Money spent on marketing is wasted – if you can’t close the sale

Business owners have been warned by a sales expert that money spent on marketing activities such as branding and website design could be wasted if they don’t have the skills to get customers to actually buy from them.

Speaking to over seventy business owners and salespeople at the ‘Selling in a Slowdown’ evening event at The Palace Hotel in Manchester, International sales expert and author of ‘Selling in a Slowdown’ Andy Preston said the evening was their ‘wake up call’ to the fact that sales techniques during recessionary times were distinctly different to those used in a healthy economy.

“The recession has changed the way people buy and in return the way businesses need to act to close the deal. We can’t continue to sell the way we have for years and just expect it to work as well as it used to because it won’t! If anything, the recession has presented an opportunity for the more motivated, driven salespeople to take business off their competitors”, reveals Preston, MD of sales performance company Outstanding Results.

Preston claims that two major contributors to why people don’t win more business in the current economy is that is they aren’t sat in front of the right decision makers often enough and they don’t ask the right questions when they are there. But the biggest issue by far he says, is the fact is that most people have no idea how much a sales enquiry is potentially worth to them and so don’t treat those potential customers in the way they should be treated to help win the business.

“Many companies spend a large amount of money getting their website, branding, design and marketing materials right, but then forget the most important part – which is training themselves and their team how to deal with sales enquiries effectively so they generate new business,” says Preston

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Editors Notes

Andy Preston is MD and Training Director of sales performance company Outstanding Results. Andy is an international speaker, author and trainer and specialises in working with companies to improve their sales results. Preston has over a decade of experience and success in the sales industry, working his way from sales representative to sales director in less than twelve years. More information on Andy Preston can be found at www.andy-preston.com and for more information on Outstanding Results please visit www.outstanding-results.co.uk.

For press enquiries please contact Rebecca King on 01603 283 506 or email rebecca@mediajems.co.uk

Salespeople guilty of using social media to avoid cold calling

Business growth is being put at risk by salespeople using social media as an excuse to avoid cold calling and stop pro-actively going out and bringing in new business, warns sales expert Andy Preston.

The Manchester-based sales trainer claims that more Managers need to monitor the social media activity of their salespeople to ensure that it remains an extension of their sales and marketing efforts rather than a replacement for traditional selling techniques.

Preston, who is the founder of sales training company Outstanding Results, believes that social media has brought an interesting ‘extra dimension’ into the toolkit of a salesperson and should be used as a way of keeping people updated and attracting people towards the salesperson, their company and their product and services; but is concerned that without proper direction and focus, salespeople could fall into the trap of using it as way to wriggle out of tasks they find difficult, such as cold calling.

“The challenge faced by Managers when evaluating any form of networking is defining what returns it can bring for the efforts and the time invested. For salespeople reluctant to do the more challenging parts of sales, such as cold calling, social media can provide a great excuse to avoid that activity,” says Preston.

Preston claims that most Sales Managers and Directors view social media tools like Facebook as their worst nightmare, because for many salespeople it is genuine distraction unless they can be self-disciplined and focused. However, if used correctly, Facebook is an effective way to keep your network updated with what you are up to, as is Twitter.

But for the more risk-averse Managers, Preston advises that LinkedIn is probably the most suitable online tool for their salespeople.

“LinkedIn is by far the best social media platform for professional salespeople, particularly if you’re in recruitment, IT or the telecoms sector. Viewed as the most ‘business-based’ of the popular social media sites, LinkedIn offers you opportunities to contact people at high levels within large organisations – the sort of people that the average salesperson may struggle to get through to on a cold call for example,” adds Preston.

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For press enquiries please contact Rebecca King on Rebecca@mediajems.co.uk or 01603 283506

UK’s first Sales Training Breakfast expands to include new Leeds venue

Small business owners and salespeople in Yorkshire will soon be given the opportunity to get more sales and customers each month through thirty minutes of quality sales training, and all for the price of a breakfast! Due to its highly acclaimed success in Manchester, Cheshire and London, the UK’s first and only Sales Training Breakfast Club has announced the launch of its brand new Leeds event, which will be held at an exclusive venue in May.

First launched in Manchester in March 2008 by leading sales trainer Andy Preston, the club is designed to help salespeople and business owners who often do not have access to good sales training at a reasonable price. In the face of difficult trading conditions, Preston believes the Sales Training Breakfast Club gives people the ideal opportunity to thrive even in a ’slowdown’ or ‘recession’.

