Samurai Sales Training – Establishing Yourself as a “Trusted Asset”

“You can have all the facts and figures…but if you don’t command trust, you won’t get anywhere,” Naill Fitzgerald (former chairman of Unilever).

Many claim they are a “Trusted Advisor.” However, trust is earned not taken. Just because you call yourself a “trusted advisor” doesn’t make it so.  The goal is to move from “Advisor” to “Trusted Advisor” to “Trusted Asset.” By becoming a “Trusted Asset,” your probability of retaining clients increases dramatically.

One customer satisfaction survey stated that only 4% of vendors and service providers received a rating of excellent. Those receiving an excellent rating have a 90% retention rate of current clients. The 80% of vendors receiving a good or very good rating were at risk of losing 50% of their clients. Poor rating? 90% of their clients were actively welcoming new vendors.

The important, final differentiation is the advisor versus asset. The advisor was available to offer high-level counsel. The asset took an active, high-level role in a client’s business. She/he would look for opportunities to contribute to a client’s growth that go beyond the scope of products and services his/her company offers. For example, it could be an introduction to a new prospect or market; or perhaps assisting the client with a search for a new employee.

So, how does one become a “Trusted Advisor?”

Under the guidance of Sensei Dan Kreutzer, of the Samurai Business Group, we discovered the “building blocks” of trust. First there must be a Natural Affinity. You actually like each other. Sense of humor, focus on purpose and determination to succeed are similar, if not identical.

Authenticity. There may be areas of commonality outside of work. You are perceived as a “real person.” Perhaps you discover you attended the same high school. You have common friends outside of the office. You share the same values.

One client of mine was a year behind me in high school, is involved in auto racing (a passion of mine) and we had a number of shared friends. After a formal meeting, we went “off-site” for an informal meeting lasting three hours. We shared experiences, swapped war stories and moved the relationship beyond new client – service provider.

Competence and Character. Do you truly know your business? Understand and communicate weaknesses of your company? Willing to accept and correct mistakes? Quickly and willingly? Or as they say in Chicago, “Are you a stand-up guy (girl)?”

Ok, so how do you actually build trust? First you must trust yourself. Do you keep commitments, maintain integrity, and adhere to your strength of character when you are alone or no one else is looking? (“I was going to take a vacation, but then I realized I would have to go with me.”)

So here is your personal “check list.”

1. Integrity. Are you willing to take action according to your own values and principals, despite the personal cost? If you can’t deliver on a contract as proposed, promised and accepted, what actions do you take?
2. Intent. Are you acting on behalf of your client’s need or your own? Are you direct, straightforward and acting for mutual benefit? Is your agenda open or is there a second, hidden agenda? Are you transparent?
3. Capable. Simply stated, “Can you actually do what you say you can do?” Your mind can be pure. Your intent and integrity unquestionable. You and your client really get along. But if you don’t have the skills, training and experience to do what needs to be done, you have an accident waiting to happen.
4. Results. Do you have a track record of success?

There is much more to becoming and maintaining “Trusted Asset” status with each client. It is earned one client at a time. It is non-transferrable. It retains and grows clients. To discover what else it takes to “Establish Yourself as a ‘Trusted Asset’,” contact either Dan Kreutzer or Robert Lambert or visit the Samurai Business Group website.

Spencer Maus, of SpencerConnect, is a senior-level, public relations executive. Samurai Business Group is a client and providing compensation to SpencerConnect.

Samurai Sales Training – Handling Difficult Situations in the Sales Process

There you are. In the midst of what seems to be a positive sales presentation. Then out of the proverbial blue, comes a totally unexpected, off point question or statement. You fumble for the right words to answer the question and return to a positive presentation. What do you do? WHAT DO YOU DO?

The Samurai, when in an inferior or defensive position, turned a positive into a negative. In a sales situation, it is conversational Jujitsu.

Under the guidance of Sensei Robert Lambert, of the Samurai Business Group, we learned and practiced conversational Jujitsu. The techniques taught should be used when a question is asked and you don’t know why. Or the timing of a question may be off topic, or your answer would hurt your presentation.

For example, you’re talking about how your product / services will help the prospect when they interrupt with: “I heard you had problems at XYZ Corp.”  Your response, using jujitsu techniques, could be: “There were a couple of issues that have been resolved. Would you mind helping me understand what specifically concerns you and why?”

