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Sales Training and Consultation

Do You Want to Do It Cheap or Do It Right?

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Today I’d like to share a short 9 minute conversation I had with Chad Johnson, Comfort Consultant with Cooper’s Plumbing and Air, Tallahassee, FL./Bainbridge, GA. I have been privileged to conduct weekly online sales coaching for Tony Cooper’s company for the past 7 years.

Chad recounts a sales call where a homeowner called Cooper’s, for a second opinion after getting a cheap, substandard estimate from a small contractor she had used for servicing in the past.

Here is a recap of some key quotes and points made by Chad during his time with this customer.

-“The homeowner already had a piece meal $4,500 estimate, but I didn’t let that influence the fact that I knew it was from a low end installer.”

-“Hearing this I didn’t throw in the towel but conducted my normal thorough routine inspection.”

-“Obviously you know how to do it cheap. My recommendation will show you how to do it right. At Cooper’s we provide the lowest overall cost of ownership over the life of the system.”

-During the assessment Chad discovered she had 2 units, and the second one quit working while he was there. He called out a service tech who found this unit was old with undersized returns, and requiring R-22 refrigerant, which is being phased out.

-Chad proposed replacement of both units and additional upgrades the homeowner was interested in. His total price was $17,500.  He said this was the right thing to propose, even in light of the ridiculous incomplete bid from the other guy.

-She bought Chad’s recommendations and provided him a Google review testimonial following Cooper’s installation.

-Afterward she recommended Chad go see her mother, who was having problems with her unit. After performing due diligence at her home Chad recommended and sold a new $6500 replacement unit.

-“Just because someone already has a low priced quote, you never know what’s in the customer’s mind. Move ahead and do the job you were trained to do.”

————Exceeded $1 Million in Sales in Year Two!————

“Doug Robinson’s book Sell is NOT a Four Letter Word, coupled with his online coaching sessions are the perfect combination for sales professionals. Whether used as a weapon against the low-priced competitor, or as a tool to build value for customers, Doug’s common sense strategies deliver! Thank you Doug for all you’ve helped me accomplish!”

Chad Johnson, Cooper’s Plumbing and Air-Tallahassee, FL.

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©2020 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC  

“Ask for a Small Favor”

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Photocredit-destinationmissoula.org

DALE CARNEGIE (1888-1955) became famous by showing others how to become successful. His book How to Win Friends and Influence People (1936) has sold more than 10 million copies in multiple languages. In today’s post I’m focusing on a principle he taught called, “asking for a small favor.” His purpose is to make others feel more important and eventually lower their wall of resistance. I (Doug) am paraphrasing what he wrote from the colloquial language Carnegie used “back in the day.”

He relates a true story of a plumbing and heating materials salesman named Albert Amsel who constantly struggled in his prospecting activities. Amsel had very poor results getting buyers to read and respond to his prospecting letters (remember it was the 1930’s).

Amsel attended Carnegie’s seminar on Human Relations. What he learned was a new strategy for convincing contractors to answer his letters and requests for information. Not only did he begin to get much higher response rates, but the replies were often lengthy with friendly advice, leading to successful sales calls. What seemed to make the difference was his asking for prospects to do him a favor, one that would make them feel important.

For a long time Amsel had been trying to get the account of a large plumbing contractor in Brooklyn whose credit was unusually good. This guy was a salesman’s worst nightmare. Sitting behind his desk with a cigar in the corner of his mouth, he sneered at Amsel every time he opened the office door. In a nasty voice he would snarl, “Don’t need a thing today! Don’t waste my time and yours! Keep moving!”  But Amsel finally cracked open that account one day and earned a new friend in the process, by attempting the Carnegie technique.

The company Amsel worked for was attempting to open an additional branch in Queens Village on Long Island. This was a neighborhood the plumbing business owner knew well, as this was an area where he had many, many customers.

So this time, when Amsel dropped in, he said: “Mr. Caan, today I’m not here for a sales call, but rather to ask for you to do me a favor, if you will.”

“What’s on your mind, asked the plumber as he leaned back in his chair and chomped on his cigar.”

Amsel responded, “My firm is thinking of opening a branch over in Queens Village. And you know that area better than anyone. So I’ve come to ask what you think about our plan, and if it would be a wise move.”

Caan was facing a completely different situation. For several years he got his jollies from snarling at, and intimidating salesmen. But now here comes one seriously asking him for advice; and wanting his opinion about what they should do.

Caan told Amsel to sit down and for the next hour he bloviated about the specific advantages and qualities of the plumbing market in Queens Village. He not only approved of the plan but he went on to outline a course of action for acquiring the property, what supplies to stock, and how to go about opening the branch. Caan got a feeling of importance by telling the wholesaler how to run its business.

After that, Amsel started speaking on a more personal level. He became friendly, and began to share with Caan as if they were longtime friends. He spent a couple of hours with Caan that day and here is his report:

Photo credit-thebalancecareers.com

“By the time I left that afternoon I not only had a signed PO for a large initial order for equipment, but the foundation for a solid business friendship was laid. I am now a regular golf partner with this guy who up until recently wouldn’t give me time of day when I called on him. This change took place after Carnegie taught me to ‘ask him for a favor,’ and that made him feel important and changed his attitude toward me.”

Carnegie closed this session with a warning. He cautioned everyone to always use genuine, real appreciation when dealing with others. Everybody craves approval and recognition but nobody wants or responds positively to insincerity or suck-up flattery.

———— Social Distancing for Your Training————

Since the Covid-19 crisis began, working from remote locations and video conference communication has become the standard for many. I have been conducting ONLINE sales coaching/training for the past 8 years. Check out how to establish a small group from your market segment HERE and come ZOOM with me. 

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©2020 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC  

Contemplating the COVID-19 Cliff

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Due to the current pandemic situation that has washed up on our shores, I am re-scheduling the post I planned to publish today for a later time. I feel compelled to make an attempt to provide some common sense strategies for blue collar salespeople in light of what they now face.

It feels like déjà vu from nearly 20 years ago, following the September 11 attacks on our nation, although this is obviously a totally different event. I vividly remember that fateful morning as I stood in a hotel lobby in Lafayette, LA., coffee cup in hand. I was in the Hub City conducting a sales training workshop for a group of specialists who worked at a customer service/sales center.

Seeing others huddled in front of a TV screen I walked over just in time to see the second tower hit by a passenger jet, live in real time. Immediately the country and our way of life changed.

Stranded nearly 600 miles from home, with all flights cancelled nationwide, and every airport in America guarded by military personnel, my first priority was to figure out how to get back to my family in Georgia. The Lord, who already knew what I needed, provided me the last rental car at Lafayette Regional, and from there I began a 10 hour journey eastbound on a very crowded I-10.

When I arrived at my hometown airport at dusk that September evening, I was worn out, but also stunned. I expected to pick up my vehicle from the lot where I parked it the day before, prior to my outbound flight. However I was met by several Army Reserve soldiers, guarding an empty parking lot and a dark terminal. I was told all vehicles had been towed to a large grassy lot about a half-mile down the road for security reasons. The soldier wished me luck and said it might be like an “Easter egg hunt” but suggested I keep pushing my ‘clicker’ until I saw my taillights flash. I left my rental where he pointed, grabbed my bags, and started walking. Finally in the pitch dark my Taurus wagon and I were finally reunited. I was so thankful when I pulled into the carport at my home and was reunited with my wife and teenage kids.

As reality set in and work routines resumed, I began determining what I could say and how I would convey coaching for blue collar services salespeople to make a living in a fear racked post 911 world. Today I pretty much feel the same emotions as I face my anxious online clients.

Here’s how quickly life has changed so far in 2020:

January 20th – The first U.S. coronavirus case is reported

February 29th – The first U.S. death occurs

March 13th – President Trump declares a national emergency

March 20th – The mayor of my city declared a 14 day shelter-in-place order, effectively bringing our local economy to a halt, similar to many other cities in America.

I empathize with every salesperson who is now trying to determine how on earth they are going to make a living while this crisis hangs over everyone’s head. Obviously there are no rules in a knife fight, so salespeople must pull out all stops to create enough activity to produce sales to feed their families. Rather than panic and run around at Mach 2 with your hair on fire, I’m offering two suggestions today to help generate some sales traction.

More Selling, Less Order Taking

Certainly you will still get a few calls from homeowners whose air conditioners completely died of old age or from residents with swarming termites in the kitchen that are falling into the potato soup pot sitting on the stove. These are order taking situations, but you know if that’s all you sell your take home pay won’t take you home. With your marketplace on edge, think outside the box in ways that allow you to reach a multitude of prospects and sell by multiplication and not just by addition.

Consider reaching out electronically with a short Facebook Live broadcast, sharing a timely message about current concerns connected to this current health crisis. Depending on the nature of your business:

Photo credit-thebalancecareers.com

-Maybe your focus is on a thorough duct cleaning to ensure a healthy home environment for family’s who are spending more indoor time than ever.

-Possibly you discuss heightened security and the addition of cameras and motion sensors to provide greater peace of mind.

-Perhaps a conversation about the addition of a seasonal mosquito suppression service to an existing residential pest management program. Although mosquitoes don’t spread the coronavirus, they definitely do transmit Zika, West Nile, and Malaria, among others. Now is not the time to risk it, especially when people are spending most of their time at home.

Once you complete the broadcast, a video remains online. Send an email to all your customers with a link to your broadcast and a quick description of why it’s important for them to watch it. You WILL generate sales leads. By using ZOOM, ezTalks, or Facetime you can then propose your recommendation and consummate sales online. You don’t think you can pull this off? I say you absolutely can!

Double Down on Customer Service

A satisfied customer invariably becomes a repeat customer. Why would I want to buy something else from you if you turned out to be a hit and run salesperson after my initial purchase? Get busy and remotely touch them enough for them to feel special. Whether by text, email, or snail mail send links to videos or articles that are pertinent to your services and products in connection with the current pandemic. Follow that with a call of concern and an offer to help.

When they feel the love they are much more apt to listen to your recommendations and offerings.

In addition to these two suggestions, maintain your positive attitude. I often say that your attitude controls your altitude, and I believe it.

Jeffrey Gitomer, author of The Sales Bible strongly believes in a “YES Attitude,” consisting of 22 attributes. You can view them HERE and perform your own ‘checkup from the neck up.’

Stay safe out there with your head on a swivel! This too will pass.

©2020 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC  

“No Traffic Jams Along the Extra Mile”-Pt. 2

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Previously in Part 1 of this post, I shared how important it is for salespeople to participate in the customer service arena. I shared the first five suggestions for touching customers in order to maintain their loyalty and happiness. Here in Part 2, I’ll continue with the second five.

  1. Secure referrals with introductions and testimonials of satisfaction – In selling, referrals are the gift that keeps on giving, but they will only be given by happy, satisfied customers. Why would they recommend a schlub that can’t find his butt with both hands to his best friend or sister? I wrote a 3-part post about referrals before that can be accessed in my archive vault here. Don’t forget that you will achieve even better results when you continually report the outcome of each referral contact to the customer who gave it, whether positive or negative. This simply provides you with one more touch, and often triggers even more recommendations. TestimonialsTestimonials are priceless, whether they are written or in video format. I have been fortunate to receive some great, less than 60 second, video testimonials that are posted on my website (with permission). You can view them here. In my opinion this format is the most believable, and you can never acquire too many.
  2. Occasionally mail cards (birthday, holiday, anniversary, special circumstances) – For years I’ve preached that everybody on the planet is walking around with an invisible flashing sign on their chest that says, “Make me feel special!” What better way to do that than dropping 2-3 handwritten cards per year in the mail to each customer? Gather relevant information about your customers, and keep that information electronically along with a “come-up” format to trigger you when to send a card. The birth of a grandchild, a wedding anniversary, or an acknowledgement of the winning soccer team the customer coaches, are great examples of opportunities to touch customers. It requires a little work but pays huge dividends for you and your business.
  3. Send articles of personal appeal based on client interest – As part of your information gathering during your time with each customer, you will no doubt uncover interests they have. I assure you that your stock will go up when you email or snail mail copies of articles and posts that reflect their interests. As an example, a few months ago one of my customers made me aware that she wanted to know more about successfully investing in the market. Recently I read a good article that very simply and understandably outlined how to properly value a company’s stock for potential investing. I forwarded that article to her with a note and shortly after received a very encouraging response thanking me for thinking of her. She also stated that my value to her was worth more than what I charged for my services. All things being equal, a customer like that will probably stay with me even if times get tough.
  4. Introduce new offerings and re-present those recommended but not yet purchased – Remember that every customer travels at a different rate of speed, meaning that just because they didn’t buy something you recommended six months ago, doesn’t mean they won’t buy it now; especially if you are touching them via some or all of these 10 suggested methods. As you perform these touches the needle on your trust meter goes up. Additionally your customer will begin to give you the benefit of the doubt. Clients like these are much more likely to be open to new offerings your company introduces as well as those previously proposed but not purchased.
  5. Inform all customers of any special promotions your company or location offers – Nobody wants to be pushed, but everyone wants to be led. Your customers deserve to hear about every special promotion your company makes available. As with the other touch

Photo credit-mastersiegel.com

methods previously mentioned, this one gives you another avenue and reason to make contact. Share what’s going on in your business and let them make up their own mind.

By employing the ten suggestions discussed in these two posts, salespeople will do their part to keep customers happy and engaged. They will also sell more to this group and create many goodwill ambassadors.

 

 

 

————Hello from Prescott Valley————

“Doug, I really appreciate you and what you have added to my sales team this year! Plus I just darn enjoy our short time together each week.” See what Doug could do for you HERE.

Thanks, Matt Golleher, Orkin Owner, Arizona

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©2020 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC  

“No Traffic Jams Along the Extra Mile”-Pt. 1

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The title for this two-part post is a quote originating from Roger Staubach. If you’re not an NFL football fan, he was the guy who quarterbacked the Dallas Cowboys from 1969-1979, and was MVP of Super Bowl VI in 1972.  You might think it strange for a football player to pen a quote like this, but it makes more sense when you learn that following his NFL career he founded The Staubach Company, a super-successful commercial real estate firm in north Texas.

No Traffic JamsYou don’t have to travel too far in America today to hear plenty of customer service horror stories. When they emerge salespeople often attribute the indifference to service and/or admin employees at their companies. They take the position that once a job is sold and the handoff is made to the service folks, any unhappiness that occurs must be a result of mishandling by techs or admin employees.

This is a big mistake, since the sales team must continue to provide positive care and feeding to those whom they have sold. To that end, over the course of this two-part post I’ll be discussing a list of ten suggestions to help you continually “touch” customers, in order to keep them satisfied and hopefully nudge them toward becoming goodwill ambassadors. These are customers who will stay on board for years; buy more of your stuff down the road, and provide recommendations and testimonials that will enlarge your footprint in the marketplace.

  1. Send thank you notes – Most companies have some method in place for thanking new customers, but there a couple of caveats you should consider to ensure these are über-effective. One is to send them periodically each year, rather than only one on the day after the sale is made. This ensures that your customers know they are continually on your radar screen. The second caveat is to make them more personal than professional, and the way to accomplish this is by sending handwritten At my house handwritten mail ALWAYS gets opened first and contains good news!
  2. Conduct an initial post-installation face-to-face visit to insure satisfaction – New customers are typically fearful that after signing the dotted line they won’t see their rep again. They will be blown away when you follow-up in person and verify that every facet of what you sold was delivered, completed/installed properly, resulting in a smiling and satisfied customer. When you hit and run they’re done, but when you care, they won’t despair!
  3. Secure cell #’s, email addresses and provide 3 business cards – People are extremely mobile in today’s society, so your contact information should be too. Although I’m a continuous moving target between my coaching business, personal travel, and family scattered in multiple states; I am easily reached every day of the year by cell phone, text, email, website, Facebook and LinkedIn. I’ll bet your customers are as accessible as me too.    When it comes to business cards, I’ve touted my 3-card technique before. Very simply, you’ll get more mileage from your cards if you provide three to each customer and explain why. Tell them to keep one for themselves and then get them to promise NOT to throw the other two away, but rather commit to give them to friends or family members who may need to talk to you at some point.
  4. Introduce customers to your company’s social media (website, Facebook, blog, etc.) – The best way to ensure customers feel a part of your corporate “family” is to connect them to any and all available social media. This way they will continually be “touched” electronically, supplementing the other contacting methods you use. This vicarious involvement will make it less likely for them to feel unloved and possibly stolen away by an aggressive competitor.
  5. Notify customers of your ongoing follow-up – Certainly your company has protocol in place for subsequent contact with customers. Whether this is quarterly quality assurance checks or some sort of seasonal or annual inspection; it’s a good idea to tell the new customer what you will do and when you will do it when they come on board. From the customer’s perspective, it’s much more comforting to hear you lay out your scheduled plan to them, than to hear you say, “Call us if you need anything.”

Next time we will finish by discussing the final five customer service suggestions.

Sales Coaching and Traffic

————Thanks, Doug————

“Thanks Doug. I really appreciate everything you do for us. I have noticed a marked improvement in my crew in the last year. We still have some work to do but we are heading in the right direction.” Have you ever looked at what Doug offers? Chris Crosby, Orkin Arizona

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©2020 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC  

Doug’s Podcast Media Network Interview

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Today’s edition of Selling Point highlights Doug Robinson’s informative book, Sell is NOT a Four Letter Word. The 116 short but relevant topics in this publication are being used regularly in sales meetings by blue collar services companies in multiple industries. Individuals and sales teams using SINAFLW are acquiring better communication skills and achieving improved sales performance. Click below and tune in for the next 7 minutes as Doug answers questions posed to him by the Podcast Media Network concerning this project.

Here are just a few of the endorsements and recommendations from readers of SINAFLW.

This book is an intriguing and refreshing look into sales. Every now and then I would stop reading and apply one of the nuggets I just learned. If you want something that will equip you to have a successful career in sales, this is a must read.”
Ricardo Vielmas-Lake Park, Georgia

“I selected this book hoping to gain some real sales inspiration. I found that, while not feeling like I was reading a text book. This book is practical, amusing, relevant, and an outright great read! I am immediately going to begin applying some of the ideas and techniques which were so uniquely laid out by the author. Happy Selling!!”
Alan Schmidt-Chattanooga, TN.

“Your book and leadership have been invaluable to all of us. Keep up the GREAT work. Congrats on the media recognition coming your way.” Jeff Duncan-Imperial, MO.

Great book, easy read. I love the stories and would recommend to anyone that works in sales or is thinking about a career in sales.” Sammy Burson-Naples, FL.

“Awesome book and a great read! I really like the stories that help back up the points.”
Donnie Spence-Memphis, TN.

“Your book is a great tool that is helping me with my team in the sales room. It is very practical and easy to read and comprehend.” Chris Watring-South Carolina

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If you would like your own copy of Sell is NOT a Four Letter Word, go to Doug’s website where you always get FREE SHIPPING. If you are a sales manager or small business owner you should probably also take a look at Doug’s Leader Guide for SINAFLW, to help you plan and execute your weekly sales meetings with very little preparation!

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©2020 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC  

Become an “Amateur Authority”

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Have you ever heard the concept called Shoshin; translated as a “beginner’s mind?” Me neither. Maybe because it is actually a tenet of Zen Buddhism, of which I am not an adherent. On the other hand it is the definition of a “beginners mind” that interests me in relation to salespeople. It is “having an attitude of openness, eagerness, and the lack of preconceptions when studying a subject, even when studying at an advanced level, just as a beginner in that subject would.” That’s why I titled this article, Become an “Amateur Authority,” which is obviously a classic oxymoron.

Children are natural at this, because they’re always beginners at something. But as you get older, it’s easy to lose touch with these qualities that were once so natural. I’m thinking of qualities such as being void of preconceptions and expectations of what should occur. Additionally, curiosity fades as well. Salespeople are supposed to be experienced and knowledgeable aren’t they? That’s why I feel that salespeople try to “outgrow” naiveté as quickly as possible and develop expertise, knowledge, and understanding.

I suggest that sellers should channel their inner five-year-old and flood sales calls with simple questions. “Why?” “How does that work?” “Why do you do it that way?” “Tell me more about that?” Who is impacted when that happens? If you had a magic wand to wave in this situation, what would you wish for? Don’t assume anything.

Sales managers constantly complain that their salespeople present solutions to prospects too soon and too often. This practice continues even after training and coaching the value of discovery through questioning to determine the pain prospects are experiencing so as to determine their real needs.

So it seems to be important for salespeople to learn this “beginner’s mindset” mentioned earlier. This will be a constant battle because the more experience they have the less they are willing to listen. They start thinking and acting like experts, so that when someone begins to describe an issue they are having, salespeople interrupt and blurt out something like; “Oh, I’ve heard this problem before. I know exactly what we can do to solve this issue.” Regrettably they often present incorrect or incomplete solutions and miss sales because of alienating prospects and making them feel unimportant.

Photo credit-yelp.com

So how do you get there from here? Well here are a couple of ideas that will help:

  1. Help your people become more aware about this selling dilemma. In your next meeting present a common challenge that homeowners or business buyers bring up. Maybe you throw out, “My electric bill is a lot higher than my neighbors, and our houses are about the same size.” Ask your outside salespeople to put together a list of 10 questions to uncover whether their electric meter is malfunctioning or this problem is due to something else. This will force them to get back to elementary basics.
  2. Help your sales team understand how unimportant it is to be the smartest guy or gal in the room. I can promise you most of your folks present solutions too soon because they don’t want look like or sound like they aren’t experts. To help them see this, ask them a few coaching questions to alter this behavior. Here’s a common example that should resonate.

When you go to the doctor and share your symptoms, does the doctor immediately prescribe a solution or does he or she ask more questions, or maybe even run some tests?

When the doctor asks more questions, do you think he or she is lacking in knowledge and expertise, or are they conducting a thorough diagnostic to ensure the right solution is prescribed?

Teach your salespeople how powerful “a beginner’s mindset” is. As the National Inquirer advertises, “Inquiring minds want to know.” This mindset helps salespeople stop presenting solutions too soon and too often. Continue to emphasize “an attitude of openness, eagerness and lack of preconceptions, even when studying at an advanced level, just as a beginner would.” Your sales veterans no doubt need to “dumb up a bit”! Now you know what I mean by an “Amateur Authority.” Your sales folks can know it, but they don’t have to always show it. Become curious again.

————Become an Authority————

Doug can help with learning how to ask the right type and number of questions during your discovery. It’s a big part of Sell is NOT a Four Letter Word. Check it out and purchase a copy HERE on Doug’s website. He will even send it with FREE SHIPPING.

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©2020 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC  

The Mindset of Great Leaders

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Recently I (Doug) read a sales management article that really spoke to me. It was written by a very astute author, recruiter, trainer, and sales coach; with many years in the HVAC industry. I’m reprinting his article in its entirety, due to the relevance it holds for leaders in any business/industry.

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Drew Cameron – HVACSellutions.com

“Great leadership comes from having a great mindset, so pay attention to what you think before it becomes how you act.” – Lolly Daskal

Great leaders think differently than most people. In fact, people in the role of leadership do very little thinking before acting. Thinking is a leader’s most important skill and tool.

Great leaders adopt the mindset of growth, abundance, excellence, success, and relentless unwavering pursuit of their goals. We will call these people “Growth Leaders.”

A Growth Leader is someone who creates, inspires, prepares, and directs a team to perform, individually and collectively, at its highest level consistently under the most challenging conditions in pursuit of a shared, valued goal.

Growth leaders do not believe that talent and ability are fixed. They understand that abilities and skills can be nurtured, encouraged and developed through effort, perseverance and examining the learning process. They believe that effort, learning from failure and perseverance can improve performance of themselves and their team.

Growth Leaders actively seek ways to encourage and inspire others to regard effort, perseverance and learning from errors as the route to mastery. Leaders who foster a growth mindset within their organization realize that the results achieved by their approach also reflect their own leadership skills and abilities.

Growth Leaders lead from the guiding principle to Inspire, to Aspire to Desire to Catch Fire to Go Higher, and to embrace and hone these 15 attributes:

  1. Realist, optimist, and opportunist
  2. Love to learn and think about what they learn
  3. Good listener
  4. Always see potential in others
  5. Kind person
  6. Resourceful
  7. Good communicator
  8. Create and maintain great relationships
  9. Like to win, have fun and celebrate
  10. Self-aware and confident
  11. Prepared to take a stand for their beliefs, values, and ethics
  12. Don’t panic in difficult situations
  13. Solution-based thinker who thinks “what box?”
  14. Happy to give away credit and take blame
  15. Realize attainment of all their goals will be with and through others

Adopt the mindset of a Growth Leader and realize that, “You can have everything you want in life as long as you help enough other people get what they want.” Zig Ziglar

Growing others is one of the highest callings in life there is. A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle. Just as metal sharpens metal, one person sharpens another.

Leadership from the Heart

We are not capable of leading in a manner that is inconsistent with who we are as people at our core, regardless of the style we claim to embrace.

In other words, you will lead based on your mindset, attitudes, beliefs, values, emotions, needs, experiences, conditioning, knowledge, skills, people you are leading, situations, etc. And, yes, you will follow your heart.

Follow your moral compass and your standards of excellence, passion, caring, drive, and desire to grow yourself, those who follow, those you serve, and the community.

In whatever manner you choose to lead, there are certain roles you must fulfill to be a successful leader of your team and to achieve the goals established for your business.

Leader as person

The key question to ask in this role is: “How can I lead from a position of respect, trust, and loyalty?” The answer to this question, and the foundation for gaining the respect, trust, and loyalty of your team, is not in how you lead, but rather in the kind of person you are and the relationships you build with your team.

Leader as performer

The key question to ask in this role is: “How do I show my team how to be high performers individually and collectively?” For you to get your team to perform its best, you must know how to perform your best consistently.

Leader as team builder

The key question to ask in this role is: “How do I build an inspired, aligned, and productive team capable of meeting our biggest goals?” One player can’t carry a team. Rather, everyone must work not only to fulfill their individual responsibilities, but also collaborate effectively to get the necessary results.

Leader as decision maker

The key question to ask in this role is: “How do I ensure that I’m making the best possible decisions for my team and the company?” Your goal is to create a framework and process that will maximize the chances of your team making good decisions.

Leader as change agent

The key question to ask in this role is: “How do I transform our company into an agile, collaborative, and purpose-driven force, prepared for the challenges that lie ahead?” You must create a culture that can adapt to a marketplace that is constantly changing.

