view to be his greatest strengths ... so playing to them is merely guess work!


When we secure business, whoever it is, whatever the business and however we feel, we must remember to ask why.

Why did the customer choose to do business with us?

What do they like about us?

What do they dislike about our competitors?

It may seem like an obvious point to make, but in the heat of the moment, and particularly when we're winning lots of contracts, it's easy to forget. Furthermore, of the last purchases I have made on behalf of my business, none of the suppliers have asked me why I chose them. If they had, they might have learned something!

Thanks for reading

I help businesses become more profitable by developing their people: 

Call me - 0121 420 3457 / 07760 444 946

Email me - enquiries@impactlife.co.uk

Connect with me on Linkedin - http://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpain

Like me on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ImpactLifeUK

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Business Development: What NOT to do (4 cardinal sins)

I recently received a cold-call from a saleswoman, trying to sell me advertising space in a yearly book, which is distributed throughout the N.H.S (a key client for me). Her product was of interest to me, it has some useful 'add-on features', and the pricing is right.

But the positives end there ...

1) She talked too much

She talked SO much, that I was able to walk to the post-office, purchase some stamps, post the letters and walk back and she was still talking... and I'd barely said anything!

2) She repeated herself

What she did say could have been whittled down into a sharp introduction of a few minutes, rather than the lengthy preamble, in which she repeated herself on several points.

3) She didn't pick up on my buying personality or timing

When I was finally able to say something, it should have been obvious that my buying personality is skeptical, particularly with cold-callers. As a result of my buying personality, I will need convincing from various angles and not just on the phone. I will want to review the company, talk with some of my existing contacts to ensure that they really do receive this annual book, and also check out the social media presence of the publisher.

With regards to timing, I am at my capacity and until I've launched my new products 'Clockwise' and 'Mind Matters', I'm not in a position to sanction more funding for a random magazine, however good it may be. It would be better for her to understand my restrictions and keep in gentle contact with me, before securing my business for next years' edition.

4) Poor note-taking 

She promised (eventually) to send me an email with some information and we agreed she'd call me back next week. But she called me back a few days later rather than next week, something which irritated me.

To make matters worse, her organisation publishes hand-books for different parts of the public sector and she'd forgotten that she'd been talking to me about the N.H.S. When she started trying to sell me her book for eduction contacts, I had to remind her that we'd been talking about the N.H.S.!

Outcome:

She has a good product which was of interest to me and which is generally affordable. But because she was so focused on selling to me, she didn't stop talking, eroded my trust and increased my levels of skepticism towards her,  something which will make her job far harder if she approaches me again.

Thanks for reading

I help businesses become more profitable by developing their people: 

Call me - 0121 420 3457 / 07760 444 946

Email me - enquiries@impactlife.co.uk

Connect with me on Linkedin - http://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpain

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What can leaders learn from the appalling standards at Stafford Hospital?

The scandal at Stafford hospital is beyond belief. When we learned of the horrendous stories between 2005 - 2009, many of us wondered how it could possibly have happened. Recently, the HSE reported that as many as 1200 patients may have needlessly died between 2005 - 2009 due to appalling failures of care.

But what can leaders learn from "the NHS's darkest day"?

1) Financial targets v customer experience:

Staff complained of ruthless cost cutting and targets. Sir David Nicholson (current head of the NHS and Senior Health Service Manager for the area at the time of the scandal), was known for pushing stringent targets and financial streamlining. Whilst his intention was to improve efficiency, by focusing so hard on this aspect of the organisation, he compromised the human face of customer service and encouraged a culture of corner cutting in order to achieve tough targets.

What Sir David Nicholson appears to have forgotten is that the principal target for every organisation should be outstanding patient/customer experience because once you lose this as your key goal, what's the point of existing? Of course businesses must keep a firm grasp on financial prudence and return on investment, but once they prioritise these aspects of business over customer experience, they risk poor service, poor products and a staff who become disengaged because they've lost sight of the value of what they do.

The Balanced Scorecard is a well known performance management tool which links 4 aspects of organisational success:

1) Finance
2) Process
3) Customer/Patient
4) Learning and development

If Sir David Nicholson used one between 2005-2009, it would appear his main focus was on finance, rather than keeping each area under close scrutiny and his approach was anything but balanced!

2) The role of compassion:

The report clearly states that there was a lack of compassion and humanity at Stafford Hospital. For some people, the ability to demonstrate empathy is a personal development issue and will take time and commitment to improve, but in reality, most of us do have compassion at our heart and it's what makes us human.

However, our ability to demonstrate compassion can become compromised when we're under intense pressure and work in a culture of fear and targets. In this situation, even selfless people can find that their natural tendencies are influenced by a need to 'do what it takes to survive' and become more selfish. Once staff members become more selfish, your organisation is in big trouble and the end result is increased staff tension, decreased staff performance and poor customer satisfaction. Whether it sounds soft or not, compassionate staff members are key to organisational success.

3) Leadership:

The family and relatives of the victims of the scandal remain defiant that the people at the top should face criminal proceedings. Whichever way you look at it, it is the decisions of the leaders at Stafford Hospital which have prompted the crisis. From recruitment, to training, to culture and policy, it is leadership who have set the tone for the hospital so they have to take the blame. Leadership is exciting, it can pay well and it's challenging, but it brings enormous human responsibility, something which many of the most charismatic and skilled individuals are not cut out to handle.