Preston, who is director of sales performance training company Outstanding Results, says “Many people don’t often have access to good sales training because of the cost, so I wanted to give them an opportunity to get involved with something that suits their budget, their diary and provides instant return-on-investment”.

“After speaking all over the UK, Europe, North America and the Far East, I wanted to start something so that UK businesses could benefit from regular practical advice and tips on how they can grow their business”, explains Preston, who has over a decade of experience and success in the sales industry, working his way from sales representative to sales director in less than twelve years.

“The Sales Training Breakfast Club will give people access to bite-sized, valuable sales training that they would not normally have access to and it is set to be the best value sales training available in the UK”, adds Preston

The Leeds launch of the Sales Training Breakfast Club will be held on Thursday 21st May at the Village Hotel, West Tingley, Leeds South, LS27 0TS starting at 7.30am.

For more details or to book a place please contact Andy Preston directly on 07968 481729 or visit www.salesbreakfast.net. Places are in high demand so early booking is recommended.

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For press enquiries please contact Rebecca King on Rebecca@mediajems.co.uk or 01603 283506

UK Sales Training Club extends support to Dubai

Following overwhelming success in the UK, The Sales Training Breakfast Club left behind the gloomy weather and jetted off to Dubai earlier this month to launch the Dubai version of their successful UK events.

Hosted by Sales Expert Andy Preston, the breakfast club was held at the Novotel, World Trade Center, Dubai on Thursday 5th March 2009, where Preston delivered a session based on his forthcoming book – ‘Selling in a Slowdown – How You Need to Change The Way You Sell In A Negative Market’.

The event received much praise from attendees, with comments such as ‘very inspiring!’ and ‘a very productive use of my time!’ Phillip Bedford of the Referral Institute in Dubai said:

‘‘The Dubai Sales Training Breakfast Club delivered ‘real-life’ training. A good mix of humour, tips and a very productive use of my time – you get the impression Andy has so much more to offer should you invest!”

The event was so successful that Preston has already booked his trip back in May for the next instalment of his Sales Breakfast training where he will cover the topic of ‘Winning New Business’.

Speaking on his return to the UK, Preston said:

“Dubai has been an ‘easy’ market to sell into for the past few years. Now the recession has hit, people are finding that their lack of sales skills is costing them business and in some cases their jobs! Those without the sales skills necessary to succeed in the current market will continue to struggle, while the business goes to those best able to convert it. Nowhere is this truer than in Dubai right now. That’s why I’ve brought the sales training breakfast club there – to help companies and individuals where they need it most.”

The next Dubai Sales Training Breakfast Club is being held on Thursday 28th May 2009 at the Novotel World Trade Center. For more information contact Andy Preston on 0845 130 6779 or visit www.salestrainingbreakfastclub.com

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Poor weather is snow excuse for low sales productivity

Businesses across the country may have missed out on lucrative sales deals as their sales executives took unnecessary ‘duvet days’ during the recent bad weather, says leading sales expert Andy Preston.

With reports claiming that one in five adults stayed away from work and that some employers were instructing their staff not to even attempt to travel in, Preston, MD and Head Trainer at sales performance training company Outstanding Results, believes that many businesses missed out on crucial opportunities to make headway with calls at precisely the time when others were not.

“The snow has the same effect on people as ‘Friday afternoon’ syndrome, when people assume there is no point in making any calls as no-one will be there or they won’t want to take the call. I’ve closed many major sales leads on a Friday afternoon and I’m pretty sure there were deals to be made this week too for those who were bold enough to make the calls in the first place”, says Preston.

‘I’ve lost count of the number of sales reps who’ve complained to me that they have trouble getting through to the right person, or getting blocked by a gatekeeper or voicemail’ says Preston. ‘Yet on the days when they had most chance of getting through, some sales reps took that as a chance to have a ‘playstation day’. One rep even decided to spend all day in the pub!”

Preston claims that it’s often their attitude when adversity strikes that separates the top salespeople from the rest. The top salespeople will find a way to make something happen, while the rest complain that someone or something else is to blame for their poor performance – most of which comes from low activity! And for those people, the excuse to take a ‘snow day’ came all too easily.

“Those same salespeople will be back at their desks this week, complaining how bad things are, while the top salespeople took the snow as a great opportunity to build connection and rapport with new clients, and this week they’ll be reaping the benefit of that activity with new appointments in their diary”, says Preston.

