| Since you are selling indirectly, your customers are | | | | ways to set yourself apart from other Indirect Sales |
| the Owners, Managers and Salespeople who sell your | | | | Reps is to Provide Sales Expertise. Most Indirect |
| products and services. However indirect customers | | | | Reps will focus on product knowledge. This is a |
| are different from traditional retail customers, who | | | | contradiction to how end users shop. People dont |
| will typically be end users. These customers are your | | | | buy from the person who can best explain all the |
| business partners. Your success is tied to theirs and | | | | features and every facet of a product. If that was |
| vice versa. In most cases they will not see you as a | | | | the case all salespeople would do is provide facts. |
| salesperson nor themselves as a customer. They will | | | | We buy from the person who helps us best |
| view you as their partner who is an expert on your | | | | understand the value of a product. We buy from the |
| products and services. | | | | person who helps us to see ourselves using the |
| By its nature indirect sales requires that the Indirect | | | | product. We buy from the person who can best |
| Account Executive, win by helping others to win. | | | | overcome our objections. We buy from the person |
| Since you are not directly making sales, you have to | | | | who pushes us to go ahead and buy, when we are |
| depend on others to make sales for you. The basic | | | | hesitant and unsure. |
| model for indirect sales success is: Build Relationships, | | | | By providing sales expertise and showing salespeople |
| Reward Their Success, Provide Sales Expertise, and | | | | how to sell your products and services you indirectly |
| Build Their Product Knowledge. | | | | are driving the sell of your product. By making a |
| Build Relationships: | | | | salesperson a better salesperson, sales of your |
| Relationship is friendship! In most of your doors it will | | | | products and services will grow. |
| be easy to befriend the owners, managers and | | | | Establishing yourself as a sales expert builds your |
| salespeople. Simply use the skills you learned on the | | | | credibility and makes you an authority on sales. If |
| playground as a kid. Seek out what you have in | | | | you dont feel like a retail sales expert two books to |
| common. Do they have children, did they just move | | | | help you are Retail Magic by Richard Fenton & |
| to the area, did they just get married, do they ride | | | | Andrea Waltz and No Thanks IM Just Looking by |
| motorcycles, do they play tennis, etc ... | | | | Harry J. Friedman. |
| Once you find out what you have in common - talk | | | | Build Their Product Knowledge: |
| about it. Ask them questions to get them talking | | | | Most Indirect sales people are good at training on |
| about themselves. People love talking about | | | | their product. Its best to take a systematic approach |
| themselves. Exploit this fact by asking questions and | | | | to product training. Your priority will usually be to |
| focusing the conversation on them. Youll be surprised | | | | (1)launch new products and ( 2) reinforce knowledge |
| at how effective this will be. At this point your | | | | of existing products. |
| objective is to come across as friendly and genuinely | | | | When launching a new product its a good idea to tie |
| nice. If they view you as friendly and they like you | | | | the launch to an incentive. This will focus attention on |
| they will be more likely to sell your product. | | | | the new product. A great tool to use is a simple one |
| Reward Their Success: | | | | page explanation of the new product. Use it to go |
| In indirect often times we feel like we are buying the | | | | over the details of the product with sales reps. |
| business. In the wireless business we often run | | | | Present it as a train the trainer document with |
| monthly contests and incentives. This is a very | | | | Owners and Managers. Partner the one pager with a |
| effective way to drive the sales. Just make sure that | | | | quiz to encourage retention. |
| whatever you are spending you get a return on your | | | | For existing products Create a simple overview and |
| investment. Ensure that the dollars you are spending | | | | use it to train new sales reps. This overview should |
| drive the behaviors and product sales you desire. | | | | be 1 to 2 pages. For existing and seasoned sales reps |
| Provide recognition by recognizing outstanding | | | | train on a cycle. For example if you have 4 product |
| performance with a simple certificate. You can do this | | | | groups and you make two visits per month, focus on |
| monthly and annually. Reward sales success above a | | | | two groups during your 1st visit and the other two |
| minimum or at preset targets with gift cards. I like | | | | during your second visit. Partner your training with a |
| gift cards because they allow the recipients to make | | | | quiz for added impact. You can also add levels for |
| their own buying decision. If you work for a | | | | each training and increase the intensity and detail on |
| company that has a Presidents Club for Indirect | | | | higher levels. Training in this way ensures consistency |
| Doors, motivate sales by providing updates on their | | | | of knowledge throughout your territory. |
| standings. | | | | In a competitive indirect environment your product |
| The key to rewards and recognition is tracking and | | | | may be competing with many other similar products. |
| communication. To get the biggest bang for your | | | | To stand out from the crowd requires setting |
| buck you need to provide sales results and standings | | | | yourself and your products and services apart. |
| regularly. If not your contest or incentive will feel like | | | | Conduct yourself as your customers business partner |
| a crap shoot to your doors. For example, by | | | | and remember these basic steps to growing your |
| providing weekly results during a monthly contest | | | | indirect sales: Build Relationships, Reward Their |
| you give your doors a chance to adjust and improve. | | | | Success, Provide Sales Expertise, and Build Their |
| Provide Sales Expertise: | | | | Product Knowledge. |
| During your visits to your doors one of the best | | | | |