The selection of quality leaders remains a key aspect for businesses which want to survive and thrive, but crucial to leadership performance is the ongoing development of the softer skills (i.e. compassion, selflessness, cultural sensitivity and care), because the impact of a lack of soft skills is anything but soft, as the victims of the Stafford hospital scandal would tell you!

Thanks for reading

I help businesses become more profitable by developing staff performance:

Call me - 0121 420 3457 / 07760 444 946

Email me - enquiries@impactlife.co.uk

Connect with me on Linkedin - http://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpain

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Linkedin - is it for everyone? or some and others?

"Should I be on Linkedin?"

"Will it really add value to my sales team?"

"Everyone else seems to be doing it, will it help me?"

These are questions I'm increasingly asked when working with clients both in the private and public sectors. There are plenty of people who will insist that Linkedin is a must rather than an optional, but I disagree.

Given the time it requires to build a credible profile, (or cost if you get someone else to do it), then ensuring you develop the right connections, deliver the right message, the right strategy and right activity, having a profile will certainly be a drain on your time. Even if you spend just 15 minutes per day on Linkedin, that's an hour and a quarter per week, which per year, is a full working week ... at least. With such an investment of your time, the question of value must be closely scrutinised.

1) Are your clients and prospects on Linkedin?

2) If they are on Linkedin, are they definitely active? (i.e. is there evidence of up-to-date activity including posts, connections, endorsements, recommendations? And do they respond promptly to your invitation to connect with them?) 

3) What is your purpose for being on Linkedin? 


Example 1: 

I currently work with a business which distributes high quality materials to clients around the UK. They have two distinct parts to the business which I'll refer to as part 1 and part 2:

Part 1 - Their clients use Linkedin (albeit - their activity is limited).

Part 2 - Their clients do not use Linkedin and most have never heard of it (to some Linkedin coaches, this may not sound plausible, but it really is a genuine illustration!)

It makes sense for the account managers in Part 1 to develop their Linkedin profiles, but to closely monitor their activity and results, to check it is a worthwhile investment of their time. For account managers in Part 2, it would be worth keeping an eye on things in case their clients migrate towards Linkedin, but for now, there are probably more worthwhile things they could be doing to develop their business unit than being on Linkedin.

Example 2:

For a nurse working at a local hospital, there may be value in being connected to recruitment agents who deal with the healthcare sector, as well as other strategic contacts. However, is the development of a cohesive Linkedin strategy really a worthwhile investment of his/her time, when the NHS intranet and internal letters is where most of the action happens? ... probably not!

Whilst some of your success on Linkedin is down to your strategy, as with all things, Linkedin is more effective for some people than others.

If you are using it, I recommend the following tips:

1) Make sure you have specific reasons for being on there
2) Examine these reasons and check that they really do 'stack-up'
3) Have a clear strategy and process
4) Monitor your results v time  

Thanks for reading

I help businesses become more profitable by developing staff performance:

Call me - 0121 420 3457 / 07760 444 946

Email me - enquiries@impactlife.co.uk

Connect with me on Linkedin - http://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpain

Like me on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ImpactLifeUK

Follow me on twitter - www.twitter.com/andrewpain1974
Check out my website - www.impactlife.co.uk

Business Development Tip 10 - Take care with your 'BUT'

                                                NOT THAT KIND OF A BUTT!  

'BUT' is a powerful word and depending on how it is used, it can motivate people in difficult times, and it can create havoc, escalating mild disagreements into full-scale arguments. If you want to take care with your 'but', consider the 3 following tips. 

1) DO use 'but' when you give someone some bad news, but you want to ensure a positive outcome. 

"Jack, Your figures are very low this month, but I am pleased that you are working hard and I can see you are putting in some important groundwork" 

In this context, the word 'but' partially deletes the first part of the statement (the negative bit) so that the second part of the statement is what is emphasised and remembered by Jack. Even though Jack's figures are low, he is encouraged because of where 'but' appears in the statement.

2) When you give someone bad news, ensure that the negatives are stated before you use the word 'but', rather than after:

"Jack, I am pleased that you are working hard and I can see you are putting in some important groundwork, but your figures are very low"

This isn't so good! The positives are partially deleted by the use of 'but'. Jack's focus is on his low figures and he is more likely to be demoralised rather than encouraged.

3) In disagreement, avoid 'but' at all costs (this includes 'however' which is a variation of 'but'): 

"Yes, but/however"  

“I see your point, but/however" 

“I understand why you say that, but/however"

“I’m sorry you feel like that, but/however”

All of the above are a variation on.. "I'm keen to make my point, I wish you'd stop being so dogmatic".

The receiver perceives your impatience, your refusal to agree and your inability to see things from their perspective. A crucial opportunity to understand the other person is therefore lost which damages your rapport and leads to an unsatisfactory outcome. Try out some of the following alternatives:

"Yes, (pause) have you considered this..."

"I see your point, (pause) I also think that..."

"I understand why you say that, you're right, we are expensive, that's because..."

"I'm sorry you feel like that, (pause) we do offer discounts for customers who purchase over 10K of materials per month from us. Until you've reached that point, I'm not in a position to decrease our rates." 

"I agree that we're expensive, that's because" 

Thanks for reading!

I help businesses become more profitable by developing staff performance:

Call me - 0121 420 3457 / 07760 444 946

Email me - enquiries@impactlife.co.uk

Connect with me on Linkedin - http://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpain

Like me on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ImpactLifeUK

Follow me on twitter - www.twitter.com/andrewpain1974
Check out my website - www.impactlife.co.uk