Travelodge’s smart price cutting campaign is clever, but it’s not for everyone

Leading UK sales expert Andy Preston has praised Travelodge for its aggressive new price check campaign which positions the brand as cheaper than its rivals, but warns that such tactics are still dangerous for companies who need to maintain profitability to survive.

The new press and online campaign from Travelodge focuses on the savings customers can make by booking a room at least seven days in advance and currently runs alongside Premier Inn’s campaign to promote their winning of ‘most improved’ hotel brand in the BDRC British hotel survey. Preston, Director and Head Trainer at sales performance training company Outstanding Results believes the move by Travelodge to become the market leader of discount rooms could work well for the brand, attract more travel customers and get volume so they can then put their prices up at a later date. But he also warns other businesses not to be too hasty in adopting a similar cost cutting strategy and to remember that ultimately, there can only ever be one winner in a price war.

“The move by Travelodge is clearly a short term strategy designed to win market share and take profitable business away from their rivals. It’s an aggressive strategy which is smart at a time when people are not travelling much, so they can ensure they fill their empty rooms, but its obviously not profitable business and so can’t be sustained in the long term”, says Preston, who believes that the real danger for Travelodge lies in the ability of its rivals to copy the price cutting strategy, something which can be dangerous in a market where you can’t drive volume business quickly.

Preston believes that in the current climate, businesses should try to look for other, more sustainable ways to gain leverage than focusing on price alone, to avoid mirroring the devastating ripple effect this strategy has had on the high street, which now sees retailers struggling to encourage customers to return to buying full price merchandise after massive price reductions during the festive trading period.

“In this instance, an aggressive price-led strategy works for Travelodge as the brand is stable enough to sacrifice profit levels in the short term in order to gain market share, but for many businesses, copying this strategy and driving down the profits at a time where profitability is essential for staying in business could be a very dangerous move and may jeopardise their chances of survival”, warns Preston.

Andy Preston is a highly acclaimed sales trainer and international speaker. For further information visit www.andy-preston.com or for press enquiries please contact Rebecca King on 01603 283 506 or email rebecca@mediajems.co.uk

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Surviving firms left with no option but to look for new business

Even businesses with great service and satisfied customers must now look to generate new business if they are to survive a punishing recession as it continues to put good firms out of business, according to the UK’s leading sales expert Andy Preston.

Whilst the phrase ‘it is always better to service existing customers than look for new ones’ still rings true, Preston warns that the marketplace has changed and many businesses will be finding themselves losing customers through no fault of their own, due to mergers, acquisitions and other businesses going bust.

“As the market gets tougher, those ‘safe’ existing clients simply aren’t as safe anymore. For those customers that stay around, the people who you’ve struck up good relationships with may be losing their jobs, or the company is cutting costs, therefore your profit margins are going to be squeezed at the very least.  Your customers are also very likely to be looking at other options, either doing away with your product or service entirely, or looking at your competitors far more than ever before in a bid to get the cheapest prices they can”, explains Preston.

Preston, who is also director and Head Trainer of sales performance training company Outstanding Results, believes that the savvy companies right now will be looking at implementing ‘new business’ drives to replace existing clients or customers they have lost and are focusing on bringing in profitable new business.

“The ability to bring in new business in the current market could mean the difference between a very profitable year for you and your company, and a very difficult one….or even one where you struggle to stay afloat”, says Preston.

For more information visit www.andy-preston.com.

For press enquiries please contact Rebecca King on Rebecca@mediajems.co.uk or 01603 283506

Grads with ‘back to basics’ image stand better chance of getting hired

Graduates who adopt a more traditional image for interviews and avoid cutting edge ‘quirky’ styles are more likely to secure a graduate position in the current economic climate, according to graduate recruitment training expert Andy Preston.

With companies up and down the country announcing ‘freezes’ on hiring, or actively reducing headcount, Preston, Director and Head Trainer at sales performance training company Outstanding Results, believes that graduates in particular will be disadvantaged due to their lack of practical experience and that image and conduct will be what impresses employers and graduate recruiters at the early interview stage.

“In the past, graduates came into an ‘easy’ market where a plethora of graduate recruitment schemes and positions have been available to them and graduate recruiters had a large number of opportunities for candidates.  But now the market is different.  Companies are cutting back on graduate recruitment schemes (and some are abolishing them entirely) and graduates need to realise that opportunities will become increasingly harder to come by”.

Preston believes that a back to basics approach with smart dress and tidy appearance could be the critical factor in a new graduate securing a job, particularly when up against more practically experienced candidates.

