Regardless of the industry, every customer is going to have one or more frustrations related to their business, their website or their current software offerings. As sales people, our success is directly related to our ability to read between the lines and recognize immediate requests of our clients – even if they aren’t outwardly informing us of these pain points.
It’s amazing how, in such a short time, technological offerings have been propelled to the forefront of most shipping negotiations. The fact of the matter is, many business owners in the industry right now have been reliant on dated systems and regulatory operations that are no longer monitoring the key performance indicators necessary in establishing themselves as a leader in their individual industries. Bottom line: many business owners are actually intimidated by technology.
This is where you can SHINE on a sales call. When approaching a customer for the first time, we typically are prepared with a bullet-by-bullet synopsis of exactly what we want to cover in the discussion: who SEKO is, what we do, what sets the SEKO business model apart from our competitors, etc. At times, our enthusiasm in getting our own point across causes us to miss out on subtle nods to what the client’s particular problem is. By learning to recognize pain points in basic, introductory conversation, you will automatically set yourself apart from any other sales person knocking on their door.
Learn to recognize pain points by asking probing questions and allowing the customer to explain, in full detail, exactly what the issues they are facing are. Chances are, they may mention an issue you were not aware they were having that you have a solution for. Example questions could be as follows:
• What are your current goals and visions for where you’d like your company to be in the near future?
• What sectors of your business are you targeting to grow your business?
• How are you currently operating your warehouse? How do you track inventory?
• How do you decide which carriers to use? Do you have any control over how your carriers are being selected?
• For those with existing websites- what off-the-wall ideas do they have to improve their current site?
The goal isn’t necessarily to apply their wishes verbatim (in a perfect world, we would), but to get an idea of where to focus your inventiveness. By creating an open forum to toss around innovative ideas for their next solution purchase, you are accomplishing two things: first, by highlighting what they'd like to see in an ideal world, they are simultaneously stressing the things that they are currently struggling with. Second, through the simple act of sitting back and listening, you are letting them know that you are there as a business PARTNER; not to talk AT them, but to listen TO them and go to bat FOR them. Bottom line: keep bolstering the idea that you recognize what they really need and can communicate it better than they can. This minor accomplishment could be the key determining factor in whether or not you get your foot in the door for meeting number two.
Technology (and the way we understand its application to the logistics industry) will always be a selling point in our industry. The more we can educate our clients, interpret computer/Internet jargon into basic, commonplace speech for them, and empower them to learn more about the benefits of utilizing SEKO Software Solutions versus our competitors, the more you will be appreciated as an unparalleled business companion to their organization.
In an ideal world, we would be able to make any and every request from our customers a reality – but this is the real world. If the day comes when a client is seemingly making irrational demands or are vexing you with their interminable requests or apprehensions, remember: YOU are the expert. You were hired to solve problems, not serve as a punching bag for the supercilious notions of the forever unsatisfied. LISTEN to what the client needs and respond accordingly.
What if you don’t have any idea what the correct rebuttal should be? In this case, I’ve found that an honest, “I’m not 100% on the answer to that would be. The last thing I want to offer you is an unsure response – let me touch base with [insert superior here] and I will follow up with an e-mail when I get back to my office. Perhaps we can discuss over lunch next week if you’d like.” Customers will always respect you being thorough and attentive to their individual needs, as opposed to you pretending to be an IT guru – also, you’ve just opened the avenue for an extended conversation over lunch.
In summation, you can't go wrong with listening to your customer. Through the unpretentious act of being sympathetic to their problems, they will inevitably feel more comfortable opening up about the challenges they face in their day-to-day operations. You’ll be surprised at where your conversation steers – at times, you may not even end up discussing the topic which you had intended to. My point is, what does it matter, if at the end of the day, it’s new business?
All the best,
Ashley E. Sweeney
IT Sales Specialist
SEKO Logistics - Corporate IT
1100 Arlington Heights Road, Ste 600
Itasca, IL 60143
Tel: 630.919.4963
Fax: 630.919.4920
ashley.sweeney@sekologistics.com
SEKO Logistics - Intelligence Delivered
Monday, October 17, 2011
Monday, October 3, 2011
Selling SEKO Software Solutions - What can I do to learn more?
Hello everyone!
My name is Ashley Sweeney and I am the IT Sales Support Specialist at SEKO Corporate – IT. As most of you know, this blog was once being written by our CIO, Tom Madzy. Beginning today, I will be taking over that responsibility – so please let me welcome you to the new SEKO Solution Sales blog!
