Selling in the Thames Valley – Jeff Brydon

1. Selling in the Thames Valley – Jeff Brydon

2. Sales as a profession A portfolio career

3. Selling – a mature profession? • What is you image of selling • What is you image of ‘Salespeople’ • Think about traits of good salespeople • What annoys you about bad salespeople • Most organisations sell – reflect on yours…

4. Defining moments in my Sales Career • Age 13 – Delivering newspapers, smile = tip • Age 16 – Evening Standard ‘calling’ out = sale • Age 18 – Would you like some socks as well = upsell • Age 21 – I am from Engineering – vote for me! • Age 22 – Running ‘entertainments’ for money = profit • Aged 23 – Would you like to Marry me  • Aged 24 – Why Would I want To work In Sales? • Aged 25 – John Fenton ISMM = selling helps business • Aged 26 – Selling Cars for Cash !!! = a benefit model • Aged 28 – The lust for cash = taking candy from a baby • Aged 30 – Selling trailer Tents at Earls Court = transfer

5. Selling Is… Selling is a wonderful profession when approached ethically, constructively and helpfully. Happily much sales development theory (and my workshops) takes this positive direction. “sell - provide or transfer a product or service to someone in return for money - to most people these days the notion of selling suggests influencing or persuading someone to buy, with an emphasis on the seller profiting from the transaction. The early origins of the word however remind us that selling in its purest sense should aim to benefit the buyer more than the seller. This strong focus on achieving a positive outcome for the buyer features firmly in good modern selling methodologies, where empathy, integrity, trust, and sustainability are central to the sales process.”

6. A Sales Model - Sell, Sell, Sell • Sell yourself • Someone they find helpful and knowledgeable • Sell your company • A company they value and can trust • Sell the product / solution • Real Benefits, Good Value, with a CSR background

7. Some Standard Sales Tools • AIDA • 5/6/7 Steps of a sale • ABC • FAB • SPIN • SCOTSMAN • Sales Funnel • Shipley • Miller Hyman / TAS / Salesforce.com • Head & Heart (Logic and Emotion)

8. Consultative Selling • Childlike Curiosity – “tell me about your role” • Interest in their Company – “how does it work?” • “What are the issues you are currently facing?” • Rudyard Kipling - I had Six Honest Serving Men • Wanting to help people – “I may have come across this before , if you help me understand I may be able to offer a solution that can help” • You know your business I know my solutions…

9. People buy from People People buy from people they like / trust / want to work with • How do you look from a distance 3 metres • The initial contact (eye contact) – less than 3 seconds! • What is the first thing that you say – 3 words • Do you know what you are doing – 3 seconds • Do you know your company values • Do you know your products and services (FAB) • Empathy works. • EI is a powerful skill that can be learnt and enhanced through communicating well with people - so practice, practice, practice

10. Some Tips in Self Development • Read widely, keep up-to-date; Books, Papers, Internet, TV • Have an opinion – and be prepared to justify it with facts • Develop and exercise your brain = fun, plus personal development • Keep fit, have many interests (they make you more interesting) • Continually increase your social circle and keep in touch • Continually increase all your contacts and keep in touch • Help others and ask others to help you plus self-explore (Johari) • The biggest regrets are those things you did not try or do • Do not take the quirks and failings of others as your problem • Learn from your mistakes (and also learn from others) • Find some mentors and ask them for their advice • Give more than you take; But also be prepared to say No • It is easier to face an issue early than leave it unresolved • Ask, and be direct in your request – they may say Yes • There are good reasons and real reasons; seek the real  • There are some things that are best left alone and not pursued • If you seek excellence in all that you do you will be known for it

11. My Career – A Portfolio Career • Learning - Holiday / beer money – multi jobs • Engineering - Project management (9.00 – 5.00) • Engineering - Sales Engineer (9.00 – 5.00) • Engineering – Badminton Coach (training) • Salesman - Sales Director (self learning and courses) • Salesman - Sales Executive (formal training) • Salesman - School Governor (lots of training) • Salesman – Account Management (more training) • Salesman – Account Director (yet more training) • Salesman – Chairman Badminton, Mini Soccer (courses) • Salesman – Director of own company (bloody self-learning) • Salesman - Wycombe Sports Village Group (teaching!!!) • Salesman – Charitable input for youth and other groups (research) • Salesman – Taking a private company to market (Hmmm challenge) • Salesman – Next chapter Who Knows?

12. “The more I practice the luckier I get” • Job Market is changing, few careers are for life • Transferable Skills are most useful • Knowledge based working is the future • Learning, re-skilling and up-skilling are constant • A wide portfolio matches more opportunities • The competition is now world-wide for all • Technology is still on Moore’s Law curve • Software is developing in unpredictable areas • Disruptive technologies keep emerging • Who knows where the future is, 3 years is long-term!!! • There will always be a career in sales – if you are good at it

13. Sailing on the Thames Join a Club Get Lessons ‘Sailing when becalmed is not much fun’. The Winds of change create the most opportunity You will fall in and get wet – just get back in… Jeff Brydon Salesman