Steve Bistritz, developer of SellXL, has been asked to speak at the 17th Annual Southeast HR Conference on October 16, 2007 at the Cobb Galleria in the Atlanta area. This is the second time in the recent past that Steve has spoken at a SHRM event.

His topic this year will be “Establishing Credibility with Client Executives”.

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Steve Bistritz frequently speaks at sales meetings and client conferences around the globe. He speaks on a variety of topics including the following:

• Selling at the Executive Level
• Establishing Credibility with Client Executives and Becoming a Trusted Advisor
• Developing Alignment with Key Client Executives
• Effectively Assessing Sales Opportunities

Click here to see video clips of Steve delivering his presentation on Selling at the Executive Level.

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Go to the SellXL website at the following link to hear what a client executive, Steve Tafaro - VP of Sales for Cybershift says about the SellXL workshop. To listen to the interview, go to the SellXL.com testimonials page and click on the Audio Link.

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Free Downloads

1. Ways of Circumventing Roadblocks
2. Summary of Studies Examining How Client Executives View Their Relationships with Professional Salespeople

Ways of Circumventing Roadblocks. I have just completed a new handout on Ways of Circumventing Roadblocks that is now used in my SellXL workshop. I am making it available to readers of this Newsletter, simply by clicking the link to the left.

I have also developed a concise summary of some of the research I have conducted over the years with CXO-level executives, where I asked them about their relationships with professional salespeople. That document is also available by clicking the link to the right.

Selling to Senior Executives: Part 1
By Stephen J. Bistritz, Ed.D.

Originally published in the Journal of Selling and Major Account Management

Executive Summary

As salespeople strive to differentiate themselves and retain established customers, they need to reach higher levels in their customer’s organizations to remain competitive and build long-term relationships. Selling to senior executives requires a different set of skills and strategies than does the more traditional department-level or transactional sale. In this first of a two-part series, the author presents results of two studies that explored how senior-level executives view salespeople, when they get involved in the buying cycle, why they will meet with a salesperson and how they test salespeople during the initial and subsequent meetings.

www.sellxl.com/downloads

Selling to Senior Executives: Part 2
By Stephen J. Bistritz, Ed.D.

Originally published in the Journal of Selling and Major Account Management

Executive Summary

Customer executives require a new sales approach that includes a definition of unique value based on their business needs. Part 1 of this article described how to approach key decision-makers in the customer organization. Part 2 moves beyond the initial meeting to discuss building the credibility required in developing the loyal, long-term customer relationships needed to sustain a competitive advantage. The shift from an individual salesperson selling to an individual buyer toward a diverse global account team working with multiple levels of the customer organization requires both different skill sets for the salesperson and different processes for the sales team.

www.sellxl.com/downloads

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Book Review

Making Rain: The Secrets of Building Lifelong Client Loyalty
By: Andrew Sobel

As many of you know, Clients for Life - a book co-authored by Andrew Sobel is one of my favorite books on the topic of building lifelong client relationships. Sobel has written this book, Making Rain, published in 2003, as a follow on to the topic.

In Making Rain, Sobel draws on extensive interviews with client executives to provide provocative insights on how to shed the expert-for-hire label and develop long term advisory relationships with executives. He argues that any professional can learn to "make rain" on an on-going basis with existing clients by developing a special set of skills, attitudes and strategies. These tips come from a recognized leader in the professional services space, but will enable any consultant, salesperson or service professional create sustainable client loyalty.

Based on building relationships, it starts with the key components of knowledge, service and demonstrative value: these are the building blocks that attract clients, according to Sobel. The book provides practical advice on how to go beyond a trusted advisor relationship with client executives and become the indispensable advisor. The principles behind his tactics are very simple: get to know your client, gain respect for that knowledge and win the personal respect of multiple executives within the client organization.

Clients are loyal to those professionals who create and deliver value, as well as building personal trust. Making Rain shows how to demonstrate those three ingredients of client loyalty at every stage of the business relationship. First, it illustrates how to break out of the expert-for-hire label and consistently win repeat business with the same client. Then you'll hear about the essential attributes of extraordinary client advisors, the six factors that create immediate personal rapport with a new client and the breakthrough strategies that can distinguish both you and your organization at the start of a business relationship.

In my opinion, there are very few worthwhile books about building client relationships and both of Sobel's books (Clients for Life and Making Rain) offer unique insights and deliver substantial value to the reader. Their main focus is how to differentiate yourself as a valued business professional in an increasingly competitive marketplace. In Making Rain, the historical case studies involving masters like Benjamin Franklin and Leonardo daVinci are educational and often very funny; but, in addition they offer tremendous insight into creating a network of loyal clients and colleagues.

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Professional Society of Sales and Marketing Training
Save the Dates – November 12-14, 2007

There's an organization that exists today for Corporate Sales Trainers and Sales Training Consultants that you probably have never heard of. It's called the Professional Society of Sales and Marketing Training and its website is www.smt.org.

I've been a member for the past 15 years or so and attended SMT's Annual Conference in Amelia Island, Florida in November, 2006 where they had their finest conference ever. I can say that as the immediate Past President because we had an excellent Conference Planning Committee that executed in an outstanding fashion. We had the normal array of General Session Speakers, but the Breakout Sessions were of the highest quality that I've ever seen offered at an event of this type. Many leading edge concepts were presented that showed attendees the state-of-the-art in new training techniques that were beyond the expectation of many attendees.

The 2007 Annual Conference will take place in Falls Church, Virginia, from November 12-14. Check out the SMT website for additional information on this conference.

If you have any questions about SMT, give me a call at (404) 256-1801. I'd enjoy the opportunity to tell you more about this unique training organization that is directed specifically at those of us engaged in the wonderful field of sales and marketing training.

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