Newsletter August-September 2015
In 2015 Valueselling celebrates its 15 years. Watch out for our special activities this year.
 
Clicker ici pour aller directement à la version en français de cette lettre d’information
Job Interview Question
You are driving along in your car on a wild, stormy night. You pass by a bus stop, and you see three people waiting for the bus:

1. An old lady who looks as if she is about to die.
2. An old friend who once saved your life.
3. The perfect man (or) woman you have been dreaming about.

Which one would you choose to offer a ride to, knowing that there could only be one passenger in your car? Think before you continue reading. This is a moral/ethical dilemma that was once actually used as part of a job application.

You could pick up the old lady, because she is going to die, and thus you should save her first; or you could take the old friend because he once saved your life, and this would be the perfect chance to pay him back. However, you may never be able to find your perfect dream lover again.

The candidate who was hired (out of 200 applicants) had no trouble coming up with his answer. He simply answered: “I would give the car keys to my old friend, and let him take the lady to the hospital. I would stay behind and wait for the bus with the woman of my dreams.”
Some useful input: Initial Benefit Statement
Your initial approach, whether by letter or phone, should have one important objective: to create interest so the contact will invest time with you.

 Benefits involve things that increase, improve, gain, grow, maximize, enhance and/or decrease, lower, reduce, minimize, control, and manage.



Provide the prospect with three benefits in an opening paragraph of a letter or within the first thirty seconds of a phone call. Why three? It’ll improve your chances of success. Choose three that will be of interest to someone in that person’s position. Do your homework and make the most of the opportunity by addressing areas of importance to the organization or person you approach.

To improve your credibility mention where you’ve been of benefit to others. The more specific and relevant you can be the better. For example:

“XYZ Company has worked with us to reduce time to market, gain a competitive advantage, and increase market share.”

Then ask for an investment of time. “If you’d invest thirty minutes with me, we could explore how we might help achieve some of your important initiatives. How does that sound?”
New program: Sell your value to the CIO
 
Valueselling has developed a program in which a real CIO plays an active part. The CIO explains how he works, what he expects from his suppliers and he participates in exercises and gives feedback to the solutions proposed to him. This two day training is a unique way to learn to sell at CIO level.
New program: How to negotiate with cost cutting purchasers
In this two day program you will learn how to negotiate with real life purchasers. Procurement managers participate actively in this training and you will learn the tricks they use to get a lower price. This program is being delivered with sourcing managers from health care, retail, industry and banking.
The Valueselling books
 
Valueselling published a collection of must-read sales books that will help you improve your results in a significant way. Visit our book page here or order from our on line book store.
 
Recently, Keep calm and sell your socks off - Tales from sales, the new book by Jan Flamend, was be published. It contains hilarious stories about what happens to sales people in and out of the line of duty. It is illustrated with cartoons from our good friend Randy Glasbergen. Written in English.

Pages 160 | Edition hardcover | ISBN 978-90-77129-37-1 | Price € 24,50
 

KMO Portefeuille
 
Valueselling has acquired the KMO Portefeuille Certificate, which enables our Belgian customers to get subsidies for the Valueselling training programs.
French franchise of valueselling.be
  vendrelavaleur.com
 
We are happy to announce that Vincent Flament has started a Valueselling franchise for the French speaking territories. Our jointly written book Comment vendre la valeur – outils pour votre succès commercial has been published and the French website has been launched! Have a look at www.vendrelavaleur.com.
 
Some French based companies are successfully benefiting of value based sales trainings in their own and foreign languages.
 

Some interesting reading
My Selling Skills
Whether you’re a junior or a senior salesperson, if the art of selling is close to your heart, this Selling Skills e-learning – formerly known as mysellingskills – is for you. This online training is an interactive tool to make you a real pro... or to stay one.

Selling Skills is a high-impact online e-learning course which comprises 6 chapters covering the sales process from the opening conversation to the final closing. The e-learning is a powerful 3-hour summary of a 3-day high-level Valueselling course.

http://www.explania.com/en/channels/work/selling-skills
New customer projects
Barry Callebaut
Valueselling is developing and delivering a Sales Effectiveness program for the Western European sales team of Callebaut, the world’s largest chocolate manufacturer.

Enterprise partners
Enterprise Partners is a specialist enterprise applications recruitment and consulting company. Valueselling is helping the European sales team to enhance its sales effectiveness by focusing on key accounts, some major international companies in need of specialized temporary resources for major ERP, CRM and other Clouds solutions. Client development is the clear focus in addition to finding new customers to serve.

ENI
ENI is a global energy provider, of gas and electricity. Valueselling is training the SME team to find, make and keep new customers in the b2b area.

Getronics
Getronics is a leading IT services company. Valueselling is coaching the Belgian sales team in big deal management and prospecting for new customers.
Valueselling South
 
The Valueselling team offers sales training on a volunteer basis in developing countries. In december Valueselling South has been coaching the Learn to Live program in Capetown, South Africa, to set up a new fundraising model. In January Valueselling South delivered sales training to development workers in Peru and Bolivia, to enhance the sales of quinoa and exotic herbs. Valueselling South donated 10 licenses of its Mysellingskills online sales training to South African schools in the context of Nelson Mandela Day.
 
Jan Flamend wrote a documentary book on Ethiopia, Bestemming Ethiopië, the proceeds of which will be donated to Ondernemers voor Ondernemers.
 
   
One for the road
Three engineers and three accountants were travelling by train to a conference. At the station, the three accountants each bought tickets and watched as the three engineers bought only one ticket.
“How are three people going to travel on only one ticket?” asked an accountant.
“Watch and you’ll see”, answered an engineer.
They all boarded the train. The accountants took their respective seats, but the three engineers all crammed into a rest room and closed the door behind them. Shortly after the train departed, the conductor came around collecting tickets. He knocked on the restroom door and said, “Ticket, please”.
The door opened just a crack and a single arm emerged with a ticket in hand.
The conductor took it and moved on.
The accountants saw this and agreed it was a quite clever idea. So, after the conference, the accountants decided to copy the engineers on the return trip and save some money (being clever with money, and all that). When they got to the station, they bought a single ticket for the return trip. To their astonishment, the engineers didn’t buy a ticket at all.
“How are you going to ride without a ticket”? said one perplexed accountant.
“Watch and you’ll see”, answered an engineer.
When they boarded the train, the three accountants crammed into a restroom and the three engineers crammed into another one nearby. The train departed. Shortly afterward, one of the engineers left his restroom and walked over to the restroom where the accountants were hiding. He knocked on the door and said, “Ticket, please.”
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