Don't Sell too early

A common mistake that Sales Pro's CAN make during a presentation is to start selling too early.....FACT!

Mostly this can happen when you have not had a sale for a few weeks, panic and worry starts to kick in and YOU forget to stick to your presentation flow. Your prospect mentions some PAIN that they have been feeling (pain being problems that you know your product or service can fix) and an excited Sales Professional jumps straight in with the CLAIM that they can fix it. YOU start selling too early, you forget the successful way of selling that has worked for you before, THINKING that you have found a short cut.

YOU MUST NOT SELL TO EARLY! Leave that for the Sales guides that work in retail pitching to the people that come into to buy.

You hear some PAIN....great, then press on it, ask open-ended questions, get the prospects emotions stirring. BUT stick to your Sales Presentation. Don't sell, let your Prospects BUY! If you know you can fix their pain then it's all about the Timing and Deliverance........FACT!

I overheard an ex Sales Pro in discussion about how he was finding it difficult to sell. He felt the prospects he met just did not want to buy. Other Sales jobs he had had before were much easier. The prospect had an interest and it was just a case of selling against the competition and providing the best price and service. YES you need Sales Skills for that but that is only a step up from retail sales, from working in shops or places where people come to buy.

I write for the Sales Professional that meets prospects on the basis for agreeing time with you on the promises of a gift for attending a presentation or updated information. They have been cold called and agreed to a few minutes of time for you to introduce your product or service.

THEY ARE A NO UPFRONT. but......then you walk in. The Sales Professional with the positive attitude, belief in them self, their product, their company and their price. They ask open-ended questions, listen, diagnose pain and then sell the cure. THE NO BECOMES A YES TODAY..........FACT!

They mostly work on commission only but then again because they believe in them self they are the highest earners in the Sales World. THEY EARN WHAT THEY ARE WORTH FROM THE EFFORT THEY PUT IN.

Thank you for reading this post. I hope you found it helpful, Please share with your fellow Sales Professionals and if you liked it leave a comment.

Persistence

"Persistence is the twin sister of excellence. One is a matter of quality the other a matter of time."

Anyone who knows me, knows how much a fan I am of the works of Napoleon Hill and especially the greatest book I have ever read Think and Grow Rich. This book changed my life.......FACT! It took me from a Sales Pro to a Sales Champion and millions and millions of people will testify to how this book can change lives. Yet reading it is ok but you need to act on what you read.

People often say how knowledge is power, well if that was true then all Teachers, Professors and Librarians would all be millionaires. Knowledge without action is just useless.

It's like having goals. Think and Grow Rich shares with you how having a definite major purpose, a clear defined goal that you truly desire and a definite plan written down on how you will achieve it, is the key to success.

Success does not respond to wishes. It's a common mistake for Sales Pro's to consider setting goals only as a mental process. Any idea in your head simply looks at the past and adjusts for the future. If your goal is not in writing, you do not have a goal, a definite purpose at all. Instead, you have only a dream, a vision or perhaps what could be a nightmare.

If you own a copy of Think and Grow Rich (and buy the way don't by imitations) check at www.naphill.org and purchase a copy supported by the napoleon hill foundation.

Anyway in the book is a chapter called Persistence. I read this every day for 21 days (just 15minutes a day) of all that spare time you have. The basis of Persistence is the power of WILL. Will-power and desire, when properly combined, make an irresistible pair.......FACT!

The chapter shares how you can train yourself to be Persistent.

How to NEVER give up,

How the only "break "anyone can afford to rely upon is a self-made "break"

and How to take your Persistence inventory,

In the world of Sales just think how Persistence could increase your income?

That extra question when closing?

That extra call when booking appointments?
That extra hour out in the field prospecting?
That extra effort while pitching....NEVER GIVING UP.....because you Believe your product or service will benefit your prospect?

Here are some quotes on Persistence I have found on the web. When you read them if they trigger desire in you..........then YOU will achieve YOUR GOAL (if you have one and its written down with a definite plan and time frame to achieve it) with PERSISTENCE.......FACT! FACT! FACT!

"Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan "press on"has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race."
Calvin Coolidge

"What do you first do when you learn to swim? You make mistakes, do you not? And what happens? You make other mistakes, and when you have made all the mistakes you possibly can without drowning - and some of them many times over - what do you find? That you can swim? Well - life is just the same as learning to swim! Do not be afraid of making mistakes, for there is no other way of learning how to live!"
Alfred Adler

"The most essential factor is persistence - the determination never to allow your energy or enthusiasm to be dampened by the discouragement must inevitably come."

James Whitcomb Riley

Money grows on the tree of Persistence!

Negativity Kills Sales!

If there is ONE thing that I cannot tolerate in the world of Sales, it's NEGATIVITY.........FACT!

What is the point? It's criminal, it's a disease it's the number one guaranteed way for a Sales Rep (notice I say Sales Rep NOT Sales Professional, as any one that works in Sales and has a negative attitude NEVER deserves to be called a Sales Pro!) Anyway it's the number one way to make sure your never sell .....FACT!

Maybe I am being negative with my post so far? But by getting this message across you will never let Negative thoughts enter your mind again. NEVER................ and to assist this STAY AWAY FROM NEGATIVE PEOPLE AT WORK......FACT!

If you work on commission only you have one choice and one choice only and that is to SELL, it's the only way you will get paid and this means finding the Solutions not the Problems.

Yes you can have a bad day, a bad pitch, but why dwell on it, always look at what you could do better, because tomorrow if you want to get paid you need to sell. You might get the same objections again, you might have the same prospect who does not want to play ball. But in the world of Sales everything can change, that next prospect could be the BIG deal. That next call you make to book an appointment could be the Sale that creates constant referral Sales earning you the FIVE not three or four figure pay checks.


Do you ever talk like this or do you hear this from other members of your Sales Team?

"I tried doing my pitch but after 5 minutes the prospect just did not want me to carry on! What can I do I follow the process!"

What you do is make sure your first 5 minutes blow the prospect away! It's never the prospect, plant that seed in your mind. If this happens constantly then it must be you. The sales agent that talks like this thinks that they are brilliant and likes to moan and complain to other SalesPro's spreading negativity....FACT!

"I just can't seem to make enough appointments, I make the calls but they just give me excuses."

Well others can make appointments so it must be YOU, put some life into your telephone script, stay positive and make more calls. Change your mindset, if you believe you can't seem to make enough appointments then that is what will happen....FACT! And no appointments means no pitches which means no money so you better change it or you soon will have no money.

"I keep getting prospects that want to think about it"

Listen I have met many Winners in the Sales Game and myself included agree that if the Prospects want to think about it, it means NOT SOLD.......FACT! and when you have had plenty of these you either sink or swim. YOU practise and practise and work on your PITCH and Sales Skills. 100% there is a sale in every pitch, you either sell the prospect your product or services or the prospect sells you on the fact that they want to think about it!

Just a little fact if you keep getting I want to think about it, how many of them after thinking about it then buy? less then 1?

Anyway it's you who have chosen to play the game of Sales.........FACT! It's you that BELIEVES that YOU can sell, so if you BELIEVE in your product or Service and you BELIEVE in your price then in this numbers game that Selling is all about. YOU WILL SELL.......FACT!
and Kill the negative thoughts and stay away from Negative people. Let them lose, You play the Sales Game to WIN.......and get Paid what you are worth!

Energy

"Goals provide the energy source that powers our lives. One of the best ways we can get the most from the energy we have is to focus it. That is what goals can do for us; Concentrate our energy"
Dennis Waitley

Your energy keeps you going, it drives you. The more you focus your energy the more powerful it becomes........FACT!

Take a sharp knife,
a rock with sharp edges

and a piece of paper. What will cut the paper?

BOTH of course, but the sharp knife will cut it with less effort.
HOW?

Because all the energy in the knife is focused to the sharp edge. It's made this way to cut things easier. All its energy is focused to the point. The energy in the rock is everywhere, it's not focused hence there are a lot of sharp edges on the rock. It would cut the paper, but not as easy.

