***4 Quick Tips For Cross-Selling

By Sam Manfer
The official guide to Sales Management Training

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Is cross-selling in your 2008 future? If not it should be. It is the easiest
way to make more sales. That’s because you have relationships and if you know how to use them, it translates to easy sales, better pricing, elimination of any budget issues, and no competitive involvement.

Now for the ...Is cross-selling in your 2008 future? If not it should be. It is the easiest
way to make more sales. That’s because you have relationships and if you know how to use them, it translates to easy sales, better pricing, elimination of any budget issues, and no competitive involvement.

Now for the bad news - most sales people don’t know how to cross- sell
effectively (not that they will admit it), and most sales managers don’t
know how to coach sales people to cross sell (not that they will admit it
either).

So here are 4 cross-selling tips to help sales managers and sales people.
1. Spend 3 times as much time with existing and old customers as you
do chasing new customers. Relationships require maintenance time and you should also be spending time meeting new people in existing accounts.

2. Ask questions that are customer focused. Get customers talking about their
issues and concerns as it relates to your solutions’ portfolio. Asking, “How
do you feel we are doing?” Or “What can I do to help?” are not customer
focused. They are you focused. So learn what and how to ask.

3. Don’t use your relationships as an opportunity to show, brag, or
demonstrate all your other products or services. Rather bring them up as a tease after the customer has expressed his issues. For example, “You know you didn’t say anything about yada yada yada. Is that a concern to you?”

4. Listen effectively. When the customer starts talking in response to
your customer focused question, listen for key words that point to
opportunities. This is where you have to know the key phases that apply
to your cross-sell services and products.

For example, one of my services is screening potential new hires using a
very accurate screening tool for sales people and managers. So when I
ask my client about his sales issues for 2008, I am prepared to listen not
only for keywords around “hiring new people” but also for dissatisfactions, or
difference among his sales producers. This can lead to a discussion of
turning over poor performers and replacing them with sure winner.

The big hook is getting the various people in the account to tell you their
issues and then fitting your services to them. I’m not trolling with my
whole tackle box. Unlike fish, prospects can tell you what they are biting
on – if you know how to ask and listen.

Ferreting-out prospects’ interests and issues, and offering suggestions
without getting rejected requires skills most sales people and managers
never learned. If you agree, you might want to talk with me about what can
be done to make your selling team better cross-sellers. Mail to:
sam@sammanfer.com