Execution of personal excellence in these five roles will ensure your probability of success, and while personal excellence is laudable, excellence achieved through others is admirable and rewarded now, in the future, and for eternity.

Pass on your passion. When you share your wealth of knowledge, you grow your fortune that pays back, pays forward, and multiplies with compound interest.

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Differentiate

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Webster’s dictionary says to differentiate is simply to become distinct or different. Here’s a story to help you get a picture of what this looks like in the wild.

When most folks are out in public they usually ignore the panhandlers. They just look down or away and avoid eye contact when passing by. It’s not because people are cold-hearted jerks, but simply not wanting to feed someone’s alcohol or drug addictions. However recently this long-standing habit was altered by someone who shares this story.

“Everyone reading this has no doubt encountered homeless people. As you know, they often hold cardboard signs with handwritten messages like; “God bless you”… “Anything helps”… “Down on my luck”… or simply, “Hungry.”

I’ve seen these buzzwords so many times that it’s easy to keep walking. And face it, as a society we’ve become hardened to requests like these for handouts.

If you were a homeless person who needed money, it would be important to be different. You must grab people’s attention as they pass by looking down at their phones or talking to one another. That’s exactly what one man did in front of a store recently. He looked like a typical homeless guy, middle age with a scruffy beard and long greasy hair. His clothes were tattered and dirty. Judging from his appearance, this man had likely been on the streets for months. Regardless, he proudly held his homemade sign and smiled at everyone who passed.

That’s when the message on the man’s sign caught my attention… “Too ugly to be a stripper.”

When I saw the sign, I couldn’t help but stop and laugh, and he laughed with me. It was funny. So I pulled out my money clip and handed over a couple of dollars. I wasn’t the only one amused by his message; other people laughed too. A young woman beside me snapped a cell phone picture. I watched at least two other bystanders put money in his cup. The man’s sign was working.”

Now, this story might sound meaningless to you, and maybe you think my sense of humor is sick and not politically correct. But I’m sharing this story because it includes something we often discuss in sales coaching. You see, this homeless man’s unique cardboard sign emphasized the power of contrast between him and his peers on the streets and near traffic lights where they are easily noticed by motorists.

He needed money. His sign called attention to his need and he used a clever message that made folks laugh… and nudged them to hand over their change and small bills.

Fast forward to the selling universe. For you to become ‘distinct and different’ from your competition in order to win more deals, consider the following:

  • In 1989 Stephen Covey published The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and the first habit states, “Seek first to understand and then be understood.” This provides a blueprint for differentiation from competitors who frankly reverse this maxim often, I’ll bet.
  • Ask more but shorter questions. How annoying is to listen to TV reporters ask long-winded, three-part questions? When they are finished asking them, it’s almost impossible to remember what the first part of the question was. Often the reporter just wants to command more air time for him or herself.

Be different by using your questions to help define what they value so you can discuss relevant features and benefits that will wow them. For example, “Why is that important to you?” “Who is impacted by that?” “On a scale of 1-10 how important is that to you?” “How do you want to proceed and on what timetable?”

  • Be sincere, meaning free from pretense, deceit, or hypocrisy. Buyers have no interest in listening to what Rush Limbaugh identifies as “phony baloney, plastic banana, good-time rock ‘n’ rollers.” Remember, you can smell a phony a mile away, meaning if you can, your prospects can too.
  • Focus on the buyer’s objectives, as it’s not about you. Way back in the last century on my first sales job I learned from Zig Ziglar that, “You can have anything you want in life if you help enough other people get what they want. The secret is that you have to help them get theirs first.”

Photo credit-thebalance.com

————Distinct Differences————

Here are a dozen of the crucial topics (out of 116) that Doug included in Sell is NOT a Four Letter Word. Enthusiasm page 6. Fear of Success page 11. Appearance page 25. Likeability page 27. Credibility page 30. Empathy page 32. Non-verbal Communication page 40. Overtalking page 51. Buyer Emotions page 65. Truth Telling page 131. Rejection page 190. $16 with FREE SHIPPING.

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Coaching Has Limitations

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If you’re an NFL fan, last night was the pinnacle of your season as the Chiefs came from behind to beat the 49’ers in Super Bowl LIV in Miami. This annual finale to the NFL season dates back to January 1967, six months prior to my graduation from high school. That first contest was called the AFL-NFL World Championship Game, established to determine which of the two football leagues in existence at that time had the best team. In case you care the Packers beat the Chiefs in that initial event. This annual competition was not officially called the Super Bowl until the fourth year it was played. That’s when the Roman numerals were also added to the name.

A basic component of pro football games are headsets that coaches constantly wear. The idea of a coach and player communicating with technology dates back to 1956, when a pair of Ohio inventors developed a radio receiver that the Cleveland Browns secretly placed inside their quarterback’s helmet. The NFL quickly banned the technology as soon as they discovered it, and it wasn’t until 1994 that the league approved an official communication system of headsets now used by every team.

Coaches can talk to the quarterback on offense, and to one designated player on defense. The authorized players are identified by a green sticker on the back of their helmet (see photo above). It’s a one-way channel for communicating, as helmets have no microphones to respond back to coaches. Conversation is limited by the remaining time on the play clock. When it reaches 15 seconds, communication is cut off until the play is over and then starts between plays again over and over throughout the game.

Sales training/coaching works the same way. A guy like me can be “in your ear” providing advice and strategies on a regular basis, but can’t conduct the sales call for you in the field. Like my daddy used to tell me, “you’ve got to pull your own little red wagon.” I smile thinking about that, as I have an old black and white photo from the 1950’s of me pulling my wagon around as if I knew what I was doing and where I was going.

That’s why one of my favorite slogans is, “inch by inch it’s a cinch, but yard by yard it’s hard.”

Recently I interviewed a sales guy who qualified for his first corporate incentive trip after six years in sales at his company. He was the first seller to accomplish this feat from his location. He said he used to think it was just impossible, although he always made a decent living. But he just kept paying attention to the coaching he received and applying the fundamentals that were being

Photo credit-wcluradio.com

conveyed to him. He inched his way along, and logged the following annual sales increases that put him over the top, accomplished during the four years of the Great Recession. If you were selling then you remember that most salespeople were whining and sucking their collective thumbs because the economy was “so bad. He rocked it with annual sales increases of +11%, +17%, +6%, +14%.  He finally accomplished “the impossible” and qualified for the annual incentive trip with his wife at an exclusive Canadian resort.

That’s why it’s crucial to master fundamentals that will lead you to your personal championship. You can’t just read about them and then go on to something else. It’s crucial to pay attention and absorb everything your coach is saying in your ear, and then apply them to your business life and think about them every day.

Sometimes you will be like a juggler with too many balls in the air. When that happens you may drop one of your fundamental “balls.” The answer is to simply reach down, pick it up, and include it one more time. When you do eventually YOUR objectives will be accomplished.

————Mike Appreciates Coaching————

I would like to take a moment to tell you thanks for having these online classes with us. I’ve learned a lot in my short time and look forward to the future lessons. Mike Hawn-Barineau HVAC

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Create Off-Season Urgency

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It’s quite normal for salespeople to become frustrated when their prospects are casual about moving forward. You’ve got to focus on more than the weather to stir folks to action. Today I’ll provide two suggestions to create off-season urgency and they revolve around relationships and pain.

First, as an example, let’s say you have a friend who has a pretty wild lifestyle. He smokes, drinks too much, and has put on an extra 50 pounds over the last couple years because of his poor diet. Here’s the question to ask. Is he more likely to alter his lifestyle because his friends tell him he needs to make changes and live healthier; or when he has a heart attack? This is a no brainer. He won’t change until someone calls 911 and the EMS bus hauls him to the ER.

The point is that people move much more quickly away from pain than they move toward pleasure. So all the positive solutions salespeople verbalize are not nearly as powerful as focusing on and emphasizing the pain of their current situation.

In addition to pain, another motivator for decision making is relationships. People are more likely to take advice from those whom they feel comfortable around and have trust in. The bad news is that relationships can’t be properly built in only a few minutes.

With that said, let’s discuss relationships and pain as pressure points salespeople can employ to help create urgency.

Develop a relationship – As I already mentioned you can’t build relationships in minutes. The good news is that during your off-season you can slow down and devote more time to people. It’s just like with your kids/grandkids; time equals deeper relationships, so chat ‘em up! To  help jump start your conversation, consider using the timeless acronym, F.O.R.M. If you’ve forgotten, the letters stand for Family, Occupation, Recreation, and Material Possessions. Ask questions from these four areas of their life to help determine who they really are and what is important to them. Since people buy from those they like and who like them; be likable. As always, ask don’t tell.

Ask your prospects’ advice. Look around their environment and find something they are obviously interested in and ask their advice about it. It’s not important whether you’re interested in it or not. For example, if I’m at your house and see a display case of pocket knives, I’ll might ask your advice about how I would get started collecting knives if I decided to do that. I might follow up by asking which brands are most likely to increase in value over time. Consider even jotting down a few notes from what is said, in order to make them feel special. I assure you that a combination of these two strategies will grow a relationship quicker than you might think.

Earn their trust – To strengthen relationships you should attempt to earn the trust of others. People trust those who have high character and high competence. The word character is thrown around a lot but specifically means, “the mental and moral qualities that are distinctive to an individual.” Attributes such as empathy, courage, fortitude, honesty, and loyalty are all character components and will earn trust.

Now look at the second element that prospects also desire; high competence. They must know you can do the job properly and completely. Here’s an example of what I mean. A few months ago I somehow became afflicted with a detached retina in my left eye. My optometrist immediately referred me to a retinal surgeon for the needed emergency surgery. I would have preferred my wife, who is an RN with great character, but she isn’t qualified to perform surgery.

When prospects realize you have distinctive moral qualities (character) AND also know what you are doing in your particular occupation (competence), your trust meter will really spike.

Photo credit-calleenwilder.com

Find and solve emotional pain – I often tell sellers that people buy on emotion and then justify their purchase with logic. To sell successfully, lean into the emotional aspect and recognize that you can’t win with facts alone. Here’s how to accomplish this:

  • Determine the prospect’s pain with a solid inspection, open question interview, and empathetic conversation.
  • Irritate the pain by asking two questions. What is the real life impact of this issue on your life? How does it make you feel?
  • Solve the pain by presenting your service and make a recommendation. Tell them why you are making it (earlier you said…), and remind them which emotional pain you are resolving.

This Weldon Long quote says it all: “You can make a living solving problems. You can make a fortune solving emotional pain.”

This strategy is a really good way to “break the code” to creating off-season urgency and sales attainment. This is a good way to ensure you are able to over-winter successfully.

————Exceeded $1 Million in Sales in Year Two!————

“Doug Robinson’s book $ell is Not a Four Letter Word, coupled with his online coaching sessions are the perfect combination for sales professionals. Whether used as a weapon against the low-priced incompetent competitor, or as a tool to build value to the customer, Doug’s common sense techniques deliver! Thank you Doug for all you’ve helped me accomplish!”

Chad Johnson, Cooper’s Plumbing and Air

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Open an Adoption Agency

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107,918 foster children are eligible for adoption. That number has remained roughly consistent for the past five years. Before you become alarmed and stop reading, take a breath. I’m not suggesting that you literally adopt foster children (although that would be a worthy mission).

I want you to look inside your own company and determine how many orphans exist. I define a business orphans as customers sold by a sales rep no longer in place at your company. He or she may have been transferred to another location. They might have been promoted to a different role or supervisory position within the company. Some have completely left the organization.

The bottom line is that orphaned customers no longer ‘have a guy’, as you regularly hear me say. By that I mean an assigned salesperson (guy or gal) who performs QA’s. This rep also communicates and touches them regularly. They also uncover new found needs that may lead to collateral sales. Additionally nobody is in place to coax recommendations, referrals and testimonials from these loyal but lonesome customers.

I probably don’t have to tell you the reasons customers leave companies they patronize. Here are the actual stats from recent customer surveys.

68% Cancel because of attitude/feeling of indifference displayed by person(s) within the company.

14% Quit due to product dissatisfaction

9%   Leave for competitive reasons

5%   Form other relationships

3%   Move away

1%   Die

The way I see it by adopting orphan customers you can remove every reason except the last two. Obviously you can’t stop folks from relocating, nor are you empowered to postpone death.

However, the other 96% of those reasons can be eliminated by going through a simple adoption ceremony. Here’s how easy that is:

  1. Ask your admin to print a list of existing customers, including the name of who originally sold it.
  2. Go through the list and highlight each one sold by employees no longer in position or even with your company.
  3. Make contact and set up QA visits with each one. Explain in ‘tongue and check’ fashion that

    Photo credit-trirom.ca

    you want to adopt them, and tell them what that entails.

  4. While you are there perform a QA checkup on service(s) they currently have, and make sure they are still completely satisfied. Additionally, assess other areas of the home/business you sell services for.
  5. Continue to ‘touch’ the customer at least quarterly, as I wrote about HERE. When your “new” customer realizes you’re their guy/gal, they will be open to consider other services you sell. You should also be able to secure recommendations and introductions with friends and relatives who need someone like you.

That’s it; a simple prospecting activity that will provide a multitude of contacts, plus future sales and referrals. Additionally, you will retain lots of customers who’ve “lost that lovin’ feeling” and feel like orphans.

————DIY Sales Coaching for a New Year————

So you realize your salespeople and techs need some additional sales coaching, but you don’t want to hire a guy like Doug to do it for you. Well then take a look at Doug’s DIY initiative and cut out the middle man. Get his material with having to put up with him! Get your FREE look HERE.

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Value is a Moving Target

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Salespeople are constantly told to build more value in order to differentiate their products and services from competitors. A swing and a miss happens here when sellers jump in and rattle off features and benefits, even good ones. What is missing is establishing what the buyer values, so the salesperson then can focus on relevant features and benefits. To explain my point, read this personal story of mine that describes that value is a moving target and means different things to different people.

The house my wife and I had built five years ago was designed with an attached 12’ x 12’ screened porch at the rear facing the woods (photos above). It was very nice, however our weather in South Georgia is such we can only enjoy it on ‘goldilocks’ days. That’s a problem because there are only a handful of ‘not too hot (& humid) and not too cold’ days each year where I live.

I suggested to the wife that we enclose this porch and make it a year-round room so it would be more useable. Because we had such as nice view of the woods behind us my wife balked at closing it in. The best I could do was to get her to agree to at least listen to a remodeler share some ideas with us.

We got a good recommendation on a guy named Kenny and invited him to take a look. From the beginning I liked Kenny because he didn’t just run his mouth and tell us what we should do. He was conversational and consultative, and reminded me of how I suggest that salespeople should act with their prospects. He asked several general questions and quickly determined we weren’t sure what we wanted.

That’s when Kenny changed gears and asked questions that would tell him what we valued.

Q- Would we be interested in having our cake and eating it too?

A- We responded with, “Who isn’t?” He asked if we would consider replacing screen with glass.

Q- How important would it be to have a unique looking house?

  • This solution would provide us with the only glassed-in porch in the development.

Q- Do we value making smart financial investments?

  • Enclosing the porch this way would appraise the enclosure by twice the construction cost.

Q- We asked what this enclosure would cost.

  • Kenny’s answer was, “Less than you think but more than you wish.”

Q- Would you like some ideas to offset the added cost of glassing vs. regular walls?

  • Kenny suggested installing double pane “Low E” glass that reduces energy consumption.

He also mentioned just staining and sealing the concrete floor, giving it a rustic look, and laying a large area rug. That would save money that would have gone toward wood or tile flooring.

He also proposed moving the existing French doors opening to the porch, and using them as exterior doors for the new room. This would save a bucketful of money on buying new doors.

He concluded by hinting that we could frame that double doorway, leaving it open, which would achieve better air circulation and allow much more light into the home.

Because Kenny determined what we valued he knew what would be relevant to us. He didn’t just yammer about features and benefits. Therefore, rather than seeking additional estimates, we simply asked Kenny when he could get started. Two weeks later I snapped the ‘after’ photos above.

Your takeaway from this story should be to first determine, through questioning, what people value; and then begin to discuss only the relevant features and benefits that will get them what they desire.

————Need to Learn More About Value?————

I can’t reduce the price of Sell is NOT a Four Letter Word, but I will pay the shipping for you. Go order it HERE.

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2020 DIY Sales Training to Investigate

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Where are your residential and commercial salespeople, selling technicians, and phone selling/call center employees receiving instruction and coaching on critical topics like Goal Setting … Buyer Temperaments … Off-season Appointment Setting … Likeability … Over-Talking Prospects … Active Listening … Avoiding Weasel Words … Prospect Apathy …, etc.?

I realize you don’t have the time or the resources to accomplish this, so why not let me help. I’ve done the heavy lifting for managers/business owners like you, after spending nearly 50 years in the world of selling (Yes, I took my first selling job in 1972!) Look at my version of DIY sales training.

Doug's Book

I put all this together in 2012 by writing and publishing Sell is NOT a Four Letter Word, to help salespeople improve their performance.

For your purposes these are Sales Training Lesson Plans. 116 concise topics, 274 total pages (2½ pages per topic avg.). Each one is short, relevant, common sense, and in understandable plain English.

This is the salesperson piece of the DIY sales training puzzle.

Leader GuideFor you, the manager, I developed a Leader Guide, containing one page of open questions for each of the 116 topics in the book, in an old-school 3-ring binder.

These questions will form the backbone of your short (I recommend 30 minute) sales meetings and will guide discussions of each topic (with very little preparation). This format invites participation and involvement of your team members so that sales training is no longer a “lecture” from you, but is now a weekly team event.

At the end of each lesson is a Skill Check, an application activity for your folks to “show what they know” because it’s not training unless the participants do it!

Leader Guide Details

Wondering what the Leader Guide & Lesson Plans look like? Here’s a screenshot of the Table of Contents for the six segments in Chapter 1. (Click on screenshot to view all 216 topics of LG)
Leader Guide Table of Contents Chapter 1

And here is an example of a page from the Leader Guide. These are the discussion questions for segment 55 on eliminating Weasel Words when selling.

 Here is the Financial Investment

First, each sales employee needs their own personal copy of the sales training lesson plans (my book) @$16 each. Second, you (the manager) need a Leader Guide @ $69. With these materials I provide FREE SHIPPING anywhere in the U.S.

Additionally, I want you to know that I stand behind these materials with a no hassle money back guarantee. (Since 2012 nobody has ever exercised it, but it’s there in case you are the first.)

Simple Steps To Begin Your DIY Sales Training Sessions

sales training four steps

  1. Determine skill focus needed for first sales meeting (from Leader Guide contents). Assign that book segment for reps to read prior to meeting. (Chronological order of book unimportant)
  2. Using corresponding topic in Leader Guide, conduct sales meeting by asking questions provided in order to generate discussion. Customize with specific examples from your business.
  3. Perform Skill Check at conclusion of meeting to ensure they “got it.”
  4. Assign topic for next meeting based on skill focus needed (repeat step 1)

With 116 topics, even if you have sales meetings every week, this material provides you fresh topics for over 2 years!

3 Benefits of Using These Materials with Your Folks

INEXPENSIVE

As an example, let’s say you have 6 people who sell (2 sales & 4 techs); your investment would only be $165 ($69 LG + $96 for 6 books). That’s a great value considering how expensive most training programs are nowadays.

NO PREP/PLANNING

No more scratching your head searching for a relevant topic or materials to train on to improve performance. The Skill Focus column in the LG Table of Contents will highlight the “pain” and identify the lesson that will address it. BOOM! Just follow the “Yellow Brick Road” by asking the questions provided for you on that page of the Leader Guide and customize the answers to fit your company culture.

RELEVANT

The face-to-face skills I discuss are rarely emphasized in sales training programs. Based on my  experience I know how critical it is for salespeople to be knowledgeable in these communication skill sets. A quick look at the Contents of Sell is NOT a Four Letter Word should confirm this observation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What types of companies are using these materials for sales training?

Pest control (commercial & residential), HVAC, Quick oil change/lube, Security systems & alarms, Information Technology, Environmental services.

Is this training material really as relevant as you say?

Absolutely! But don’t take my word for it. James Bingham, a DM with American LubeFast says, “Your material really speaks to our guys like no other sales training material ever has. Most of the time it seems like you wrote it specifically for our industry.”

Can this approach possibly be as user-friendly as you advertise?

Again, read what an actual customer says. Jay Carpenter, Chief Business Developer of technology sales at Invision Technologies swears by it. “Doug, your sales training approach is a dream come true for me, as I stay as busy as a one-armed painter most of the time. All I need to do is recognize where the sales folks are falling short and then pick a lesson that covers that skill focus for them to read prior to our weekly meeting. When I open my Leader Guide to that lesson and ask the first question on the page, an instant discussion ALWAYS begins. It’s like magic; I just ensure they leave the meeting with a new perspective that will help them improve.”

Do companies use the Leader Guide any differently than you explained it here?

As a matter of fact; yes. For variety sake, I recommend occasionally providing the questions up front when assigning the lesson, especially when covering topics that might require more thought before answering. Additionally I like “peer learning.” Providing the questions in advance gives the manager an opportunity to assign specific questions to specific reps who you know will have a lot to add due to their experience and success level.

My Personal Invitation To You Whether You Buy Or Not

I invite you to subscribe to my weekly newsletter, Selling Point which is my gift to you. With it, you receive a BONUS consisting of an audio recording from a live statewide blue collar franchise group where I spoke on Improving Your Communication Skills. You will also have access to my vault of past Selling Point issues, dating back six years. You will absolutely be able to use and apply many of these sales, customer service, and sales management posts hatched from my HP keyboard.

Still not quite sure this is for you? Watch this short video.


 

 

Ready, Aim, Fire Into 2020

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The calendar on the wall says it’s that time of year to once again contemplate your sales goals for 2020. You must then determine how you will achieve them. Salespeople are very different in how they approach tasks like this, so different strategies might be employed. Below are four ideas that should help you begin 2020 on a sound trajectory.

Reward and Punish – Although you undoubtedly report to a manager of some type, it’s crucial to hold yourself accountable. This is because your boss doesn’t look over your shoulder all the time. Frankly he or she probably doesn’t pay enough attention to your daily routine. Managers are usually way more concerned with results than with methods, and that’s understandable.

Consider putting yourself on cruise control like I did when I sold on commission. Whatever my sales goal was for the week, if I made it by Friday night I would reward myself and take the weekend off. On the other hand if I missed my goal I would punish myself and work all weekend to attempt to catch up. It’s not a panacea but is a sound personal management strategy.

Additionally utilize the backup camera and assess your strengths and weaknesses from the prior year. Very simply, quit doing what didn’t work this year and double down on the things that did. That way you create a set of checks and balances to help you stay on the right path. If things head south, slap yourself into the next week…just kidding.

Consider an Accountability Partner – Three thousand years ago the wisest man to ever live, King Solomon wrote, “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion.” As you peer over into 2020 consider partnering with someone who will call you out when you don’t do what you said you would do. Sometimes you can’t get out of your own way, and an accountability partner can recognize it and drag you back onto the trail. Likewise, by observing your partner your own eyes will be opened to what they do and how they do it. As you choose a partner to work with, select someone who shares your drive and determination, and both of you will benefit.

—————Welcome to 2020—————

Don’t forget that, “If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting.” Since most of us aren’t satisfied with that, why not start your new year with a new perspective on sales coaching for your people. Take a FREE look at Doug’s suggestions HERE.

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Competition Fosters Synergy – Competition is healthy and can help you stretch toward moving beyond your comfort zone. The downside with competition among peers is that it can become too intense. Salespeople begin to undermine one another in order to get ahead. That shouldn’t be a surprise, so consider adding a twist. Find a salesperson within your company at a different location, maybe across town or even in another state. That way you will experience all the positives but avoid the negatives because you are not competing head-to-head with each other. Start small and move slowly to build your confidence. Maybe you compete for the first sales close of 2020, or the first agreed-upon sales of a target dollar amount of a particular service. It won’t take long before you’ll be comfortable in raising the stakes and upping the ante into larger and more impactful goals.

Photo credit-evidencebasedmentoring.org

Find a Mentor Who’s Done What You’re Attempting – One of the most effective ways of learning how to set appropriate, achievable goals is to work with someone who’s already done it. A mentor can help you learn more about yourself than you can on your own. He or she can provide goal empowerment by sharing knowledge and experiences from years of proficiency. Mentors tend to be more objective in order to help you make effective decisions. They are also good at helping others reframe and refocus leading to future successes. This could be a crucial career decision that should probably be at the top of your New Year’s resolutions list.

Ladies and Gentlemen, start your engines. Welcome to 2020!

 

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Tech Selling Strategies for the New Year

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Job descriptions for technicians and other service personnel have universally evolved over the last few years. They now include a sales component. Some have gotten on the bus but many others are pushing back like I used to when Mom passed the broccoli at the dinner table. Technicians can absolutely succeed at selling, but need different approaches from their dedicated selling counterparts. To help equip them here are three strategies that may very well lead to maximum results as they service and sell in 2020.

Practice Consultative Selling

This is really a really good mindset to adopt. Remember Joe the Concrete Guy who I introduced you to last month. Consultative selling is all about avoiding canned sales pitches in favor of just conversing with potential customers. The keyword is conversing, suggesting the natural back and forth rhythm of a conversation.

Listen closely to the customer and quickly formulate relevant, insightful questions from real-time feedback you hear as they respond.

The way to secure the need behind the need is through this easy, natural conversation. With a good consultative sales approach, you probably have the solution that needs to be presented, which may very well lead to an immediate sale. Just remember to soak up as much information as possible and show genuine interest.

During these conversations offer professional advice and useful tips that will help you earn more credibility. They may also earn you the benefit of the doubt.

Drink Your Company’s Kool-Aid

At your company, whether large or small, you must be aware of its mission, brand promise, and reputation. You should show that you are very familiar with the spirit of who your company is. Reflect this to homeowners when speaking to them as potential customers.

You must remember that most people called your company because of what they have seen and heard from billboard or television advertising. Their expectations will be based off of these so you need to show what you know to convince them they will receive what your marketing promises. For example, the overriding theme of current advertising at one large services company is, “Pest control down to a science.” The message is to call the professionals and don’t try it yourself. If you are a tech for that company your job is to show why you are the expert and an authority by wowing the prospect with knowledge that the other guys don’t possess.

