Chris said to Kate, “How do you get lone wolves to become
part of a collaborative sales approach? How do you get them to actually put
prospects into a contact management system”

“He’s got a point,” I said, “Every salesperson I know thinks
that until a contract is signed or a deal is closed, the lead is theirs, not
the company’s. And even afterwards they believe that all future sales to that
customer are something they should be rewarded for even if they have not maintained
contact.”

Kate smiled and said, “ The eternal problem. Business owners
hire sales people because they believe:

The sales person works for a
competitor so they have lots of contacts that could be prospects for us.

The job of the sales person is to
define and hunt down the best prospects for our business.

The sales person is going to
convince them to buy from us.

Because they are sales people they
only have to have rudimentary knowledge of what we do.

They sell better when compensation
is directly linked to closes.

Usually the people doing the hiring in small companies have
never been professional sales people themselves and are looking for a real
boost in their business.”

Rob pulled out his aw shucks grin and syrupy voice to say,
“So we got some untrained youngster
wanderin’ ‘round in the dark who couldn’t find their own behind with either
hand, a guide dog and a flashlight tryin’ to tree the right sales person.”

I said, “Can I use that?”

Y’all are welcome to it, Fletch,” Rob said.

“So they wind up with lone wolves,” said Chris. “But how do
you get them to work with a team?”

“Leads, Kate said. “Today you can use the internet like you do all the time Chris with pay per click
advertising and some of the inventive things you’re doing with Linked In.
Without a lead, a sales person has nothing to work on so they have to go find
their own which is usually not their strong suit.

But, give them a warm lead where the prospect is truly
interested and you have their attention. If they get the first few sales from
leads you supply you can pretty much count on them to follow up most of the leads you give them.”

“Most?” Gail asked.

Gail,” I said, you’ve worked in advertising. I know you’ve
seen sales types walk away from ad generated leads without even trying them
out.”

“It goes right back to that lone wolf nonsense,” said
Kate. “If one of their pet sources
didn’t sniff it out it can’t be good is their attitude.

The way to make it work is to understand how people make
buying decisions n considered purchases and match that up to the sales person’s
basic desire. The prospect wants to get enough information to make a decision
and not be pressured to do so while the salesperson just wants to close.”

Rob injected, “Thass a tractor pull. Both of ‘em can’t win.”

“Wrong,” Kate said. “Both can win if the sales person
listens to what the marketing team doing the lead nurturing tells them about
where the customer is in the purchase process. Most importantly, the sales
person need to confirm hat status with the customer, help them get whatever
else they need stop selling and take the order.

What would you suggest?

Jerry Fletcher may write these dialogues but they come from
actual conversations. Learn how he thinks at www.JerryFletcher.com

Stories like these that have motivated teams on three
continents can be found at www.NetworkingNinja.com 

Rick Settled in and said, Even if I can get sales
gals and guys to put data in a contact system for their customers I’ve never
been able to get them to give me prospect data. Why is this?”

Kate looked over her glasses and said, ”Sounds to me like
you’ve had that problem more than once.”

That’s when I said, “No, he is the problem.”

Gail asked, “What do you mean Fletch”

“Well,” I recall a time when I was trying to get his sales
function organized and he just would not go along with any kind of data entry
or follow up. It was amazing. He’d meet someone while picking up a rental car
and half the time wind up with a meeting in their headquarters half way across
the country a week later.

The other half of the time he wouldn’t even get a business
card so we could follow up with them and set a date.”

“But I learned, “ Rick objected.

“How?” Gail asked.

“I heard a bout the results he got for another company from
their CEO. Their training division was way behind the previous year. They had
gone to a trade show to network for business just before the CEO hired Fletch
to get them out of the hole. After the introductions Fletch asked the VP of the
division who was going to write the thank you notes to the 36 leads from the
trade show.

The VP told him that they didn’t do that sort of thing.

The CEO told me that his phone rang and on speaker he made
it clear that the VP would follow instructions or he would clear out his desk.
As a result, the three folks that attended the show, including the VP, wrote
notes. Within a month they signed over $2 million in new business from
companies they met at that trade show.

Kate said, “I’m guessing you didn’t run into that CEO by
accident, you were introduced. Right?”

Rick answered, “Yeah. It seemed like we just met over drinks
here one night.

Then he looked at Fletch and said, “You devil!”