Where is your energy when you pitch to your prospects?
Is it thinking about yesterday's pitch?
Is it thinking about what you are doing after work?
Do you have issues at home that you are thinking about while out in the field?
Do you let your cell phone ring while on a pitch to distract your focus?

All these things take your energy away and stop it being focused. Yes you may still get a sale (like the rock will cut the paper), but it will take more effort.

FOCUS YOUR ENERGY AND YOU WILL GET GREATER RESULTS

Sometimes we focus too much on whether the prospects will buy or not while still in the early stages of the presentation. Again, this is not focusing your energy. Keep all your energy focused on one thing at a time.

Focus all your energy when you meet your prospects, directing positive thoughts that your product or service WILL benefit them. Don't be looking around the surroundings letting negative thoughts enter your mind to make YOU feel this will not be sale.

Focus all your energy on your fact find without any distractions. Keep this energy focused throughout your whole presentation. It will make you more powerful and take less effort to get the sale.

During your work day are you totally focused on your work or .......

Are you emailing or texting friends about other non work activities? Are you Social Networking? are you doing things that CAN be done after work hours?

Do you go home? If you do......WHY? This takes your mind off the job in hand, you interact with your family, or even watch TV for a bit!!!!!!

The above is not focused energy, it's changing you from the sharp knife that can cut through objections in seconds, to a rock with lots of sharp edges taking more effort to get the job done.

Become a Sharp Knife, Become a Samurai Sword, keep your energy focused on selling.

Goals

Question, Did you achieve your goals for 2011?

Did you have goals for 2011?

You could write a whole book just on goals in fact there are loads of books you can buy on goals. I want to address the power of written goals, because without them, how do you know where you are going?

"Before you can score you must first have a goal"

Conversation between many Sales Pro's around the world in January,

"I am going to write $$$ million this year"
"I am going to sell xxx this year"
"I am going to be number 1 this year"

"A goal properly set is halfway reached." - Abraham Lincoln

It is ok just saying what you want to achieve for the year, but it is a proven fact that it is TEN times more powerful if you write your goals down.

When Olympic decathlon gold medalist Bruce Jenner asked a room full of Olympic hopefuls if they had a list of written goals, everyone raised their hands. When he asked how many of them had that list with them right that moment, only one person raised their hand. That person was Dan O'Brien. And it was Dan O Brien who went on to win the gold medal in the decathlon at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. Don't underestimate the power of setting goals, writing them down and constantly reviewing them.

DO YOU HAVE YOUR 2012 GOALS LIST ON YOU RIGHT NOW?

DID YOU ACHIEVE WHAT YOU WANTED LAST YEAR OVER AND BEYOND?

OR WAS IT AN AVERAGE YEAR AND YOU FEEL YOU JUST HAVE NOT HAD THE RIGHT PROSPECTS?

DOES YOUR MIND SAY "I DON'T NEED TO WRITE THEM DOWN I KNOW WHAT I AM GOING TO ACHIEVE" IF SO ARE YOU THE NUMBER 1 OR EVEN IN THE TOP 3 ON YOUR SALES TEAM?

"Goals that are not written down are just wishes.......FACT!"

The Sales Professionals Creed.........FACT!

I found this on the web by Dean Alfange and have adapted it for the Sales Professional World.

This is the Creed that all Commission Only, Field and Direct Sales Pro's should live by......FACT!

As for me, I do not choose to be a common Sales Pro.
It is my right to be uncommon if I can.
I seek opportunity, not security.
I want to take a calculated risk, to dream and to build, to fall and to succeed.
I refuse to barter incentive for a dole.
I will not trade freedom for beneficence nor my dignity for a handout.
I will not cower before any master nor bend to any threat.
It is my heritage to stand erect, proud and unafraid to think and act for myself.
To enjoy the benefit of my creation and to face the world boldly and say, "This I have done."

That would be worth reading first thing in the morning and last thing a night.....FACT!

No one is ready for thing until they believe they can. I'm off to Paris now, enjoy your New Year celebrations. 2012 the Year of the Sales Pro......FACT!