Maybe your company advertises with billboards showing families enjoying life outdoors in a manicured yard with a clean cut smiling lawn maintenance guy drinking a glass of lemonade with them. People who call that company have an expectation of you becoming a quasi-family member. If you arrive at that home and are not extremely friendly and willing to schmooze with a customer-first mentality, it will be really hard to meet their expectations.

Photo credit-yelp.com

Nudge But Don’t Push

Like the Kenny Rogers song says, “You’ve got to know when to hold them; and know when to fold them.” Don’t attempt to make sales at all costs. Recognize that at times it doesn’t seem like it will be a good fit, either for you or the homeowner.

Not all possible deals are prudent, even if you think you can still make the sale. When your instinct tells you a sale is likely to result in an unhappy customer, pull back. On the other hand, things may be clicking and additional needs uncovered during your inspection/assessment. This is a good time to propose a bundle of multiple services. The credibility of your company AND you often nudge them to accept all your recommendations and buy everything you propose. These are the type of folks who will become loyal customers AND recommend and introduce you to friends and family.

————Blue Collar Selling Help————

Next week starts a new selling year and maybe it’s time to try something different to ensure you sharpen your selling ax for the challenges ahead. Why not pick up a copy of Sell is NOT a Four Letter Word from Doug’s website HERE?

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By utilizing these strategies you will be much more able to accomplish your sales objectives, while remaining comfortable in your own skin.

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Has December Drudgery Overtaken You?

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Selling during the holidays

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I hope you had a fantastic sales year and made a bucket of money, and plan to take some well-earned time off during the holidays. The bad news is that most salespeople aren’t in that position. They are scrambling to find some folks to talk to during December in hopes of selling something before year-end. Otherwise they won’t be able to pay for their Christmas expenditures and gifts.

In a competitive marketplace where salespeople constantly slug it out on price and service, it’s essential you don’t go into shutdown mode during the holidays. Ask yourself if all your customers, and the prospects you have yet to sell to, do the same thing. I’ll bet the answer is, not so much.

So if you put yourself on cruise control during the holidays, how many sales do you think you’ll miss? When you look at it that way, coming in late, hanging out, and then leaving early is a losing proposition.

—————Two Weeks Until 2020—————

If you are responsible for conducting sales training at your office or branch, you really should take a look at what Doug developed to make your training life easier. It’s almost 2020; get the tools that will help your folks make their numbers. Check it out here.

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If you are a residential salesperson, don’t forget about all those prospects and customers that you’ve proposed services to during the last 90 days who haven’t bought yet. Typically these folks will have some vacation or holiday time off around Christmas and may very well decide to get the work done that you proposed. But if you aren’t ready, willing, and able to take care of them during the holidays, these folks may very well contact your competition to see if they can help them. Why would you make it easy for competitors to get a foot in the door after you have already planted seeds and proposed?

On the other hand if you are a commercial seller, you may have some excellent opportunities to close sales. Many companies have budget dollars that need to be spent before December ends or they evaporate. It’s the month when buyers are likely to reflect back, recalling problems not dealt with properly earlier in the year.

Additionally, your points of contact tend to be more relaxed and accessible this time of year. Since they tend to slow down, they may share information with you that would normally be off-limits, providing new insights.

Don’t forget about the gatekeepers as they often have vacation time to use in December. This means your calls to the person you can’t reach at other times of the year may just get through.

So here’s a couple of suggestions. First, the end of the year is a perfect time to call your customers and thank them for their business. These calls can and will open up some new opportunities.

Holiday Selling Tips

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Second, in mid-December, conduct an email blitz announcing that you’re going to be at your post, available to conduct business as usual during the holiday season. Follow that up with a phone blitz immediately after Christmas Day announcing that you’re working.  Even though there are many customers who won’t be there in person, you should leave a voicemail so that when they return, they’ll be impressed with your level of customer service and support. Will this strategy really work? Of course it will.

Contrary to traditional thinking, December can be a good month for selling. Don’t allow yourself to be swayed by the cold water committee in your office who thinks these are dumb ideas. If you’re not rich yet, don’t look at the holidays as a time to kick back and relax. Leave that to your competitors, so go out and make it happen!

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Here’s How Sales Are Born

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Many of you are probably familiar with legendary salesman and author Frank Bettger (1888-1981). Somewhere along the way I heard a story recounting when he was a green insurance salesman, struggling daily to get appointments (sound familiar?).

As the story goes, one day he secured a good interview but didn’t get very far before the man stopped him and told Frank he was wasting his time. He said that he already had more insurance than he needed, and was leaving his family more money than they deserved.

Bettger didn’t know what to say, so he responded almost in desperation by asking the man that although he had taken care of his family and his business, there certainly must be a favorite charity that would suffer and need support after his passing.

It may have been a lucky guess, but Bettger hit a home run, as the man supported a worthy cause that wouldn’t be able to continue without his financial help. Frank showed him how to maintain that important work with life insurance proceeds. When that appointment concluded, he walked out the door with a large check for the first year’s premium.

How was he able to make that sale?

  • Did it have something to do with the company he represented?
  • Was it because his policy had the best rates?
  • Maybe it was due to the convenience of the nearby claims office?

The answer is ‘NO’ to all the above. What made the sale for young Frank that day is what will make sales for you today. To close sales consistently, you’d better know why people buy. Until you figure that out, you’ll be blanking more often than scoring.

I don’t want to try to play shrink with you in this post, but I think it’s important to remind you that there is an accepted hierarchy of human needs that people tend to follow throughout their lives. This concept was introduced by Abraham Maslow in 1943. These needs are listed here in ascending order, meaning that once people satisfy their needs at one level, they move to the next and do the same. This process continues until all five have been accomplished. Here are those categories of needs from the bottom up:

  • Survival – Food, water, shelter
  • Safety – Freedom from all types of fear
  • Social Acceptance – Association and interaction with people and their acceptance of you
  • Self-Esteem – Desire to be respected and possess a feeling of personal worth
  • Self-Fulfillment – The need to make a contribution to society once all personal needs are met

Bettger’s insurance prospect was achieving self-fulfillment that day when he purchased the insurance policy guaranteeing his favorite charity could continue long into the future.

It’s important to remember that what you are selling is often not what your prospect is buying. Last year alone over two million quarter-inch drills were sold in home improvement stores nationwide. But not one of those buyers wanted a drill…they wanted a hole!

So when people buy products and services, one of those 5 S’s mentioned earlier is being satisfied, and when you help buyers satisfy a need, that’s how sales are born.

It may sound a little goofy to you, but existence of these needs means you’re wasting your energy when you try to sell your product or service to people. Although you won’t hear these words coming from their mouths, this is what they are really saying:

Please Don’t Sell Me:

Houses or condos…instead sell me comfort, contentment, a good investment, and pride of ownership.

Airline tickets…sell me a fast, safe, on-time arrival at my destination.

Books…sell me hours of relaxation and knowledge.

Clothes…sell me a sharp appearance, style, and attractiveness.

Computers and electronic devices…sell me the fruits of modern technology and access to social media.

Insurance…sell me peace of mind and future security for my family and others I care about.

Tires…sell me freedom from worry and value for the miles I drive.

Toys…sell me happy moments for my children and grandchildren.

Things…please don’t sell me things. Sell me ideals, feelings, self-respect, home life and happiness.

—————This customer sees value————–

“Doug’s online training sessions have been a valuable addition for our sales training. The subject matter includes all facets of the sales process and helps eliminate the isolation effect of single operations by allowing participants to share success stories and ideas across multiple markets.” Dwayne Hazel, Tuscaloosa, AL. Click here to see how it works.

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Quit Talking and Start Doing

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Recently I read this off season sales-related short story: “I was 23 years old when I started my chimney cleaning business. I ran into another chimney sweep one day in April on Queen Anne Hill in Seattle. April is a slow month for chimney sweeps. As we talked (he was covered in creosote and had just finished cleaning a chimney) he asked me why I wasn’t working.”

“It’s slow, I said. Nobody cares about their chimneys in April.”

“He looked at me as if I had two heads. That’s simply not true. If you knock on enough doors, you will have all the business you can handle. He went on to tell me that after every chimney he cleans, he knocks on 25 doors. He hands out business cards until someone says yes to his offer. It was a paradigm shift for me. From that day forward I convinced my repeat customers to let me clean their stoves and chimneys in the spring leaving time in the fall for adding new customers. Now I knock on 25 doors after every cleaning, and business is booming.”

Similarly, I (Doug) constantly remind salespeople that they must prospect tirelessly in order to keep their pipelines full. That’s the only way to avoid going out of business. My mantra is, “You can’t close it until you propose it, and you can’t propose it until you expose it.”

Blue collar sellers too often become addicted to market leads provided by their companies and morph into order takers rather than salespeople. Like it or not, the off-season is here and your new market lead count has plunged from what it was a few short months ago.

King Solomon, the wisest man to ever live said it this way over 3,000 years ago:

“What has been will be again,
What has been done will be done again;
There is nothing new under the sun.”

That statement relates to the blue collar selling profession by reminding sellers that winter comes every year. Market leads will get sparse every year. These are not new, unheard of concepts. YOU must prepare by going overboard to generate more leads and find more people to talk with about your services during this part of the year.

A successful sales manager challenged his people to “double their failure rate.” He said if they would see twice as many people over the next six months they would learn everything necessary to become successful. During that journey he recommended they ask themselves after every touch, call, and presentation: “What did I do well?” and, “What could I improve?” By following that example it won’t take long for you to become a top producer at your company.

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So don’t allow the lousy weather and early evening darkness to plant seeds of discouragement and depression over you. Be tough enough to fight through these roadblocks and resist packing it in and going home early and empty-handed. These tips will help you avoid getting caught up in the death spiral that sweeps most salesrooms this time of year.

————Ready to Stop Struggling? ————

Whether you want to hire Doug for sales coaching or you prefer to do it yourself, you should check out Doug’s website to see his suggestions for your customer service and sales dilemmas.

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Success Skill Trilogy

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Everywhere we look nowadays we see lists of “the 12 things you need to do”, or “the 9 skills you must possess”, or “the 10 most critical habits you must form.” There is nothing wrong with lists like these except for the fact that they tend to be overwhelming. Most folks are not capable of keeping that many balls in the air.

In today’s post I’m sticking my sword in the sand and taking the position that the lowest common denominator of all the skills that must be learned well, to succeed in life, consist of just three. That takes a lot of pressure off, as most folks aren’t capable of dealing with nine or ten or twelve different things; but can wrap their brain around three.

My three skills finalists are: thinking critically, speaking clearly, and writing well. As a subscriber to this newsletter you may make your living as a salesperson, a sales manager, a business owner, or an entrepreneur. Frankly it doesn’t matter what your title is, you will be best in class once you’ve mastered these three.

Thinking Critically – Obviously all humans have the ability to think, but there are several levels of thought. Thinking critically means having the capacity to reason. It means being able to evaluate, scrutinize, and solve problems. It includes creativity and the ability to follow a train of thought to a conclusion in order to render a judgment. The skill of thinking critically provides people the upper hand by giving them the advantage of accomplishing objectives quickly and efficiently. Face it, not everybody possesses those skillsets.

Please understand that critical thinking is different from being intelligent. Intelligence is a trait you are born with, whereas critical thinking is a skill, meaning it can be taught, learned, and improved upon.

We all know really smart people who can’t find their butt with both hands. Well, maybe that’s going a bit too far, but there a lot of very intelligent pinheads out there who just don’t know how to think for themselves.

A big part of the problem is due to the “herd mentality” that is promoted by society today. We are all supposed to see things the same way due to our government schools filling our heads full of mush. We must pull out of our death dive and return to the days when we questioned and challenged the status quo and carried on thoughtful conversations. In order to be a critical thinker you must think for yourself and have your own ideas. That’s impossible to do from the middle of the herd.

This next statement will probably cost me some newsletter subscribers, but additionally you must put some limitations and controls on the amount of time spent in front of electronic devices, especially drivel like many of the video games available, internet caca, and yes, countless hours in front of the boob tube. I’m not against fun by any stretch, but you can have fun engaging in games that are also educational. There are many available that are very cool to play, but also teach logic, analysis, and fundamental thinking.

Speaking Clearly – This skill means different things to different people, but what I’m advocating here is the ability to express your thoughts concisely and clearly. Good grammar and diction is certainly important, but saying what you mean is critical. Have you ever asked someone the time, and they told you how to build a watch? That happens way more often than folks like to admit.

Your speaking style is also very important. Even educated people struggle to express themselves by hemming and hawing and including expressions in their conversations such as “I mean,” “you know,” “it was like,” “OMG,” “no way…yes way,” etc.

The ability of speaking well is much rarer than you think, and those who acquire it gain a great deal of social power over their peers. To improve take a Dale Carnegie course or attend an effective speaking course at a local college; one that requires you to SPEAK to pass the course. Practice makes better!

Writing Well – The third social skill I consider crucial is writing well. It may seem that writing has become less important due to the amount of texting and instant messaging chatting used by virtually everyone, but writing even short communications is still a valuable skill. The ability to express oneself well in memos, business letters, proposals, etc., is a very powerful skill, and is a twin brother to speaking clearly.

One of my bucket list feats was to write a book relating some of the things I learned during my 40 years in the selling universe. When people hear that I became a published author in 2012, they often assume I’m a highly educated upper class guy. The fun part for me is that I don’t have a college degree, am a technological caveman, and never moved past middle management in my entire business life. On the other hand, I have challenged myself to become a critical thinker, have learned to speak clearly and concisely (with a lot of south in my mouth), and have scratched and clawed my way to becoming a decent writer, who is able to get his points across to readers.

I learned how to think by thinking. I learned to speak well by speaking…a lot, to both small groups and large. I learned how to write by writing; notes, posts, newsletters, and a non-fiction book. Mastering those three critical social skills have greatly overshadowed many of my weaknesses. If you are like me from the standpoint of not having degrees or pedigrees, get to work improving these three skills in your life.

Give Thanks

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It is once again Thanksgiving week in America. For the last several years I’ve devoted my Thanksgiving week newsletter to a personal laundry list of reasons I (Doug) am thankful. This year, due to an unusual encounter I had a couple of months ago, I’m going to change the narrative a bit, while sticking with the theme of thankfulness.

I’ll start by sharing an encounter that Jesus had with a group of men with an incurable disease, as told in Luke 17. He and his disciples were traveling through a part of Samaria, located about 40 miles north of Jerusalem, their ultimate destination. Samaria was a province of multiracial people that Jews didn’t mix with, and so here is the gist of the story.

They entered a Samaritan village, and ten lepers standing at a distance, recognized Jesus. They yelled to Him to have mercy on them. (Leprosy was an incurable disease and people with it were forced to live in camps outside the village. They were responsible to shout, “Unclean,” when encountering others, to warn them of their contagious condition.)

Jesus looked at them and told them to go to the Jewish priest and show him they were healed! But their leprosy didn’t begin to disappear until they were on their way in search of the priest. (Obviously the healing was based on their faith in Jesus’ instructions, and their action which ensured the cure.)

When they saw they were healed one of them came back to Jesus and fell at His feet, thanking Him for what He had done. Jesus was moved by the man’s response. Knowing ten men were healed, Jesus asked where the other nine were. With this story in mind, here is the correlation I want to make.

Nearly sixteen years ago in 2004, I was a sales trainer for Rollins, Inc. Most weeks I facilitated a training class or workshop for either residential or commercial salespeople. In one particular 5-day class for rookie commercial account managers, an extremely sharp young man named Sherman Hampton attended (photo on left). His infectious smile and engaging personality “wowed” me before the first day of class concluded. I often say, “When the student is ready the teacher will appear,” and Sherman was ready!

Engaged and caring training professionals always enjoy pouring their knowledge and experience into “for real” learners. I just knew Sherman would be somebody special in this new profession, and he and I developed a special bond beginning during that week.

Sherman breezed through the class that week easily earning “outstanding student” status. He went on from there and successfully sold as a Branch Account Manager for 3 years. He quickly gained the attention of upper management and was awarded a well-deserved District Sales Manager position. For the next 7 years he led groups of commercial sellers in several districts, spanning eight states. During most of those years I was invited to several workshops for his district to coach on various topics of selling interest to his team. Whether one looked at Sherman’s recruiting/staffing, leadership, training, team building, or sales results; he was top shelf in every area of his job.

My tenure with that company ended in 2011, during his DSM tenure, and so we communicated less after my departure. But 6 years ago he proudly informed me that one of his career objectives became reality. He was promoted to the position of National Accounts Manager! That’s really a big deal as there are only about a half-dozen folks occupying that role in the entire country with that firm. I was very happy for him and very proud of him.

Just as Sherman has always done in every position he has occupied, he has risen to the top of the NAM ranks. One day a couple of months ago Sherman called me to say he had two announcements. He excitedly shared that he qualified for his company’s PRESIDENTS CLUB for this year as a multi-million dollar producing National Accounts Manager. That is a HUGE accomplishment that most folks never attain, and the accompanying paychecks are providing his family with a lifestyle most only dream of.

He then told me his second announcement. (This brings us back full circle to this week’s Thanksgiving theme) Sherman shared that he felt strongly that he owed lots of credit for this accomplishment and every other business success he has experienced with this company to two specific people. He said without the assistance and encouragement of those two people he would not be where he is, and he wanted and needed to acknowledge both of them.

The next thing he said was, “Doug, you are one of those two people. I specifically wanted to call you today to tell you how grateful I am for all the knowledge and encouragement you have provided to me in my career. I would not be where I am today if I hadn’t met you all those years ago.”

Needless to say that’s the last thing I expected to hear when I saw Sherman’s name show on the face of my iPhone that day as it rang. I’ll admit my voice cracked a bit as I graciously accepted his thankfulness. I also reminded him that I would never try to usurp any credit for the successes of the stellar career he is having. So here is the connection I promised:

I am not Jesus and Sherman is not a leper. However, Sherman returned to express thanksgiving about something that happened for him that was important in his life.

I am so thankful that Sherman was thankful!

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“Little Things Make Big Things Happen”

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The title of today’s post was penned by legendary basketball coach John Wooden. One of the first steps to accomplishing great things in life is to refuse to dwell on negative things from your past and carefully assess your present strengths and achievements. Focusing on positive events helps remove the ceiling over your potential. In Wonderland, in 1865 Alice and the Mad Hatter had a conversation illustrating this point (courtesy of Lewis Carroll):

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Alice: “Where I come from, people study what they are not good at in order to be able to do what they are good at.”

Mad Hatter: “We only go around in circles in Wonderland, but we always end up where we started. Would you mind explaining yourself?”

Alice: “Well, grown-ups tell us to find out what we did wrong, and never do it again.”

Mad Hatter: “That’s odd! It seems to me that in order to find out about something, you have to study it. And when you study it, you should become better at it. Why should you want to become better at something and then never do it again? But please continue.”

Alice: “Nobody ever tells us to study the right things we do. We’re only supposed to learn from the wrong things. But we are permitted to study the right things other people do. And sometimes we’re even told to copy them.”

Mad Hatter: “That’s cheating!”

Alice: “You’re quite right, Mr. Hatter. I do live in a topsy-turvy world. It seems like I have to do something wrong first, in order to learn from what not to do. And then, by not doing what I’m not supposed to do, perhaps I’ll be right. But I’d rather be right the first time, wouldn’t you?”

Although selling doesn’t occur in a fairy tale world, it is definitely easier said than done. All the necessary steps you need to take demand that you first understand human nature. Then execute various emotional and intellectual moves in order to influence buying decisions.

——————–Recommended Link———————————————————————————————————————

Coaching SkillsManagers and business owners must, more than ever, provide inspiration, leadership, coaching, and selling ideas to everyone on their staff who helps them add and please customers. It won’t cost you anything to see what I (Doug) can offer to help add value to your enterprise. Look here and then decide.

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As the title of the post states, in selling the smallest tweaks often lead to success or failure. Although there are countless components to success, here are a handful of ideas to stir into your selling cake mix batter that, if used regularly, will add flavor to your approach.

  • Reach from zero to hero – You always need to show your prospects “what’s in it for them” personally. If it’s a commercial deal, will her supervisor be impressed because she chose your firm? If it’s a residential proposal, will the homeowner sleep better at night because he chose you as his preferred provider?
  • Realize your buyer has a brain – Speak to your buyer like an intelligent yet uninformed friend. Don’t insult their intelligence with inane leading questions. A high-pressure, “What’s there to think about?” approach won’t work in today’s environment. Buyers are smart and deserve respect, so give it to them.
  • Reinforce emotions with poetic license – I know it sounds corny but consider saying things like, “Your entire department will stand up and applaud you for choosing our firm as you become sheltered from future financial risk.” Buyers will allow a “late hit” like this, so don’t worry about sounding stupid. The buyer knows he really won’t get a standing O, but just the mental image of it will work in your favor.
  • Rethink icebreaking – Some training gurus tell you to start with a pleasantry such as, “How are you today,” but frankly that just makes you sound more like a typical salesperson. Try a more businesslike approach such as, “The reason I’m calling (or stopping by) is to learn about your company’s needs in order to see if we can be of help.” Prospects will appreciate your honesty and acknowledging their intelligence.

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    Ransom yourself from kowtowing and groveling – It may seem polite to be overly thankful for taking a phone call or scheduling an appointment but it immediately relegates you to a subordinate position. Likewise, when you finally catch up with a difficult prospect never begin with, “You sure are a hard person to reach!”

  • Reconsider answering questions with questions – Although many disagree, answering a question with a question usually sounds evasive. If your buyer wants to know how soon you can do the installation, don’t respond with, “When do you want it?” because that reduces your credibility. Simply respond by offering to call the service department for availability, and ask if that works for your prospect.
  • Resolve to always be positive – Persuasive sellers always use positive language. Instead of saying, “We can’t get a truck here until next Tuesday,” say, “We can be here as early as next Tuesday.” What a difference! The habit of using positive speech will help you to achieve more results than you can imagine.
  • Refrain from badgering the witness – Everybody agrees it’s important to ask open questions to gather information, but nobody likes a verbal strip-search. Prime the pump by asking a couple of thought-provoking questions then simply follow the 80/20 Rule—you listen 80% of the time and talk only 20% of the time, and many of your questions will be answered without asking them. Don’t put your buyer on the hot seat.
  • Respond like a winner – When you feel like the victor, you smile, stand up straight, and walk confidently. Do the same thing when on the phone. Sit up straight, or even stand, and smile; and your voice will begin to reflect those positive feelings you seek, and success will begin to follow.

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A Service Lesson from Joe the Concrete Guy

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Today I’m sharing an article by https://www.weldonlong.com/. He is an author and Contracting Business expert. I’m doing this because he tells a great blue collar true story of a guy who unashamedly finds needs and fills them. This is a lesson that every services salesperson must learn, sooner rather than later. Here is Long’s article in its entirety.

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Effective selling requires a mindset of service. You have to be willing to serve your customers better than your competition. I’d like to share a story from my new book, Consistency Selling that illustrates the service mindset. I learned it from Joe the Concrete Guy.

For many years, I lived west of Colorado Springs, at an elevation of about 9,000 feet, in the beautiful little mountain town of Woodland Park, CO. Each morning, I would drive down the twisting canyon of Ute Pass into Colorado Springs. As I drove out of town, I used to pass a quaint breakfast place called The Hungry Bear.

Each time I passed The Hungry Bear, I noticed an old white Ford pickup in the parking lot with bold black letters on the side that read “Joe the Concrete Guy” and a phone number. Seeing that pick up every morning brought a smile to my face as I imagined Joe inside eating his eggs, drinking a cup of coffee, and reading the paper.

For some reason, I enjoyed thinking about Joe like that, and I was envious that he had the time to enjoy a leisurely breakfast with his paper.

After a couple of years seeing Joe’s truck, I was in my yard one day when I realized I needed some steps poured at the end of my driveway to make it easier to access my “writing shed.”

A couple days later, I pulled into The Hungry Bear and wrote down Joe’s phone number. When Joe got out to my house a few days later, he looked exactly as I imagined—long bushy hair and a long Grizzly Adams beard. He had on shorts, a tee shirt, and flip-flops. There was nothing pretentious or fake about him.

I stood there in my driveway with Joe and explained where I needed the steps. Joe nodded his head and quietly acknowledged that it would be no problem. I asked Joe how much it would cost and he responded, “Well, that depends on who does it for you.”

He continued, “If you don’t care about whether or not it starts cracking next spring when the snow melts, I know a guy that’ll do it for a few hundred bucks. But if you want me to use my forty years of experience pouring concrete in these mountains so it never cracks, I would have to charge a thousand bucks.”

I stood mesmerized by Joe’s cool and calm demeanor. He wasn’t afraid of charging a price that was fair for him. “Well Joe, I don’t want it to crack, so I guess it’s gonna be a thousand bucks.”

Joe smiled like James Dean then said, “I appreciate that you understand that I deserve to get paid for what I know—not just for what I do.”

Just at that moment Joe turned slowly and looked at a motorcycle trailer I had parked in the dirt and rocks next to my driveway. “Why is your trailer sitting there?”

“Well, I mean, you know, that’s where I park it, Joe,” I timidly responded. He looked back at me and said, “You park it there on purpose?”

“Yeah, I guess,” I responded.

“Why do you intentionally park your trailer in the dirt and rocks?” he asked.

“Well, because the driveway isn’t wide enough,” I said

To which Joe said, “You know when I’m here pouring your steps, I could widen your driveway.” My budget instantly went from $1,000 to nearly $10,000.

Was Joe pushy? Guilty of high-pressure selling? Was Joe selling snake oil? Of course not.

Photo credit-selectvoicecom.com.au

Joe was the consummate service and sales professional. He identified a problem that I had overlooked and offered a solution. Do you think Joe would have given a damn if I said no to widening the driveway? Do you think his confidence and self-esteem would have been damaged if I said no to widening the driveway?

Not a chance. Joe’s confidence in himself and his solutions did not depend one ounce on my approval or appreciation for his work. Joe had the service mindset. Find a problem and offer a solution.

Once Joe wrote up the paperwork, I told him, “You know Joe, I do sales training for a living and that was a super effective technique to get the ticket higher.”

“Technique? What technique?” he inquired.

“Well, that technique you expertly used to get the ticket from $1,000 to $10,000.”

“Mr. Long that was no technique. That was just common sense.”

“Yes it is Joe, but as Voltaire once said, ‘common sense is not so common.'”

