Sales Training Vs Motivational Sales Meetings

Have you ever worked as a salesperson in aonly that one benefit, I would personally buy it. I
large sales organization? If you have, you'llcame up with six. The answers were private. I
remember the rah rah sales meeting completethen had them count groups of benefits until the
with company songs, slogans you repeated ingroup of benefits would persuade them to buy. I
unison, and the big sales contest. Salesthink I personally had thirty or so groups of
organizations rely on these events far more thanbenefits that would justify my buying.
any other profession.Then I said "Now you are armed. You now have
Do doctors, dentists, plumbers, engineers, CPAs,more reasons to buy than any prospect has to
teachers, electricians, retail store owners, trucknot buy." I told them to keep this list (most were
drivers, or florists have rah rah meetings beforeseveral pages) and look at them often if they
each day of doing their job? No. Why? Becausedon't feel motivated to sell that day. I helped well
they are fully trained. They are completely secureenough to include it with every group of
in their ability to do their job.salespeople I'm training.
In most cases (but not all) sales motivation is aActivity replaces the need for quick motivation. I
substitute for real training. Sales company CEOsalways paired up a new salesperson with an
love these types of meetings because they thinkexperienced one. The experienced rep could brag
motivated salespeople sell more, and they do, forabout how he did things (a genuine need in some
about a day.people), and he would show the new guy that
Sales motivation doesn't last for the same reasonselling wasn't dangerous, evil, dirty work. The new
laughing at a joke doesn't last. The emotionalguy made the experienced guy actually work. The
connection to the moment lasts, well, for only aolder rep had to work, to show the new guy how
moment.it was done. Win-win.
What lasts? Comradery. Feeling like you are aSelling is also a pro-active profession. Making cold
member of a close knit group. Company picnicscalls isn't fun for any of us except the purest
help in this area. Soldiers will fight in battle a littlesociopath. Making calls is fraught with rejection.
because they are defending our country and a lotMore people say "No" than say "Yes" if you call on
because they never want to let their fellowthem. And the national Do Not Call lists make
soldier down.calling strangers harder.
One of the smartest investments I ever sawSo we designed our marketing so that prospects
was a company weekend in Texas. There werecalled us. You may not have the motivation to
1,500 company reps there. The Dallas Cowboypick up the hone to make a call, but you have to
Cheerleaders entertained us. (They are tiny girls,pick up the phone to answer it, no matter how
all the exact same size). There were "on timemotivated you are. And when they call, you just
drawings" for $1,000. New cars were given to topabout have to make an appointment, or you
producers. And there was beer and barbeque forwould be rude. Sales success is practically forced
the whole weekend. They filmed highlights of theon you.
event, and sent all attendees a copy, completeAnd when prospects call you, it's a completely
with Texas music, and full of shots of virtuallydifferent dynamic. It's vary hard to hang up on
everyone having a great time with their group.you, if prospect call you.. They can't call you a
We left bonded to our fellow salespeople. The"Pushy Salesman" if they called you.
stories that we told about that weekend echoedWe just offer a great gift if they will take a look
for a year. A few million dollars well spent, I think.at our product. They call, and we set the
Do you know who wanted to go the next year?appointments...for when it was convenient for us.
Everybody. The motivation that meeting provided,We found that the more in demand the gift is,
lasted.the better our sales. The better the referrals, and
A reality for most of us is that selling isthe more money we made.
something contrary to the way we were broughtLearning how to qualify prospect changes
up. For many of us, trying to get someone toeverything in the selling world. Instead of you
give you money, even for a fantastic, neededtrying to figure our how to sell your product, you
product, is an unnatural act. So companies try toask questions to decide if you want to show your
motivate us past that uncomfortable hurtle.product.
Here is an exercise I used in a sales meeting thatLearning how to show the prospect how your
made a big difference. Try it.product or service fits them perfectly is a key to
I had every salesperson in the room write out agenerating a high volume of sales. I would simply
list of features that our product (we only sold onepoint out every feature that applied to them, and
product) had. We all joined in this discussion. Theshow them the benefits that applied to them. I
list was long, maybe 150 features.would either ignore or just briefly state the
I then had everyone privately list all the benefitsfeatures that didn't apply to them directly.
to each single feature. Personally, I came up withA truth is, if the product is everything they want,
more than 500. Almost everyone had 200 orand they sit on the edge of their seats because if
more in total.fits them so well, and the value they see is twice
I then asked everyone to check off the singlethe asking price, closing is an afterthought.
benefits that would, by themselves, justify buyingSalespeople need skills. The motivation comes
the product. In other words, if the product gaveafter selling becomes easy.