PHONE+ Readers Share Tips and Techniques

We asked: If you were forced to use one closing technique for the rest of your career, what would it be?

You answered:

The take-away close. It’s amazing how much people want something they can’t have.

— David Goodwin

The customer referral that demonstrates you and your company have a reputation for absolute integrity in how you conduct business. Prospects that find they can trust the recommendations of the supplier by speaking with references who endorse them will more often buy from them rather than a supplier who simply uses hard closes or tactics that cajole customers into signing.

— Pete Keane

Being an educator. I find that the more I understand the products I sell, the more successful I am at it. I don’t need the deep down technical detail, but I do need a solid layman’s understanding. I’ve closed many deals where the incumbent carrier ended up matching my price! The customer simply prefers to work with me, since I take the time to actually consult with them and explain what I am offering and why. Skip the sales…and put on your teacher’s hat. You won’t believe what it can do for you.

— Zachary Schecter

The assumptive close. Throughout 25 years of selling telecom solutions non-stop, I have always applied it. Assume everyone you meet will be doing business with you. Start taking notes in from of them so they know they won’t have to repeat themselves after the sale. After you present your solution, don’t just wait for them to make a decision. Keep calling back with some new bit of information until they place the order or give you a definite “no.” Your competitors will have quit checking back after the third call.

— Ed Bernstein

We asked: As an entrepreneur, what’s the trick for balancing work and life?

You answered:

Author Maggie Jackson’s book, “Distracted: The Erosion of Attention and the Coming Dark Age,” discusses how our work and information gathering habits are destroying our ability to concentrate and think deeply, and the ill effects that’s having on our social life and balance. I believe what she writes. I feel the balance slipping away every day. We must stop letting e-mails constantly set us off in new directions, and we must stop trying to do so many things at once.

— Joe Grossman

Keep the main thing the main thing. We all have 24 hours in a day. Choose to do the most profitable business things first. If time permits, do a few of those floaters. Then get the heck out and do what you enjoy! Keep the saw sharp by spending time on family, sports, relaxing, gardening, coaching a kids’ sports team, exercising — whatever you like best. No one should grind out a living. Not one of us on our death bed will say, “Please, just let me sell one more PRI.” No one should be waiting until they “make it” to start doing what they want. Unchain yourself from your outlook software, go outside and start living your life to the fullest!

— Ron Sweetman

Day tight compartments. I can’t change what I did or didn’t do today and I can’t start tomorrow until it actually gets here, so I make sure at the end of every day that I leave it all on the table. My employees know where they stand with me at all times. They may not like it, but I sleep like a baby every night.

— Eric Burch

Forget balance — work until you’re dead. OK, I’m kidding. Cleanse your life once in a while of toxic people and situations. Love your friends and family and work smart.

— Ed Bernstein

Delegate, delegate, delegate.

— David Goodwin

We asked: How do you best motivate salespeople?

You answered:

Show them results in real numbers. When I can show them how a small effort paid off in real dollars by statistically compiling the month’s efforts and analyzing ROI, it motivates them. Painting the picture helps them stay focused on the long-term vision.

— Nicole Swanson

Find out what their hot buttons are — free time, flex time, recognition, money, etc. — then reward them according to their own interests.

— David Goodwin

I think all sales reps are motivated differently. Naturally, the good one ones are always motivated financially. No base pay — keep them hungry and keep big carrots hanging out there, and they will do whatever it takes to win and win big.

— Eric Burch

We asked: Of all the lead-generating activities you’ve tried, which was worth your time and which was a waste of time?

You answered:

Calling with an offering you know fits is the best way to prospect. Internet marketing is also low return from what we have seen. Best return on investment: personal referrals from networking or professional organizations, which can be in the 50 to 70 percent conversion rate. E-mail blasts are the least-cost marketing and lest productive for return telecom leads.

— Ed Bernstein

Generating leads from existing clients is the easiest and fastest way to generate more business. I offer a free wireless headset to anyone who gives me a referral that turns into a sale. All training sessions and requests for headset pricing get this same offer.

— Eric Burch

We asked: What is one piece of business advice you wish someone had given you?

You answered:

Learn to say “no” early in your career. Once you figure out where the money is, stick to it. You can’t be all things to all people.

— Ron Sweetman

The lesson I learned late: Never put all your eggs in one basket. Having one stream of income dependent on any one (or two) carriers is horrible.

— Peter Radizeski

Empower and trust your people to do the right thing, and most of the time they will.

— David Goodwin

Hire a great bookkeeper first and the rest will just fall into place. Also, give more than you take out of life. Do it as a principle, not a tactic.

— Eric Burch

We asked: What’s the secret to hiring the right people?

You answered:

Hire smart, hard-working people, even if they do not have telecom experience. It is easier to train a person like that than to take an average worker that already has telecom experience.

— Mike

I look for personal credibility, a track record of doing the right thing and of being persistent and coachable. They need to speak well and have a positive self-image. I check out references and have someone I trust meet with candidates, then compare our impressions. It’s much easier to hire the wrong person than it is to fire them.

— Ed Bernstein

Make sure the hiring process involves the internal customers/suppliers of the candidate. If all agree on the new addition, then all will participate in that person’s training and mentoring, resulting in a successful, solid team addition.

— Rich Levine

Hire for attitude. Telecom experience can be learned. Attitude cannot. Sales is the transfer of emotion from the seller to the buyer; without some passion and enthusiasm from the seller, it’s difficult to get the prospect excited.

— Peter Radizeski

I have found that using a pre-hire personality profile tool, having the candidate interview with more than one person and performing a background check give you a better quality hire.

— Ron Sweetman

Making sure you get people you would feel comfortable inviting to your home for dinner. You have to work with them every day.

— David Goodwin

The secret to hiring the right people is a combination of networking and luck. Working through people you know or hiring people you’ve worked well with in the past are virtually foolproof ways to find the right people. As for luck, there will be times when you’re looking for someone whose skill set lies outside your reference network. At that point, you have to go through the typical channels like Monster and hope that you can find the best person on the basis of resumes and interviews.

— Patrick Oborn

We asked: What’s one gadget/tool/resource no channel partner should be without?

You answered:

I would say laptop with EVDO card, but my smartphone is getting close to being a replacement. (My laptop has a softphone.)

— Peter Radizeski

Smartphone.

— David Goodwin

We function as a resource center for all out clients. And while we sell and service telephone systems and IT issues, if one of my clients needs new carpeting for their house, they call me to find out who I use. Having a great network of other business bird dogs makes me money.

— Eric Burch