Then Joe went all philosophical on me.

“Mr. Long, take a look at my truck.” he instructed.

“What does it say on the side of it?” He asked.

“Well… it says Joe the Concrete Guy and your phone number.”

“Exactly.” Joe stated. “It says Joe the Concrete Guy. Concrete Guy is the main thing, right? I mean it doesn’t say Joe the Window, Roofing, Siding and Concrete Guy. It only says Joe the Concrete Guy.”

“You see,” Joe continued, “all I do is concrete. It’s all I’ve ever done since my father taught me how to pour concrete in these mountains. And I learned a long time ago that if I am going to take care of my family, every time I walk on to someone’s property, my job is to look for every problem concrete can solve and let folks know I can solve it.”

BAM! Drop the mic.

You see—Joe’s responsibility is our responsibility. When you are with a prospect, your job is to look for every problem your product or service can solve and let folks know you can solve it. Our responsibility is to serve our customers better than our competition. Doing that requires a service mindset.

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“Doug, I wanted you to know that we really appreciate the wealth of knowledge and perspective that we gain from your weekly online sales coaching. A lot of our success is occurring because of what we gain from these sessions.” Trent Mathers-Franchise Operations Manager-Tallahassee

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Practicing Positive Affirmations

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In the summer of 1950, Alfred A. Knopf Inc., renowned publisher, turned down the English-language rights to a Dutch manuscript after receiving a particularly harsh reader’s report. The work was “very dull,” the reader insisted, “a dreary record of typical family bickering, petty annoyances and adolescent emotions.” Sales would be poor because the main characters were neither familiar to Americans nor especially appealing. “Even if the work had come to light five years ago, when the subject was timely,” the reader wrote, “I don’t see that there would have been a chance for it.”

Knopf wasn’t alone. “The Diary of a Young Girl,” by Anne Frank would be rejected by 15 other companies before Doubleday published it in 1952. More than 30 million copies are currently in print, making it one of the best-selling books in history. I (Doug) can only imagine that the writer of this manuscript repeated positive affirmations on a regular basis to be able to keep on keeping on.

Affirmations? These are positive, specific statements that help you to overcome rejection and negative thoughts. They help you visualize and believe what you pronounce to yourself. Being positive is like magic wiffle dust and it actually works!

The concept of repeating positive affirmations is quite simple. Pick a statement and repeat it to yourself.

You might choose to use positive affirmations for self-motivation and to encourage positive life changes. Maybe you need to boost your self-esteem. If negative self-talk tends to trip you up, positive affirmations can be used to combat subconscious patterns and replace them with more encouraging narratives. Here are some examples:

-Each day, I am growing stronger and nothing can disturb my peace of mind.

-Today, I am going to tackle everything bravely and with confidence.

-I’m looking at the glass as “half full” and making my optimism come true.

-Forgetting past mistakes and pressing for greater achievements is my focus.

-Continually wearing a cheerful countenance and smiling at everyone is something I do each day.

-I’m so committed to self-improvement that I have no time to criticize others.

-Health, happiness, and prosperity is part of every conversation I engage in.

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If you’re one who thinks this is hooey, there is actually medical evidence backing this up from 2015 and 2016. In a nutshell it found that the “ventromedial prefrontal cortex,” the area of the brain involved in positive valuation and self-related information processing, becomes more active when we consider and reflect on our personal values.

Benefits of Daily Affirmations

Here are six examples of evidence from empirical studies that suggest positive self-affirmation practices can be beneficial. Cited in https://positivepsychology.com/daily-affirmations/.

  1. Self-affirmations have been shown to decrease health-deteriorating stress (Sherman et al., 2009; Critcher & Dunning, 2015);
  2. Self-affirmations have been used effectively in interventions that led people to increase their physical behavior (Cooke et al., 2014);
  3. These pronouncements may help us to perceive otherwise “threatening” messages with less resistance, including interventions (Logel & Cohen, 2012);
  4. Additionally they can make us less likely to dismiss harmful health messages, responding instead with the intention to change for the better (Harris et al., 2007) and to eat more fruit and vegetables (Epton & Harris, 2008);
  5. They have been linked positively to academic achievement by mitigating GPA decline in students who feel left out at college (Layous et al., 2017);
  6. Self-affirmation has been demonstrated to lower stress and rumination (Koole et al., 1999; Weisenfeld et al., 2001).

Finally, if you are interested in incorporating affirmations into your lifestyle, experts at the Open Mind  Training Institute say to repeat them from 3-5 times daily. This will reinforce the positive beliefs you are seeking to internalize.

In addition to personal affirmations, how valuable would it be for your sales team to have an affirming experienced online sales coach to meet with weekly? Doug’s rates are very reasonable and will bring and outside voice with 45 years’ experience to your people. Take a stroll around Doug’s website here.

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Develop an Allergy to Discounting

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I heard about a buyer who was informed he could have a 17% discount for a $20,000 order, but he couldn’t calculate the discount in his head. He turned to his assistant and asked, “Betty, if I were to give you twenty thousand dollars with a 17% discount, how much would you take off?” She immediately said, “Everything except my earrings.”

So now you’ve had your “grin” for the day. The point is, when people ask about my feelings on giving discounts, my short and simple response is, “Don’t give ‘em.” (There are of course exceptions, and I’ll get to them shortly)

The reason I respond as I do is because I believe regular discounting causes damage in several ways.

  1. They devalue your services and make it appear you don’t think they are worth your quoted price.
  2. It sets a precedent for customers to expect discounts on subsequent proposals you make down the road.
  3. Discounts create lack of trust because prospects wonder why they had to ask to get the better price.

With those reasons as background, here are a half-dozen good substitutes for discounting requests.

  1. Offer to remove a component from your proposal. “I can’t reduce the price but is there something you would like for me to remove from my offering to help reduce the price?” (They probably want it all and will see you are firm on pricing)
  2. Scale down from your BEST to the BETTER (mid-quality) package. “I’m not able to cut the price, so would it help if you went with our standard service instead of the premium one?”
  3. Recommend a “like new” return or demo product. “To trim your outlay for this project, if you’re interested I can save you some money by installing a new unit that was only in a home for two weeks. That homeowner decided to upgrade to a higher capacity model, which is what I proposed originally. It would come with the same ten year warranty as one out of the crate.”
  4. Include something of value that wouldn’t be costly to you. “I can’t discount that price, but I would be willing to provide a free training session to introduce your people to the new system, rather than everyone having to figure it out themselves.”
  5. Suggest to throw in a valuable perk that doesn’t break the bank. “I can’t drop my price below what I quoted, but I will commit to be here personally with the technician on installation day. This is out of the ordinary, but I’ll come oversee the work to ensure it’s done to your specifications.”
  6. Provide financial options. “I can’t cut the price but I will commit to what we call, extended billing. It offers up to 90 days same as cash, instead of our normal net 30.”

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How valuable would it be if you could be a part of a 30 minute interactive online video conference sales coaching session once each week? I conduct 40 sessions like this each month for various blue collar businesses (pest control, HVAC, etc.) Go to my website and take a FREE look around to see if I might be able to help you.

As good as the discount substitutes are that I just penned, sometimes they need to be offered. When those times come it’s critical to remember to not give up anything unless you get something in return. The customer must earn a discount, as this is the keystone of negotiation. Here are a few ideas that should be helpful.

  1. Give to get. Ask for something in return when a discount is offered. “I am willing to discount my offering price by 5% if you commit to introduce me to three solid referrals, fair enough.” You might offer the same discount for a video testimonial or a Google review.
  2. Ask for a longer agreement period or an annual payment in advance. “If you will sign a two year agreement, I can discount my price by 5%. I could also do 10% for a three year agreement.”
  3. Offer a discount for bundling multiple services. “One way I can provide a 10% discount is if you allow us to replace and upgrade the duct work, in addition to installing the 18 SEER air conditioner.” (Maybe even 15% off for a three-service bundle)

Now that you’ve read this post, if you are still struggling, get an immunization shot for your discount allergy!

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Sell With Enthusiasm, Not Hype

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I’ve always been one who believes that enthusiasm is a key component for anybody in the selling profession. I’ve repeatedly said that “enthusiasm is the yeast that raises the dough ($).” Recently I stumbled on this short article written by Patrick Morin, President of BrightHammer, LLC  and am sharing it in its entirety today, as it exemplifies my feelings about enthusiasm; Sell with enthusiasm, not hype!

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Selling is the transfer of our enthusiasm to another person — giving our passion about a subject to someone else.

Enthusiasm is Not Bouncing off the Walls

“Thanks a lot for coming by. It was nice to meet you, and I think you’re going to be really pleased with these.”

Ed had helped me to the truck with the packages — three in all — and smacked the back of the vehicle as it moved away. I couldn’t wait to get home. I couldn’t wait to share with my family all the things I had learned while at the shop. I couldn’t remember being so excited about a purchase.

Then it hit me.

The purpose of the trip to Ed’s shop was to buy a replacement belt for the vacuum cleaner. $1.50. I walked out with three machines — and had never been happier about a purchase.

Just a year earlier, a random vacuum sales rep had knocked on our front door, was let in, demonstrated his amazing machine and was escorted out. One visit to Ed’s and a vacuum, floor steamer and a hand vac left with me.

The bewildered look on my family’s faces begged the obvious question:

“How did this happen?”

Having conducted sales training seemingly everywhere and for some of the biggest and best organizations in the world, I was forced to analyze this transaction. The analysis: Ed was one of the best salespeople I had met to that point.

His greeting? Terrific.

His probing of the problem? Exceptional.

His customizing facts and benefits? A model.

His use of evidence to support his case(s)? Remarkable.

It wasn’t what Ed DID that made him better than others; it was more of what Ed WAS.

Ed’s enthusiasm for what he did could not be contained. To date and ever since, I have never found anyone with the enthusiasm for a product or service that matched Ed’s zeal for vacuums. It was infectious.

Crazy, right? Vacuums?

As he probed the problem of my broken belt, he asked me about the floors in my home — shag, hardwood, pile? He asked about the makeup of the family, the kinds of messes we made, how frequently we were able to clean up after them.

He asked about our current equipment, how we came to buy it, and what we thought we were getting. In short, he knew just about everything one could know about the dirt in our home.  Then came the education.

All great leaders have it. All great salespeople have it.

With energy, excitement and passion, Ed taught me about vacuums. Suction and sweeping, construction quality, replacement part availability, ease of the DIY fix, expected longevity.

How did he know all this? He had sold vacuums his entire career. He had represented every

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major manufacturer. He had designed his own models. He read about them at every reasonable opportunity. He COLLECTED vintage vacuums. There was no doubt I was in the presence of vacuum greatness.

Enthusiasm is not bouncing off the walls. It’s not speaking loudly or jumping up and down. It’s not about singing out how much you “believe” in a product, service or company. It’s an intense and eager enjoyment of a subject. It’s the joy we experience and communicate when we are truly inspired by something.

All great leaders have it. All great salespeople have it.

Distilling down what selling really is: Selling is the transfer of our enthusiasm to another person — giving our passion about a subject to someone else.

For Ed, it was vacuums.

Oh yeah, I bought the replacement belt, too.

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There might not be any such thing as a free lunch, but there is a FREE WEEKLY NEWSLETTER. I know because I write it. It’s called Selling Point and you can have it sent to your email inbox every Monday morning, just in time for coffee. Subscribe HERE.

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“We Will Be Taking Three Bids”

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One day as a salesperson sat in front of a buyer at his desk he noticed a price quote from his fiercest competitor out of the corner of his eye. Although it was in plain sight on top of a pile of papers, there was a soda can covering up the dollar amount of the quote.

While they spoke the buyer received a call from his boss to immediately come to his office down the hall. He jumped up and quickly left the room, telling the rep he would be back in a couple of minutes.

The salesman sat there staring at the stack of papers for what seemed like an eternity, and finally couldn’t help but lift the can to see the competitor’s quote. When he did, hundreds of BB’s bounced all around the room from the can that magically had no bottom.

There are two morals to this comical anecdote. The first one is, don’t ever pick up anything from a buyer’s desk. The second is, you are the one with the ability to cut your price, and your buyer has every right to try to get you to do it.

One way to get more sales is to speed up the sales cycle. But when it can’t be shortened, the game is to win the bid competition. Here are three thoughts about getting better at winning the bidding game.

1. Unwritten Rules of Bidding

No need to dwell here on the written bidding rules because they are…WRITTEN. If you become disqualified, well that’s on you for not reading the rules.

On the other hand to really be successful at winning bids you must consider the unwritten bidding rules. These can really make a difference in who wins deals, so let’s look at a few.

-Prospects buy on emotion but justify with facts, so don’t try to sell on hype.

-Buyers will question your claims, so include testimonials and credible third-party evidence.

-Purchasers don’t take time to read every word, so format your content for skimming.

-To buyers, differences between you and a competitor’s offer appears small, so don’t exaggerate them.

-Prospects have options. They can buy from someone else or possibly end up keeping their incumbent, or what they currently have. Often the status quo is your toughest competitor.

-Price is important but contrary to what you may think, it’s rarely the #1 decision criteria.

-Most buyers look for the lowest-priced bid that “qualifies,” but that could be the highest bid.

2. Don’t Get Stuck on Price

Price without value is meaningless, and value is what buyers get for what they pay. You must write proposals that connect the impact your service will have on the buyer’s business. Where appropriate, make sure to highlight how your proposed offering will:

  • Help them Increase revenue
  • Boost profitability
  • Enhance the reputation of their brand

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But selling value isn’t enough, as buyers become deluged with vendor’s information. If that were most important, the thickest bid would win, but it doesn’t. For your bid to be the winner it must persuade the buyer to take action. Persuasion is far superior to a data dump in sales proposals. If this is not accomplished and you get it wrong, you’re out of the running for how many years until they put out another RFP?

3. Help Buyers Make Better Buys

Mentally move around to the buyer’s side of the table and function as their assistant. Write the proposal as if your roles were reversed. Help them make better buys so that:

  • Their desired outcomes are accomplished with no regulatory non-compliance
  • They can see you are easy to use as a supplier and will not cause non-scheduled downtime
  • Customers realize they are receiving fair value while safeguarding their reputation
  • Budget objectives are achieved without productivity suffering

Do the things that will help buyers make better purchases than they could without you. Work toward becoming a trusted advisor and not simply a vendor.

If you are a B2B salesperson and this article has been helpful, you will really get your money’s worth if you read my book. Of the 116 different topics it contains, 22 are commercial specific. It’s available on my website HERE for $16 with FREE SHIPPING.

 

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“I Just Want to Get a Price”

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MY SIMPLE RESPONSE TO THIS REQUEST IS…DON’T DO IT!

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Sometimes prospects attempt to short-circuit your selling process by demanding a price, and nothing else. Situations like that are tough to handle, but the worst thing you can do is give in and quote one. Prospects like this want information you have, so you have some leverage.

Always remember that unqualified prices have no value. If you quote a high price they automatically think you are soaking buyers and overcharging. You will probably hear, “Too expensive,” but compared to what? You haven’t even discussed the service yet.

On the other hand if you quote a very low price toward the bottom, your service will sound cheap and lacking, and that could be the end of the conversation.

The best path to follow is to provide a range, not a price. Remember, at this point you haven’t completed an assessment to determine specific needs. So of course, you have yet to build any value through a discussion of the features and benefits your service offers.

Let’s say your wife wants a new car and really likes the looks of the new Chevrolet Malibu. So you call the Internet sales manager at your local dealership and say this. “I don’t want to listen to a sales pitch or do the dance, I just want to get a price on a new Malibu.” That is impossible to answer without more information, because all Malibu’s aren’t created equal.

The ISM responds by saying, “Well it could be as low as $27,000 or could run as much as $35,000, depending on what you’re looking for. So if you help me determine what your wife wants on her new Malibu, then we can hone in on a price, fair enough?”

Remember, since the ISM has information the caller wants, he/she has some measure of leverage. Therefore if the caller is a serious buyer he will submit to a few questions in order to get the information for a discussion with his wife.

However, this is where most salespeople fall off the wagon, and begin to do a data dump from their list of features listed on their product’s “window sticker.” On the other hand, those who ask common sense qualifying questions (mostly open), have an opportunity to be an expert. They will be received as more likable and trustworthy than their hit-and-run counterparts.

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For example a seller might begin this conversation by simply asking:

YOU: “Tell me what you folks have in mind? Then let’s see what you really need, so I can provide some options and then you decide, fair enough?”

The prospect’s response will inform him where his side of the conversation should begin.

YOU: “Rising environmental concerns are making vehicles with hybrid engines, rather than gasoline, more popular than ever. What are your thoughts about this type of engine?”

BUYER: “We’re fine with an old-school gasoline engine.”

YOU: “OK, great. Let me ask how you guys will primarily use this vehicle? In-town running around or highway traveling?”

BUYER: “Well, both but we do take road trip mini-vacations about four times a year.”

YOU: “So maybe you want to consider the comfort of leather seating?”

BUYER: “That’s a good suggestion.”

YOU: “And how important would a power sunroof be to enjoy during these road trips?”

BUYER: “We’d love one, if it’s not too expensive.”

Without boring you, I think you get the drift of how this conversation should continue until the seller fleshes out an image of what this prospect seriously needs and wants.

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Now you can double back to the point where you began the conversation. Start at the low end and remind them that for about $27,000 they can get a new Malibu, but that’s all they get…simply transportation.

Then go to the other end of the spectrum and give the high price, showing the options they liked and seemed interested in. There may be a couple of the features that were discussed that in the end they back away from; so you remove them. But by explaining things in this manner you will also create a sort of “endowment effect.” This simply means they may very well hang onto options that they liked, but hadn’t originally considered before talking to the seller.

That’s the very reason real estate folks show buyers an “out of our budget” home first. They fall in love with it and then don’t want to settle for ones they can comfortably afford.

Refusing to “just give me a price” is a strategy that helps in several ways:

  1. Closure will improve because you are conversational and consultative.
  2. Average size sales will increase as prospects ponder options previously not considered.
  3. Cheapskate buyers won’t feel like second class citizens, and may even upgrade to your mid-range offerings.

So the next time you encounter, “I just want to get a price,”…don’t get sucked in!

“Doug, we enjoy your online sales coaching sessions! The lessons are definitely helping us. I know my sales abilities have drastically improved, but there’s always more to learn! Super excited to learn more from you and these top notch sales folks! We will all benefit from that, no doubt.” M. David Paine, Branch Operations Supervisor, Dothan, AL. You too can benefit, look here to see how.

 

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“I Used to Be in Sales”

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Parents get great joy watching their children turn over, then crawl, and eventually stand up and take those first steps. In most cases the kids don’t succeed on the first attempt. Undoubtedly the parents are just a few steps away encouraging the little one to come to them. But under no circumstances, if the baby fails during those first steps and falls, would any parent say, “Okay, that’s it. You had your chance. It’s permanently back in the crib for you. You’re done. Don’t you ever try to walk again!”

That’s absurd, but isn’t it equally ridiculous to think we can accomplish major things in our lives without experiencing some reversals at some point? It’s crucial to remember that failure is an event, not a person. Likewise, success is a process and not an instant happening. Few succeed overnight, the lion’s share of those who do make it achieve success over time.

Troy Aikman, Steve Young, Brett Favre, and Dan Marino were extremely effective NFL quarterbacks and yet each of the four threw more incomplete passes than 99% of all the quarterbacks who ever threw a football. Obviously, along the way they also threw an awful lot of completions.

There’s never been a long-practicing doctor who did not lose some patients to death. But they understand this is part of the medical profession. The top salesperson in every organization probably missed more sales than 90% of the sales people on the team, but he or she also made more sales calls than the others.

It’s also very important to remember that there is a huge difference between failing in an event and failing in life. The chance for success dramatically increases once that is burned into our brains. So then the winners at everything are those who got up one more time than they were knocked down.

Why Do People Fail in Sales?

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Over my 45 years in every corner of selling, I’ve asked this question to multitudes of people. Most have responded by stating that failure was due to not closing enough sales. On the surface that might sound like it makes sense, but I see it differently. I believe they failed because they didn’t open enough sales.

The way to open more sales is to learn to prospect effectively and often. When sellers prospect correctly, closing won’t be a problem. This is because they will have qualified and profiled the type of person who can buy and who has a need for what is being offered.

When sales managers and business owners say their salespeople need training on closing sales, I immediately ask about their prospecting. How and how often are they doing it? Time and again I remind sales reps that company-provided leads are basically interruptions to well-planned days.

Most respond by saying, “Seriously?” Then they stare at me like I reside in Area 51. Very quickly I’m able to determine that there is not much of a prospecting culture in place in their workplace. They would rather complain about not receiving enough leads and usually the conversation quickly goes to the ineffectiveness of the advertising and marketing campaigns at their company.

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For years one of my mantras when coaching salespeople is to remind them they were “hired to be creative salespeople who occasionally get company leads and NOT lead hounds who occasionally need to prospect.”

Regardless of your industry, if you establish a regular and effective prospecting regimen, you can weather any gyrations in the selling universe. As the subtitle of my book states, “earn an above-average living while maintaining your integrity.”

What do you need to change to make that a reality for you?

Seven years ago when Doug retired from corporate America, after a lifetime of selling and training, he started conducting online sales coaching for a specific clientele. He only works with customers who are willing to schedule 30 minute sessions with him on a recurring basis each week. Should you take a look and see if Doug might be the missing piece for your company? Investigate for yourself, HERE.

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Mistaken Beliefs Yield Unintended Results

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Have you ever thought about the possibility that many things you do every day are because of a misguided or unexamined belief? I heard a story that perfectly makes this point.

A husband and wife were in the kitchen. The husband was reading the newspaper while his wife was preparing ham for dinner. The husband watched the wife cut off one inch from either end of the ham. He asked why she cut the ends off saying, “That’s a waste of good ham!” She said, “That’s the way my mother taught me to do it.” The husband asked, “Why did she cut the ends off?” The wife admitted she really didn’t know.

Later that evening, the wife’s curiosity got the best of her so she called her mom to find out why she cut the ends off the ham. Her mom said, “Because that was the way my mom prepped a ham for cooking.” The wife’s grandma had passed away several years earlier, but her grandpa was still living. So she called him and asked about cutting the ends off the ham. He thought about it for a minute and then chuckled and said she did that so the ham would fit into her pan! Seems silly, doesn’t it? Three generations of wasted ham over all those years.

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A story like this should get us all thinking. We should zero in on things we do that might be the result of unexamined or misguided beliefs.

Maybe I am just weird, but all my life I have been in the habit of asking why and questioning things to the point of almost being annoying. I’ve asked tons of folks in many different situations, “Why do you do this that way?” Most of the time I’ve heard, “Because that’s the way we’ve always done it!” As you might guess, that answer never made me feel warm and fuzzy.

“I’m so glad that I found Doug’s weekly newsletter, Selling Point. It’s not just a tease, like many blogs are. His posts are complete, relevant, humorous, thought provoking, and wait for it… FREE!” M.C., Indiana Subscribe here.

Several years ago I heard about a book titled, “If It Ain’t Broke…Break It.” It challenges nearly everything that’s done in business. I realize there must be systems and procedures in place in businesses and I agree that most are necessary. What I’m talking about are things that should be challenged because they keep you from getting the results you really want. Some are so bad for business that it’s like shooting yourself in the foot.

Here’s one I hear regularly, especially as a blue collar sales coach to many franchises operating in small towns and rural areas. “I can’t get the prices my boss wants for our services because of the small town we service.” Or “We are in an economically poor area and people around here can’t/won’t pay that much.”

If I were to play devil’s advocate I would ask, “Well when you pay your power bill in this small town, do you tell the electric company, “I need the small-town price.” Or when you go to buy a truck or a new TV, do you tell them, “I need the small-town price?” You and I both see lots of folks driving new vehicles and living in nice houses in these towns and they paid everyone else’s normal price. How is it that they just won’t pay your price!

It is amazing when one of these locations hires a salesperson who proposes the correct prices that his peers whine about. Even in these rural territories customers do in fact pay the recommended prices. The weird part is that it could have been this way all along. However way back when, some mediocre salespeople “trimmed some ham off each end of the rates.”

Speed of the Leader = Speed of the Pack!

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Are there moats surrounding your business that should be eliminated? Henry Ford regularly said, “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re right!” Great insight from a man with an eighth-grade education. Ford did not allow narrow-mindedness to prevent him from researching and inventing and changing the world.

So start looking around for things that are the equivalent cutting the ends off a ham in your world. If you uncover any, start making changes and begin getting the results you really want.

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What’s Your Favorite Channel?

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People primarily process information through sight, sound and touch (feeling). Let’s call these, “channels” and I’ll explain them by using examples. Assume you hear a homeowner or business buyer respond to you in one of these fashions:

“Show me what you are talking about,” depicts the “visual” or sight channel.

“Sounds good from my perspective,” describes the “auditory” or hearing channel.

“That just doesn’t feel right to me,” illustrates the “kinesthetic” or feeling channel.

Not only do your prospects use these channels to communicate, you do as well. As with temperament types, people don’t continuously communicate using only one channel, but they tend to have a dominant one that they use most frequently. It’s important to determine their primary channel, for the same reason you fine tune a car radio station. We all know how irritating it is when radio reception is not clear, and although you can hear sounds you can’t quite make out all the words.

Here are some clues to help you determine which channel you primarily use. Once established, use these same clues to categorize your prospects and buyers.

  • Do you like to explain things by drawing pictures? Do you prefer watching someone demonstrate a new function first before trying it yourself? When giving directions do you describe the landmarks that will be seen? If so, you are tuned to the VISUAL (seeing) It helps when you can see the whole picture. You tend to see in pictures, colors, and shapes; and if one is not there, you create a picture of what it would look like. You probably talk fast and often use your hands to help show people what you are talking about.
  • Do you process information by hearing details and stats? Are you one who prefers to listen to the steps of a tutorial when trying something new? Maybe you like to listen to and remember details of what has been said? If so, you are more of an AUDITORY (hearing) You like to be able to hear the words, tones and sounds that are spoken to you, so you can get all of the facts and as many details as possible.
  • When in a meeting or on a sales call, do you focus more on the feeling behind the words than what is actually said? When confronted with something new do you prefer to just jump in and get started, only asking questions when you get stuck? Are you more likely to get involved in sports or watch TV? If so, you prefer the KINESTHETIC (feeling) You probably appear relaxed and speak slowly with pauses in between your phrases. Most of your decisions are based on gut feelings.

