4 Ways to Lose the Sale

After listening to millions of minutes of sales calls, and working with hundreds of clients over the past 11 years, we’ve heard pretty much every way imaginable someone could lose a sale. There are hundreds—maybe thousands of ways—to lose a sale. Here are four:

1. Failure to Ask Questions
   
   Many sales reps simply talk too much and ask too few questions. They launch right into a sales pitch without first learning anything about what the client does or how the client does it. There are instances when talking is appropriate. Certainly there is a point in each sales interaction when you have to sell your product, explain its features and benefits and close the deal. But you shouldn’t just launch into a sales pitch without first learning what your client needs and how to meet those needs. You can’t learn either of those things without asking a bunch of questions first. Failing to ask questions on an initial sales call is one surefire way to lose a sale.
   
   One more point about asking questions: most people in sales positions understand that asking questions during the sales call is a major key to success. However, too few people are willing to ask direct questions during follow-up calls and emails. They fail to ask questions later in the sales process. Here’s an example: a prospect is talking in vague terms and rambling on about their future plans and budgets and problems. Don’t be afraid to ask direct questions about their interest level and their timetable.
   
   Ask questions throughout the entire sales process.
    
2. Failure to Be Direct
   
   Being direct is often confused with being overbearing. I’ll give you an example of what I’m talking about.
   
   The other day I was on the phone with a potential partner. I had asked some questions and determined their needs and I had given a ‘pitch’ about our new product, LogMyCalls. The potential partner started talking in broad, sweeping generalities about their industry and some of their partners in the past. He started using corporate buzzwords like ‘leverage’ and ‘scalable.’ I could sense from his response that he wasn’t terribly interested in the product, but either didn’t want to say it or didn’t know how to say it.

   So I interrupted and just asked, “So are you interested in a potential partnership.”
   “Well, there are circumstances that are….(blah, blah, blah),” he said for another 10 minutes.
   “Look I don’t want to waste your time or ours,” I said. “Are you interested?”
   “No, not at all,” he replied.
   I responded politely and the conversation ended.
   
   

   However, because he was unwilling or unable to simply tell me that he didn’t think it was a good fit, he ended up wasting 30 minutes beating around the bush. These 30 minutes are minutes that I could have used to find new partners. Be direct.
   
   
3. Failure to Take Control
   
   Far too often sales reps don’t take control of the process. I say process because it is widely known that reps should take control of the actual sales call. The rep should lead in asking questions, providing answers and providing context for the conversation. That is widely understood. What is less understood is the absolute necessity for sales reps to lead in the sales process.
   
   What does this mean?
   
   It means that a prospect should never have to ask ‘what are the next steps?’ or ‘what are my options?’ or ‘can you send me more information about x?’ The rep should always be one step ahead and should always lay out the next steps clearly. There should never be any wishy-washing about when the next appointment is, or what the next step is. The rep should be in firm control of the process.
   
   
4. Failure to Follow-Up
   
   The initial sales call went great. The product seems like a good fit. What do you do next? You follow-up! Too many leads fall through the cracks of a sales process far too often. This should never happen. Make sure to follow up with prospects. Be aggressive and don’t forget about them. FREE Sales Training eBook

ContactPoint NGA WDDA

Free Training for Veterans

We are excited to announce a new program for our members: with support from the Coalition to Support America's heroes, we are now offering free online training on MyGlassClass.com to U.S. Military veterans!

I am excited to help members pay for training in this difficult economic climate, and I am even more enthusiastic about assisting our nation's veterans. Education and training is the main tenant of the NGA’s mission, and we are proud to train veterans for a career in our industry.

This free training will help bring glass industry training to veterans as they reenter the workforce. NGA and WDDA member companies can apply for auto glass, flat glass, or window and door training.

MyGlassClass.com was designed for glass industry companies as an affordable resource for improving worker skills, enhancing workplace safety, achieving professional certification, and complying with training requirements. MyGlassClass.com is the glass industry's single-source online training program containing world-class courseware created by leading experts throughout the industry. The 150+ courses include standards and regulations, best practices, product design and selection, performance requirements, and more.

Free training will be available to the first 100 veterans who apply. They must be employed full-time with a WDDA or NGA member.

