Recession-Proof Your Contract Training Unit By Kathy Yeager Contract Training Edge 913-593-5347 www.ctedge.net [email_address]

Session Topics Selling to today’s economy Working on your college brand 5 trends that companies want now Selling how companies want to buy Recession-proof strategies Prospecting for leads Hunting for “whales” Reaching the decision-maker and shortening the sales cycle What is solution selling? Becoming invaluable to your customer Final thoughts

Selling to today’s economy

Working on your college brand

5 trends that companies want now

Selling how companies want to buy

Recession-proof strategies

Prospecting for leads

Hunting for “whales”

Reaching the decision-maker and shortening the sales cycle

What is solution selling?

Becoming invaluable to your customer

Final thoughts

Selling in Today’s Economy Companies facing: Uncertain times Political uncertainty Possible recession Stock market down Housing market bad Cost of gas is high No succession planning Baby Boomers leaving Companies want: To save money To save waste Go Green Solve their pain Answers to their problems Employees to be more productive Blending learning

Companies facing:

Uncertain times

Political uncertainty

Possible recession

Stock market down

Housing market bad

Cost of gas is high

No succession planning

Baby Boomers leaving

Companies want:

To save money

To save waste

Go Green

Solve their pain

Answers to their problems

Employees to be more productive

Blending learning

What Does Your Brand Say About Your College? Do companies think of you first in an economic downturn? Is your brand strong and clear? Is your brand weak and fuzzy? How to figure out your brand image.

Do companies think of you first in an economic downturn?

Is your brand strong and clear?

Is your brand weak and fuzzy?

How to figure out your brand image.

10 Low-Cost Ideas to Upgrade Your Brand Create sound bytes/elevator speech Marketing materials look like they have a theme Introduce open enrollment classes Hand deliver proposals Support staff business cards Wear name badge with logo Give 30-second commercial everywhere Website has logo and gives same message Training materials have logo and format E-mail trailer has contact information

Create sound bytes/elevator speech

Marketing materials look like they have a theme

Introduce open enrollment classes

Hand deliver proposals

Support staff business cards

Wear name badge with logo

Give 30-second commercial everywhere

Website has logo and gives same message

Training materials have logo and format

E-mail trailer has contact information

Internal Support for your Brand Share success stories and dollar volume with upper management Share benchmarking success of other colleges and support they received to make it happen Include upper management in strategic planning meetings Prepare and submit a three-year business plan Take upper management along on sales calls

Share success stories and dollar volume with upper management

Share benchmarking success of other colleges and support they received to make it happen

Include upper management in strategic planning meetings

Prepare and submit a three-year business plan

Take upper management along on sales calls

Add Higher Level Products 5 Trends that Companies Want Now Lean and Six Sigma Green Collar Workers Boomer Institutes Succession Planning Performance Improvement

Lean and Six Sigma

Green Collar Workers

Boomer Institutes

Succession Planning

Performance Improvement

Selling How Companies Want to Buy Utilize Solution Selling – uncover their “pain” Position your college as a “Resource” of answers for companies facing tough times Talk only to the decision-maker Prospect a lead from your desired profile Differentiate from the competition

Utilize Solution Selling – uncover their “pain”

Position your college as a “Resource” of answers for companies facing tough times

Talk only to the decision-maker

Prospect a lead from your desired profile

Differentiate from the competition

Recession-Proof Business Strategies Reactivate dormant accounts Reactivate old leads Expand existing customer business Quote reasonable, affordable prices Use low-cost “add-ons” to generate revenue Downgrade your customer profile slightly Repackage to accommodate smaller clients and reduced budgets Increase the time spent on marketing and prospecting for new business

Reactivate dormant accounts

Reactivate old leads

Expand existing customer business

Quote reasonable, affordable prices

Use low-cost “add-ons” to generate revenue

Downgrade your customer profile slightly

Repackage to accommodate smaller clients and reduced budgets

Increase the time spent on marketing and prospecting for new business

More Strategies Stay positive—think creatively Get proactive – go after those “tougher” accounts Spend more time with your customer Increase customer service Understand concerns Ask for referrals Study marketplace trends Truly understand what differentiates your offering from your competition – go to school on your competition

Stay positive—think creatively

Get proactive – go after those “tougher” accounts

Spend more time with your customer

Increase customer service

Understand concerns

Ask for referrals

Study marketplace trends

Truly understand what differentiates your offering from your competition – go to school on your competition

