Selling in a Recession Obsession

STEVENSON, Md., July 23 /PRNewswire/ -- As news of the battered economy proliferates the media and consumer confidence stagnates to historic lows, nowhere does the impact hit closer to home than in the sales industry. That's why it is important to have an effective strategy in place to take action when the economy is trending down. In response to this, Sandler Training (also known as Sandler Sales Institute) has co-authored a book titled Five Minutes with VITO(sm); Making the most of your selling time with the Very Important Top Officer. The book, which is scheduled for release August 15, will be available for purchase through Sandler Training locations and on Amazon.com.

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"It is critical that salespeople compress their sales cycle by going directly to the organization's VITO, which stands for Very Important Top Officer," says David Mattson, co-author and CEO of Sandler Training. "This book not only details how to get to VITO, but what to do when you get there." In addition, Mattson offers important strategies to recession proof your sales efforts:

Feel Their Pain. "Let's face it, clients are in pain," says Mattson, "If there is no pain, there is no sale." Now is the time to thoroughly understand and feel your client's pain, and adapt accordingly. Pain is a jigsaw puzzle that has three distinct elements; problems, reasons and impact. By putting the pieces together with your client you are able to recognize what's happening. If you can't solve your client's pain, your competition will.

The Fear Factor. Understand the psychology behind a recession's fear factor and openly discuss it with your sales team. Engage a team approach of how to meet company goals. Share your vision of what measures need to be taken to ensure success, and ask them to be part of the solution by finding hidden opportunity, up-selling and identifying cost saving measures within the organization. Encourage a positive mindset that looks beyond public perceptions to the opportunities change affords.

Remain Flexible. With rising fuel costs many companies have shifted to a condensed work week. Be willing to meet clients at their location and recognize the changing nature of the standard work week by making yourself accessible and available where and when they are.

Coach and Train. The worst time to cut back on sales or training is in a recession. Focus and highlight every area of success and discuss what was done to create it and exploit it. Highlight sales wins, reference goals and site historical examples of how the company or a salesperson has gone above and beyond.

Mobilize your Sales Force. "All eyes need to be focused on the prize," says Mattson. That means bringing every department that supports what sales does into the mix. Ratchet your sales focus up a notch. Now is the time to quantify what you can do for clients because everyone is looking for ways to either save money or make more money.

About David Mattson and Five Minutes with VITO

David Mattson is the CEO and a partner at Sandler Training. Since 1986 he has been a trainer and business consultant in management, sales interpersonal communication, corporate team building and strategic planning throughout the U.S. andEurope. His domestic and international clients include top-name organizations in many different industries.

Five minutes with VITO is the definitive guide for salespeople who want to start selling where they belong - at the top. Together the authors David Mattson and Anthony Parinello, founder and CEO of VITO, combine 80 year of sales know-how, 1,200 hours of audio and video programs, 5,000 pages of training materials, and direct experience in training over 15 million salespeople into one concise book.

About Sandler Training

Sandler Training is the leading provider of sales and management training with 225 licensed trainers throughout the U.S. and internationally. The company provides a full range of sales and management training programs, with powerful coordination and customization benefits throughout its extensive franchise network. Among its many achievements, Entrepreneur Magazine has awarded Sandler its #1 ranking for Training Programs 8 times since 1994, including the past three years 2006, 2007, and 2008. The company website is located at www.sandler.com.

SOURCE Sandler Training

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