“How did that change you ?” Gail asked.

I made it a point to get cards and my assistant put them
into a system and we started contacting them on a regular basis. He put
together a combination of letters, emails and phone calls and so I never went
on a trip to a major city without having meetings with more than one company,
usually with a client and at least one prospect. I like people so it was always
fun and keeping track of them as they changed to more powerful jobs made it the
most profitable time in my company’s history.

Chris said, “So you were doing lead nurturing before there
was a way to automate I like we have today.”

“Yes,” I said, “But it worked because Rick is a brilliant
networker and a killer salesman who learned that a collaborative approach to
marketing, sales and customer service generates the trust that pays off big
time.”

Does collaborative selling work for your company?

Jerry Fletcher understands how Trust builds businesses,
careers and lives of joy. Learn more about his marketing perspective at www.JerryFletcher.com

Hear him speak about the Trust Goldmine at www.NetworkingNinja.com

“Kate,” I asked as she joined us, “Did you walk away from
that client or get a sales manager fired?”

“The lone wolf was told to take a hike,” she replied.

Gail said, “So what are you doing besides team selling to
make clients more successful?”

She said, with a twinkle in her eye “I’m using a Contact
Relationship Management system and I’m forging bonds between sales, marketing
and customer service. Yes, Fletch, sometimes I listen.”

“Whoa,” Rob said, The boy has been pole-axed! His eyebrows
are headed for his hairline and thas gettin’ to be a fur piece!”

Gail waded back in, “I believe he’s apoplectic so I’ll ask
the questions while he recovers himself. First, tell us about these bonds.”

Kate began, “Just about any business can profit by thinking
about making the people that buy from them customers or clients forever. I know
that’s a long time and most sales consultants are all about getting sales
closed and moving on to the next prospect. It’s that lone wolf viewpoint.

The problem is that your customer doesn’t feel that way.
Even if you run a solo business, the customer expects you to stay engaged. If
you do, it pays off.

For instance, the car salesman that remembers you and stays
in touch gets a shot at selling you your next car or the one your kid needs or
the neighbor who is looking for a good deal. Or the insurance gal that
maintains the contact and winds up handling your life insurance, car insurance
and house insurance.

Every business profits when the sale is the beginning of a
relationship.”

“You’re right,” Chris said, “Even when I sign up a client
on-line, the telephone work I do with them after the close is what makes them
stick around. Fletch, you look like you’ve recovered, what’s on your mind?”

I said, “When you have a simple CRM system that is used,
everyone in the company that touches that client helps build the relationship.”

Gail asked, “But how do you get them to put information into
the Contact Management system?”

What have you tried to overcome that obstacle?

Jerry Fletcher uses Trust-based marketing techniques and
technologies to build companies. Learn more at www.JerryFletcher.com

From the lightning in a bottle of finding your company mission
to building automagic on-line marketing campaigns Jerry speaks on what works in
today’s world. See video of him in action at www.NetworkingNinja.com

Kate, the last to arrive at our regular table in the bar was
muttering.

Chris, our newest member did not know that asking her what
was bothering her was not a good idea.

Rob tried to stop him but she exploded,” I’m sick of the
lone wolf great salesman bull! Not only is it demeaning it is totally 180
degrees out of sync with reality.”

The entire place got quiet, not just our table.

Rob finally drawled, “We understand some polecat put a stink
on you sweetheart but just what did he do?”

“I’ve been working for months to get a sales team for one of
my clients to function at a higher level than they’ve ever known before. Each
of them by themselves are talented but together they are becoming formidable. When
the two of them walk into a conference together to pitch they get the business over
80% of the time. They get the business because they know they can…together.”

“What happened?” I asked.

Kate grimaced and said, “The sales manager couldn’t stand
the fact that they were closing four times as much business as he was so he
told them to sit back and watch a pro in action. He told them he didn’t like
them wasting two peoples time when it only takes one to close. He blew the
biggest contract those two youngsters and the company had lined up this year
with his macho lone wolf approach!

Ever time I hear a salesperson talk about being up close and
personal with a prospect and the only one who could be expected to make the
sale I want to get the twit up close and personal with a real pack of wolves.

This fool grew up in the city. He believes wolves hunt alone.

They don’t. They hunt in packs. Teamwork is what makes them
deadly. A lone wolf will steer clear of a grizzly but a pack turns the tales
and the grizzly will give them a wide berth.”

