NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2017
 
 
A JOKE TO START WITH
 
A CEO throwing a party takes his executives on a tour of his opulent mansion. In the back of the property, the CEO has the largest swimming pool any of them has ever seen. The huge pool, however, is filled with hungry alligators. The CEO says to his executives “I think an executive should be measured by courage. Courage is what made me CEO. So this is my challenge to each one of you: if anyone has enough courage to dive into the pool, swim through those alligators, and make it to the other side, I will give that person everything he desires. My job, my money, my house, anything!”
Everyone laughs at the outrageous offer and proceeds to follow the CEO on the tour of the estate. Suddenly, they hear a loud splash. Everyone turns around and sees the CFO (Chief Financial Officer) in the pool, swimming for his life. He dodges the alligators left and right and makes it to the edge of the pool with seconds to spare. He pulls himself out just as a huge alligator snaps at his shoes.
The flabbergasted CEO approaches the CFO and says, “You are amazing. I’ve never seen anything like this in my life. You are brave beyond measure and everything I own is yours. Tell me what I can do for you.”
The CFO, panting for breath, looks up and says, “You can tell me who the hell pushed me in the pool!”
 
SOME VALUABLE SALES TIPS

In a sales conversation, you should respect the 30/70 rule. Meaning, the sales person talks 30% of the time and the customer does 70% of the talking. You want to know what the customer needs, what his concerns are, what he is thinking. In order to get him talking you need to ask him good questions. Here is a list of things you might want to find out:
  • Organisational Structure: additional locations or departments, management structure, etc.
  • Decision-making Process: as it relates to your products and services.
  • Financial Status or Condition: what is the budget?
  • Technical Aspects: as they relate to your products and services.
  • Their challenges in the market: what keeps them awake at night.
  • Their customers: so you can understand their business better.
  • Your competition: current purchasing patterns.
  • Their competition: how they stack up against their competition.
  • Personal likes and dislikes: as they apply to your products and services.
  • Personal interests: outside of work.
 
SALES MBA OPEN PROGRAM

The Sales MBA Open Program by Valueselling is a personalized development program that will give you the skills and working methods to be successful in selling. It is a blended program containing

• A personal skills assessment
• Three day classroom training
• Online implementation and follow up

The Open Sales MBA targets professionals who want to improve their sales excellence skills and sales effectiveness methods. The three day workshop will take place in NH Hotel, Diegem, on 27, 28, 29 November 2017. The registration fee (€ 1450 per participant) includes the assessment, a three day classroom training, an e-learning follow up program, and lunches during the workshop days. Enroll here or by sending a mail to jan.flamend@valueselling.be or vincent.flament@valueselling.be.
 
VALUESELLING PARTNERS WITH CROSSBRIDGE ON MYSELLINGSKILLS
 
The HR consultancy Crossbridge, famous for building a bridge between young talent and business, will use the online sales training platform Mysellingskills in servicing their clients. My 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 Value Selling course. Check it out here.
 
  
 
VALUESELLING WELCOMES ITS NEW CUSTOMERS

HPX, The Conference Board, Matexi, Barry Callebaut EMEA and Asia Pacific, Agoria, DOMO Chermicals Global, Axial, Halton, Besix and Sogeti have trusted us with the training and coaching of their sales teams.
 
VALUESELLING SOUTH
 
The Valueselling team offers sales training on a volunteer basis in developing countries. In January 2018, Valueselling ceo Jan Flamend will go back to the West-African country Benin to help the Guichets d’économie locale.
 
Earlier this year, Valueselling South published An opportunity to do some good. Effective ways to sell non profit projects to donors. It can be ordered here.
 
Check our non profit activities at www.valuesellingsouth.com
  
 
 
KMO PORTEFEUILLE
 
Valueselling has acquired the KMO Portefeuille Certificate, which enables our Belgian customers to get subsidies for our training programs.
 
 
… AND ONE FOR THE ROAD
 
A young executive is leaving the office late one evening, when he finds the CEO standing in front of a shredder with a piece of paper in his hand.
“Listen,” the CEO said, “this is a very sensitive and important document here, and my secretary has gone for the night. Can you make this thing work for me?”
“Certainly,” the young executive says. He turns the machine on, inserts the paper, and presses the start button.
“Excellent, excellent!” says the CEO as his paper disappears inside the machine. “I just need one copy.”

Read all of our best business jokes in In case you run out of conversation (Third edition). Our books are available from
 
 
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