David Walker
VP of Association Services
dwalker@glass.org

Upcoming NGA and Chapter Events

At the industry's main events, both attendees and exhibitors have the opportunity to learn about the hottest trends, see the latest products and technology, make important contacts, and show their support to the glass and glazing industry.  The NGA and our chapters host events throughout the year.

The NGA Chapters host the following events:

• WGA: New Glass Products March 1, 2012
• Glass TEXpo 2012 April 12-13 2012
• Glass Day New England April 27, 2012
• Mid-Atlantic Glass Association MGA Glass Expo May 2, 2012

The NGA hosts and participates in the following events:

• Auto Glass Week September 20-22, 2012
• GlassBuild America®: The Glass, Window & Door Expo
• BIPV Event September 14, 2012
• Decorative Glass Seminar, September 14 2012
• Glazing Executives Forum September 12, 2012
• Window & Door Dealers Forum September 13, 2012

Check http://www.glass.org/events.html on a regular basis to learn more about our upcoming events.  Is there an event we forgot?  Email it to membership@glass.org.

February 2012 News & Links

News and links for February 2012:

1. Dandoy Glass is NGA’s February 2012 Member of the Month!
2. Forecast: 2012 and beyond.  Industry leaders talk market conditions, growth opportunities, and why it might be 2013-14 before a recovery takes hold.
3. Upcoming NGA Chapter Events: Glass Texpo April 12-13, Glass Day New England April 27, and Mid-Atlantic Glass Association’s Glass Expo May 2.
4. All new NGA members in 2012 qualify for a free subscription to MyGlassClass.com! Take advantage of either Auto Glass or Glass Installer training - a $350.00 value! 
5. Start planning for GlassBuild 2012!  View the 2012 floor plan and Exhibitor list and sign-up to exhibit today!
6. Glass Magazine needs your input! Take the 2012 Employer-Sponsored Health Benefits Survey.
7. Registration is Now Open for Auto Glass Week™ 2012.
8. Free Member Webinar March 5, 2012 on Social Media with Frank Reed, Managing Editor of leading Internet marketing blog, Marketing Pilgrim. Sign up today!
9. Electronic Data Payment Systems has been committed to providing members with honesty, integrity and excellent service since 2008 and understands that choosing the right credit card processing provider is about more than just the lowest rate.
10. Feldco Windows, Siding & Doors is WDDA’s February 2012 Member of the Month.
11. The WDDA welcomes Jim and Jennifer Snyder as the newest members at the 2012 International Builders Show.
12. Connecting with the Connected Home: Consumers will soon demand doors, window and hardware that communicate with and be controlled by smart home systems.
13. WDDA Members Save with Core Health Insurance and Smart Life Insurance.
14. Is it time to upgrade your windows? Energy-efficient models save money and help the environment
15. If you currently accept credit cards, or have thought about implementing a credit card program, the WDDA Credit Card Processing Program can provide you with tremendous savings. 
16. Train your staff with industry best training on MyWindowClass.com.
17. The Talk at Window & Door: Are Doors and Windows Taking on a New Contemporary Style?
18. Welcome new NGA and WDDA members

Keep Action Plans Simple Stupid

There is an old saying of “Keep It Simple Stupid” (KISS) and that applies to establishing Action Plans, too. 

When establishing Action Plans with your employees, verify mutual understanding at the start of the process so there are no misunderstandings.

Also, remember a not so old saying that has application here as well: “Nothing is so simple that it cannot be misunderstood.”

If no one can evaluate the Action Plan to clearly know what is being done, then who knows if the results are being achieved? Evaluating progress and completion of Action Plans is essential. 

Make sure everyone knows what to expect from each Action Plan (Employees and Manager).  Another old and wise saying you should remember: “What gets measured gets done!”

Richard Voreis
Consulting Collaborative

The Super Bowl: Keep Fighting

Sports provides a very accurate portrayal of the effort necessary for success. Case in point was the Super Bowl.  FREE - Smart Managers eBook

Six weeks ago the New York Giants were teetering on the edge of destruction. They were fighting just to get in the NFL playoffs. They needed to win almost every game at the end of the regular season just to continue playing.