Photo credit-forbes.com

Learning to speak in another person’s language, whether it is visual, auditory or kinesthetic, will get you into rapport quicker and at a deeper level. Both of you benefit because you are communicating in the language in which they prefer to process information. It’s similar to traveling to a foreign country and attempting to speak their language. Even when you butcher it, they typically smile and offer help, resulting in the beginning of a positive relationship.

After determining the language new prospects use, test it and observe the results.

Try saying something like this: “My guess is that you would prefer to get information from me that (pick one) shows you, OR, details information along with specifications in writing, OR, allows you to test drive to get a feeling of how my service/product will provide the results you are looking for. Am I right?”

Based on their answer, you will know if you chose the wrong words and which channel you should use with them. Adjust if needed and begin speaking the language they prefer. It’s like my choosing German for my foreign language in high school; very difficult at first but, with practice it became much easier.

If you liked this article, you’ll love the book CW mentions here. “Doug, your book is a great tool that is helping me with my team in the sales room. It is very practical and easy to read and comprehend.” C.W.-Savannah

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Are You Tough Enough?

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Photo credit-whyprmg.com

It’s fairly common for sales managers to feel they are “too nice,” but most fear changing their ways.

Some salespeople, steady producers who don’t want to be pushed toward greater success, think their managers are great. This is due to not being challenged to move from their comfort zones.

Then, there are under-performing reps who have a decent relationship to their managers, but are resistant to coaching. When asked to do something, they always have reasons they can’t get it done. Most of these managers do little more than listen to their excuses. They don’t want to push too hard and upset their sellers, as this may result in some of them quitting.

Sales Managers Are Not Paid to Be Popular

Everybody no doubt wants to be liked, but this emotion must be balanced with holding people accountable. That’s where the struggle is. Managers are paid to help their people become more valuable in order to get the results they need. Additionally they need to create situations where their intentions are clear and facilitate respect. This way both sides win. There must be follow through by the reps and follow up by management.

Managers Are Regularly Tested

Over time sales reps convince managers with their consistent excuses for under performance. When that is coupled with manager fear of calling them out, large numbers of salespeople fail. When a seller needs to become more consistent in certain activities or improve on certain skill sets and managers don’t enforce these, they telegraph that there are no consequences. So why should their sales reps change?

Timeout for a moment. “I’m a successful sales manager today partially due to Doug’s weekly online coaching that helped me refocus me and taught me that a manager can be good and tough at the same time. You should take a few minutes and bumble around his website and get a feel for what I’m talking about.” Calvin T. Sales Manager, Baytown, Tx.

Push the Reset Button

The best way forward to create a more effective culture of accountability and relationships, is through one-on-one conversations. Managers must begin by resetting expectations and establishing new accountabilities. This should be followed with sharing the WIIFM of this new direction for them. It’s a simple process of what we’re doing, why we’re doing it, and what’s in it for you.

According to Kevin Davis, noted sales coach, the following questions are good for managers to ask during these “reset conversations:”

Questions to Build Accountability

  1. What are you willing to commit to?
  2. How can I best manage you? Why type of management style do you respond to best?
  3. If we were to switch roles, how would you handle this in my position?
  4. How can I hold you accountable for the results you are looking to achieve?
  5. If you couldn’t use this excuse how would you go forward to achieve your desired results?
  6. How can I accomplish this in a way that will sound supportive rather than negative?
  7. What approach should I take if you don’t follow through with the commitments you make? What would be a good way to bring this up?

Photo credit-simonstapleton.com

Self-Reflective Questions that Get People to Articulate the Cost

  1. If you continue this way, what will it cost you?
  2. What repercussions would you experience by continuing to engage in that behavior?
  3. How does your behavior affect you and those around you?
  4. If you continue doing what you are currently doing, where do you think you will end up?
  5. How do you think this will affect your career goals? Your reputation? Your team?

When you ask precision questions like these, they create the rules of the game. Salespeople begin to tell you how they want to be managed. It goes back to the basics that they resist what you tell them but believe what they tell themselves.

The Culture Shift

Be prepared for the results. Often some of your under-performers will move on and resign. These should be replaced with candidates who are better fits for your team. Additionally, your better producing sellers will take it to the next level as you begin to inspect what you expect.

Once your sales room becomes an excuse free zone, because of your follow through on promises and commitments, everyone wins!

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Unsold Proposal Follow-Up

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(Email to prospective customer) “I haven’t heard back from you so I’m assuming one of two things:

Either you’re not interested or you’ve been so busy that my texts and emails have fallen through the cracks, like these unfortunate ducklings. I’d really love to help resolve your issues with the environmental solution I proposed, so let me know either way so I can stop bugging you.

P.S. I hope the story has a happy ending, like it did for the ducklings.”

 

 

 

What do you say when you follow up on the phone or in person from an unsold proposal, when you try to close the sale? Most reps say things like this:

“Oh hi, this is Doug with RTS.  I’m calling to follow up on the meeting we had several days ago.  Did you have a chance to review what we discussed?”

Or, another lame opening line many sales reps use:

“Hi, this is Doug with RTS, hope all is well. I was just calling to touch base to see what you thought of the proposal I made to you and the wife Monday evening.”

This is nothing more than beginning your follow up by waving a white surrender flag!  Starting this way is handing the steering wheel to your prospect. WHY do that?  Weak openings like these also open you up to stalls, and often you’ll hear, “No, I haven’t had time yet, How about getting back to me next week?”

Before I suggest a better strategy, let me take a moment and give you a commercial for the book I wrote and published 7 years ago. It contains 116 individual coaching topics over 274 pages and will help you sell quicker, better, smarter and more profitably. Check it out on my website here. FREE SHIPPING awaits!

A more effective suggestion is to lose phrases like, “just calling to follow up” and “just touching base to …” and promise not to use them again.

Here is a much better alternative:

“Hi Hector, this is Doug with RTS. I’ve been looking forward to getting back with you and helping you get started with our blue collar sales coaching (or whatever you proposed). I’m confident your salespeople will experience the same level of positive results as my other clients have over the years.

After looking through the proposal details, I trust that you are convinced my emphasis on prospecting will improve the activity level of your sales team during the off season. My question today is whether you want to move forward with both the residential and the commercial initiatives we discussed, or is there a reason we should do these one at a time?”

Remembering that your two best strategies are asking questions and silence; hush and listen.  As hard as this might be, you will like the results for the following reasons:

1) You’re asking for the sale right away, which will nudge some prospects to buy on the spot.

2) You began your closing on a positive and assumptive note.

3) You are greatly decreasing put-offs and stalls.

4) You immediately get the prospect to tell you where they stand and what they’re thinking. If there is something else that needs  clarification or explanation, you will be able to pick up on it quickly and address it on the spot.

This is a good strategy.  If you begin using this approach during phone or in-person follow up to sales calls, you will be well on your way to improving your closing percentage and income.

Don’t take my word for it. Try it yourself and then tell me about your results!

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Why Do Prospects Tell Me NO?

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Photo credit-channeldynamics.com.au

About five years ago my wife and I were watching TV when a commercial appeared for a brand-name water filtering system where not one word was spoken. In pantomime fashion, a guy poured like amounts of red wine into two containers of water and then ran them through competing filter systems.

What blew us away was how only the featured filtration system produced completely clear water. That really brought on a WOW since red wine is pretty hard to hide. It was obvious to us from this simple silent demo that the 5-stage filter system did the job, so that item immediately went on our Christmas list!

Your prospects can’t see a picture of the emotional benefits they would experience by buying, so if you aren’t painting this picture for them, the results are on you. You shouldn’t be surprised you are rejected by not conveying this vision.

Ask Don’t Tell

So how do you know if they “see” what you are describing? As always, questions are your best friends:

  • What do you think?
  • How does this sound to you?
  • Why am I the only one who thinks this solution will resolve it?
  • Where did I lose you?

If you still can’t get to ‘yes’ maybe the prospect didn’t hear enough evidence, so ask them:

  • What information do you need and how would you prefer to receive it?
  • Maybe they want a demonstration, a testimonial, or some factual data (Excel spreadsheet), etc.
  • When I provide what you request in the format you requested, what will happen next?

If this is provided and you are still on the outside looking in, run another lap.

Dig Deeper

Possibly the prospect you are working with doesn’t have the SOLE authority to say ‘yes.’ You should have already asked for all the stakeholders to be present, but if not you can still salvage the deal.

If you hear them begin to mention that they need to bounce this off the other spouse, or a quality control engineer, etc., this may be when you discover an ‘invisible man’ you had no idea needed to be included. Maybe it’s a father of the spouse, although both husband and wife are sitting in front of you. Possibly the brother of a widow you are proposing that is normally consulted on big decisions. Whoever else needs to be there, when you are satisfied you are selling to ‘the real McCoy’ or ‘the complete package’ you should be able to move forward.

Tie Up the Loose Ends

Ask questions about what you’ve discussed so far, but this time in the form of open questions beginning with what, who, where, how, why, or which.

  • Now that we agree on what your wants are, what happens next?
  • You asked for a testimonial from another homeowner to prove we can do what we claim, and I furnished that to you. Assuming you’re impressed, how do we move forward?

If you are still unable to get traction, the decision maker may be bluffing you in order to get a concession of some sort.

When you are trying to finalize a sale, you should be systematic and follow the sequence laid out here, without skipping around. The common mistake most salespeople make is always assuming it’s about price, and they begin to commit the felonies of exaggerating and caving. Don’t make that mistake but rather take the time to consider what really went wrong.

A Real Life Example

A salesperson in one of my online coaching groups made a bundled proposal to a homeowner consisting of three different services his home needed. The prospect verbally agreed that this was a good solution but didn’t immediately sign an agreement, wanting to huddle with his wife to make sure they were on the same page.

A few days later the guy told the salesperson they liked his solution best. They also said his price was substantially more than two other companies that provided estimates for the work. He was asked to come back, but to sharpen his pencil if he really wanted to win the job.

Asking for help with a strategy to win the sale, we discussed some ideas. Thinking back through the initial appointment, this rep was confident he and the homeowner were in agreement on what his services would provide.

This seller included several photos from previous customers. He also provided a video testimonial from one of them when he went on the initial appointment. He felt the price push back was most likely due to either the spouse’s intervention or simply a bluff.

The salesperson texted the homeowner to say that he was surprised to still be in the running in light of their comments on the sizeable price difference. He asked what in particular about his service kept him in consideration. The text concluded by asking if it meant they were officially rejecting his bid.

Photo credit-popsci.com

The couple apparently had another round of discussion among themselves. I say this because the next day they accepted his proposal without pressing for a price reduction.

It could have just as easily gone the other way. When that happens simply tell your prospect you understand, and you accept their decision. Then ask them, what happens next?

If someone is bluffing, this strategy will typically smoke them out. You just need to be tough enough to stand in and respond in an ‘outside your comfort zone’ manner.

————Doug, Too Polite?————

Your analysis of the guys conducting the role play presentations was very blunt, and yet still too polite. You’re a very nice man sir! Thanks for all you are doing for us.  John Embry, Atlanta. Take a peek under the tent!

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Don’t Be a One-Trick Pony

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Growing up in Louisville as a 10 year old boy in 1959, I discovered a device called a crystal rocket radio, named ‘rocket’ because of its shape. As a Kentucky boy I was naturally drawn to basketball, and began an interest in the UK Wildcats. I began to check the sports section of the Courier-Journal regularly to see if the ‘Cats won.

When I learned how the crystal radio worked, and that I would be able to listen to WHAS AM 840 and hear Cawood Ledford call the games, I HAD to have one. It took me a while to cobble together the $1.69 from doing chores at home and “picking up sticks” in my grandpa’s back yard to be able to buy one. When I got up the money, I walked to Lintner’s drug store, about a mile from my house, and made my purchase.

The radio had three components; a metal clip, one earpiece, and the rocket body with the plunger on top. I don’t know how it worked, but when I attached the clip to anything metal (lamp over my bed), and stuck the earpiece in my ear, while slowly moving the plunger, I could pick up radio stations. I fiddled with the plunger until AM 840 came through loud and clear. Once I heard his voice it felt like I was court side in Lexington nearly 100 miles away.

As I listened to game after game over the next several seasons I found myself paying the most attention to the names I heard Cawood call out most often. Naturally these were the top scorers each season; Vernon Hatton, Bill Lickert, Cotton Nash, Larry Purciful, Charles Ishmael, Larry Conley. That’s when I decided I wanted to play basketball for my school. I began to practice regularly at a grade school basketball court very near my house. Whether alone or with a couple of like-minded buddies I would shoot baskets for hours, over days, weeks, and months on end. I became proficient shooting the ball, from the top of the key, out on the wing and from the corner.

When freshman basketball team tryouts came around in the fall of 1963 I was excited… initially. I quickly discovered that being able to shoot the ball well was only one component of a well-rounded player. By spending all my time practicing shooting, I neglected to master dribbling, passing, picking, rebounding, and playing defense. I was abruptly cut from the team by Coach Cooksey at the end of the second day of tryouts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then and Now

60 Years Later

Why have I blabbered so much about this long ago personal failure? Very simply, I was a one-trick pony on the basketball court like you may be on the sales court. It’s not good enough to be a “good talker” who is able to sit down with prospects and present products and services. In order for you to make a really good living in this profession don’t overlook your need to be good in all key categories of selling.

My book, containing 116 different selling-related topics (none longer than 3 pages), could be a big help to your career. It’s titled Sell is NOT a Four Letter Word  and can be ordered with FREE SHIPPING right here. Prospecting is explained in Chapter 3 and maintaining a great attitude in Chapter 1. Questioning, listening and uncovering pain points are found in Chapter 4. Chapter 6 focuses on handling customer concerns and objections. Chapter 8 teaches how to expand your business among your existing customer base, including networking. Closing sales calls and gaining new customers through solid follow-up, is detailed in Chapter 7. Altogether, there are 274 pages of relevant strategies!

Hall of Fame basketball great Rick Barry has a great quote. “You must be great at a few things and good at all the rest” to make it to the top. Salespeople, begin that journey today if you haven’t already!

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Three Words That Can Save Your Life

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Doug’s note: Today’s post comes from an interesting book, An Embarrassment of Riches, by Alex Green. Although it is primarily a book on great investing ideas, it contains some of the secrets to a life well-lived. Here is one of them…

Talk about a model prisoner… In 1985, Fleet Maull began serving a 14-year sentence for drug trafficking. During his incarceration, he completed a PhD in psychology, authored a well-received book, became an ordained priest, founded a prison hospice program, and launched the Prison Dharma Network, a non-profit organization that supports prisoner rehabilitation through contemplative spirituality.

Today, Maull works as a peace activist and personal effectiveness coach, lecturing at leading universities, in corporate boardrooms, in high-risk areas like Rwanda and the Middle East, and in what he calls “the forgotten world” inside our jails and prisons.

Maull has plenty of wisdom and experience to share. But he sums up his core message in a single phrase: Radical Responsibility… Maull believes we create everything that’s happening in our lives, good and bad. It’s only when we accept complete responsibility that we take the giant step from childhood to adulthood. Self-responsibility is the key to personal effectiveness in every sphere of life. Yet many choose to embrace the psychology of helplessness and victim hood, preferring to explain all their struggles in terms of the actions of others.

Like you, I meet many middle-aged men and women who are still grumbling and complaining about earlier unhappy experiences, who are still blaming their problems on other people or “the breaks.” They’re angry with their parents, fuming at an old boss, or still simmering over their ex-spouse. They’re trapped in the past and can’t get free. Yet the great enemy of success and happiness is negative emotions. Fear, self-pity, envy, jealousy, and anger hold us back, tie us down, and suck the joy out of life.

Studies show that there are four root causes of these emotions. Once identified, one can begin to banish them:

  • Justification. You can be negative only as long as you convince yourself that you are entitled to be angry. Unhappy individuals will always be found explaining and elaborating on the profound unfairness of their situation.
  • Rationalization. Rationalization is self-deception, an attempt to create a plausible explanation for a socially unacceptable act. (As in, “If I turn this in six weeks late, no one will care anyway.”)
  • Blaming. There is no quality more closely associated with unhappiness than the habit of blaming others for our difficulties.
  • Poor self-esteem. Low self-esteem is generally characterized by a hypersensitivity to the opinions of others. No one wants to lose the respect of others, but conscientious people don’t need to fret about what other people think.

Management consultant Brian Tracy points out that there’s a simple antidote to these factors that create negative emotions. You need only say three words: I am responsible.

————Recommended Link————

I received a very special handwritten Thank You note from a client recently. In part it read; “Doug, thanks for taking time from your retirement to help make us better.” Look here to see what Doug did that caused him to be so thankful.  

————————————————————

Whether your problem is joblessness, addiction, overspending, obesity, or a damaged personal relationship, you move closer to a solution the moment you say, “I am responsible.”

It’s impossible to say these words and still feel angry. The very act of taking responsibility short-circuits and cancels out negative emotions.

As Tracy says, “Every time you blame someone else or make excuses, you give your power away. You feel weakened and diminished… Without the acceptance of complete personal responsibility, no progress is possible. On the other hand, once you accept total responsibility for your life, there are no limits to what you can be, do, and have.”

Yet many would rather train for the Boston Marathon in three feet of snow than say these words. Why?

Psychologists say human beings have a natural propensity to accumulate pride and shun regret. Whether we recognize it or not, we tend to take responsibility for the positive developments in our lives and attribute unfavorable developments to others or circumstances.

This is not to say there aren’t times when our lives are significantly influenced by outside forces. Maybe you’re a great worker who lost her job due to a corporate downsizing or the poor economy. Maybe your parents really were poor role models. But victims don’t create change. It’s only when you choose to focus on what you can do and how you should act that you gain power.

Businesses and other organizations today are looking for people who are willing and able to think, who are self-directing and self-managing, who respond to problems proactively rather than merely waiting for someone else’s solutions.

A study done in New York a few years ago found that people who ranked in the top 3% in every field had a special attitude that set them apart from average performers in their industries. It was this: They chose to view themselves as self-employed throughout their careers, no matter who signed their paychecks.

These are people who set goals, make plans, establish measures, and get results.

Radical responsibility changes everything. It means you own your thoughts, impulses, feelings, and actions. You are accountable for the consequences they bring and the impact they have on others. This is not a burden, incidentally. It’s a privilege and an honor to take ownership of your actions. It creates freedom and control. It gives meaning to life. Self-reliance is the great source of personal power. We create ourselves, shape our identity, and determine the course of our lives by what we are willing to take responsibility for.

Want to change your life and begin to solve your problems, starting today? Say 3 simple words:

I AM RESPONSIBLE

 

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In the Beginning…

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From time to time I’m asked about how I got into the sales profession. In this post I’ll take you back to the beginning of this journey. It originated on a hot July day in 1960 when, as a fifth grader, my mother handed me a brochure. It had arrived in the mail from a greeting card company. Its purpose was to entice me to sell their Christmas cards. In turn I could earn various prizes from their catalog. I didn’t know why it came addressed to me, but I flipped it open and looked inside.

Photo credit-pinterest.com

As my eyes scanned the colorful pages of the brochure, there it was. Green with gold pin stripes and a three-speed shift on the handlebars. It was the English racer bicycle I often thought about, but knew was more expensive than Dad could afford. But the catalog stated it could be mine for selling only 35 boxes of their Christmas cards…to somebody. I didn’t know anything about selling, but my desire for that shiny bike overshadowed my fear of knocking on doors and showing those cards to as many people as it took for 35 of them to say yes.

When I showed the picture and shared my goal with Mom, she surprised me. She said, “If you really want that bike badly enough, I believe you can do this.” When my Dad got home from the factory and heard my scheme, he was less optimistic. However, he told me he wouldn’t stand in my way if I chose to try. In the same breath, he gave me a warning. I had to do it all on my own and shouldn’t ask him or Mom to help.

Over the next six weeks, I knocked on most of the over 400 doors in my modest subdivision. These were tract homes in suburban Louisville where we lived. I quickly found that discussing Christmas cards in July was a real oxymoron. Additionally, those cards were not the dime store variety, but very nice, maybe even a bit pricey for my neighborhood. But each time I began to get wimpy, I reminded myself to keep my eyes on the prize.

I won’t dwell here on some of the colorful things I heard through screen doors during that hot summer, but I think what is important to share was the exhilaration I experienced returning from school one late October afternoon. My mom pointed to a large cardboard carton with my name on it that arrived by delivery truck earlier that day. Glancing at that narrow cardboard box, my excitement exploded when it hit me what was inside. As the green fenders appeared from the shipping crate, the fruits of my labors were realized!

At that moment, the dozens of people who either said no, no thank you, you’ve got to be kidding, or simply just didn’t answer their door, although I could hear their radios and televisions through open windows; faded from my memory. The ones I remembered were those 35 who became customers by saying ‘yes’ to my rudimentary sales pitch.

Fast forward seven years, I graduated high school, having been awarded the senior superlative designation of Best Personality from the Class of ’67’. That fall I became the first one on either side of my family to enter college. Three years later I was also the first one to drop out of college. At the time it wasn’t a good fit for me, and I didn’t see the career payoff of a college degree. But during those years I often heard friends and fellow employees say, “You would do well in sales.” For the first time I began to think seriously about giving that a try.

After a break for military service in the Army Reserve I was offered my first job as a sales rep. I became convinced that I could make a better living than on a traditional job. I visualized a level of freedom my college educated friends who worked in office building cubicles didn’t have. On the flip side, my wife and other family members were less than excited, and frankly embarrassed over my new found career.

Photo source-Doug’s website

Since then, 45 years have elapsed, and during that time I’ve sold personally, both as a captive employee and on a self-employed basis in several different industries. I have been a sales manager for multi-state sales teams, a successful corporate sales trainer in a training center environment, and a sales coach for several hundred reps in a blue collar services industry. Today I’m semi-retired and own and operate a sales coaching practice.

During my working life I won’t brag that I was #1 in every position I held, because I wasn’t. I will state that I consistently resided in the top 20%. In the process I discovered there is no such thing as a natural born salesperson. Frankly selling, like anything else, can be learned. God has given everyone the free will to attempt and accomplish virtually anything they desire. They must possess the willingness to obtain the required training and exercise the necessary work ethic to pursue their dreams.

By performing this necessary function in society, I also discovered that I was right in my thinking that I would be able to earn an above-average income while maintaining my integrity. I realized that selling is something you do for and with someone, rather than something you do to someone. I was careful to weave those components throughout the book I wrote and published in 2012, entitled Sell is Not a Four Letter Word.

————Recommended Link————

There are 7 super-short videos located here where Juliana, Keith, Shawn, Jeff, Paul, Tony, and Michael share something they learned from Doug and his publications that helped them increase their sales and income. They would like for you to take a look and see what they are excited about.

                                                                                                                                                                               

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Provide Solutions Not Just Price Quotes

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Paul Tomlinson (pictured below), a friend of mine shared the following true story. Paul, who lives in Rush Limbaugh’s part of Missouri, is Regional Manager for a multi-state consumer services franchise. The following experience he shared with me is important for you to hear. I am recounting the event as Paul told it.

I went to a local battery shop in search of some hard to find power cells. As I waited for the items I needed, an older man came in carrying a white plastic bag. He sat the bag on the counter and pulled out a Black & Decker® 18 volt battery, and held it up in front of one of the clerks. The old man asked if the shop carried such a thing and the clerk told him that they didn’t stock that battery, but that they could rebuild that one for him.

The old man replied, “Well how much would that be?”

“That battery would cost $58 to rebuild,” the clerk said. The man immediately grabbed the battery, stuck it back inside the bag and said, “I can buy two of those at Wal-Mart for that price!”

Almost apologizing, the clerk tried to provide an explanation as the man headed toward the door. All he got out of his mouth was, “I totally understand, but with those new ones you will only get half the battery power.” The old man didn’t even acknowledge much less stop to listen.

As I sat there on the stool seeing this unfold, it really sparked my interest. I watched as a $58 sale simply walked out the door. Now I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t know anything about batteries, so to me one is just like another. For the clerk to tell this guy that it would cost him $58 to get a “used” battery rebuilt, when he could buy two new ones down the street for that same amount of money, raised my curiosity. Either there was something different, maybe even special, about that particular battery, or the clerk was just responding with a sour-grape, cheap shot to the old man’s backside on his way out of the shop.

So, being an inquiring mind, I decided to ask the clerk to tell me what he meant by saying that the old fellow would only get half the battery power from new ones at Wal-Mart?

Over the next couple minutes I discovered that this guy was extremely sharp, at least in battery-land. He sounded to me like he knew everything there was to know about them. I heard all kinds of technical terms during his explanation that just blew me away. I learned a lot about batteries that day and after hearing his explanation, it made perfect sense.

To sum it up, batteries off the shelf have 1300-1800 milliamps, while rebuilt batteries have 3000 milliamps. As the clerk explained it, the more milliamps, the longer the charge lasts. That means the rebuilt ones provide about double the run time!

In addition, rebuilt batteries are designed to withstand the “memory” that a NiCad battery develops over time. Boiling it down to the lowest common denominator, the rebuilt battery will last much, much longer. In fact he said they guarantee the battery for 1 full year! If it doesn’t hold a charge, they will rebuild it again for free. It didn’t take me long to do the math and sell myself on the rebuilt version. But as I sat listening to this clerk, I kept thinking about the old fellow who walked out the door without hearing the whole story and all these relevant benefits.

What I saw was $58 that just up and left the shop, basically because the clerk gave the price prematurely. He obviously knew his stuff about batteries. However he didn’t verbalize the features and benefits of the product he was selling before stating the price. Blurting out the price before the explanation was almost like apologizing for the cost of the rebuilt version. Then again the value registered with me primarily because I listened to the story.

Immediately I had a flashback to the sales team I am responsible for. I told myself that they are all professionals and would NEVER do anything like that…or would they? It sure gave me something to think about.

Photo credit-unsplash.com

Then it dawned on me that I’ve done it myself. The old, “they won’t be able to afford this” or “nobody will ever buy something that expensive,” echoed through my mind. It reminded me that our job is to help the customer buy, when there is a need, regardless of our price. That day I recommitted to coach our team to present solutions to problems rather than just price services without the value. Shame on us!

