May 2014 - SalesTactics.org

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Business Unleashed Interviews Sales Trainer Jason Kanigan

Posted on May 29, 2014 by Jason Kanigan

Jason Kanigan gives us a bit of a role reversal today: instead of interviewing another expert, he's been interviewed by the UK's Business Unleashed.

This Q&A is all about starting your own business. So if you're a budding or aspiring entrepreneur, you'll definitely want to take note. Four critical issues new and even experienced entrepreneurs miss that could be hobbling your growth and ability are discussed.

About Business Unleashed and the Jason Kanigan Q&A

A resource for Creatives, Consultants and Coaches in running a profitable operation, Business Unleashed shares many of these text valuable Q&A pieces. Also, they release podcasts on important business topics such as:

Finding Your Niche.
Branding Yourself
Getting Clients
Getting Your Prices Right
Invoicing and Getting Paid (on time)
Selling Complimentary Services
Getting better clients
Delivering the work
Expanding / Outsourcing / Growing.

One very important idea I didn't go into depth about in the quick Q&A is having customers signed up before you start your business. Be clear about what it is you're going to offer; what problem you'll be solving for your target market. Sign some up. Get promises that they'll bring you on board as soon as you open your doors--or even better, a down payment commitment.

This is easier to accomplish than you are probably thinking. Remember, most people want to be helpful. If you can show them how you'll eliminate a problem in their world, and have it be a big relief to them, there's no reason why they wouldn't be interested in having you get started ASAP.

Starting your own business and making it profitable is straightforward. But most people rush in because they have the idea of delivering a product or service, without checking to see that it's something others actually want and will pay for. Finding out beforehand is an excellent way of validating your business idea.

Click here for the Q&A with Jason Kanigan

>> Jason Kanigan is a sales force developer. Was this Q&A helpful to you? Do you have any other questions for Jason? Let us know by commenting below! And please Like or Share--the way social media works these days, that's the best way to ensure other people see it! <<

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Michael Jackson Is Still Selling; What’s Your Excuse?

Posted on May 24, 2014 by Jason Kanigan

Michael Jackson is still selling. Last Sunday his "hologram" appeared at the Billboard Music Awards. His image sang, danced and earned a highly charged emotional response from much of the audience.

The creators of the performance gave a suggested price level of $400,000 for the service. Nobody batted an eyelid at that.

And MJ wasn't even really there.

Michael Jackson Is Still Selling: How the Illusion Works

Many people might have let it go there. Not I. For one thing, I found the performance hollow upon first viewing. It bothered me. Watching Jackson's image in full color, back-to-life resolution was something I didn't like. On a cellular level. For me, it was more akin to seeing a ghost.

I went and watched another "hologram" the creators, Pulse Evolution, had put together. This one was of the slain rapper Tupac. I am not a big fan of rap and never listened to Tupac; however, I did find this show more emotionally satisfying. Perhaps the interaction with Snoop Dog made it lifelike enough to move out of the "ghost" category.

And they showed a bit about how they accomplished the illusion.

Now I want you to understand that the images of Michael Jackson and Tupac are NOT holograms. A hologram is something that looks three dimensional and real no matter what angle you view it from. Walk around it, and it appears real. Pulse Evolution's illusion doesn't work that way.

In fact, it's only a two dimensional image.

Here's how it works:

You can see the image is projected onto one screen, then bounced to a transparent surface. Dancers move around this second screen, which is invisible to the audience, and complete the illusion that the projected performer is interacting with them.

Actually, the Ghost of Michael Jackson Is Still Selling

As soon as I saw this schematic, I remembered something very relevant I'd seen in my childhood. I knew precisely where Pulse Evolution had gotten their idea from.

It's fitting that the word "ghost" is what came to mind when I saw the MJ performance, because a ghost is what this technology is based on. Specifically, creating the image of a ghost.

As a kid, I had two overriding interests: dinosaurs and ghosts. I read everything I could on both topics, and became well versed in all things saurian and supernatural. And the drawing of how Victorians created the illusion of ghosts rebounded into my brain from over thirty years ago. I instantly knew THAT is how Pulse Evolution did it.

Look here:

Faking Ghosts in the Victorian Era

A projector illuminated the "ghost", who's image was reflected by mirror onto a glass pane invisible to the audience. And onto the stage or even into the audience came the very real-looking image of the ghost.