Objections

If you cannot handle objections, then you are in the wrong job........FACT!

To many Sales Professionals come into the sales industry get a few sales, think it's easy and then spend the rest of their life waiting for prospects to buy. When they get objections they straight away think there is no sale and try to finish the presentation as quickly as possible.

A question to you........... Whatever product or service you sell, imagine your company was going to split the Sales Team into Two Divisions.

Sales Team A that only deals with prospects that want to buy,

and Sales Team B that only pitches to prospects that have no interest at all but are prepared to let you do your presentation because of a great marketing pitch or cold call which has got you in front of them.

Which Sales Team do you want to work in?

Remember Sales Team A..........They only pitch to prospects that want to buy!

and Sales Team B.............that only pitch to prospects that have been cold called!

Working on which Sales Team will you make more money?

If you choose Sales Team A if you are really lucky you will maybe see 1 prospect a month or more likely maybe 2 a year.

If you choose Sales Team B you will see at least 2 prospects a day, every day, and you will close 1 in 4 with the right attitude and belief in yourself and your product.

It is a fact. Sales would not exists if every prospect wanted to buy, that's why people who work in retail shops are not paid as much as those who work in the Field or on Commission only.

"I'm in Sales.....I sell HD TV's, my close when someone comes into my store to buy is what size would you like 42 or 48 inch"


An Objection is what a Sales Professional wants to hear......FACT! It does not mean the prospect is saying no to what you are selling, it just means they do not know enough to say YES yet.

When you get objections, the standard way to handle them is to,
Agree,
Confirm,
Overcome.

For those of you that want to take this to the next stage when a prospect gives you an objection
Listen, wait a few seconds and repeat it back to the prospect, and stay silent, in most cases the prospect will answer the objection themselves or even realize what they said meant nothing so you can move along in your presentation.

You can use this for most simple objections (smoke screens) that your prospects say.

PLEASE REMEMBER
A lot of front end objections do not mean anything; they are just lines to throw you off scent. All prospects have an in-built defense mechanism that causes reflex actions. These reflex actions are mostly minor objections which should be completely ignored, or by using this tip repeated back to the client for their response.

Do objections bother a Sales Professional?..........NO!
They stay focused and work smart; they ask the right questions, LISTEN and get the clients to like them.
They have a positive mental attitude regardless of the weather or what life throws at them.

A Sales Professional Welcomes Objections...........FACT!

Influence

After yesterdays post just in case you thought this blog was turning into a sing song and going deep with proverbs I thought I would get back on track ready for that final push towards the year end. The Go-Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann is one book you may want in your stocking for Christmas. Once you have read it you may then buy Go-Givers Sell More. The book focuses on the Five Laws of Stratospheric Success. I built my Sales Presentations around these laws and saw a dramatic rise in my income.......FACT! Check out www.thegogiver.com and you can follow Bob and John on twitter @bobburg and @johndavidmann Here is the Law of Influence.

THE LAW OF INFLUENCE
Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people's interests first.

During you presentation how many times do you say the word "I", compared with how many times you say the word "YOU"?

"I am going to show you this."
"I think this is the best way."
"I have been doing this for years."
"I would buy this instead of that."

Your influence, i.e. your persuasion, and your selling skills can be greatly enhanced by placing your prospect's interest first.

SELLING YOUR PRODUCT OR SERVICE SHOULD BE ALL ABOUT THE PROSPECTS, NOT YOU.........FACT!

Many Sales Professionals focus only on their commission, not what the prospects want. If you put the prospects needs first, more often than not, you will get more sales....FACT! You may think you know what the prospect should buy, but a good fact find and great listening skills will let you know what they really need, and what would fit into their budget. Once you firmly believe that the product or service you sell will benefit them, you then have the chance to sell to everyone you meet.

Placing the prospects interest first starts as soon as you meet them. It's showing an interest in who they are and what they do. It's really listening when they answer the questions you ask, not just cutting them off mid sentence so you can start talking about you and what you like.

