Editor's Note: In the interest of full disclosure, Springfield Business Journal's sales department is a client of TrustPoint Management and receives training from Baker.
Tell us about your company.
TrustPoint Management Group is a firm that focuses on sales and sales management growth. (We use) Sandler Training, which is a franchise and a selling system. Sometimes people come to us and they just want to focus on their sales, but we also do a lot of sales management strengths and weaknesses assessments. My partner is in Dallas, so we have a location in Dallas. We started the Springfield group in January 2008. We have three employees here.
What is the Sandler system?
Sometimes people think of sales in this box with the cheesy salesperson who slaps you on the back and laughs at everything and wants to be your best friend. We teach the opposite of that. Don't present things (clients) don't need and get to the truth of their issues and see if there's a solution. Another thing that we teach is that behavior drives attitude; attitude does not drive behavior.
Has the economy affected your business?
Backtrack to January, and the economy was the biggest subject every minute of the day. I figured we would be one of those (expenses) that people cut. Surprisingly, the majority of our clients kept us, because the sales focus was such an important part of surviving.
Our clients are the ones who have their heads out of the sand saying, "What do we need to do next?"
What are common sales challenges?
Not proactively prospecting or hunting. The irony is that sometimes the cold call, which seems old-fashioned, seems to be as effective today as it ever has been. Because people don't get on the phone anymore. They just e-mail. One of the big issues with companies is that people have technical expertise, but they struggle with a need for approval, emotional involvement and nonsupportive buy cycle. Their need to be liked is greater than their need to ask a prospect a tough question. Emotional involvement means ... they forgot to ask a certain question because they're emotionally involved in how much money they're going to make. ... Buy cycle says that you are going to sell the way you buy. When they're selling, they might have a prospect who needs to check other places, and they're OK with it. They won't sit there and ask more questions.
If the economy is hampering sales growth, how can companies overcome that?
I think every business owner, whether they have a (sales) system or not, is asking that question. When times were so good, before 2008, people were order-takers. What the economy has done is exposed the order-takers, because when people stopped calling in and the orders stopped, and you ask them to pick up the phone and call somebody new, they have technical and conceptual blocks to that. People who haven't had to make cold calls in the past now have to. People who have never had to (face) competitors now have two or three people they have to compete against. A traditional salesperson is going to focus on features and benefits, and the problem is that (approach) creates price pressure, competition and inaction. ... To combat that would be to find their issues with that product and service.
Beyond sales, how can businesses grow?
I see a big gap where owners and managers do not know the personal goals of the people playing on their team. ... Sometimes at companies, it's all about the company goal. ... I think it's a huge business builder for the owner or the manager to focus on what's important to their team players ... then, in theory, those people are going to fight harder for the company goal. Another big gap is that people don't ... put on their calendars paid-time behaviors. If a business has to do something to stay competitive, whether it's reach out more to clients or prospects or more customer service, if they don't put it on their calendars, they're more reactive than they are proactive. We challenge presidents of companies to raise their expectations and hold people accountable to their goals.
Tell us about your family and hobbies.
I'm married to Beverly, and we've been married for a little more than two years. I have a son, Jack, who's 12 and goes to Hickory Hills, and she has a son, Alec, who's 11 and goes to Hickory Hills. I love old tractors and old cars, specifically the 1950 John Deere Model A.[[In-content Ad]]