Perhaps the prospect starts a negative comparison of your product or service to a competitor. “Harmont Services are much less expensive, and their contract is only for six months. If I’m not happy, I have more flexibility and a smaller commitment..”

“It sounds like you’ve decided to go with Harmont.  But now I’m confused; if you’ve already made your decision, what were you hoping to accomplish at our meeting?”

Or maybe they ask a question about something that hasn’t been discussed before and / or seems irrelevant: “Does your system have a throckmorton feature?”  Your response could be: “It’s interesting that you should bring that up.  Obviously, you have an application in mind for that feature?”

The secret to Jujitsu on the field of battle, or in the conference room, is to take the prospect’s advantage and turn it against them. How? There are three basic moves. The reversal is used 90% of the time. “That’s an interesting question. What do you believe are the advantages if we don’t sync our teams during implementation?”

Or perhaps a take away move would make sense. The enemy thrusts a spear at you. You side step, grab the spear, add energy to the forward motion and take the spear away.

In conversational Jujitsu, you might answer, “Interesting comment. For us to professionally implement this program, we will need to work with your staff. If that is not possible, perhaps we shouldn’t move forward. What is your alternative?”

This will either get the project back on track, or stop wasting your time in an impossible situation. In the 1980’s, there was a stockbroker (now known as Wealth Management executives), who was a master of the take away. His reputation for helping clients was national. His process was methodical. But if the prospect or client refused to cooperate, he stopped wasting his time and would immediately close the prospect’s file.

Finally, there is the pre-emptive move. In battle this was best shown in “Raiders of the Lost Arc.” An obvious masterful swordsman challenges Indians Jones to a duel. Jones calmly pulls out a gun and kills the swordsman.

In conversational Jujitsu, the actions are not as bloody. A few days after learning and practicing in our class, I was faced with the situation of telling a prospective client t

“Dan, I carefully reviewed your website. Please don’t shoot the messenger. The platform that was used is not suitable for a website. In addition, there are typos, dead links and one section that could get you in legal trouble.” The now client appreciated my candor and the fact I kept the conversation about helping him move toward success and didn’t make it personal.

Like all of the Samurai Business Group’s teachings, this needs to be practiced under the guidance of an expert. If not, you might experience being run through by a “spear.”

For further details on “Handling Difficult Situations in the Sales Process,” contact either Dan Kreutzer or Robert Lambert or visit the Samurai Business Group website.

Spencer Maus, of SpencerConnect, is a senior-level, public relations executive. Samurai Business Group is a client and providing compensation to SpencerConnect

Samurai Sales Training – Socratic Questioning

Exactly what is Socratic questioning?  In essence it is asking a series of questions that lead the other person to a decision. But it goes far beyond that. If done professionally, you will uncover the prospect’s true, compelling reasons for meeting and discussing your products and/or services

First Socratic questioning should feel like a conversation. Your questions need to be open-ended and relevant. They are designed to take the edge off the process, increase trust and be relevant to the task at hand. You need to understand the compelling reasons why a prospect wants to buy, while moving her from prospect to strategic ally.

The questions should demonstrate your intent to solve a problem, not sell a product or service. You are seeking clarification, direction and the true concerns from the prospect. It takes practice. Even if you have spent years practicing consultative sales, you can get trapped into a game of 20 Questions.

Sensei Dan Kreutzer, of the Samurai Business Group, proved how easy it is for a “veteran” sales person to fall back into “yes or no” questions. He thought of a situation that I was asked to uncover during our class. I fell for his trap. I played “Twenty Questions.”

Again, as your are seeking information from the prospect you must “dump the head trash” or fear of pushing too hard to gain important information; remain on task and ask questions that will make the prospect think.

Dan provided examples of Socratic questions he has successfully used in sales situations. My favorite, “If nothing changes one year from now, how would your situation look?”

I have often asked a prospect, “Let’s assume we move forward with this project. Looking back six months from now, what would have been accomplished?”

The final key to success in Socratic questioning is practice. Fortunately, the second half of our class was used to practice on each other. Each classmate had two opportunities to be the questioner and the questioned. Playing the role of the prospect provided one important insight. Why doesn’t she ask this question

For further details on “Discipline,” contact either Dan Kreutzer or Robert Lambert or visit the Samurai Business Group website.

Spencer Maus, of SpencerConnect, is a senior-level, public relations executive. Samurai Business Group is a client and providing compensation to SpencerConnect