The Birkman Selling Styles

Slide 3: Welcome This course is designed to help you increase your sales effectiveness. During this course you will learn about: • What you enjoy about selling • Your effective sales style • What motivates you • How you react when under stress • How you can motivate yourself and others to more effective selling • How to recognize and sell to prospect needs Birkman International, Inc. ©2005 www.bizlernsol.com alph.keogh@bizlernsol.com

Slide 4: ‘Human’ Fundamentals There are organizing principles for any sales position. • Few professional careers involve more human interaction than selling. • Successful salespeople are often outstanding psychologists first. • A person’s style can be useful in determining that person’s predisposition. • No two people are alike, yet there are a finite number of general style differences. • Most productive human relationships involve people whose styles are in ‘sync’. • How salespeople communicate is just as important as what they communicate. • People buy from people they like. People tend to like people who are like them. Birkman International, Inc. ©2005 www.bizlernsol.com alph.keogh@bizlernsol.com

Slide 7: What people enjoy about selling ( ) * RED When your asterisk is in the red quadrant, what you like about selling is being * involved: – Directly in the sale – With the product or the service You are likely to enjoy: – Showing the tangible benefits of the product or service – Stressing the concrete advantages to the buyer – Focusing on the practical aspects of the product or service – Bringing the sale to a quick close – Demonstrating short-term advantages Birkman International, Inc. ©2005 www.bizlernsol.com alph.keogh@bizlernsol.com

Slide 8: What people enjoy about selling ( ) * GREEN When your asterisk is in the green quadrant, * what you like about selling is being involved : – Directly in the sale – With people/prospects You are likely to enjoy: – Focusing on the prospect during the sale – Developing a buyer-seller relationship – Persuading others to your point of view – Directing the sale – Selling the prospect on your product, service, or ideas Birkman International, Inc. ©2005 www.bizlernsol.com alph.keogh@bizlernsol.com

Slide 9: What people enjoy about selling ( ) * BLUE When your asterisk is in the blue quadrant, what you like about selling is being involved: – With ideas and strategy – With people/prospects * You are likely to enjoy: – Using your imagination and creativity – Being innovative – Selling ideas or concepts – Planning for future sales opportunities – Focusing on long-term benefits Birkman International, Inc. ©2005 www.bizlernsol.com alph.keogh@bizlernsol.com

Slide 10: What people enjoy about selling ( ) * YELLOW When your asterisk is in the yellow quadrant, what you like about selling is being involved: – With the bottom line – With the product or service * You are likely to enjoy: – Putting numbers to the deal – Showing measurable, predictable results – Getting issues on paper quickly and efficiently – Controlling and structuring selling activities – Showing quantifiable product or service benefits Birkman International, Inc. ©2005 www.bizlernsol.com alph.keogh@bizlernsol.com

Slide 11: Effective Sales Style (◊) RED When your diamond is in the red quadrant, your effective sales style will be: – At ease with strangers ◊ – Direct and open with prospects – Logical and objective – Energetic – Decisive Birkman International, Inc. ©2005 www.bizlernsol.com alph.keogh@bizlernsol.com

Slide 12: Effective Sales Style (◊) GREEN When your diamond is in the green quadrant, your effective sales style will be: – Able to direct the sale ◊ – Competitive – Engaging – Spontaneous – Willing to take a risk Birkman International, Inc. ©2005 www.bizlernsol.com alph.keogh@bizlernsol.com

Slide 13: Effective Sales Style (◊) Blue When your diamond is in the blue quadrant, your effective sales style will be: – Insightful with prospects – Optimistic about the sale – Thoughtful – Attentive to the individual ◊ – Reflective Birkman International, Inc. ©2005 www.bizlernsol.com alph.keogh@bizlernsol.com

