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We have learned in talking with our clients, especially during these difficult times, that the lament, "Sorry, we have no budget," is just a starting point for what can turn into a fruitful conversation that benefits both the seller and the buyer.

As a senior executive or senior sales leader, how do you respond when your sales professionals tell you that their buyers are telling them that their companies have needs, that they’d like to do business with your company, but they have no budget for your products or services?

In talking recently to an influential, mid-level manager at an international IT consulting firm, we were told that an important initiative we had been working on with the manager had been taken off the table for 2009, along with several other initiatives approved in 2008. He explained that he had no budget for something everyone in the sales organization acknowledged was critical to the future success of the sales team.

The manager went on to explain that in order for anyone in the company to receive approval for any expenditure in 2009, or at least until further notice from the executive suite, those who requested funds would have to answer three critical questions:

1) How will the solution impact the company’s business strategy?

2) What negative business consequences would occur if the solution was not
adopted now?

3) What is the projected ROI of the solution?

He didn’t mention a fourth critical question that we know from experience must be answered if the sales professional hopes to present a solution to senior management: What’s in it, personally, for the buying influencer to present the solution and to champion the solution if it is approved?

As the manager continued to talk, we learned that the short-term mandate for the sales team was to reinforce the sales methodologies currently in place, to increase the productivity of new hires and to ensure that front-line sales leaders help their teams articulate why, especially in these tough times, the research and analysis provided by the IT consulting company is more important than ever to its customers. We also learned that one of management’s strategic objectives is maintaining its historical client contract retention rate of 80-85%.

A conversation that began with, "Sorry, we have no budget," did not end there. Further dialogue provided us with critical information we needed to pursue business now with our client. We learned that a potential solution must impact the company’s strategy, obviate potential problems the company might experience without the solution, and deliver measureable, positive ROI.

We crafted our proposal to address the three critical questions senior managers posed for any solutions that did not have budget this year.

First, our solution included a training component with reinforcement and coaching designed to help the sales team prove the value of the company’s continuing research and analysis to clients, especially in a down economy. Successful efforts to renew client contracts would help the company achieve a key strategic objective for 2009.

Second, we presented a case for less-than-optimal performance unless the sales team and the front-line managers were provided effective knowledge, training and tools to achieve their objectives.

Third, because the senior managers demanded that all solutions funded this year show a positive ROI, our proposal included a methodology and online tools for assessing performance and measuring the results of three critical metrics for training solutions delivered to any customer:
1) New sales made that would not have been made without the solution components
2) Incremental sales made to existing customers that would not have been made without the
solution components
3) Sales at risk that were closed as a direct result of using the solution components

Finally, approval of our solution would be a direct, personal win for the manager. His department maintains control over the process of training the front-line leaders throughout the organization, monitoring performance, measuring ROI and reporting results directly to senior sales management.

Unless a company is standing in front of the federal courthouse waiting for a guard to open the doors to bankruptcy court, senior executives are normally willing to entertain potential solutions that will favorably impact their businesses, especially in a down economy.

"Sorry, we have no budget," doesn’t have to be a sales conversation killer. It can be a great opportunity for the sales professional who knows that senior executives can and will create budgets for solutions that favorably impact their businesses, help them avoid trouble and deliver positive ROI, especially in these difficult times.

Superb Listeners

I've been impressed with the listening skills of a few people I have heard about or whom I know personally. Two of the people I want to write about are former President Bill Clinton, and my friend Rob.

Whatever you might think of Bill Clinton's politics or personal habits, observing him in conversation will confirm that he is a superb listener. While I have never spoken directly to Mr. Clinton, I am aware of what others who have spoken with him say about their experiences.

Generally, those who have spoken with Bill Clinton all agree that conversing with him is an experience they won't soon forget. All agree that when they spoke with Mr. Clinton, they had the overwhelming feeling that they were the only person in the room, and that they had 100% of his attention. I have been told that when talking with President Clinton, you know he "feels your pain," though he might not have uttered those words in the conversation!

Anyone who speaks with my friend, Rob, has a similar experience. When you talk with Rob, he leans ever so slightly forward and looks intently at you as you speak. His eyes never wander to other parts of the room, and he genuinely appears unaware that anyone else is in the vicinity. There is never a doubt in the speaker's mind that Rob is listening totally, with complete attention and with every ounce of energy he can muster.

