Sales Help

[wanttolearn]

Hi,
I currently work in the construction industry selling passenger lifts to construction companies.
The market is saturated with lift suppliers but theres one main competitor that seems to win the majority of work. This seems to be due to being well established and how well they have severed the market during the boom years.
My company seems to be quoting for the majority of peojects but have a low success rate.

I've been looking at this and interested in getting some pointers on how to improve my sales results and how I can grow the brand and become more successful.

i believe we can offer the clients more value for money as we would be more flexiable than our rivals but i tend to find the following
- people stick to what they know/like
-my company doesnt have a good name due to previous directors actions during boom days
-its hard to get appointments with architects, consultants, Builders as everyone appears to be too stressed/busy
-its a rat race out there

Whats the best way approach this?

Edit, on my iphone sorry for spelling mistakes

 

[telemax]

You say that you're at least quoting for the majority of projects? Have you asked why you are not getting the business?

 

[jucbad]

Hi,
I currently work in the construction industry selling passenger lifts to construction companies.
The market is saturated with lift suppliers but theres one main competitor that seems to win the majority of work. This seems to be due to being well established and how well they have severed the market during the boom years.
My company seems to be quoting for the majority of peojects but have a low success rate.

I've been looking at this and interested in getting some pointers on how to improve my sales results and how I can grow the brand and become more successful.

i believe we can offer the clients more value for money as we would be more flexiable than our rivals but i tend to find the following
- people stick to what they know/like
-my company doesnt have a good name due to previous directors actions during boom days
-its hard to get appointments with architects, consultants, Builders as everyone appears to be too stressed/busy
-its a rat race out there

Whats the best way approach this?

Edit, on my iphone sorry for spelling mistakes

Hi,

The first thing I would suggest is this: "Stay positive". With the right attitude you will overcome all obstacles and make unbelievable achievements. Personal development stuff (books, CDs, DVD) can help and transform you; I would recommend that you read: "The 21 Indispensable Qualities Of A Leader" by John C. Maxwell.

 

[Colin Smith CBP]

Hi,

The first thing I would suggest is this: "Stay positive". With the right attitude you will overcome all obstacles and make unbelievable achievements. Personal development stuff (books, CDs, DVD) can help and transform you; I would recommend that you read: "The 21 Indispensable Qualities Of A Leader" by John C. Maxwell.

I think that choosing a positive response to circumstance, however difficult, is incredibly important. However, it's equally important to realise that this involves more than just "positive thinking" or a self-psych approach. Unbridled optimism that refuses to acknowledge what is actually happening in the real world will not get you very far. Some of the stranger personal development texts (i'm thinking stuff like "The Secret" rather than the excellent book jucbad referred to) would have you believe that "everything is possible, nothing is impossible". The truth is that for certain people in certain circumstances at a certain time, there are many things which are effectively impossible.

I'm not necessarily bashing positive thinking. I'm a firm believer that we always have the power to make a positive choice, no matter how bleak the circumstances. I've seen what initially seemed impossible eventually prove possible over time as people have persisted. However, the OP will not surmount his challenges simply by "cosmic ordering" or "positive thinking". A truly positive attitude needs to be grounded in the reality of the current reality but recognise our power to always choose a positive response to circumstance. The OP needs a viable strategy that will help him move from where he is now to where he wants to go. A positive attitude will sustain him on the journey but will not magically transport him from where he is to where he wants to go.

 

[bsummers]

Based from the details you mentioned, I think you need a major image change. This can be a real pain, especially if previous management made costly missteps with their clients. In any case, try targeting smaller firms and outfits first. You might want to do an in-depth analysis of the market to see if there are any niches that you can tap. Just don't give up.

 

[Lukasz Jaskolski]

There is not enough data to say what does not work at your company. As a colleague had previously written to better understand the needs of customers. Perhaps in addition to changing the image of the company, you should get rid of ineffective sales methods. Let us focus on one method - let the experts in the field, do not deploy several methods at the same time. Recommended method of fishing for customers. Maybe it's time to start using bait to customers. Maybe you should ask current customers why bought from you?

 

[AlexandraS]

Did your company acknowledge the cock-ups made during the boom years? Did you hold your hands up, admit what you did and say sorry? Fix the problem?

If you haven't already, I think you need to be open about this as my understanding of the construction industry is that it's a close-knit group and bad news will most certainly have travelled.

 

[Virtual Coach]

I would suggest some proper opportunity qualification for each proposal you are putting forward.

You should understand if this is a genuine opportunity that you can sell and what the client wants to buy - this is not always obvious.

Look at your competitors closely, and not just the usual suspects but also your un-alike competition. When looking at this don't look at 'what' they offer as it is clear that they can also provide a solution to the buyers problem. Instead look at 'why' they are in competition with you.

Opportunities are often lost for two reasons 1.They are not properly qualified and so you don't have the information necessary to sell to them and 2. the value proposition you are presenting does not provide enough value to win the business.

Look at the last 5 proposals you have submitted that have won business and the last 5 that have lost. Have they shown enough value in them? Are there any differences in them? How much information did you have for each one?

To answer your points:
- people stick to what they know/like - unless there is a reason for them to change. Qualification analysis will help you to understand why they will change and even better why they will change to you.

-my company doesn't have a good name due to previous directors actions during boom days - get case study and testimonial to address. Don't hide from it - Ask your clients if this is an issue and what can be done to reassure them that it has been addressed

-its hard to get appointments with architects, consultants, Builders as everyone appears to be too stressed/busy - persistence is the key here. Ask when they are free and be flexible. Offer to take them out to eat or create other opportunities to talk with them (be careful about buying them things though!)
-its a rat race out there - this will not change

If you want more help with opportunity qualification just let me know. We run an online course on this and have some web tools to help. This is not a plug by the way I'm happy to chat about it and offer some pointers without trying to sell!

 

[tukoko]

I'm not a sales expert by any stretch of the imagination, however my all time favourite view about competitive differentiation was put forward byTracey and Wiersma -- The Discipline of Market Leaders. Great book worth reading.

The summary/premise is that market leaders focus on value (from a customer point of view) in three areas: Operational Excellence, Product Leadership and Customer Intimacy

Great article on the net here summarizes nicely ... http://www.enterprise-advocate.com/2012/02/the-tracey-wiersema-value-discipline-model-part-1/

Presumably the passenger lift industry standards for safety ensure products are more or less equal -- perhaps the dressing (marble floors, mirrored interiors etc. offer some form of differentiation. Is your product superior to your competitors (assuming price isn't an issue?) Can customers tailor the product to fit with the aesthetics of the building and surroundings?

Operational efficiency takes into account best price, great service and good management processes. Particularly around the areas of addressing product issues ...

Customer intimacy is all about designing and running your business around your customer demographics, psychographics -- understanding their unqiue needs and segmenting your business fully around them.

With a Value based approach, this can feed your sales/marketing literature and help to establish your brand in the industry.

Just a few thoughts from a non-expert ... hope that helps.
Cheers,
Carole.

 

[wanttolearn]

Thanks for all the advise.
I am taking two days of to brain storm while my misses is in hospital.
Lost a huge project today that has hurt alot. When asking why we lost it, the usual, your competitor is our preferred supplier.

I am repairing my laptop on tomorrow then plan to start deep brain storming