Rick leaned over and whispered to me, “That lone wolf just
made a mistake. He’s messin’ with Mama bear.”

Kate went on, “I’m sorry I can’t stay. I’ve asked the CEO to
have lunch with me. I’m resigning his account.” And with that she stomped away.

Rob leaned back ans said, “Whew! Our hummin’ bird just morphed
into a hornet.”

Rick said, I’ve never heard her put it quite that way before
but she always says that if you give her youngsters that aren’t being fed all
that macho bull that she will beat the cowboy lone wolf act every time. She’s
told me that any kind of professional service business from accounting to high
tech is better served by team selling and proved it by showing me the results. The
thing she says is that most folks can’t master all the skills and the special
industry or technology knowledge when they are young so teams are always
stronger. As they age, the more experienced can be teamed with the younger
ones. Then you truly have a pack and they are deadlier than any lone wolf.”

Chris summed up, “So if you want to build a killer sales
force start with a pack mentality and put together people with collaborative
skills. Tell the lone wolves to take a hike.”

Do you think packs or lone wolves make for a killer sales
force?

Jerry Fletcher has worked with lone wolves, packs and
newbies. He defers to Kate for sales training but says the way to a
salespersons heart is great leads.

Learn about that process at www.JerryFletcher.com

Networking Ninja Jerry speaks about how to connect, turn
contacts into contracts and generate non-stop referrals. More at: www.NetworkingNinja.com  

“I agree with you Chris,” I said “But the same rules apply
on and offline. Success of any business can be determined by the numbers. And
the better you know the numbers the better off you’re going to be.”

“Fletch, he said, the numbers are different on line. You
need bigger numbers just to make a dent.”

“True,” I snarled. “That’s because everything is at arm’s
length.”

“Boys,” Kate said, ‘Play nice. Instead of acting like two
skunks in a spraying match let’s put some numbers on the table and compare,
okay?” With that she unfolded a paper napkin and put three columns on it headed
Chris, Number and Fletch.

“Chris, if you are selling on line what are the key
numbers?”

“Visitors, click thrus and conversions/purchases. We gather other
stuff as well like pages examined and cart abandonment and restarts but those
are the biggies,“ Chris responded. I average between 20 and 30% of the visitors
clicking through.

“Okay, Fletch what about you?”

“I look at contacts, meetings and contracts as the
primaries. I do a lot of networking as you know but I’ve honed it to the point
that I seldom leave a gathering of 40 to 50 people without having one or two folks
I need to follow up with. I’ll spend an hour with them and know whether to try
to make them a client. I close over 50% of those I pursue.”

“So,” Kate continued, “Each of you start with a pool of
possibles. Chris let’s them self select, while Fletch winnows out a few for
further discussion. Agree? Then both of you have to convince them to buy and
that gets us to the real number that is important. Each of you have a monthly
number that you have to hit to pay the staff and pay the rent, the taxes and
keep the lights on. So let’s say that each of you has the same monthly number
and for comparison purposes let’s make it 10 Grand.”

Both Chris and Fletch nodded their assent.

“Chris, how many clients at your average income per client
would it take to make $10,000?” Kate asked.

He replied, “Ten at about $1000 each.”

“What percentage do you close of those that click through?” She continued.

“Truthfully, about 20% on the first visit,” Chris said
quietly.

Kate swung to Fletch “Same questions,” she said.

“Average client income and number is the same.” I answered.
“But I close about 50% on the first sit down then add another 30% on second and
third visits. I closed you on a third visit as I recall.”

Kate, unflappable as usual continued. “So, if you two
actually know what your close ratios are the sales math for you on a monthly
basis looks like this.

Chris (on line)                 Number                                  Fletch (In person)

10                          Customers
per month                           10

20%                       Close
ratio                                             50%

50                          Click
Thrus vs Sit downs                        20

25%                       Percentage
of visitors/possibles            10%   

200                        Visitors/
Possibles required                    200

Both of you need to get to the same number of people to make
it work. The only real difference is how you do it.”

So the question of the day is: How can on line and in person
working together make it easier for each other?”

Jerry Fletcher understands how the synergy of on and off line
marketing can build a business. Visit www.JerryFletcher
to learn more.

Need a speaker that can make this kind of
hard-nosed marketing part of a meeting or convention? Visit www.NetworkingNinja.com to learn more,