A hundred and fifty years ago, people were doing the same thing Pulse Evolution has done to bring MJ back from the dead.

If that doesn't send a shiver up your spine, I don't know what will.

Only the technology to create the animated image has changed. The methodology remains exactly identical.

Now I have two questions.

One, would the creators of the Tupac and Michael Jackson animations admit the source of their technology is a century and a half old--and not the newly minted gizmo it appears to be?

Two, do you believe their efforts are worthy of a $400,000 or greater price tag?

The animation itself is undoubtedly a fantastic technical achievement. And around this animation must be an entire group of performers, sets and lighting to complete the effect. It surely induces an emotional reaction upon viewers. And it proves that Michael Jackson is still selling. For me, the answer is Yes. The value created is great; far beyond dollars.

And it proves you don't have to reinvent the wheel to make big dollars or a huge splash. Great ideas are all around you. The question is, will you execute?

>> Jason Kanigan is a sales force developer. What do you think of the Michael Jackson "hologram" performance at the Billboard Music Awards? Is it worth $400,000? Comment below and let us know! And please Like or Share if you are aware of someone who would like to see this! <<

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Where Is Sales Training Headed?

Posted on May 22, 2014 by Jason Kanigan

Where IS sales training headed? Articles from trainers in the UK, North America and Australia demonstrate underlying trends that they're all agreed upon.

The idea that sales is about convincing, persuading, pushing and even features and benefits is outmoded. Most of us know this. And the traditional big company concept of putting salespeople into three week long classroom programs isn't as financially feasible as it was. Plus all kinds of new technologies have sprung up. Delivery methods have changed. And if you haven't taken your audience, many of whom are now 20-something Millennials, into account, your training program could fall flat with a dull, costly THUD.

David Brock of Partners In EXCELLENCE, who we have learned from before, reminds us that regardless of the technology we're using--from the phone on up--that sales is always about:

interactions betwen people
exchanges in value between people
change
continual learning and improvement.

If one of these is missing or violated, the sales process is probably going to be a disaster. Consider the pushy out-of-date salesperson who tries to get a prospect to buy something they don't need or want: the exchange of value is missing, the desire for change by the prospect is non-existent, and there's no desire for learning and improvement. This situation is even likely to result in angry fighting--the failure of interaction between the two parties.

So regardless of the technology used to deliver sales training, the content must adhere to these principles.

So Where Is Sales Training Headed?

UK trainer Bob Apollo notes that without continuous reinforcement of technique, sales training is useless. An expensive initiative by a company in training is a waste of money unless the firm is committed to ongoing reinforcement of the methodology they paid for their sales staff to learn.

A second major shift is from features and benefits of products or services to understanding why and how your customers buy. Sales staff must know the problems their market is facing, and speak the jargon or technical language of that audience. Otherwise they will not be seen as helpful partners, but rather as product pushers.

Australia's Sue Barrett makes her vision even more clear: online resources and e-learning, regularly scheduled mini-training sessions, in-field coaching and "discovery learning"--interactive classes with roleplaying and Q&A.

The theme here is structure: there must be a plan and it must be strictly adhered to. Barrett also warns that the eyes of company executives will be on the bottom line, meaning their intention will be to have sales staff out of the field and revenue-generating activities for the minimum time possible.

Where Is Sales Training Headed: The Next Five Years

Josiane Feigon from the US shares 18 principles to creating an effective sales training environment for millenials (the Gen Y grads we've been discussing recently, who are pouring into the marketplace and will be taking it over during the next decade). The themes of mini-coaching sessions, continuous feedback, instant access to answers, and FUN! are weaved through Feigon's list.

So the future of sales training is this: the principles of human interaction won't change, but the focus is--to why and how people buy. Training programs will be delivered in mini-sessions designed to minimize the time salespeople are out of the field, and as much as possible will be done online. Finally, the attitude and delivery of these programs will be made to please the Gen Y audience now taking over the workplace. A sales training program that doesn't accomplish these things will be left in the dust.

>> Jason Kanigan is a sales force developer. What's in YOUR ideal sales training program? Comment below to let us know! And if you haven't picked up The Small Business Sales Effectiveness Report yet...what's stopping you? It's FREE and essential to your sales success! <<