————Help Can Be On The Way————

By the way, Doug’s book, Sell is NOT a Four Letter Word addresses 116 topics like this one just discussed in this post. Check it out here. (HINT-FREE SHIPPING)

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Don’t Fall for Stalls

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Whether it comes at you as, “We need to think about it,” or “We’ve got to sleep on this,” or “This is something we need to noodle over;” it’s still a flippin’ stall.

Salespeople wilt when hearing this because the only thing they can think of is, “Well OK, here’s my card. When you sort this out and are ready to go, give me a call.” That’s weak as water! You’ve got to be bold or your pending pile of proposals will be taller than your kids.

Most often when you receive TAI’s they come at the end of your presentation, after hearing your price. Assuming you’ve just heard this, here’s my suggestion in order to really gauge what their TAI response means. As soon as this comes out of their mouth, come back with this:

“Hey, I get it. This is an important decision and your home is your most expensive investment. While we’ve been talking my phone has been blowing up, (Stand up and move toward the door) so I’ll tell you what. I’m going to slip outside and return a couple of these calls, which will give you a few minutes to sort everything out, and then I’ll come back in and answer any questions and hear your decision, fair enough?”

If they don’t stop you on your way out, a few minutes is all they need. Maybe they need to talk privately about whether to take money out of saving or finance. Maybe they want to ensure both of them are on the same page about your offering. Regardless, people don’t particularly want be discuss private matters like these with you sitting at their table staring at them as if you were watching a tennis match.

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On the other hand, if they stop you when you grab the doorknob and say something like, “Hey Sparky, that’s not what I meant when I told you we needed to TAI. We are going to need longer than a few minutes.” When you hear that simply turn around and fall on your sword, apologizing for misunderstanding, and return to the table. Ask them about how long they will need in order to finalize their decision. Regardless whether they say two days or a week, simply respond by requesting another meeting on that day ‘to answer any final questions they might have and listen to their decision.’ That will put you in front of them again, so if they agree to let you come back, odds are you will win the sale on that day.

When you begin using this strategy you will be surprised how many homeowners will make their decision following your intermission. Of course, there will be other times when you face protracted stalls. For details on strategies to use in these instances, you can read my thoughts from previous articles I’ve written over the past six years here and here. There is also a two-part article I penned that can be found here and here.

————Nice Work, Doug————

Doug, I am thankful for your influence and sharing. I really enjoyed your online coaching format, and loved how you kept all engaged. It appeared they all had done their homework.  Ed Donoghue, Orkin Director of Sales

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I Took My Garage Back, Thanks to ORKIN!

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My attached 2-car garage stayed super-hot in the summer and really cold in the winter.

Then, ORKIN home environment specialist Cody Evers came to my house and evaluated the situation. This company is not your father’s ORKIN. They don’t just kill bugs & termites anymore. Talk to Cody and see! 229-231-0976.

He recommended a radiant heat barrier for the inside of my garage door. (That is a layer of reinforced aluminum that reflects heat radiation and reduces heat transfer.) Service specialists Andrew and Caleb came and professionally installed the radiant barrier on the interior of the garage door. They were on time, respectful, and left my property spotless.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BEFORE – June 4 – 112⁰

AFTER – July 11 – 89⁰

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

23⁰ Difference, a 20% Reduction in Temperature

I can’t wait to see how much warmer my garage is this winter!

And NO, I didn’t receive any compensation for this testimonial, I’m just a happy homeowner!              Doug Robinson, Albany, GA.

Toxic Prospecting Questions

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It’s July and every blue collar services professional salesperson and technician is as busy as a one-arm wallpaper hanger! This is also the season when the neighbors of your customers may just have the same problems and issues as your customers. This means they may be more receptive to a door knock and a short introduction than at any other time of the year.

Therefore my suggestion is to invest an extra ten minutes at the conclusion of every sales call and attempt to make contact with the neighbors on the left and right of where you are. Then go across the street and repeat with both of those neighbors.  If you happen to have additional time while in the field, why not canvass the entire street?

In this post I don’t want to put words in your mouth on what to say, because that’s not sanitary; but my focus today is on what NOT to say. Many questions salespeople ask are inane and turn potential customers off. Specifically, quit asking the following five questions, (followed by my comments).

1. Have you ever thought about buying a ________________ service? No! Assume interest and just quickly give them reasons to listen. For example, if you are selling pest services; “With all the bugs in our area I’m sure you have a pest control service. Who did you go with this year?” This is a helpful way to start a conversation, and will provide you needed information for what to say next.

2. If I could help you save money on _______________, would you be interested in talking to me? It’s your job to create interest. You’re already there, so assume interest. Instead say something like, “I’m sure you are like most people and are always looking for ways to save money on services…”

3. Have you heard of my company? What’s the value of asking this? If they have positive or negative feeling or impressions about your company they will chirp and let you know. Skip this and quickly deliver your message before you wear out your welcome.

4. Have you seen our trucks in the neighborhood? How does that add value to your approach? If you feel compelled to include this in the conversation, change it to, “I’m sure you’ve seen our trucks around…,” and tie this into something that adds value to what you’re selling.

5. Is this something you’re interested in? This is the annoying, worn out question often asked after salespeople deliver their message. Stop it! Your job is to generate interest, so do it and close the sale. Be positive and finish with something like, “Your approval right here on this service order will ensure your startup on Monday when our install crew is scheduled to be in this neighborhood.” Their response to that assumptive closing statement will tell you whether they’re interested!

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An activity like this will definitely help you pick up some additional sales and increase your footprint in your territory. As you press the flesh and chat ‘em up remember that people buy from people they like and trust. Additionally it’s important to be conversational and consultative, rather than “salesy,” as you interact with residents.

Regardless how you feel about this activity, once you succeed in selling one or two, your outlook and attitude about this endeavor will definitely spike!

——–Do You Receive Selling Point?——–

“Great Article Doug! – I always look forward to your insights for growth and improvement. ” Ron Ayotte, Sr. Account Manager, Invision Technologies, LLC. If weekly articles like this would be helpful in your business, subscribe FOR FREE to Doug’s Selling Point newsletter.

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Serve or Suffer

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Serve or suffer is my word of caution to all businesses that provide customer service. When service is poor or nonexistent it’s doesn’t end well. Consumer advocate Christopher Elliott cites three examples of companies that didn’t listen to their customers and ended up paying the ultimate price.

Ignoring customer service

Prior to US Airways being purchased by America West in 2005, the airline slashed its customer service budget, and outsourced most of those functions. This resulted in the company failing to address many complaints and mishandling others. This angered customers to the point that no amount of cost-cutting could make up for the fact that passengers just didn’t want to do business with them any longer, eventually forcing the airline to file bankruptcy.

Believing customers are wrong

W.T. Grant was an American retail institution for 70 years until 1976 when the company filed for bankruptcy. During the 1960s and 70s, the company failed to recognize that middle-class Americans were moving to the suburbs, but most of its stores were in downtown locations.

The chain responded with marketing gimmicks, such as offering free store credit to everybody. This plan backfired, since Grant’s customers simply wanted to be able to shop close to their suburban homes. W.T. Grant refused to adapt, effectively telling customers they were wrong. When the W.T. Grant bankruptcy was filed it was the second largest in U.S. history.

Exhibiting customer hostility

The third example is Blockbuster, the once dominant video rental chain that shut down half of its stores and then was eventually auctioned off to Dish Network in bankruptcy court. The main reason for Blockbuster’s demise was that video streaming made them dinosaurs and the company refused to adapt.

To hasten their extinction, Blockbuster came to be seen as a giant corporation that charged outrageous sums for late fees and cared little for what its customers wanted the most. Even after Blockbuster attempted to compete directly with Netflix, consumers had decided they didn’t want to give Blockbuster their business.

————-Tell ‘em Gene————

“Doug’s weekly online sales meetings are an effective, relevant, and very convenient way to conduct sales training. Salespeople benchmark against peers, learn new techniques, and get motivated!” Gene Hilger, Bloomington, IN. See for yourself, HERE.

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Whether the economy is performing poorly or booming, smart companies understand that the demand for customer service never declines. These companies are likely to prosper and dominate their competitors.

So if you are a salesperson, sales manager, or the business owner, author and business expert Andy Hanselman offers these suggestions to deal with customer disappointments or get out in front of them.

1. Acknowledge It

A business that acknowledges that it got things wrong and deals with it effectively, can often turn ‘Disappointment’ into ‘Delight’. In other words, just because things go south doesn’t mean you’ve lost that customer. Acknowledging the problem can demonstrate that you actually care, and many will respond positively.

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2. Empower For It

The best businesses empower their people to make things right on the spot, without wasting time getting approvals up the food chain. When this approval process is necessary customers typically get angrier and less likely to be mollified.

If your company doesn’t have an empowerment policy, including limitations, often your customers will feel unloved and leave you for someone who will do a better job of care and feeding.

For example, Chick-Fil-A (who by the way hires the best quality people to begin with) teaches all employees a “second mile service.” It simply means doing whatever it takes to keep patrons satisfied and feeling special.

Ritz Carlton Hotels allows every employee the authority to spend up to $2000 to resolve a customer’s problem or deal with a complaint on the spot, without having to get permission from a manager. Now, THAT’s empowerment!

Costco employees are empowered so as to not require a receipt for customers unhappy with a purchase. They also have no time limit for a return, and happily offer exchanges anytime customers prefer that option.

3. Prepare For It

What are the things that typically create disappointment in your customers? Why not get your people together and identify the typical problems and concerns, and then develop ideas and solutions to overcome them. Provide training and put systems and procedures in place to deal with potential disappointment.

4. Look For It

Instead of just having to act like a cat in a litter box and dig out from disappointed customers, get out in front and find them! Frankly, when you are proactive you may even get more complaints than others because your people are basically asking for them. It might seem weird, but the easier you are to complain to, the more customer focused you’re likely to be!

5. Just Deal With It

Now you know it makes sense, so quit hiding in the shadows and deal with it!

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How Many More Birthdays, America?

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This week I’m letting freedom ring away from my normal sales-related messages! The older people get, the more often weird thoughts, memories, and even songs flash through their minds. I know this because I’m old and it happens to me.

Five times each week I walk two miles for exercise, and my route includes trekking around and through a hospital parking lot. During one of those outings last month, while passing the front of the hospital, I glanced up and noticed the American flag waving in the spring breeze. Out of the blue it flashed through my mind and then automatically out of my mouth for anybody nearby to hear…

“I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

I started reciting that pledge as a first grader in 1955; so although I might have forgotten what I had for lunch yesterday, I don’t stutter when I reel off that one long sentence that defines our nation.

So, as we devise a plan of how to blow out the 243 candles on America’s birthday cake, I have a couple of concerns I want to share today about two specific disconnects with our Pledge that could limit how many future birthdays we may have the opportunity to celebrate.

“One Nation under God” – I am sad to say that this pillar of our pledge is no longer true. I’m not naive enough to believe that Americans were ever totally in unison with one another and in lockstep as God-fearing believers, but our spiritual condition as a nation has definitely declined.

According to recent polls and surveys by the Pew Research Center, barely 50% of Americans state they absolutely believe in God, without any doubts. The other half shared shades of indecision from “fairly certain” there is a God to “really not sure.” These also reveal that in addition the percentage of staunch atheists has doubled to about 10% over the last 10 years.

I’m not here to preach to you or attempt to influence you about any particular faith. But I know that every nation that has turned its back on God has eventually fallen. This principle is mentioned over and over in the Bible, and here is just one example:

Job 8:11-15 “Can the papyrus grow up without a marsh? Can the reeds flourish without water? While it is yet green and not cut down, it withers before any other plant. So are the paths of all who forget God; and the hope of the hypocrite shall perish, whose confidence shall be cut off, and whose trust is a spider’s web. He leans on his house, but it does not stand. He holds it fast, but it does not endure.”

If your response is that you don’t believe in the Bible, well I guess you just confirmed the point I’m making. As Americans we brag and boast about our lifestyle, our wealth, and the security our military provides us. We are the country everybody wants to inhabit. Every day thousands risk their very lives and pour over our borders illegally, in an attempt to get a taste of life in America.

But our nation is quickly deteriorating from the “promised land” everyone thinks it is. This decline parallels the independence from God we are demanding. Look around at the addictions, relentless severe weather, lack of respect for unborn and newborn human life, and hatred resulting in violent crimes; just to name a few. The answer to our dilemma is readily available, but requires action on our part that most people don’t want to consider:

2 Chronicles 7:14 “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

Now is the time for us to act, before we go any further down this slippery slope.

“Indivisible” – Secondly I’m alarmed how far we have moved as a people from being inseparable. We have always had differing viewpoints about everything from athletic teams we cheer for to political parties we support. We have preferences about city or rural living, marriage or the single life, and on and on. I won’t blabber on about things we’re partial to, but that’s not the problem, that’s diversity.

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However, we are more divided than ever over core issues that have never been up for discussion in our history. Socialism, “free” everything, hatred of leaders that is greater than love of country, open borders and abortion on steroids expanded even to legally kill live-born babies. I’m not intending a political rant, but we must stop these insane trends, before America as we know it, disappears.

I don’t believe we can negotiate or legislate or deregulate our way back to indivisible. The dilemma we have mired ourselves into is now beyond our human capacity to resolve and restore harmony. The only solution I conceive working in our fractured nation are “heart transplants for all,” as opposed to all the proposed “programs for all” currently being bandied around. These transplants are available to all as outlined below:

Ezekiel 36:26 “And I will give you a new heart—I will give you new and right desires—and put a new spirit within you. I will take out your stony hearts of sin and give you new hearts of love.”

So, there’s my two cents worth for America on her birthday. At my age she will probably outlast me, but I harbor grave concerns for what my adult children and grandchildren will face. How about you?

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Why Rebuff Resigning Employees?

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Recently I read a statement from an employer who lost a solid employee. Here’s the gist:

My employee RESIGNED. He got a great opportunity elsewhere. Here is what I told him: “Know this, I will miss you, tremendously. It is not just your talents, it is also your amazing sunshine attitude, your dedication, and your positive influence on me personally. Whoever hired you is one lucky person. I am sure they will appreciate you as much as we do. I am so grateful to you for all the difference you have made. You will do very well, no good luck wishes are needed. All the best, and perhaps one day, I will have the privilege of working together again with you.”

As opposed to what you just read, why is it that when employees resign most of the time they are treated like traitors? To be clear from the outset in this post, I am NOT talking about resigning employees who actually should be terminated. There are bad hires, panic hires, situational hires that regularly occur in businesses where breakups can’t and shouldn’t be avoided. I’m talking about good, solid, valuable employees who decide to move on of their own volition.

It would seem to make better sense for employers to congratulate them on finding what they feel will be a better opportunity. I am in the minority camp of folks who believe that when a good employee resigns owners and managers should:

-Thank them for their contribution to the team and for all the good they have done.

-Tell them they would be welcomed back if they change their mind.

-In word and deed treat them with respect, like you would anybody else.

Businesses often fail to consider that ex-employees are their ambassadors for life. They will be sharing their employment experiences wherever they go, whether positive or negative. If your company always has openings it can’t seem to fill, or keep filled, maybe your reputation has preceded many qualified candidates.

Here’s an example from my own family of what we’re discussing. After graduating college as a construction engineer in the mid 1990’s, my oldest son Adam, joined a large design-build construction firm as a field engineer. He learned quickly and gained favor with upper management at that company. Four years later as a married man starting his family, he began to feel the crush of more month than money. Long story short, he was recruited away by a competitor offering a larger paycheck to perform basically the same role.

Upon giving his notice of resignation, the President of his company spoke to Adam about his value to the company, and warned him about making a mistake, imploring him to stay put there and be patient. My son, in what he calls his “young and dumb” stage, ignored this advice and jumped ship. Thankfully, key people at the company continued to reach out and “touch” him once or twice a year as time went on.

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Four years later Adam realized he should have stayed put with his original company. Fortunately for both parties, leadership there had not alienated or “career shamed” him when he defected. They were able to woo him back eleven years ago, and he remains a happy camper who plans to be there until retirement. Since returning he has progressed from Field Engineer to Superintendent, and currently is

Project Manager. Adam is a respected and valuable member of the team and in no way has become an engineering version of Hester Prynne with a scarlet letter around his neck at the office.

Managers and owners: Stop cutting off your noses to spite your face!

————Don’t Miss This————

“If you are in sales the book, Sell Is NOT a Four Letter Word is a must have. The author, Doug Robinson has helped thousands of salespeople improve over his many years. The book is easy to read and understand and will sharpen your sales skills.” Jen McGinnis, AZ. You can order it HERE with FREE SHIPPING.

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“Multiply” Your Market Leads

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“He who see most, make most” (Chinese proverb), so let’s multiply your market leads.

Calling all blue collar services salespeople! Whether you sell HVAC, security systems, termite/pest control, replacement windows, whatever; you are in peak market lead season.

Company provided market leads are now more plentiful than at any other season of the year. You must also realize that rarely will you receive enough of them to fill a day, and peak lead season only lasts a few months. Therefore I’m suggesting you work daily to “multiply” your market leads.

Piggybacking a few self-generated activities and contacts on top of each market lead is both natural and productive. It’s natural because you choose people to contact who have some sort of relationship or connection to your company or to another customer. It’s productive because this additional activity reduces windshield time and generates “more revenue per mile” for you and your company.

Wisdom says to have various types of customer lists with you in either electronic or hard copy format when you are in the field. These lists will help you fill scheduling gaps, replace “busted appointments,” or simply focus your prospecting efforts in a tight geographical area by calling/texting/touching people while you are nearby.

Picture This Scenario…

This morning you were assigned two market leads for services you sell, but that’s all you have on your daily schedule. Whether you sell those leads or not you should have at least a couple of hours to invest in other activities. To help “multiply” those two leads for a more successful day, consider some of these collateral prospecting activities:

Multiplier #1

When you finish your first market lead appointment, canvass the neighbors. At a minimum go to the ones adjacent to and across the street. That’s at least four new prospects for future potential sales. For the “not homes” leave your literature packet with your card on the doorknob. Look up their address in a reverse phone directory and get their name and call for an appointment.

Multiplier #2

Carry a copy (paper or electronic) of current customers of your company. Find some near the address you’re working now and canvass these neighbors too. This customer becomes an anchor to name drop in order to generate additional appointments.

Multiplier #3

Certainly your company has some version of a complaint log. Stuff happens, so reach out to those on the log who live in proximity to the market lead where you currently are. Call and or stop by and perform a QA visit to ensure their satisfaction. Canvass those neighbors and attempt to secure some referrals or a testimonial from this customer who had a bad experience that was made right.

Multiplier #4

Carry a copy (paper or electronic) of a cancelled customer list showing ex-customers in the vicinity of where you are working today. Drop by while you’re nearby and attempt to have a conversation that could lead to re-selling a previously disgruntled patron.

Multiplier #5

Carry a list of commercial customers and stop by all that are near where you are working today and get permission to place some employee discount POS in their break areas. Certainly your company offers discounts to employees of your commercial customers for your services at their residences. Make sure your contact number is on this POS so any future calls come back to you.

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Multiplier #6

Using your iPad or similar device, locate new homeowners in the area you are working by using Zillow.com. Enter the zip code you are working in and then simply open the For Sale box at the top and click on SOLD Then deselect (unclick) all the others.

Sold homes will appear for that zip. Scroll back in time for a desired date range. Click on a house you want to investigate and you will have the street address. Click on “neighborhood” and you can isolate addresses of neighbors as well as other recently sold homes nearby.

Jump over to whitepages.com and secure the names and phone numbers for all the addresses you chose. Then stop and introduce yourself and your business. For “not homes,” leave a door hanger or business card and call them if they don’t call you.

Multiplier #7

From a new customer list stop by recent installs/start-ups in your target area. Verify the new customer is satisfied and explain your referral program and attempt to secure several. Make an effort to get introductions provided to these referred friends to “up the odds” of gaining appointments.

Multiplier #8

Always have unsold/pending proposals with you from the last 12 months. For those that live in your target area, stop by and “touch” them. It’s not at all unusual for people to be slow to make buying decisions. I hear stories every week about sales being made to folks who were initially proposed 6 or 9, even 12 months earlier.

By multiplying your market leads with these strategies, you will have fuller sales activity days and no doubt increased success. Additionally this will help you create a larger “footprint” in your sales territory.

Remember that the sales profession is a numbers game, so don’t get discouraged when people show no interest while working these multipliers. That’s the way it’s supposed to be. Simply smile, give them 3 business cards (one for them and two to give to their friends), and don’t ever forget that:

Some Will, Some Won’t, So What, Who’s Next?

————Fan Since 1995————

“Doug, my friend, you teach this old sales dog new things as well as remind me of things that I have forgotten or not used in a while. Thank you for all you do.” Tony Iverson, SLC, UT. Meet Doug here.

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Listen with the Third Ear!

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What does it mean to listen with the third ear?

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Somebody shared with me the saga of a salesperson who was canvassing a middle-class neighborhood one day. She was hoping to talk to residents about a new product she was introducing. As she approached one home a young boy was sitting on the front step. She asked the boy if his mom was home, and the boy replied that she was. The lady rep knocked on the door but got no response. She knocked again, this time a bit longer and stronger, but again there was no response. She looked down at the kid sitting on the step and said, “I thought you said your mom was home.” The boy said, “She is, but this isn’t where I live.”

Another fellow I heard about came home one night to a dark house. After flipping on a couple of lights he finally saw a note on the refrigerator door that read, “This isn’t working. I can’t take it anymore. I’m leaving and going to my mother’s house.” He opened the doors and saw ice cubes in the top and found his beer was cold in the bottom. “I don’t get it. What the heck is the problem,” he said as he shrugged his shoulders, grabbed a cold one and closed the doors, heading for the remote.

Virtually every time I ask salespeople if they are good listeners, they say yes. However I assure you, after dealing with sales folks for over 45 years, I’ve stumbled on very few who really are. It takes both time and effort to break poor listening habits, but for those who do the rewards are significant.

One of the most common obstacles to good listening occurs when you start framing your next question in your mind or planning what you’ll say next, before they finish responding. When doing one or the other you miss what the prospect is saying in response to the prior question. My advice here is to stay focused on your prospect and mentally echo what they say, in real time.

Body language and other forms of non-verbal communication are actually more important than what is said. Therefore if you listen but don’t look, you miss part of the message. Eye contact also lets people know that you’re paying attention, so listen with your eyes as well as your ears.

Realizing how critical listening skills are; read the following questions, one at a time, and jot down the first answer that comes to your mind, without trying to analyze them. You should answer all 8 questions in about 30 seconds.

Ready… Set… Go.

  1. How many four-cent stamps are in a dozen?
  2. The average man has how many birthdays?
  3. Some months have 30 days; some have 31; how many months have 28?
  4. I have in my hand 2 coins that total 55 cents. One is not a nickel. What are the 2 coins?
  5. Is it legal if a man marries his widow’s sister?
  6. Do they have a 4th of July in England?
  7. How many of each animal species did Moses take on the Ark?
  8. If you had one match in a room where there was a kerosene lamp, an oil heater, and a candle; which would you light first?

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Now check the answers below to see how you did and determine if you really are a good listener.

1.A dozen is twelve, regardless of what you are counting. 2. One, the day you were born. 3. All of them…some just have more. 4. A half-dollar and a nickel. 5. If she is a widow then he is a dead man and, therefore, probably couldn’t marry anybody. 6. Sure, every country’s calendar contains July 4th. 7. It was Noah. Moses was the Ten Commandments guy. 8. The match.

If you missed any it was probably not due to lack of academic knowledge, but rather poor listening skills. Start working on your improvement plan now!

————Something for Nothing————

Would a positive, relevant, informational boost be helpful to your sales activity and intensity? Every week Doug writes and publishes articles of interest perfect for salespeople and managers. This newsletter is called Selling Point and you can subscribe for FREE here! As a bonus you will have FREE access to over 300 articles and posts from the Selling Point archives dating back to 2013. WOWZA!

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Objection Fallback Responses

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Ron Carlson, ex-professor at Cal-Irvine and short story writer, gave an interesting talk to a group of people one day. He asked this group to recall when they first hit adulthood. What did they think their lives would be like and what was their Plan A at that time? He followed by asking how many of them were still operating on Plan A? Of this group of about 100, only one 23 year old, the youngest person in the room raised her hand. Everybody else in the room was already on their Plan B.  So since most everybody is living out their fallback plan, wouldn’t it make sense for blue collar salespeople to have several objection fallback responses in their hip pockets for surprises from prospects and customers?

Think about the last time you mimicked a “deer in the headlights” as a result of a sales objection that came out of left field. Did you stutter a few times, or just glance up toward heaven searching for an intelligent answer? Tucking several fallback responses into your brain means you’ll never be at a loss for words again.

Whenever you receive an objection that catches you off balance and you don’t know quite what to say, try using one of these. They will keep your prospect talking for a few moments so you can collect your thoughts and maybe gain some additional information. At least this will buy you a little time to contemplate the best way to continue and have a good shot at closing the sale.

Imitate the objection

When you imitate, or question an objection, you simply repeat the objection back to the prospect in the form of a question. There is no objection that can’t be responded to in this manner. For example:

  • My price is too high?
  • You want to think it over?
  • Get other bids?
  • You want to hold off on it for now?
  • No money?

Just make sure to contort your face into a confused look and put a question inflection in your voice. A salesperson’s two best friends are questions and silence; and this response has them both. The key to this technique is the silence that follows the question. During that silence, one of three things will occur:

  • The prospect may talk themselves into buying.
  • They’ll respond to your question and subsequent silence by telling you what needs to occur if they are to buy.
  • It doesn’t work, meaning you need to try something else.

Remember, the key is not the question; it’s the silence after the question.

Invert the Objection

This technique consists of responding to the objection with the question, “Isn’t that exactly why you should do this now?”

For example, let’s say they realize they need to get the work done but they give you an excuse that they’re too strapped for cash right now.

Invert the objection by responding, “Isn’t that exactly why you should do it right now?”

That may sound totally inappropriate, but often the prospect will engage in a back and forth that will reveal a specific comment that will provide you with a way to break through. Again, your silence following the question inversion is the key. Make the words come out of their mouth!

Illuminate the Objection

This is the old-school “feel/felt/found” strategy, but it is still effective. Whenever an objection is heard the salesperson responds with something like this:

“I certainly empathize with how you feel.

Many of my existing customers have felt just like you.

