Sandler book cites recession-proof sales strategies

As news of the battered economy proliferates the media and consumer confidence stagnates to historic lows, nowhere does the impact hit closer to home than in the sales industry. That’s why it is important to have an effective strategy in place to take action when the economy is trending down. 

In response to this, Sandler Training has co-authored a book titled Five Minutes with VITOSM; Making the Most of Your Selling Time With the Very Important Top Officer. 

The book, which is scheduled for release Aug. 15, will be available for purchase through Sandler Training locations and on Amazon.com. 

“It is critical that salespeople compress their sales cycle by going directly to the organization’s VITO, which stands for Very Important Top Officer,” says David Mattson, co-author and CEO of Sandler Training. “This book not only details how to get to VITO, but what to do when you get there.” In addition, Mattson offers strategies to recession proof your sales efforts:

• Feel Their Pain. “Let’s face it, clients are in pain,” says Mattson, “If there is no pain, there is no sale.”

Now is the time to thoroughly understand and feel your client’s pain, and adapt accordingly. Pain is a jigsaw puzzle that has three distinct elements; problems, reasons and impact. By putting the pieces together with your client you are able to recognize what’s happening. If you can’t solve your client’s pain, your competition will.

• The Fear Factor. Understand the psychology behind a recession’s fear factor and openly discuss it with your sales team. Engage in a team approach of how to meet company goals. Share your vision of what measures need to be taken to ensure success, and ask them to be part of the solution by finding hidden opportunity, up-selling and identifying cost saving measures within the organization. Encourage a positive mindset that looks beyond public perceptions to the opportunities change affords.

• Remain Flexible. With rising fuel costs many companies have shifted to a condensed work week. Be willing to meet clients at their location and recognize the changing nature of the standard work week by making yourself accessible and available where and when they are.

• Coach and Train. The worst time to cut back on sales or training is in a recession. Focus and highlight every area of success and discuss what was done to create it and exploit it. Highlight sales wins, refer to goals and cite historical examples of how the company or a salesperson has gone above and beyond.

• Mobilize your Sales Force. “All eyes need to be focused on the prize,” says Mattson. That means bringing every department that supports what the sales department does into the mix. Ratchet your sales focus up a notch. Now is the time to quantify what you can do for clients because everyone is looking for ways to either save money or make more money.