Fans in New York were openly calling for the head coach, Tom Coughlin, to be fired. He had 'lost his team,' the critics said. He was no longer effective, he was too old and his methods too archaic. There were even rumblings that some New York Giants players were beginning to jump ship and quit on their coach. They felt that his strategies were too boring and that he was too cantankerous. He fined players for being late to meetings, openly berated millionaire athletes in front of the team and appeared generally unhappy.

The players were quitting. The season was slipping away. All seemed lost. But then the tide suddenly turned. There is no 'moment' when things got better. They just sort of did. It happened slowly, almost imperceptibly, but it happened.

The Giants started winning. Their quarterback, Eli Manning, who occasionally shows flashes of brilliance, began playing more consistently. The players were showing emotion and attitude. They were playing like they had something to prove. They were playing like they had a chip on their shoulders. And it paid off.

The Giants rolled into the playoffs after a mediocre 9 - 7 NFL season. They smashed their first opponent. Smashed the league's best team, the Green Bay Packers, in their second game. And then beat a very good 49ers team to get to the Super Bowl. Then in the midst of the most watched TV program in American history, the Giants beat the New England Patriots.

Why did they win? According to their quarterback Eli Manning, the answer is simple: " We never quit. We never stopped fighting."

These are, no doubt, valuable lessons to lean in our lives and in our businesses.

FREE - Smart Managers eBook

ContactPoint NGA WDDA

Dandoy Glass is NGA's Member of the Month

Dandoy Glass Company of Torrance, CA is the NGA's Member of the Month for February! Dandoy Glass has been serving the Torrance area since 1948 and has been an NGA member since 1978.  This is their story:

Dale Dandoy  the founder of Dandoy Glass co. started with one glass truck when he opened the doors on March of 1948.  Dandoy Glass would become the second glass shop in Torrance and the surrounding area.  It also became the largest operation of auto glass installation in So. Calif.  Within 5 years Dale became the youngest president of the Southern California Glass Dealers Association.

As the business grew Dale was forced to retire because of illness so his wife, Phyllis, took over the company.  Dandoy Glass is now evolved in all new construction, custom mirror work and beautiful custom shower enclosures.  No job too big or too small.  After the retirement of Phyllis, the corporation has been under the management of sons Doug and John Dandoy.
Dandoy Glass is committed to supplying their customers with the highest quality in glass and workmanship available.

Congratulations to Dandoy Glass for being our February 2012 Member of the Month!

Feldco is WDDA Member of the Month

Feldco® Windows, Siding & Doors is the Window & Door Dealers Alliance February 2012 member of the month!  Feldco is a Charter Member of the WDDA.

Feldco® began with one man and one goal in 1953 when Bernie Feld started selling storm windows in Chicago, Illinois neighborhoods. Still family owned, operated and well-known for replacement windows over fifty years later, provides custom window, siding and door solutions at factory direct prices.  For over a quarter of a century there has been one goal at Feldco: To improve the value of homes through dependable products delivered with outstanding service.

Doug Cook, President of Feldco, discussed with us how the WDDA has impacted his business.

Q: What made you want to work in the window & door industry?
A: Marketing is a passion of mine and the favorite times of my career have always been when I had the opportunity to work directly with customers and better understand their wants and needs. This industry allows operators day-in and day-out chances to spend time with folks and develop customer focused organizations.

Q: How has being a WDDA member impacted you?
A: WDDA has afforded us exposure to other companies in our space and share best practices as well as common challenges.

Q: What do you enjoy most about owning/running a window & door business?
A: The immediacy of results. Unlike other industries where there are long sales cycle times, our industry is immediate. If there is a need to change something, it can be done quickly.

Q: How has the industry changed?
A: Government and Regulations. In the past, organizations were significantly less encumbered by local, state and federal governments. Now, there are hoops that need to be jumped through at every turn. And, they’re expensive!

Q: How do you see the industry changing over the next 10-15 years?
A: More rules and more regulations. Unfortunately, if you don’t like it, get out.

Q: What one experience best describes your business?
A: Feldco serves thousands of customers annually across a three state area of the midwest. Everyday provides us different opportunities to learn and grow. In short, the home renewal arena is fertile ground for personal and professional growth.

Join us in congratulating Doug and Feldco on being the WDDA member of the month!