Slide 14: Effective Sales Styles (◊) YELLOW When your diamond is in the yellow quadrant, your effective sales style will be: – Careful in controlling the sale – Concentrative – Low-key – Procedural ◊ – Detached Birkman International, Inc. ©2005 www.bizlernsol.com alph.keogh@bizlernsol.com

Slide 15: Motivated to sell (o) RED When your circle is in the red quadrant, you are motivated when you are given: o – Friendly support – Plenty to do – Direct, straightforward instructions – Appeals to common sense – Clear-cut decisions Birkman International, Inc. ©2005 www.bizlernsol.com alph.keogh@bizlernsol.com

Slide 16: Motivated to sell (o) GREEN When your circle is in the green quadrant, you are motivated when you are given: – Someone in charge o – Personalized incentives – A minimum of unnecessary rules – Varied tasks – Enthusiastic support Birkman International, Inc. ©2005 www.bizlernsol.com alph.keogh@bizlernsol.com

Slide 17: Motivated to sell (o) Blue When your circle is in the blue quadrant, you are motivated when you are given: – Genuine one-on-one appreciation – Emotional support – Time for complex decisions – Time alone or with one or two others o – Control over your schedule Birkman International, Inc. ©2005 www.bizlernsol.com alph.keogh@bizlernsol.com

Slide 18: Motivated to sell (o) YELLOW When your circle is in the yellow quadrant, you are motivated when given: – A controlled, consistent environment – A minimum of distractions – Proven procedures to follow o – Detailed directions – Advance notice of changes Birkman International, Inc. ©2005 www.bizlernsol.com alph.keogh@bizlernsol.com

Slide 19: Motivated to sell (□) RED When your square is in the red quadrant, your stress behavior may include you being: – Too “busy” to listen □ – Too much oriented toward “people” and too little oriented toward individuals – Insensitive – Impulsive – Restless Birkman International, Inc. ©2005 www.bizlernsol.com alph.keogh@bizlernsol.com

Slide 20: Motivated to sell (□) GREEN When your square is in the green quadrant, your stress behavior may include your being: □ – Dominating – Self-protective – Easily distracted – Disorganized – Argumentative Birkman International, Inc. ©2005 www.bizlernsol.com alph.keogh@bizlernsol.com

Slide 21: Motivated to sell (□) Blue When your square is in the blue quadrant, your stress behavior may include your being: – Withdrawn – Fatigued □ – Indecisive – Pessimistic – Overly sensitive to rejection Birkman International, Inc. ©2005 www.bizlernsol.com alph.keogh@bizlernsol.com

Slide 22: Modifying Your Sales Style What Is Right About Your Sales Style • The ◊ describes your effective sales style. • Insofar as you are successful at selling, this is how you are likely to be successful. • You’ve also seen that sales styles very different from you own can be effective. • From experience you are aware that sometimes sales styles other than yours seem to be more effective in making the sale. • Is there anything we can do to make our sales styles more effective? Birkman International, Inc. ©2005 www.bizlernsol.com alph.keogh@bizlernsol.com

Slide 23: Modifying Your Sales Style More Effective Selling Styles • There are two approaches to increasing the effectiveness of your own sales style. • In neither of these cases are we telling you to stop selling the way that you sell now . • That is part of your makeup, and it works well for you. • What we suggest is making small modifications to our sales style, based on what the Sales Style Grid tells us about the prospects. Birkman International, Inc. ©2005 www.bizlernsol.com alph.keogh@bizlernsol.com

Slide 24: Modifying Your Sales Style Selling To The Need • What makes a prospect buy something from you? • The prospect has a need for the product or service. • If all that motivated the prospect were the need for the product or service, we would all be equally effective sales people. And we are not! • Just as important a factor in the prospect’s buying your product or service is the prospect’s other need, what motivates them… • Here is the insight: Successful selling is done to the need of the prospect! Birkman International, Inc. ©2005 www.bizlernsol.com alph.keogh@bizlernsol.com