As a leading Third Party Logistics organization, SEKO has realized the need for further merit highlighting the technological advancement of our software systems. The world is a rapidly changing entity, wherein businesses must adapt and modify both their industry practices and the allocation of their investments. This is where SEKO-IT comes into play. We have created an entirely customizable framework from which your customers have the freedom and flexibility to tailor the site to their exact specifications. Our team will work directly with your customers and their IT team to establish the parameters of their site, from how they’d like to physically view the information, all the way to the detailed, customizable reporting we can create for them.
SEKO’s internal IT Department is the largest department at SEKO Corporate, based in Itasca, IL. It is a 35 person team, comprised of a Management Team, a Programming Team, a Product Management Team and a Support/Infrastructure team. Our customer applications are all written in-house at our corporate facility, and are based on the specific needs and requirements of each, individual customer. We exclusively use Microsoft Development languages and products and our database for applications is Microsoft SQL. We have developed all of our products and any projects based on the specific requirements of our individual customers.
Your customers will be assigned a Product Manager to help with the implementation of any software, assist with any modifications or customization you would like to see, and aid in the training of your personnel to ensure a seamless start-up. As it is a home-grown, proprietary system, we take pride in offering our customers a framework, from which they have the freedom to completely design their own rules, design and parameters for the website. Prior to implementation, we will sit down with your technical team to define exactly what your specific needs are. From there, we will create a Scope of Work agreement that will be signed by both parties.
I’m happy to announce that as of right now, SEKO has 45 customized software solutions out in the global market. This figure is entirely based on the hard-work and due diligence of our global sales team, and I love the passion that has been displayed in the education and selling of these solutions for your customers.
We’ve got several opportunities for each and every one of you to learn about these customizable applications. For the past eight months, we have been conducting weekly webinars (every Monday at 11:00 a.m. CST) on each of our individual solutions including MySEKO, Warehouse Management, Transportation Management and Supplier (PO Management) systems. Feel free utilize this opportunity as a learning experience, or even invite customers who may be interested to listen in on the demonstration. Registration is available at www.sekologistics.com underneath the menu item “Our Solutions” Solution Demo. After registering, you will receive an e-mail with all of the dial-in information and have the option to store the meeting to your Outlook.
Additionally, we have begun to hold public case study conversations regarding the most influential sales within our organization to date. Already we have discussed April Vigilante’s impressive Supplier (PO) Management sale to Fishman and Tobin, and we will be covering five more distinct sales in the coming weeks. The idea behind these calls is to generate an open forum for sales people, wherein they can hear first-hand the sales process, hardships and inevitable sale of a solution. We’ve envisioned an open setting for each of you to ask questions to the sales person, offer advice to them if, perhaps, you would have done things differently, etc. Already, I have received calls from those who have listened in to the conversation, stating that after the call they rang a client to discuss our software solutions and have, as a result, landed new meetings. They last a short 30 minutes and will be held on either Mondays or Fridays.
These sales are not easy. I’ve heard over the course of this year that many people often become disheartened, as this sales process typically takes longer than the three month cycle you’re used to. My message to you is this: Don’t be. Don’t be disheartened if, perhaps, you don’t know how to respond to a potential client’s question on a sales call (that’s what I’m here for). Don’t be worried about the flexibility of the site and what it offers – we will worry about that for you. Most importantly, don’t think that because you get told “No” three times in a row, that’s the end of the road. Businesses (and the way we run them) are always changing and adapting – inevitably, these types of solutions will define who customers purchase their shipping from. Now, more than ever, it is crucial that we get a leg up on the competition.
I urge each of you to utilize the resources at your disposal and learn the solutions. Even if it’s just a run-down of what we offer, any ability to demonstrate on a sales call that SEKO offers highly customizable logistics solutions could be the difference between an actual sale and “just a meeting.”
As Darwin once said, “It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” Within the logistics industry, my friends – change has arrived. We’d do well to concede to it.
Cheers,
IT Sales Specialist
SEKO Logistics – Corporate IT
1100 Arlington Heights Road, Suite 600
Itasca, IL 60143
Tel: 630.919.4963
Cell: 773.729.7826
Fax: 630.919.4920
Ashley.sweeney@sekologistics.com
SEKO Logistics- Intelligence Delivered.