“Dressing more professionally than usual will have a positive impact on the interviewer and by this I mean more conventional dress and hairstyles, clean crisp white shirt and plain tie.  Why would you wear anything slightly ‘edgy’ to the interview and run the risk of being discounted from the role?”

Preston also advises graduates to adopt a positive attitude and actually sounding interested when the interviewer is describing the role, as listening to what they say and asking questions about an aspect of what they are talking about can reap huge rewards.

“Prepare a list of good questions when you go in – and make sure the first questions you ask are NOT about how much you get paid and how many holidays you’re going to get!  Nothing will turn an interviewer off faster”, adds Preston.

For more information visit www.andy-preston.com.

For press enquiries please contact Rebecca King at Rebecca@mediajems.co.uk or 01603 283506

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Sales shake-up inevitable for ‘old-school’ energy suppliers

Energy suppliers, like many other businesses offering similar products or services, will soon be facing a radical reform of their sales strategies as senior management come under increasing pressure from officials to remove aggressive and pushy sales tactics, according to leading sales expert Andy Preston.

Following on from reports that Npower has received a £1.8 million fine from Ofgen for failing to prevent doorstep mis-selling by its sales teams, Preston warns that many more businesses will need to wake up to the fact that consumers are more educated, have more choice than ever before and simply won’t put up with aggressive selling anymore.

Consumers today simply wont fall for the old tricks used in the past

Preston believes that techniques which force or trick people in to buying will only result in more customers resolving never to use them in the future. Those that did buy under pressure or under false pretence will simply suffer from ‘buyers remorse’ and cancel their contracts anyway, effectively wasting all the time and effort spent by the salesperson and the administration team, rendering the activity completely unprofitable for the business.

“These kind of out dated sales techniques were brought in at a time when the market was smaller, consumers had little or no choice over who to use and these salespeople needed to get customers to make a buying decision then and there, rather than putting it off. But in today’s market and with the increasing competitiveness brought by the internet, consumers are much more savvy and simply don’t fall for the same old ‘tricks’ anymore”, explains Preston.

“Such ’short-term-ism’ tactics are the result of salespeople trying to hit sales targets in an increasingly difficult marketplace, but it amazes me that companies still think they can get away with it and think that the customer and Ofgen won’t notice! Consumers are much more aware of the legal protection in place to counteract such awful tactics and most now employ a ‘buyer beware’ stance when dealing with energy suppliers due to the track record of such activity in this market”, explains Preston, who suggests that ultimately, the blame should lie not with the salespeople, but with their management.

“Management should shoulder the blame for setting unrealistic targets and forcing sales staff to behave in this way. In order to remain competitive, management need to learn that differentiating themselves from their competition and improving the skills of their sales staff is the only way to achieve long term, sustainable success”, adds Preston.

Andy Preston is director of highly acclaimed sales performance training company Outstanding Results. For more information visit www.andy-preston.com.

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Christmas Day in Cairo for UK’s Busiest Sales Trainer

Despite the economic slowdown, business has never been better for leading sales trainer Andy Preston, who is jetting off to Cairo today to deliver a five day training workshop which is set to finish on Christmas Day!

Having recently returned from a working weekend in Dubai, jet-setting Preston, 33, will be delivering his highly acclaimed ‘Sales Success’ course to a team from one of the world’s leading IT companies, which starts on Sunday 21^st December and ends on Christmas Day.

The course will cover sales motivation, making more appointments, needs analysis, identifying buying signals, negotiating fees and closing the deal, and is designed to help the team, based in Cairo, to get a better return-on-investment from their sales efforts.

Preston, who is also Director and Head Trainer of sales performance training company Outstanding Results, believes that the Christmas period is the perfect time to invest in training and will work to inspire the team as they move into another difficult year ahead.

“The economic outlook for 2009 is bleak, meaning that businesses will have to continue to work even harder at generating sales and bringing new business in.  This year has shown us that no business is safe, not even the most established brands on the high street. Managers therefore need to ensure their sales teams are motivated and well-equipped to manage the inevitable increase in objections which occur in recession times”, explains international speaker Preston, who is currently writing a book on the subject of ‘Selling in a Slowdown’, which is due for release next year.

“The IT industry have been hit particularly hard by the credit crunch in terms of staff morale, motivation and clients putting off buying decisions, and it is my aim to improve their sales mindset so that they can come back in the new year with renewed energy, drive and determination to succeed”, explains Preston.

 Andy Preston is director of highly acclaimed sales training performance company Outstanding Results. For more information visit www.andy-preston.com.

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