Slide 25: Modifying Your Sales Style The Prospect’s Need • Now, you’re probably saying, “This is all very well, but how am I supposed to figure out the need of my prospect? After all, I cannot give them the Birkman questionnaire.” • There are two approaches to figuring out what motivates your prospect to buy. – The first approach is Playing the Averages – The second approach is Success/Stress Birkman International, Inc. ©2005 www.bizlernsol.com alph.keogh@bizlernsol.com

Slide 26: Modifying Your Sales Style Playing the Averages • Let’s suppose your usual sales style is Green. – You’re assertive, commanding and enthusiastic in your sales style. • What kind of prospect will relate most readily to your style? • What kind of prospect will be motivated by your approach? • A prospect with a Green O! • Your sales style will meet their needs almost exactly. Birkman International, Inc. ©2005 www.bizlernsol.com alph.keogh@bizlernsol.com

Slide 27: Modifying Your Sales Style Playing the Averages • On the other hand, your sales style will probably be less effective with people who do not have Green needs. • In some cases, it might even put them under stress. • The same thinking applies if your sales style is Red, Yellow, or Blue? • The $64,000 question is- What color is the O of a typical prospect? • And the answer is-It’s the center of the grid! Birkman International, Inc. ©2005 www.bizlernsol.com alph.keogh@bizlernsol.com

Slide 28: Modifying Your Sales Style How to Play the Averages • Once again, let us imagine that your effective sales style is Green. • If the typical prospect has needs in the middle of the grid, and if you make a mistake in your sales approach, what is that mistake likely to be? – You are too directive for the prospect, too enthusiastic, and too directive in the sales process. • If this seems to be happening, how can you modify your sales style? – Act a little more Yellow! – Be more low key, trusting and concentrative. Birkman International, Inc. ©2005 www.bizlernsol.com alph.keogh@bizlernsol.com

Slide 29: Modifying Your Sales Style How to Play the Averages • If you are not motivating the prospect to buy, and if your effective style is: – Green, then act more Yellow; – Red, then act a little more Blue; – Yellow, then act a little more Green; – Blue, then act a little more Red. Birkman International, Inc. ©2005 www.bizlernsol.com alph.keogh@bizlernsol.com

Slide 30: Meeting Prospects’ Needs A More Advanced Approach – Stress/Success • The way people behave under stress reveals their needs. • Successful salespeople use this knowledge to help them figure out how to sell to their prospects. • They watch for any signs of stress behavior, and then use that to figure out the prospect’s needs. • We are not suggesting that you deliberately put your prospects under stress to figure out their needs! • You should be able to realize that any display of stress behavior by your prospect gives you at least some opportunity to work out their buying motivators. Birkman International, Inc. ©2005 www.bizlernsol.com alph.keogh@bizlernsol.com

Slide 31: Meeting Prospects’ Needs An Example • You are selling a prospect a small computer system. During your presentation, the phone rings. The prospect picks it up and immediately says firmly, emphatically and directly, “I told you to hold my calls for fifteen minutes. Now do as I say, and make sure I am not disturbed again.” • Use the Stress/Success approach! • It is hinting strongly that the prospect has Red stress behavior, and therefore Red needs as well. • To sell to Red needs, you need to make sure that your presentation is direct, objective, clear-cut and that you are friendly without being too close. Birkman International, Inc. ©2005 www.bizlernsol.com alph.keogh@bizlernsol.com

Slide 32: Meeting Prospects’ Needs Conclusion • The two approaches that we have discussed for determining the motivators of the prospect are: – Playing the Averages – Stress/Success • Playing the Averages is easy, and will give you some results. • Stress/Success technique is more difficult, but it can really increase your hit rate. • To some extent, you have probably been practicing these techniques already, if you work in sales. However, using the categories of the Sales Style Grid should help you to refine your use of them to an art. Birkman International, Inc. ©2005 www.bizlernsol.com alph.keogh@bizlernsol.com

Slideshare.net (beta)