My name is Ashley Sweeney and I am the IT Sales Support Specialist at SEKO Corporate – IT. As most of you know, this blog was once being written by our CIO, Tom Madzy. Beginning today, I will be taking over that responsibility – so please let me welcome you to the new SEKO Solution Sales blog!
As a leading Third Party Logistics organization, SEKO has realized the need for further merit highlighting the technological advancement of our software systems. The world is a rapidly changing entity, wherein businesses must adapt and modify both their industry practices and the allocation of their investments. This is where SEKO-IT comes into play. We have created an entirely customizable framework from which your customers have the freedom and flexibility to tailor the site to their exact specifications. Our team will work directly with your customers and their IT team to establish the parameters of their site, from how they’d like to physically view the information, all the way to the detailed, customizable reporting we can create for them.
SEKO’s internal IT Department is the largest department at SEKO Corporate, based in Itasca, IL. It is a 35 person team, comprised of a Management Team, a Programming Team, a Product Management Team and a Support/Infrastructure team. Our customer applications are all written in-house at our corporate facility, and are based on the specific needs and requirements of each, individual customer. We exclusively use Microsoft Development languages and products and our database for applications is Microsoft SQL. We have developed all of our products and any projects based on the specific requirements of our individual customers.
Your customers will be assigned a Product Manager to help with the implementation of any software, assist with any modifications or customization you would like to see, and aid in the training of your personnel to ensure a seamless start-up. As it is a home-grown, proprietary system, we take pride in offering our customers a framework, from which they have the freedom to completely design their own rules, design and parameters for the website. Prior to implementation, we will sit down with your technical team to define exactly what your specific needs are. From there, we will create a Scope of Work agreement that will be signed by both parties.
I’m happy to announce that as of right now, SEKO has 45 customized software solutions out in the global market. This figure is entirely based on the hard-work and due diligence of our global sales team, and I love the passion that has been displayed in the education and selling of these solutions for your customers.
We’ve got several opportunities for each and every one of you to learn about these customizable applications. For the past eight months, we have been conducting weekly webinars (every Monday at 11:00 a.m. CST) on each of our individual solutions including MySEKO, Warehouse Management, Transportation Management and Supplier (PO Management) systems. Feel free utilize this opportunity as a learning experience, or even invite customers who may be interested to listen in on the demonstration. Registration is available at www.sekologistics.com underneath the menu item “Our Solutions” Solution Demo. After registering, you will receive an e-mail with all of the dial-in information and have the option to store the meeting to your Outlook.
Additionally, we have begun to hold public case study conversations regarding the most influential sales within our organization to date. Already we have discussed April Vigilante’s impressive Supplier (PO) Management sale to Fishman and Tobin, and we will be covering five more distinct sales in the coming weeks. The idea behind these calls is to generate an open forum for sales people, wherein they can hear first-hand the sales process, hardships and inevitable sale of a solution. We’ve envisioned an open setting for each of you to ask questions to the sales person, offer advice to them if, perhaps, you would have done things differently, etc. Already, I have received calls from those who have listened in to the conversation, stating that after the call they rang a client to discuss our software solutions and have, as a result, landed new meetings. They last a short 30 minutes and will be held on either Mondays or Fridays.
These sales are not easy. I’ve heard over the course of this year that many people often become disheartened, as this sales process typically takes longer than the three month cycle you’re used to. My message to you is this: Don’t be. Don’t be disheartened if, perhaps, you don’t know how to respond to a potential client’s question on a sales call (that’s what I’m here for). Don’t be worried about the flexibility of the site and what it offers – we will worry about that for you. Most importantly, don’t think that because you get told “No” three times in a row, that’s the end of the road. Businesses (and the way we run them) are always changing and adapting – inevitably, these types of solutions will define who customers purchase their shipping from. Now, more than ever, it is crucial that we get a leg up on the competition.
I urge each of you to utilize the resources at your disposal and learn the solutions. Even if it’s just a run-down of what we offer, any ability to demonstrate on a sales call that SEKO offers highly customizable logistics solutions could be the difference between an actual sale and “just a meeting.”
As Darwin once said, “It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” Within the logistics industry, my friends – change has arrived. We’d do well to concede to it.
Cheers,
IT Sales Specialist
SEKO Logistics – Corporate IT
1100 Arlington Heights Road, Suite 600
Itasca, IL 60143
Tel: 630.919.4963
Cell: 773.729.7826
Fax: 630.919.4920
Ashley.sweeney@sekologistics.com
SEKO Logistics- Intelligence Delivered.
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