But at the end of the day what they found is…”

For example when someone says they want to get other bids, you might say this:

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“I can understand how you feel and I’ve had some other customers who felt the same way. But in the end they found (insert your specific response, i.e.) nobody wants to spend hours of their precious free time dealing with multiple salespeople coming in and out of their homes, and having to listen to high pressure sales pitches. When the smoke clears they are more confused than anything else.

They realized that having me handle the work for them was their best choice, partly because my customers say I am trustworthy and likable. Additionally they will tell you my solution is the least expensive over the life of the service and saved them time, which is so important in this fast paced world.

So can I go ahead and call my service department and get this work scheduled for you?”

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Remember, I’m not saying these objection responses are totally appropriate for every circumstance. What I’m saying is that these are good to use anytime you get caught off-guard by a concern that you aren’t immediately prepared for.

————What a Friend————

“Knowledge is thinking one is pretty smart. Wisdom is knowing that you are aware you have a friend who is smarter than you. That is what Doug is to me. If you are blessed enough to be in one of his training sessions, you might want to pay attention.” Gary Starr, Albany, GA. His training sessions?

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©2019 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC  

Funambulism: Sales Manager Requirement

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I’m guessing that before your eyes moved from the title of this post, you began googling the word funambulism, right? So now you know it is a long winded word for tightrope walking. Sounds like a sales manager’s job description to me.

There is no doubt that sales managers have one of the most difficult jobs around. If they make or exceed sales budgets, they are merely doing their jobs. If they miss, they are failures, at least in the eyes of their boss or business owner.

Most managers are familiar with the day-to-day “administrative” functions of their role. This includes helping prepare proposals with salespeople, compiling and reporting on weekly sales progress, measuring daily activities, and managing up. However, there’s another sales management arena that many aren’t well-versed or comfortable with, and that is coaching and training.

Before you SM’s out there close your browser and mumble that I don’t know what I’m talking about, let me clarify what I mean. Most managers do provide product training, target market insight, intelligence on competition, etc., but not specifically assistance related to selling skills.

Salespeople are silently screaming for help and coaching with skill sets like prospecting, cold calling, relationship building, objection handling, negotiating, and closing. I think many companies believe their sales reps should already be proficient in these areas. I hate to break the news to them but that is just naive and untrue.

I firmly stand in the camp of folks who believe that effective coaching on topics like face-to-face communication skills will vastly improve sales performance while decreasing sales turnover. Areas such as identifying and mirroring prospect temperament, improving likability, displaying empathy, never assuming, and learning to ask information-gathering diagnosis questions on the front end of prospect meetings are critical.

After a 40 year career in sales, sales management, training and coaching I’ve encountered these gaps in skill sets over and over in several different industries. As a result, when I wrote and published my book in 2012 much of its content was focused on these soft skill areas. It’s these basic skills that need to be honed and improved by all sales people.

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Traditional classroom training has been the vehicle in years past for sales skill improvement of all types. There are a lot of good vendors and providers out there, but this approach can be expensive. When employers begin to heap travel, lodging, meals, and lost productivity onto a trainer’s tuition, costs can runs from 2%-10% of payroll.

To alleviate these financial negatives, along with other drawbacks, my coaching practice consists of live, 30 minute video conferencing, weekly sessions. Assignments and study materials are provided a week in advance so discussions, Q&A, and role play can be included during each session, ensuring these are not boring lectures! This type of coaching is also ideal if your sales teams are remote.

Find a coach that is a good fit for your market segment. My niche is working with blue collar sales teams, so I recognize where I’m effective and where I would be unqualified.

So sales managers everywhere, if you need to improve your expertise at funambulism, find an experienced, dynamic, inexpensive sales coach who understands your industry and put them to work.

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©2019 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC  

Rock the Recognition

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Bear with me while I introduce today’s topic, but meanwhile remember this. Everybody on the planet has an invisible red flashing sign on their chest that says, “Make me feel special!”

In late March my wife and I, with another couple of besties, traveled to extreme southwest Georgia, to the hamlet of Colquitt. It’s not the end of the world but you can see it from there. The population is about 2,000 in a county of 6,000. Our journey took us to Cotton Hall for our second visit to Swamp Gravy.

Swamp Gravy is Georgia’s official folk-life play, where stories about family, community, and life and death are portrayed. 2019 is the 26th season for over 100 everyday folks from the surrounding area to dress in period costumes and entertain all comers. For two hours per show a converted cotton barn becomes a playhouse, and the bragging rights for this rural community. Each show is repeated eight times over two weekends, and then the players return to the drawing board to prepare and practice for six weeks for the next production.

To clarify, swamp gravy really is a thing. It is a stew-like dish made from “fish drippings,” left after frying fish. You add tomatoes, potatoes, onions, and whatever else you might have left over. It’s served to family and guests with the fried fish, cornbread, and of course, sweet tea to wash it down.

Before I continue I really need to comment about the first time my crew and I journeyed 1½ hours to Colquitt for a play. Although there are constantly dozens of men, women and children performing, my friend and I, both septuagenarian grandfathers, immediately noticed a young girl, maybe 10 years old, performing in the cast. She was precious and reminded us both of one of our granddaughters. She didn’t have a leading role, nor a supporting role. Because she didn’t have any lines I can’t even describe her as a bit player. I guess she would have to be called an extra, although that in no way does her performance justice. Her smile, her moves and hand gestures, and her mastery of every word during group singing was simply electric. She totally dominated our conversation during the intermission and captured lots of our attention during the second half of the show.

Fast forward a year to this current Swamp Gravy production. As the four of us found our seats and waited for the play to begin, my friend leaned over and said, “I wonder if that cute little girl from last time will be in this play.” Up until that point I hadn’t really thought about her, but I shrugged my shoulders to him, and immediately started surveying the playhouse.

As the play began there she was, in a blue dress with her hair in pig tails, singing her heart out. Although this was a completely different play from the first one we attended, she was again an extra. Call her what you like, she was in her element. I am no thespian but she is good! At her age and stage in life, I know she must spend the lion’s share of her time at school, with family, friends and just being a kid. In spite of all that, she executed her role in this play flawlessly, as if she focused on the songs, movements, interactions, and facial expressions for 12 hours every day. As crazy as it may sound, I found myself watching her in each scene more often than the speaking actors who headlined the production.

Now for you sales manager subscribers to this newsletter, here comes the point you need to snag and internalize. Immediately when the play ended, I worked my way down to the floor of Cotton Hall in search of that girl. I approached her and said, “Excuse me,” and she turned and looked up at me, immediately sticking out her hand to shake mine, as she had probably been instructed to do. I didn’t shake her hand but rather put both my hands on her shoulders. I looked her in the eyes and this is what I said.

“This is the second time I have come here from Albany to see a play. I remember you from a year ago and was very impressed. This time I am even more amazed. This may sound goofy but you are my favorite character out of all 100 people in the production. I can tell that you absolutely love doing this. I REALLY see that you love it. I believe one day you will be an actor.” I then hugged her and she incredulously looked up at me smiling and said, “Thank you.” I walked away and headed for the parking lot.

I “Rocked the Recognition” for two reasons. First, selfishly it feels awesome when I lift up someone else and attempt to make them feel special. Second I wanted her to know that somebody absolutely noticed and admired her performance, and that her hard work is paying off. I would never want her to get exasperated and frustrated and give up before she eventually reaches her personal objectives.

But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded – 2 Chronicles 15:7. 

This entire time I didn’t know this girl’s name or anything about her. My wife received a playbill from an usher but I never looked at it. After I got home that night I sat down and took time to look through it. Inside were photos of each participant along with a mini-bio. Here is what was written about this little gal I’ve been gushing over.

“Harlieanne Williams is an outgoing 11 year old who loves dancing and acting. This is her 5th Swamp Gravy production. Harlieanne hopes to be on Broadway one day.”

When I read that I was so glad I spoke to her and gave recognition about two things that happened to be important to her. I told her twice I could see that “she loved it.” I also shared that I believed she would grow up to become an actor. BTW, is Harlieanne a great name or what?

You Sales Managers out there; divide and conquer… and recognize!

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—————It’s Up to You—————

The contents of Doug’s book are exactly what every sales person needs. He knows face-to-face selling from being out there doing it for many years. You should get a copy of Sell is NOT a Four Letter Word. Peyton Willis, Comfort Consultant, Cooper’s Heating & Air

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©2019 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC  

Questions To Assess Your Company Culture

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Over the past few months I’ve heard comments from a couple of my customers that caught my attention. One client lamented about having too much sales turnover in his enterprise. Another responded to a question I asked about one of his consultants by saying he didn’t know. He followed that by stating he didn’t really care what went on in the personal lives of employees. Therefore he didn’t want to know anything outside of work.

You may have a similar perspective to these at your company. So here is a portion of an article by Keith Rosen, author and global authority on sales and leadership. If you’re interested, check him out at www.keithrosen.com.

Does your company culture reflect your people and their personal values? Are your people a reflection of your culture? Does the attitude and behavior within your organization reflect your desired culture? Does your culture reflect not just your corporate vision but your team vision? If companies are honest, the answer for most is, “Not even close.” Here are 15 questions to assess your company culture, as well as your leadership and coaching effectiveness.

What if one of your sales or service employees was rushed to the hospital after suffering a heart attack at a prospect’s house? An hour later the hospital called to share the devastating news that the employee died at the hospital. When the hospital asked for the name and number of the next of kin would anyone on your management team have the answer?

Think about your company. How much do you really know about your folks personally? How much time and attention do you invest in fostering connections with people?

Trust is built, not assumed. No one is obligated to give trust until it’s earned. 

Keeping HR compliance in mind, do you really know the people you work with?

I can’t think of anyone who would want to work at a company like the one above. The sad truth is, there’s a good chance most people already do.

When Company and Personal Values Clash

Companies and leaders with good intentions struggle to break free from the monotony of their current business because they face the daily pressures of metrics, performance expectations, quotas, deadlines,—the list runs on.

Inevitably, the reversion to a dysfunctional culture is a byproduct of driving results.

15 Questions to Assess Your Culture and the ROI of Coaching

How would you describe your workplace? Healthy, supportive, collaborative and fulfilling, or is it more of a result-driven, report-obsessed, fear based culture, where results are more important than people?

Do you define a great manager by their results and the color of their scorecard? Or is a great leader defined by the positive impact they’ve made on other people, while developing the future leaders of the organization? Does your company operate under the belief that by putting people and processes first, they realize the byproduct is a top performing culture?

These 15 questions will assess your company culture and your leadership and coaching effectiveness.

  1. Do you have more turnover than your industry average?
  2. Do you struggle with departmental silos or creating a cohesive team?
  3. Are your managers spending 70 percent of their time putting out fires or developing, observing, and coaching their people that generates consistent, measurable results?
  4. Is everyone on your team achieving their quota and business objectives, and not just the few top producers who managers rely on to hit monthly goals?
  5. Are your direct reports seeking out coaching from you, coworkers and peers, both in and outside of your department?
  6. Do you view your team as direct reports or peers and coaches? Do you seek out coaching from others, regardless of their position or tenure?
  7. Is everyone in your company learning how to effectively coach and leverage a proven coaching framework through a formalized coaching program?
  8. Are your salespeople authentically coaching rather than selling to your customers?
  9. Are you effectively developing a talented bench of future leaders? How do you know?
  10. Do you work in a safe, transparent, and trusting environment fueled by innovation and positivity, or a fear-based, result driven culture?
  11. Are you retaining your top talent?
  12. Are you consistently crushing your sales targets, gaining market share and growing at your desired pace?
  13. Do people come to work happy and fulfilled because you all want to be there?
  14. Do you work from a place of intention or reaction? Do your company priorities seem to be changing daily?
  15. Is everyone committed to holding themselves and others accountable to coach, sustain and reinforce the culture you want?

These 15 questions will help assess your culture and the impact great coaching makes, so you can be honest with yourself about the type of leader you are, the type of leader you want to become, and the culture you’ve created among your team.

Photo credit-silenceandvoice.com

Choose a Culture of Intention or Reaction

Sadly, when results are the priority, regardless of the collateral damage that follows, most company cultures develop in a reactionary way. Creating a great culture requires conscious intention, focus, and a clear vision that’s created by your people, not HR or a marketing team.

This vision now becomes the blueprint and guiding light for your organization. Now this becomes a vision that everyone feels a part of because they contributed to crafting the vision they want to create, rather than one they were told they need to buy into.

Instead of having your culture define your people, have your people define your culture.

It is up to every leader to make a choice every day. Rather

Photo credit-silenceandvoice.com

than acting as the Chief Problem Officer, effective coaching can become a choice and the consistent habit that aligns with the way people collaborate, engage and positively communicate with one another to achieve business objectives.

When this becomes the new normal, that’s the sign that a healthy coaching culture has emerged.

——————Please Read Before Leaving——————

“Doug has been really good in helping my reps successfully make prospecting calls and appointments. Not only is he good at what he does but he coaches reps online for a fraction of the cost of traditional workshops requiring travel, meals, and overnight rooms. My team is definitely performing better as a result of his coaching.” Mandar S. – Lafayette, LA. Come to Doug’s website and learn more, then decide if he could be the missing piece for your company.

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©2019 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC  

Knowledge vs. Wisdom

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Knowledge is knowing history well. Wisdom is learning from it, so as not to repeat its mistakes.

Knowledge is knowing it is a one-way street. Wisdom is still looking both ways before crossing.

Knowledge is knowing Frankenstein was the doctor. Wisdom is knowing that Frankenstein was the monster.

Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad.

Knowledge is being able to clone a dinosaur. Wisdom is asking if that is really a good idea.

Knowledge is knowing that your wife is wrong. Wisdom is deciding not to argue with her.

Knowledge is knowing the ingredients. Wisdom is knowing the recipe.

Knowledge speaks. Wisdom listens.

Recently my 38 year old son asked me an interesting question. “Dad, how does it feel to be 70 years old?” I started telling him about needing a twenty minute nap in the afternoon and not clearly understanding all the words, even when I heard somebody say something.

He stopped me and said that wasn’t what he meant. He wanted to know about things like how I felt about my life experiences and how they compared to my expectations. I thought that was very insightful, and he was definitely the first “young” person to even act as if they cared to hear my opinion about much of anything.

I had a quick flashback in my mind to when I was a young teenager in the early 1960’s. I recall my dad getting aggravated at my ready-fire-aim perspective on life. More than once I remember him reminding me I wasn’t as smart as I thought I was. He would shake his head when he could tell I didn’t really want to hear his opinion, or want to know his experience about “life stuff.” Within five years he and my mom both passed away. It dawned on me that I would have really liked to know how dad re-wired the kitchen toaster that shorted out. I wish I’d paid attention to mom when she mixed up the ingredients for homemade ice cream. I could hand crank the freezer, but don’t know what all went in there.

I began to become more humble, asking for help and advice. Whenever there was something I really cared about, I would find a mentor and interrogate them about how to do it. Whether it was my grandpa or my boss, I started asking for specific instructions and then I’d follow them.

I remember more than once, seeking out successful people and saying to them, “I’m willing to do whatever it takes to achieve what you have accomplished. Please show me exactly what I should do and I promise to do it over and over as long as it takes until I win.”

Photo credit-leaderly.com

I told my son that decades later I’m now that guy who has accumulated enough knowledge to distill some wisdom. I’m no Solomon, but feel that I have “broken the code” in several areas of life. I answered his question by telling him I’m wondering why younger folks aren’t “bugging” me to help them find the blueprints, like I did years ago. How will they learn to be successful investors and achieve financial independence? How will they become successful entrepreneurs, and avoid punching a clock on a job for the rest of their lives?

Regardless what they seriously want to achieve, how will they learn the ropes?

I’m thinking that folks don’t want to sit and listen to old men and women bloviate and show what they know. I think they would rather Google it or watch a YouTube video, hoping to get some usable information without having to leave the house or talk with another human.

So, that’s how I feel about being 70. I progressed in life by multiplication and not addition, by standing on the shoulders of successful people who preceded me. Whatever you’re interested in mastering in life, find someone who’s done it well and copy them. Don’t reinvent the wheel; just roll with it!

————Whoa Joe!————

I was in an audience where Doug was speaking about ways for salespeople to improve their communication skills. He was spot on. He was interesting, witty, to the point, and made suggestions that I will definitely share with my employees. Joe Kirshner, Huntington, WV. Meet Doug HERE.

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©2019 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC  

Coaching “Sherlock the Sales Rep”

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Today rather than providing a tip or strategy for the “new crew” in your sales room, let’s look at your omnipresent sales guy that I’ll call Sherlock. Certainly you are thankful for this senior, albeit anal, anchor member of your sales team. Come on, you know who I’m talking about. Holmes is the laser-focused, analytical rep who’s always researching everything, while working Sodoku puzzles. Interestingly, he also seems to always know where all the bodies are buried. You know who I’m talking about; the one you secretly dubbed “Wiki.”

Visitors to your sales room know he’s at work when they hear the sucking sound coming from his cubicle, as he absorbs all the information in the selling universe. He stores this treasure in a secret underground lair he accesses at will, or when one of his colleagues (your other sales reps) needs to be rescued from a selling box canyon. By default this makes him the perfect go-to advice-giver in your shop, especially considering he views the majority of situations differently than most any other mortal.

It’s weird, like he almost looks at the world through a window nobody else has access to. He has the ability to meticulously reassemble Humpty Dumpty. If you watch him work you would be reminded of the ‘70’s TV homicide detective, Lt. Columbo, or his 90’s counterpart Adrian Monk.

An added bonus with a guy like this is that he can find and uncover customer problems as well as solve them. Sounds like a seller you might ask Santa for, right? Well maybe, but there is a flip side. Managing a guy with this temperament and behavior is a lot like herding cats, so here are some suggestions to keep Columbo on the bus and coach him to achieve his potential:

  • Realize boredom may set in quicker on Holmes-type salespeople. Alter his territory occasionally, encourage him to sell using different techniques, and change up training opportunities to keep him sharp and on the “cutting edge.”
  • Let your P.I. show off his expertise in front of others. Consider assigning him a portion of your sales meeting or let him contribute to the blog your company just started. His chest will swell with pride when he’s in position to wow his peers.
  • Include the gumshoe in regular brainstorming. He will make some helpful and unique contributions, and this creative thinking will keep him pumped.
  • Remind Sherlock to keep an open mind. His personality will naturally cause him to organize, arrange, practice, and prepare. But you still need to remind him that, assuming makes an “ass” of “u” and “me.”
  • Insure your detective doesn’t overwhelm buyers with his “buffet.” Rather than confusing buyers with countless options, myriad choices and endless possibilities, help him boil it down to a manageable “gold, silver, bronze” type decision process.
  • Discourage your sleuth from calling it a day after simply introducing a masterful initiative. Confirm with him that he must instinctively follow up, understanding that closing means agreeing on a logical next step and not just signing a sales agreement.
  • Remind the bloodhound to decelerate. Since his mind processes ideas so quickly, he needs to slow down and recap by asking questions to ensure the buyer/customer stays with him.

After looking over these ideas, be careful not to characterize this guy as a one-trick pony. He is a unique mixture of talent that should be coached with all these strengths and weaknesses kept in balance.

————Kudos From a Young Sales Rep————

“Doug’s weekly one-on-one coaching is the perfect kick in the rear to help me finish each week strong. Anything he asks you to do, I can guarantee is in your best interest. His live video chats are just like he is in the room with me.” See more for yourself HERE. Peyton W., HVAC sales consultant

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 ©2019 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC

Follow the Yellow Brick Road…

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♪ Follow the yellow brick road. ♫ Follow, follow, follow, follow; follow the yellow brick road.

I would find it hard to believe there is anyone who is not familiar with the Wizard of Oz. In this classic 1939 movie, a tornado transports Dorothy from her home in Kansas to, “somewhere over the rainbow.” It deposits her and Toto, her dog, in a very strange place. She is led to believe the only person who can help her get back home is the Wizard of Oz. He is the monarch of the Emerald City, a day’s journey from where Dorothy and Toto landed.

Along with three newfound friends they are told by Glinda the good witch, to “follow the yellow brick road.” It would take them to Oz where they would get the help they need from the Wizard.

Although there are differences between your customers in appearance, temperament, and behavior, people do seem to have one thing in common, and that is how they make buying decisions. Whether buying a battery charger or a Dodge Charger there are several questions virtually every customer subconsciously asks and answers. These are a normal part of their purchasing process. I call this progression the “yellow brick road,” since they typically follow it to reach the destination they seek.

1. Can I trust you and do I like you?

People buy from those they like and trust. In order to become likeable and trustworthy it’s important to make a solid first impression. A neat appearance, pleasant voice and smile, and a helpful and positive attitude are all critical. By exhibiting these attributes, most folks will at least give the benefit of the doubt and listen to recommendations.

2. Do you really care about me?

Everybody on the planet has an invisible sign on their chest that reads, “Make Me Feel Special.” In order to accomplish this, you need to ask lots of “W” questions; What, Why, Where, Who, When and throw in How with the “W’s.” As prospects respond to your probing, actively listen to their responses. Making eye contact, responding both verbally and non-verbally, and occasional paraphrasing their responses ensures you understand their intentions. This helps the homeowner feel special and won’t cause them to think you are simply a hit and run salesperson.

3. Do I really have a problem?

Sometimes the prospect is aware of issues and sometimes they aren’t. Make sure to describe every problem and concern, and verify with photos or video before making your recommendations. Remember that “surgery without a diagnosis is malpractice.” Always put into perspective the value of preventative maintenance to help avoid unnecessary home repair expenses. As you do, always treat every customer like you would want your own mother treated. No scare tactics, under any circumstances.

4. What can you do for me?

Continue the conversation by offering your solution, showing what your product or service will do for them. Remember that features tell, but it’s the benefits that sell, as you give your explanation. As a reminder, benefits come in two flavors; logical and emotional. Logical benefits tell how the feature works, while emotional benefits tell how the customer will feel once they have them. In addition, whenever possible, demonstrate your solution to help your customer see it come to life.

5. Is this a good business decision?

Assuming you’ve sounded reasonable to this point, their next subconscious question will be whether it makes sense financially. It’s critical at this juncture to qualify your company as the right one for the job. Cite differences between you and competitors that will reduce risk to their most expensive investment; their home. Show them you provide the lowest overall cost over the life of the service, even when your upfront price is higher.

6. Do I want it and should I take action now?

It’s normal for folks to hesitate prior to pulling the trigger, even when they know they need what you are offering. Don’t be surprised if objections surface, but attempt to bring up and answer the most common ones yourself, prior to them raising the concern. This way you take away objections that could surprise you when you attempt to close transactions. As you respond don’t ever forget that “nobody wants to be pushed but everyone likes to be led.” Avoid selling pressure and maintain your professional integrity with everyone.

Remember that selling is not something you do to someone, but rather something you do with and for someone.

Customers that are sold this way tend to remain loyal for the long term. Additionally they are more likely to refer and recommend others to you and your company. That’s important for your job security as well as the reputation of your company.

How about that? You didn’t need to see the wizard after all!

 

————I’m Blushing————

“Doug came to our company and created a selling structure stressing systems and procedures and team synergy. Both components have changed the way we approach business on a day to day basis. He has encouraged our creativity to bring more life to the organization. Doug provides a “big brother” feel that lets us know when we are doing a great job and when “we need to pick it up a bit.” I appreciate this knowing he cares about the results we get and that our sales remain healthy.” Check out his website here. – Jay Carpenter, Alarm Detection Technology (ADT), Albany, Ga.

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 ©2019 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC

Common Sense Laws of Nature

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Today is Tax Day 2019, so in observance I am shifting gears from the traditional Selling Point-type article I usually write. In its place I’m sharing something I stumbled upon that you will no doubt find interesting. As readers of this newsletter, I suspect most of you are middle class, hardworking, freedom loving Americans. I also suspect you are as concerned as I am about the America our kids and grand kids will inherit.

What I’m sharing was written by William J.H. Boetcker (1873–1962), who was born in Germany but immigrated to the United States as a young man. He was ordained as a Presbyterian minister soon after his arrival in America and became known publicly for his eloquent and inspiring speaking style and content.  Many consider him to be the forerunner for today’s motivational speakers and coaches.

In 1916 he produced a booklet of maxims, taken from his lectures, which eventually were codified and became known as The Ten Cannots. When I first read these I was shocked to see they were penned over 100 years ago, since they could have easily been written last month. Every child in our public schools should be exposed to these pearls of wisdom.

These 10 Cannots are great examples that there are no new ideas under the sun, and they apply today just like they did back then. They are not laws in the sense that they’ve been passed by a legislative body, but rather that they are common sense laws of nature. Boetcker’s cannots are in bold, followed by my (Doug’s) personal comments.

  1. You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift – Although this statement makes perfect sense, our government overly taxes our income, savings and retirement funds, thereby reducing everybody’s ability to provide for their future retirement prosperity.
  2. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong – This is a consummate socialist mantra we are currently hearing over and over. They preach for people not to achieve, but rather drag the achievers down, spreading the misery among everyone.
  3. You cannot help little men by tearing down big men – Our last president included the, “You didn’t build that” statement into his speeches, while a large percentage of Americans disrespect “The evil 1%.” You know the drill, so I won’t waste your time reciting any more of the liberal’s rhetoric.
  4. You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer – Capital goes where it is treated well. When job creators/wage payers are mistreated they take their money and their jobs elsewhere, and that’s often outside the USA.
  5. You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich – Although it sounds so simple the progressive populists continue to include this as part of their talking points and their political rhetoric.
  6. You cannot establish sound security on borrowed money – As a nation we have borrowed and owed over $10 trillion before the past administration took over in January 2009. When the new president took office in January 2017 that debt was over $19 trillion. That’s nearly as much new debt in 8 years as the previous 230 years. Today it’s $22 trillion and climbing. Neither party gets a pass on this travesty.
  7. You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred – Making the rich into scapegoats for society’s ills unites the left. This group divides the country between rich and poor much more than they divide it between good and evil.
  8. You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than you earn – In the first quarter of this year the government took in $1 trillion, but spent $1.2 trillion! How long could your family stay afloat if you earned $50K but spent $60K year after year?                                                                              -What does $1 trillion look like? (First, a bundle of $100 bills is less than 1/2″ thick with $10,000)   -$1 million dollars would be 100 of these $10,000 packets.                                                                         -$100 million would fit neatly on a standard pallet stacked about 4 feet tall.                                             -$1 billion would be 8 pallets that same size.                                                                                                   -$1 trillion would be 50 pallets wide and 100 pallets deep, DOUBLE-STACKED (in $100 bills)               -For perspective, look at the guy standing at the lower left corner of the pallets!                                                                                                                                    
  9. You cannot build character and courage by destroying men’s initiative and independence – 21 percent of Americans (1 in 5) participate in one or more of 79 separate government programs. These entitlements provide a “fish for today,” but saps their initiative by not “teaching them to fish.”
  10. You cannot help permanently by doing for people what they can/should do for themselves – The natural human desire for self-support is being tamped down by the liberal policies of the government. If you ever read scripture, look at Galatians 6:9 at Paul wrote. “Let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up or quit.”