So, what is it that seems to distinguish superb listeners from the rest of us? First, when you watch them listen, they appear to be just listening, and not doing anything that interferes with seeing their conversational partner. They do not appear to listen through a screen, darkly. They never give the impression that they have an image in their minds that has created a screen through which they see and hear the speaker. Although they may know the speaker, or know something about her, they listen as if they were meeting her for the first time.

While super listeners are listening, they give the impression there is no one else in the room. All their attention is focused on the speaker. There are no interruptions, no hint of a wandering mind, and their eyes never lose their focus on the speaker. I don't know what it's like for them, but for the speaker the feeling is empowering. There is no sense whatsoever that you are not being heard, and understood, completely.

In observing superb listeners in conversation, I've seen that the people to whom they are listening seem as absorbed in the conversation as they are. As strange as it may sound, there did not seem to be any separation between the speaker and the listener. Nothing from the outside penetrated the conversation.

Superb listeners are able, consciously or out of habit, to focus their entire attention on the speaker. Focusing attention is what is meant by true seeing and true listening. There is no reliance on intention, effort, or images and memories of the past. There is only attention, like the attention you give, at least for a brief moment, to the beautiful song of a bird.

Strategic Sales Roadmap™
Clients have expressed a preference for private workshops of Strategic Sales Roadmap™, our answer to the current economic quagmire that is affecting virtually all companies in every industry. Strategic Sales Roadmap™ is a bold plan for generating profitable sales and protecting key customers.

In just two days, senior sales leaders and senior executives, who don't have the time nor the resources to wait for the economy to improve, build a strong, yet flexible sales strategy and tactics for closing profitable sales and protecting key customers in this time of unprecedented volatility. Please contact us to arrange private sessions at company or meeting locations.


