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Recession-busting advice from Britain’s Sales Trainer of the Year

February 19, 2009

One of our clients – Andy Bounds (we helped type his best-selling book The Jelly Effect for him) – has won the prestigious title of Britain’s Sales Trainer of the Year 2008/9.

One of the key reasons for his success is his unparalleled ability to help organisations sell more, especially in these troubled times (his clients won £3 billion last year!).

I asked him for some top tips on how to sell more in a recession.  This is what he said:

  • More than ever, it is imperative to deliver a significant, measurable return on investment (ROI) for your clients.  They just will not spend unless they can see they will be in a better place after buying from you.
  • This means, of course, that traditional selling messages – “about us”, “our credentials”, “why we are great” – won’t work any more, because they don’t highlight ROI.
  • Instead, when talking to potential customers, our sole focus must be on them – not us – and the future value they want us to bring.  To do this, simply ask lots of future-based questions, to find what’s crucial to them, such as:
    • What are you looking to achieve here?
    • How will you know it’s worked?
    • How would you judge our working relationship to be a success? etc.
  • Clarity on their desired future state will guide your ensuing discussions.  After all, which legal practice would you buy from:
    • Practice A: who said “We are experts in X, X and X, have X partners in X locations and are specialists in X”; or,
    • Practice B: “When we spoke last week, you said that – in the current climate – your key focus has to be on your core business.  You want to give all your time and energy to it.  We can help you do that, by removing the current time you’re spending on certain legal issues, freeing you up to …”

It’s an obvious choice.  Notice how the Practice B repeatedly used the word “you”.  If you’re talking about the client, you’re helping them.  If you keep talking about yourself, you’re selling.  And nobody wants to be sold to these days.

It’s good advice, isn’t it?  Simple, obvious and practical.  Andy has lots of other free advice about wining business on his Resource centre – click here to take a look.

Or, if you feel your practice could do with an immediate injection of new business, go straight to the man himself on andy@andybounds.com.
 

Posted by Jayne Smith | Filed Under Digital Dictation for Business, Digital Dictation for Lawyers, Digital Dictation for Surveyors, General, Training, nationwide solicitors alliance | Leave a Comment