SAY LITTLE, BUT SAY IT WELL AND SAY IT SHORT: THE ART OF BORING SOMEONE IS TO TELL THEM EVERYTHING.

You may have heard of the WIN/WIN scenario, where you look for a solution where you both come out ahead. Of course, if you give the prospect what they want, you get paid. This sounds great in theory, but most of the time this is disguised as a way of keeping track. The laws of influence works when you put your prospects first, forget about your commission, or what you may get in return. It is a fact that if you put the prospects interest first on every pitch then this law will reward you in abundance.

"When you base your relationships - in business or anywhere else in your life - on who owes who what, that's not being a friend. That's being a creditor."
The Go-Giver

The best Sales Professionals make the prospects feel so special on their presentation and they do it so naturally, it's funny they are the best paid in the business! This is the Law of Influence in action.

FORGET WIN-WIN --- FOCUS ON THE OTHER PERSON'S WIN

Sales Tip Proverb and Ode To A Salespro

"Every morning in Africa, an antelope wakes up. It knows it must outrun the fastest lion, or it will be killed. Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the slowest antelope, or it will starve. It doesn't matter whether you're the lion or an antelope - when the sun comes up, you'd better be running" African Proverb

"Every morning, somewhere around the world, a Prospect wakes up. They know they must think of a great excuse, or they will be closed by a Sales Professional. Every morning around the world, a Sales Professional wakes up. They know they must overcome any excuses presented to them today, or they will earn no money.

So, if you are the Sales Professional when the sun comes up, you'd better be ready, focused, sharp, with 100% belief in yourself and your product. You have to take full responsibility and SELL not TELL, otherwise you are going to be hungry..........FACT!!!!" - Sales Tip Proverb


ODE TO A SALESPRO


Selling is a great profession,
Selling is a noble task,
And if you want that order,
All you do is ask.
Enthusiasm's a terrific thing,
But no designed for Martyrs.
Use it in your daily life
And you'll bring in the orders.
Selling's more than merchandise,
More than product knowledge.
Selling is an attitude,
This you must acknowledge.
To have the porper attitude,
Forget about your woe.
Just think about solutions,
And watch your probelms go.
Selling is a great profession,
Selling is a way of living.
It's more than just financial gain,
It's a way of giving.

FACT!

Engagement

I quote Chief Executive Salesman Jeffrey Gitomer from his Little Green Book of Getting Your Way."Engagement takes place when the right questions are asked - questions about the other person that make them stop and think, consider new information, and respond in terms of you.

Engagement is so powerful that you cannot carry on conversations with out it, you cannot make sales without it, you can not climb the corporate ladder without it, and you ability to communicate even the most simple of challenges or ideas will be lost.

Like persuasion and presentation, engagement is an opportunity, an opportunity that will never be harnessed if your prime objective is to engage people about you before you try to engage people about them "

Get your prospects engaged. You are engaged from the moment YOU meet your prospects. Why? Because you want the sale. You want the money, it's why you go to work.

Many many sales are lost due to the prospects not being engaged at all. Low performers never notice this, they just believe that the prospects want to think about it. "They wouldn't make a decision"
The fact is, they were not engaged.

Check these signs of engagement when you are next on a presentation.
A prospect is engaged if:

They ask questions
If you do not get any questions from your prospects, you have no sale........FACT!!!! Do not kid yourself, this is not going to be a deal.

They share Information
Please remember, they will only share information if they trust you, hence the importance of your listening skills.

They give you undivided attention
Do they keep checking their watch? Are they reading emails, checking their blackberry? This means they are not engaged.

They are straight forward
Don't confuse this with a prospect simply saying up front, "I am going to be straight with you and not make a decision today."
Being straight forward happens throughout your presentation. It's a good sign if they say they object to certain parts of your presentation. They are being straight with you. They are being engaged.

The above are good points to check throughout your presentation. You cannot see the picture when you are in the frame, so it is good to take a mental note during your presentation and check to see your prospect in engaged in what you are doing.

The good news is that you can always get them engaged. The mistake is to miss it, and just carry on, and give them a price. Not engaged = NO SALE.......FACT!!!