	February, 2009
What Do You Do When Your Customer Says, "Sorry, We Have No Budget"? Superb Listeners (5th article in a series) Strategic Sales Roadmap™ Private Workshops What Do You Do When Your Customer Says, "Sorry, We Have No Budget"? We have learned in talking with our clients, especially during these difficult times, that the lament, "Sorry, we have no budget," is just a starting point for what can turn into a fruitful conversation that benefits both the seller and the buyer. As a senior executive or senior sales leader, how do you respond when your sales professionals tell you that their buyers are telling them that their companies have needs, that they’d like to do business with your company, but they have no budget for your products or services? In talking recently to an influential, mid-level manager at an international IT consulting firm, we were told that an important initiative we had been working on with the manager had been taken off the table for 2009, along with several other initiatives approved in 2008. He explained that he had no budget for something everyone in the sales organization acknowledged was critical to the future success of the sales team. The manager went on to explain that in order for anyone in the company to receive approval for any expenditure in 2009, or at least until further notice from the executive suite, those who requested funds would have to answer three critical questions: 1) How will the solution impact the company’s business strategy? 2) What negative business consequences would occur if the solution was not adopted now? 3) What is the projected ROI of the solution? He didn’t mention a fourth critical question that we know from experience must be answered if the sales professional hopes to present a solution to senior management: What’s in it, personally, for the buying influencer to present the solution and to champion the solution if it is approved? As the manager continued to talk, we learned that the short-term mandate for the sales team was to reinforce the sales methodologies currently in place, to increase the productivity of new hires and to ensure that front-line sales leaders help their teams articulate why, especially in these tough times, the research and analysis provided by the IT consulting company is more important than ever to its customers. We also learned that one of management’s strategic objectives is maintaining its historical client contract retention rate of 80-85%. A conversation that began with, "Sorry, we have no budget," did not end there. Further dialogue provided us with critical information we needed to pursue business now with our client. We learned that a potential solution must impact the company’s strategy, obviate potential problems the company might experience without the solution, and deliver measureable, positive ROI. We crafted our proposal to address the three critical questions senior managers posed for any solutions that did not have budget this year. First, our solution included a training component with reinforcement and coaching designed to help the sales team prove the value of the company’s continuing research and analysis to clients, especially in a down economy. Successful efforts to renew client contracts would help the company achieve a key strategic objective for 2009. Second, we presented a case for less-than-optimal performance unless the sales team and the front-line managers were provided effective knowledge, training and tools to achieve their objectives. Third, because the senior managers demanded that all solutions funded this year show a positive ROI, our proposal included a methodology and online tools for assessing performance and measuring the results of three critical metrics for training solutions delivered to any customer: 1) New sales made that would not have been made without the solution components 2) Incremental sales made to existing customers that would not have been made without the solution components 3) Sales at risk that were closed as a direct result of using the solution components Finally, approval of our solution would be a direct, personal win for the manager. His department maintains control over the process of training the front-line leaders throughout the organization, monitoring performance, measuring ROI and reporting results directly to senior sales management. Unless a company is standing in front of the federal courthouse waiting for a guard to open the doors to bankruptcy court, senior executives are normally willing to entertain potential solutions that will favorably impact their businesses, especially in a down economy. "Sorry, we have no budget," doesn’t have to be a sales conversation killer. It can be a great opportunity for the sales professional who knows that senior executives can and will create budgets for solutions that favorably impact their businesses, help them avoid trouble and deliver positive ROI, especially in these difficult times. Superb Listeners I've been impressed with the listening skills of a few people I have heard about or whom I know personally. Two of the people I want to write about are former President Bill Clinton, and my friend Rob. Whatever you might think of Bill Clinton's politics or personal habits, observing him in conversation will confirm that he is a superb listener. While I have never spoken directly to Mr. Clinton, I am aware of what others who have spoken with him say about their experiences. Generally, those who have spoken with Bill Clinton all agree that conversing with him is an experience they won't soon forget. All agree that when they spoke with Mr. Clinton, they had the overwhelming feeling that they were the only person in the room, and that they had 100% of his attention. I have been told that when talking with President Clinton, you know he "feels your pain," though he might not have uttered those words in the conversation! Anyone who speaks with my friend, Rob, has a similar experience. When you talk with Rob, he leans ever so slightly forward and looks intently at you as you speak. His eyes never wander to other parts of the room, and he genuinely appears unaware that anyone else is in the vicinity. There is never a doubt in the speaker's mind that Rob is listening totally, with complete attention and with every ounce of energy he can muster. So, what is it that seems to distinguish superb listeners from the rest of us? First, when you watch them listen, they appear to be just listening, and not doing anything that interferes with seeing their conversational partner. They do not appear to listen through a screen, darkly. They never give the impression that they have an image in their minds that has created a screen through which they see and hear the speaker. Although they may know the speaker, or know something about her, they listen as if they were meeting her for the first time. While super listeners are listening, they give the impression there is no one else in the room. All their attention is focused on the speaker. There are no interruptions, no hint of a wandering mind, and their eyes never lose their focus on the speaker. I don't know what it's like for them, but for the speaker the feeling is empowering. There is no sense whatsoever that you are not being heard, and understood, completely. In observing superb listeners in conversation, I've seen that the people to whom they are listening seem as absorbed in the conversation as they are. As strange as it may sound, there did not seem to be any separation between the speaker and the listener. Nothing from the outside penetrated the conversation. Superb listeners are able, consciously or out of habit, to focus their entire attention on the speaker. Focusing attention is what is meant by true seeing and true listening. There is no reliance on intention, effort, or images and memories of the past. There is only attention, like the attention you give, at least for a brief moment, to the beautiful song of a bird. Strategic Sales Roadmap™ Clients have expressed a preference for private workshops of Strategic Sales Roadmap™, our answer to the current economic quagmire that is affecting virtually all companies in every industry. Strategic Sales Roadmap™ is a bold plan for generating profitable sales and protecting key customers. In just two days, senior sales leaders and senior executives, who don't have the time nor the resources to wait for the economy to improve, build a strong, yet flexible sales strategy and tactics for closing profitable sales and protecting key customers in this time of unprecedented volatility. Please contact us to arrange private sessions at company or meeting locations.	• About Us • Sales Blog • Articles Archive Selling Up™ builds world class selling organizations that deliver profitable, sustainable sales revenue. To learn more, please visit: www.selling-up.com or contact us at: 800-745-8075 Feedback Newsletter Archive
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