Best Three Strategies Retain existing customers Grow existing customer relationships Acquire new customers

Retain existing customers

Grow existing customer relationships

Acquire new customers

Retain Current Customers Costs 6X more to acquire a new customer Understand customer strategies and decision process Conduct account reviews to summarize value and understand areas of improvement Create customer advisory boards Involve customers in research, pilots, public relations and advertising

Costs 6X more to acquire a new customer

Understand customer strategies and decision process

Conduct account reviews to summarize value and understand areas of improvement

Create customer advisory boards

Involve customers in research, pilots, public relations and advertising

Prospecting New Leads Create a profile of the company you want to target Utilize referrals Research the company before the approach Not everyone is your customer

Create a profile of the company you want to target

Utilize referrals

Research the company before

the approach

Not everyone is your customer

Sell to Larger High-Potential Customers Target “whales” instead of smaller fish Fill your sales funnel with companies who can afford to buy your products Schedule time to hunt “whales” Assign points

Target “whales” instead of smaller fish

Fill your sales funnel with companies who can afford to buy your products

Schedule time to hunt “whales”

Assign points

How to Reach Decision-Makers and Shorten the Sales Cycle Research and identify the decision-maker Usually at the “C” level – get someone to open the door for you Don’t waste time talking to a non-decision maker Determine what “pain” they may have in this economic downturn Prepare a reference or success story Create a value proposition for the company showing how your college is better and different

Research and identify the decision-maker

Usually at the “C” level – get someone to open the door for you

Don’t waste time talking to a non-decision maker

Determine what “pain” they may have in this economic downturn

Prepare a reference or success story

Create a value proposition for the company showing how your college is better and different

What is Solution Selling? Customers have pain—and they are looking for a pain killer The pain killer is the solution to their problem Solution selling is asking probing questions and listening for the customer’s pain. The solution is your response to the pain or need Helping customers achieve business goals

Customers have pain—and they are looking for a pain killer

The pain killer is the solution to their problem

Solution selling is asking probing questions and listening for the customer’s pain. The solution is your response to the pain or need

Helping customers achieve business goals

Benefits of Solution Selling Larger contracts Shorter sales cycle Sets you apart from the competition C-level executives are only interested in their pain/need to move the organization forward Helps you write a better proposal You become a “trusted adviser” rather than a CE sales person

Larger contracts

Shorter sales cycle

Sets you apart from the competition

C-level executives are only interested in their pain/need to move the organization forward

Helps you write a better proposal

You become a “trusted adviser” rather than a CE sales person

What Solution Selling Isn’t Selling features Being an order-taker Telling the customer what you have to offer—just selling classes/products A sales pitch You talking 80% and listening 20%

Selling features

Being an order-taker

Telling the customer what you have to offer—just selling classes/products

A sales pitch

You talking 80% and listening 20%

Stop Selling Classes Start Selling Solutions Diagnose before your prescribe Ask probing questions Take notes Ask more probing questions Combine research on the company with the answers obtained from the questions to formulate your solution

Diagnose before your prescribe

Ask probing questions

Take notes

Ask more probing questions

Combine research on the company with the answers obtained from the questions to formulate your solution

Become Invaluable to Your Customer Deliver solution-based proposal Answer objections and close promptly Deliver high-level, quality solutions for the company’s “pain” Follow up and sell the next steps or “phases”

Deliver solution-based proposal

Answer objections and close promptly

Deliver high-level, quality solutions for the company’s “pain”

Follow up and sell the next steps or “phases”

Final Thoughts to Recession-Proof Be proactive and create a plan to address the present economy by doing the following: Lock in client loyalty Dig out lost proposals Make time for face time See a need and fill it Create package options Do more with less Put systems, marketing campaigns and people in place sooner

Be proactive and create a plan to address the present economy by doing the following:

Lock in client loyalty

Dig out lost proposals

Make time for face time

See a need and fill it

Create package options

Do more with less

Put systems, marketing campaigns and people in place sooner

What Recession? When you call on the right people in the right accounts, become a true business consultant to your customer by selling solutions—not just classes, and focus on both results and the relationship, business will grow in your contract training unit.

When you call on the right people in the right accounts, become a true business consultant to your customer by selling solutions—not just classes, and focus on both results and the relationship, business will grow in your contract training unit.

For More Information Kathy Yeager Contract Training Edge 913-593-5347 [email_address] www.ctedge.net

Kathy Yeager

Contract Training Edge

913-593-5347

[email_address]

www.ctedge.net