————Doug’s Common Sense————

Doug Robinson’s book, $ell is Not a Four Letter Word, coupled with his online coaching sessions are the perfect combination for any sales professional. Whether used as a weapon against low pricing competitors, or as a tool to qualify proposals to customers, Doug’s “common sense” techniques deliver sales and profits! Thank you Doug for all that you’ve helped me accomplish!                                   -Chad Johnson, Comfort Consultant at Cooper’s Heating and Air.

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©2019 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC  

 

Attitude Controls Altitude

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A great definition for attitude is “the way you look at life, and the way it looks back at you.” The best way to explain this is for me to share the true stories of two men whose attitudes were 180° apart.

The first fellow worked for a Russian railroad and accidentally locked himself in a refrigerated boxcar. He was unable to get the attention of his co-workers in order to escape. Soon he just gave up and decided he would die there. He began to write his thoughts on the boxcar wall that entrapped him, scribbling that it was terribly cold. He stated that he was having trouble breathing, and that these would probably be his last words before he died.

Within a few hours he expired as he predicted. The weird part was there was no medical reason for his demise. The refrigeration mechanism was not even working, and the boxcar had plenty of ventilation, so he certainly didn’t suffocate. He couldn’t have died from hunger or thirst, since his body was discovered the very next morning. He was apparently simply a victim of his own negative thoughts.

The other fellow made medical history in Romania. He survived eleven days without food or water, after an earthquake buried him under an annihilated ten story apartment building.

Following his rescue from the rubble, people asked how he managed to survive. He slept a lot, but told himself he would get out alive, when he was awake. He believed the rescuers would find him alive, and he was correct.

Until hearing these two vignettes, did you consider that attitude could determine life and death?

Positive attitudes lead to good health and reduced stress, according to many psychologists. That’s beneficial because statistics say we get bombarded with eighteen negative statements for every positive one that comes our way. As weighty as attitude is in everyday life, it is also one of the determining factors for success in your sales career. You are known by your attitude and will always be remembered for it. It is more important than your skill sets, work ethic, and values.

Positive salespeople, those with healthy attitudes, generally outsell their negative counterparts. Negative reps sell less and are poorly connected to customers and fellow workers.

One of the key elements of a positive attitude is optimism, because it enables you to make an attempt when there’s no convincing reason to expect success. Like our friend buried under the rubble, optimism seems to inject a dose of renewed energy that even banishes fear. But all too often salespeople are notorious for being fearful of things that might happen. They fail to realize that the things they fear the most almost never occur.

Optimists just push on through, remembering that the word fear is an acronym for; False Expectations Appearing Real. Additionally, in the Bible the word fear not appears over 100 times. That should help nudge your attitude in the right direction!

Sadly, on the other hand, fear stops pessimists. It encourages them to throw wet blankets of negativity over the atmosphere in sales rooms everywhere. They offer up sniping comments such as:

“Without knowing for sure whether they have good credit, you think I’m driving all the way out there?”

“It’s gotten so bad that every two hours he texts me to see if I’ve sold something.”

“Is she crazy? She should know people don’t have extra money for buying right now.”

By comparing the two, it’s easy to understand that the optimists are out in the field selling, while the pessimists are hanging around the office whining and complaining.

Here’s one final comparison. Following a sizable snowfall a few winters ago, I snapped the photo you see on the left of a mountain home we owned at the time. I showed the picture to an acquaintance who said, “That’s beautiful; you should use that photo as your Christmas card.” Later I showed it to another person and her response was, “I get the shivers just looking at that picture. Whatever made you want to buy a house in a remote place like that?” Perception is reality after all, isn’t it?

Remember that every moment of every day you are the one who decides how you feel, think, and act. It is your own personal choice and one of the few things you have total control over in life. Make sure you choose to feel terrific about who you are and embrace your capabilities. Make a conscious decision to attain and maintain an attitude that attracts success, because attitude IS everything!

————Doug’s Giddy About Gaddy————

As you journey thru life there are rare opportunities to encounter and interact with individuals that really make a significant impact on your profession. They also alter your view of integrity and class. Doug Robinson is that individual that I’ve been fortunate enough to meet. It’s fair to say that being coached by him has made me even more polished than before. His vast knowledge of business techniques and strategies makes him a diamond at teaching high level performance. He is not only an awesome teacher and coach, but I’m happy to call him friend.  You should meet him too…HERE. Michael Gaddy, Sales Consultant Tuscaloosa, AL.

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 ©2019 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC

What Gets Measured Gets Done

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Photo credit-salesdevelopmentexpert.com

All too often, as a manager or business owner you spend most of your designated sales-related time measuring performance. Realizing that “what gets measured gets done,” you should spend some time measuring your management performance.

Most sales managers aren’t held accountable for their own leader metrics. Typically their only concern is hitting the organization’s sales goal each month and/or quarter.

Here are several benchmarks to help these managers not only achieve sales budgets, but reduce sales turnover as well. Business owners, start holding them accountable.

  • Fieldwork.Most managers allow every imaginable item on their To Do lists to supersede working in the field with their salespeople. They don’t realize that nothing replaces putting eyeballs on live interaction between salespeople and their prospects/customers. This personal attention is “to die for” with every salesperson in your employ.
  • Pre-call planning.Just like a military operation, where strategy is discussed before an attack, sales pre-call planning is a big deal. It’s critical for reps to prepare for both the routine and the unexpected. You would be smart to cover the “what if’s” prior to leaving the office. Prepare your reps for circumstances such as the following:

What if the appointment turns out to be a one-legger?

Is it possible to not uncover any real needs or pain?

Are you prepared for the homeowners to tell you they can’t afford your solution?

The better prepared they are, the better the chances of working around unexpected circumstances and still make sales.

  • Post mortems. Making or missing a sale is not where the discussion should stop. As the manager you should have a checklist of debriefing questions to determine what was overlooked or not addressed properly. On the other hand high-fives should be given for good outcomes.

Ask the reps, if they could rewind the tape, what would they do differently? Listen to their input and then share your thoughts. Be careful not to overload salespeople with deficiencies, and always use a worst-first format when seeking improvement.

Photo credit-salesforcesearch.com

  • Weekly personal coaching.The best oasis managers can provide is for them to meet face-to-face with their salespeople every week. The topics discussed aren’t as important as the fact that reps get some personal time with their manager. It gets lonely out in the field and ego’s get dinged when appointments end poorly. Salespeople need to vent, brag, and laugh on a regular basis to their managers, and time needs to be carved out for this to happen.

Even where there is a really good group of salespeople, it’s easy for them to get distracted from executing the right selling behaviors when weekly coaching sessions are skipped. Smart managers realize everybody is human and performs better with consistent support and accountability. Likewise, managers not treated the same way are not served well. In fairness, they must be measured too.

“If you don’t measure it, you can’t improve it.”

 

————An Offer You Can’t Refuse————

I’m obviously not Don Corleone, but I am going to make you an offer you can’t refuse! Well, of course you could refuse it, but why would you? My book and leader guide aren’t FREE, my online sales coaching isn’t FREE. But each week I write a Selling Point article and email it to all my subscribers for FREE. I write on topics of interest for outside salespeople, phone sales reps, selling technicians, and sales managers. Use it anyway you see fit. Don’t refuse, subscribe right here.

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 ©2019 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC  

Overlooked Opportunities

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“Life may be full of missed opportunities, but it is the next opportunity that is the most important!” – Adrian McGinn

Overlooked opportunities are everywhere in our environment. Sometimes we don’t see them because we are not looking. Other times it is because we choose to ignore them. Heck, occasionally we fail to realize there is even an opportunity available to us until it’s too late. I’ll be the first to admit that sales opportunities have flashed before me but I failed to pursue them. These are teaching moments that help us expand our horizons as professional salespeople. Moments like these show us how to add more tools to our tool boxes. They may even cause us to hang our heads and swear we won’t let that happen again.

Sometimes opportunities are subtle but an overwhelming number of them seem to be plain old low-hanging fruit. For you blue collar readers out there, some of these may sound familiar.

-It looks strange that only one house in the cul-de-sac has no snow on its roof after yesterday’s storm.

-When I glanced up there was a trail of black ants marching up to the top of the picture window.

-I noticed the double-pane picture window on that corner house is fogged up.

-There was a cloud of flying insects hovering around that garage door after that rain shower today.

-Boy, it seems there are lots of places where water is standing at that tan-colored house.

-During that last thunderstorm I noticed water just pouring off that roof, creating a muddy mess.

-Even from the street I can easily see that bright green mildew all over their foundation vents.

Whether you sell pest control, attic insulation, gutters, moisture abatement, termite treatments or replacement windows; these are all opportunities! The ones I described above are all low hanging fruit that a teenager could notice. What do you think you might see when you really begin to LOOK for opportunities?

Once you notice them you must take action. Go knock on the door and point out what you see and attempt to have an, “I can fix that” conversation. If nobody is home, write a quick note on the back of your business card stating what you noticed and ask them to call. Since many folks won’t call, jot down the address and do a reverse lookup on whitepages.com and call them in a couple of days and chat ‘em up.

I’m sure some of you reading this will say, “That’s just not my personality to do something like that.” My answer to that kind of thinking is…CHANGE!

Photo credit-thebalance.com

How many opportunities are you missing, week in and week out? What percentage of these would become new customers if they were approached? How many of these new customers would recommend you to a friend or family member, leading to even more sales? How many of these new customers would be satisfied enough to submit a Google review and become what I call a goodwill ambassador? Opportunities are everywhere. Slow down, open your eyes and start taking advantage of them. Capiche?

————Something for Nothing————

You normally get what you pay for, but when it comes to my Selling Point weekly newsletter, it’s absolutely FREE! If you SUBSCRIBE HERE you will also receive a FREE GIFT, a one hour audio talk on communication skills that I gave to a large group of business owners in West Virginia. BTW, your weekly copy of Selling Point will automatically be delivered to your email inbox, rather than having to remember to snag it from LinkedIn, or Facebook, or my website. What’s not to like?

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©2019 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC  

Dynamic Duo of Disappointments

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If you were to ask me to name the top two deal killers for residential salespeople I would immediately respond with one legger appointments and folks needing to think about it. These are the dynamic duo of disappointments. Often, the training and coaching received for these two situations occurs as a post mortem. In today’s article I want to provide some advice on these issues by dealing with them both, before heading to the appointment.

Residential salespeople will rarely get great results on lead sales calls where one of the decision makers will be absent. They are difficult to close either because the missing person really needs to be there or the absence becomes the excuse for not pulling the trigger.

Too often salespeople are assigned leads and rushed out of the office hoping to be the first one there. Why be first if you end up handing your estimate to a teenager who is home sick from school? Why spend over an hour completing an inspection and proposing, if only half of a married couple is there to listen to your findings?

Administrative (call center) personnel should screen leads and determine who the decision makers are. That information ought to result in scheduling the appointment when all the stakeholders can be there. If this is not happening in your shop, you must take the responsibility to make confirmation calls yourself, prior to going.

If our roles were reversed, I would want you to give me the following talking points for a confirmation call.

Avoiding Disappointment #1 “I am reaching out to you to confirm a couple things my dispatcher sent me. She said our appointment was on ___________ at _________am/pm at your home; correct?

I know when my spouse and I need to make big decisions about our home, we always look at the options together and make a joint decision. I’m guessing your family does the same? (Assume you hear ‘yes’). So then both of you will be there for my visit, right? (If no, continue with this).

I’m asking this because any recommendations and options I may make should be heard by all the decision-makers. So please help me pick a day/time when I can meet with all the deciders together, OK?”(WFA)

If this is impossible then leverage technology in order to bring the missing player(s) together. FaceTime or some similar video conferencing app will work well and help you avoid hearing, “I need to talk to ________and get back to you.”

Photo credit-revenueconsultant.com

Avoiding Disappointment #2. “Secondly, I’m wondering how many estimates you’re planning on getting before making your decision? (WFA)

How many do you have now? (WFA)

Is it OK with you if I be last in line to come to your home? (WFA)

(If they ask why) Well, my company provides the lowest total cost of ownership over the life of the system/service. This will be much easier for you to see if you listen to what the other companies have to say first. Heck, if I just wanted to sell you my system/service, wouldn’t I ask to be first?”

It’s been my experience that when salespeople position themselves this way that homeowners will be very curious. So much so, that they won’t buy from a competitor before hearing from Mr. Last in Line. This strategy will make the sale his to lose. It’s not a panacea but will reduce the number of times when “think about it” is heard.

In both cases, these are examples of handling objections PRIOR to them surfacing. By you bringing them up, they are taken away from your prospects, and are less likely to be used on you later.

I’ve always been a fan of the TV series, The Middle. I remember one episode where after returning home from a shopping trip where Frankie told the salesperson they would “think about it,” Brick asked his mom when they would be going back to get the item they had been looking at.

Frankie responded by saying, “Everybody knows when people say they are going to think about it, that they’re not going to think about it at all. Think about it always means ‘no.’” Keep this in mind.

————I Thought I Was Retiring————

I left the corporate world 8 years ago and signed up to receive my monthly ration of social security and pension funds. Since my bucket list included writing a book, I spent the next 18 months authoring and getting it published. Things blew up after that and today I conduct 30 online sales coaching sessions each month for blue collar companies. I doubt if you can convince me to conduct a new online session for your company, but I have developed an inexpensive regimen of DIY sales coaching you can conduct for your sales folks and technicians while I’m playing with my grandkids.

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©2019 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC  

17 Essential Sales Assumptions

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Recently I read a post written by Jill Konrath, accomplished author, speaker, and sales trainer. For everyone who sells in the B2B marketplace, her thoughts here will be every important. I am re-posting her article here in its entirety from www.jillkonrath.com.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————-————Dianna Geairn and I were musing about some of our big sales wins. As we talked, we realized our underlying assumptions—about prospects, our roles and factors that could hinder success—were crucial to our performance. In very short order, we identified 17 sales assumptions and why making them helps you win more deals. Faster. With less competition.

WHAT YOU MUST ASSUME

Assume everyone is overwhelmed. Focus only on what’s relevant, actionable and valuable to your prospect. Minimize complexity.

Assume your prospects are pretty OK with what they’re doing now. If they weren’t, they’d have already changed. Your job is to help them see why it’s worth doing things differently.

Assume prospects don’t like change. Crazy-busy people don’t want MORE work. Help them envision how your solution will get them to their goals with greater ease.

Assume it’s your responsibility to pique curiosity. Experiment with creative ways to get people to say, “Hmm. That’s interesting. I’d like to learn more.”

Assume your ideal prospects have a lot in common. Leverage what you already know about your customers to ask better questions, deepen conversations and establish credibility.

Assume prospects want to deal with experts. Demonstrate familiarity with your prospects’ business, processes, industry, issues and challenges to set yourself apart from the competition.

Assume responsibility when you fail. If your prospects buy from another vendor or decide to do nothing, analyze what you could have done differently. If you don’t learn from your mistakes you’re guaranteed to repeat them.

Assume 50% of your forecasted deals won’t close. (That’s about average.) To exceed your goals, ruthlessly inspect your pipeline to eliminate “hope” and fix lurking deal killers. Clear out “dud” opportunities to make room for real ones.

Assume prospects act in their own self-interest. If they can’t see how they will win by making a change, they won’t take the risk. Ask them how they’re evaluated. Explore how your product/service helps them achieve their goals.

Assume prospects will struggle to get buy-in. Arm them with the tools they’ll need. Prep them about the common obstacles. Help them facilitate change conversations with internal stakeholders.

————Please Help Us————

Assuming you like what you read in these weekly posts, how about helping us grow our subscriber base by telling a colleague or a friend how they can sign up to receive these too. Remember…they’re FREE. Send them here to subscribe. Thanks in advance!

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Assume you’ll hit the world’s worst traffic snarl on your way to a big meeting. Give yourself ample (2x) time to arrive stress-free. Get there early. Review your strategy. It’s the only way to be at the top of your game.

Assume technology will fail. Have Plan B ready to go. Have handouts to support presentations. Prepare to jump on a white board to facilitate a conversation … Hey! That might even be a better idea in the first place!

Assume people will use devices during meetings. Think about how you’ll get them so engaged that they won’t want to.

Assume buyers won’t remember anything. After a phone or in-person conversation, follow up with a summary of key points and next steps. Take the burden off of them.

Assume your top accounts are at-risk. Bring fresh ideas, insights and information to help your customers achieve their goals. It’s the single best way to keep your competitors at bay.

Assume buyers don’t know how to buy. Review typical hurdles your customers had to overcome at each phase of their buying process. Ask how “similar” decisions were made—from concept to signed contract.

Assume your contact will leave the company, get downsized or go on an unexpected medical leave. To protect yourself from a shake-up, make sure you have multiple relationships in an account. Never leave your future in the hands of one person.

©2019 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC  

Buy With Emotion, Justify With Logic

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Regardless what you sell in the residential marketplace, you have no doubt been indoctrinated with lots of features and functions about your service or product. You need all that instruction because prospects make buying decisions because they have carefully considered all your information, right? Wrong.

Buying decisions are always the result of an emotion that moves people one way or the other. While feature and functions you provide may help, their emotion is much more important than your product information.

Author and consultant Geoffrey James provided me the inspiration for explaining this concept. He preaches that when salespeople learn to understand temperaments and emotions, they will relate and sell better.

All buying decisions stem from the interplay of the following six emotions:

  1. Greed. “If I make a decision now, I will be rewarded.”
  2. Fear. “If I don’t make a decision now, I’m toast.”
  3.  Unselfishness. “If I make a decision now, I will help others.”
  4. Envy. “If I don’t make a decision now, my competition will win.”
  5. Pride. “If I make a decision now, I will look smart.”
  6. Shame. “If I don’t make a decision now, I will look stupid.”

Every successful sales discussion either creates or magnifies one or more of these six emotional states. When one of these emotional states is present, a buying decision becomes inevitable. You job is to identify it and use it as leverage when necessary.

————BAMA Weighs In————

“Doug’s online training sessions have been a valuable addition for our sales training. The subject matter includes all facets of the sales process and helps eliminate the isolation effect of single operations by allowing participants to share success stories and ideas across multiple markets.” Dwayne Hazel, Pest Control Franchisee – Tuscaloosa, AL.

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Understand Your Customer’s Belief Perspective

The prospect’s perspective within these emotions is what determines how each emotion plays out.

For example, if a homeowner is considering upgrading their insulation, they need to know the potential energy savings. If they happen to be a GREEN or a RED temperament it’s likely their greed will then kick in. Proof that this upgrade will pay for itself in only three years may be the reward that triggers the purchase.

On the other hand another homeowner considering an insulation upgrade may be a BLUE or YELLOW temperament. By highlighting and emphasizing that your insulation offering is a green product that is kind to the environment, the emotions of unselfishness and altruism may emerge. This homeowner may see himself helping others as he does his part for the environment in addition to saving money himself.

Photo credit-blogs.salford.ac.uk

Therefore if you’re going to reveal the emotions that drive decision-making, you need to know some of the beliefs that folks hold and use for evaluation. A better understanding of temperaments will be a big help.

And that means observation and evaluation. The more you learn about your prospects, the more likely you’ll be to determine how their emotions will guide and frame buying decisions.

Folks have heard me say “the facts don’t count” time and time again. This is a good example of what I mean. I realize it sounds crazy but emotions are the engine while facts are the caboose. More often than not people go back and “remind themselves” of the factual basis for a purchase, while the decision was made previous to this from a nudge to their emotions.

©2019 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC  

Sales Coaching Works!

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As a long-time sales coach you would expect me to continually repeat the mantra that sales coaching works, and I do. But my “voice crying in the wilderness” may not resonate with you. Since everyone feels better about things that are backed by documented evidence, I gathered some to share with you in this post. Here are ten facts about the effectiveness of sales coaching, compiled by LevelEleven. Each one is source-verified with links provided.

Sales coaching statistics managers & business owners should consider

1. 74 percent of leading companies cite sales coaching and mentoring of sales reps as the most important role front line sales manager’s play. (Source)

2. Less than 20 percent of the average manager’s time is spent on proactive sales coaching. (Source)

3. Effective sales coaching can drastically improve closing rates by as much as 25 percent. (Source)

4. No other productivity investment improves rep performance better than sales coaching. (Source)

5. 31 percent of sales leaders coach each of their reps for less than 30 minutes each week. (Source)

—————My Actual Coaching Results—————

“At Cooper’s we have used Doug Robinson’s online sales coaching services for the past five years.During this time frame our company has tripled in revenue and Doug has been an essential part of that. Doug conducts weekly online sales meetings and activity accountability sessions with our three outside salespeople. We email Doug their activity reports daily, so he knows what they actually did, not what they say they did.

Additionally he conducts weekly online coaching with our service manager. Doug helps him teach the service techs best practices for replacement sale leads. These provide excellent revenue sources for the sales team.

Doug, thanks for always adding more value. You are a very important part of our team; thanks for everything you do.

If you are serious about growing and improving your company you should contact Doug. He is worth every penny we have paid him. He always delivers more than is asked, is very consistent and comes well prepared for each session. If you have any doubt that contracting with him will cause you to reach your sales goals faster and with less effort reach out to me personally by calling my office. Also check Doug’s website https://robinsontrainingsolutions.com.“

Tony Cooper, Owner Cooper’s Plumbing & Air, Bainbridge, Ga. & Tallahassee, FL.

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Photo credit-salesandcoachinginstitute.com

6. Overall quota attainment for a company with an informal coaching process is 84.7 percent. But companies with a formal coaching process see 91.2 percent of overall quota attainment. (Source)

7. Companies with reps who receive 2 hours of weekly coaching have a closing rate 30 percent higher than those who don’t receive coaching. (Source)

8. A 5% improvement in productivity across the middle 60% of sales performers would yield greater than 70% more revenue than the same improvement among the top third of producers. (Source)

9. A formal coaching process helps more salespeople achieve their quota (by 10%), and closure rates are improved even more. (Source)

10. Almost 75% of sales organizations waste resources due to random and informal coaching approaches, and only about one-quarter leverage the huge performance potential of formal coaching. (Source)

Sales Managers, if you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting. If what you’re getting isn’t cutting it, contact me and ask for help.

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©2019 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC  

Stop Giving Lip Service to Referrals

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Over the years Selling Point has written about and discussed the topic of securing and contacting referrals several times. The main reason for this is that between one-half and two-thirds of all buying decisions are based on recommendations from family and friends. This makes referrals the very best lead source for salespeople. Frankly they are even better that “office leads” generated from company marketing/advertising.

Today I want to once again talk about referrals, but this time from the other side of the table.  Why would a customer want to give referrals? WIIFT? (What’s In It for them?) If salespeople better understood the customer’s thinking about referrals, they should be able to secure more of them, leading to a greater number of “no sweat” sales. Referral sales rarely involve multiple competitors submitting bids and estimates, muddying the selling waters and lengthening the selling cycle.

As I prepared to write this post I put on my customer hat so I could see from their vantage point. I uncovered several reasons satisfied customers would recommend a salesperson to folks in their inner circle.

The “hero” factor. Your customers have an opportunity to be “heroes” to family and friends. If a particular salesperson greatly satisfied someone, they can look good by exposing their circle to their representative. As you mull that statement remember the number of buying decisions triggered as a result of referrals and recommendations.

Referrals guarantee better service. It’s natural for salespeople to run a little faster and jump a little higher for the customers who provide referrals. Somehow it’s in customers’ DNA to realize that principle. Referral-providing cushions against becoming a marketplace orphan.

They like you and trust you. I continually yammer that people buy from someone due to likability and trust. We just don’t buy from those we don’t like. Therefore if people like and trust a seller, they probably also would want to help them. It makes sense that customers get pleasure from helping their guy or gal become more successful.

Some customers may also respond to incentives you offer. Most companies have some type of referral program where customers are rewarded when they provide them. However, don’t make the mistake of thinking that incentives drive referrals. If customers weren’t “wowed” a “spiff” to motivate a customer to send a rep to their friends isn’t the answer. The last thing customers need is to hear a brother or neighbor call them and say, “For the love of Pete, why did you send that schmuck over here to me? Thanks a lot.” Incentives may provide a nudge, but all things being equal, they alone don’t produce quality referrals.

With those four motivations in mind, salespeople securing referrals must prepare. They must deliver the same level of service that brought them the referral in the first place. Think about it. Would you ever recommend a restaurant to your mother that doesn’t know medium-rare from medium-well? Would you tell a friend to go to a retail store where checkout clerks are rude?

Photo credit-tlcsolutions.com

Even when salespeople are great at their jobs, some customers will be reluctant or even unwilling to give referrals. To that end here are some common reasons this occurs that should be considered in advance.

  • They may like what they were sold, but might not like and trust the seller enough.
  • Customers don’t want to “sic” someone they perceive as pushy on a friend.
  • People might “pre-qualify” their friends according to “perceived need” or lack of, and never recommend and introduce.
  • They may be fearful that referring might mess up a good relationship.
  • Client states they can’t think of anyone now, however they might later.

To prepare for these contingencies, think through them and establish a counter for each one. This improves the chances of securing quality referrals, thereby reducing the times when “the agony of defeat” wins the day. Referrals are good for the salesperson, good for your customer, and good for the new prospect. Everybody benefits from referrals.

 ————Doug-isms?————

“Filled with what the author calls “Doug-isms”, Sell is NOT a Four Letter Word takes a unique approach in providing the golden nuggets of sales training with today’s salespeople in mind. Separated into 8 chapters entitled, Enthusing, Essentializing, Engaging, Exploring, Elaborating, Encountering, Executing, and Expanding, “Sell” consists of 116 short standalone segments, each offering a tidbit that exposes an element of the sales game.” Carlton Fletcher-Albany, Ga.

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Chapter 12–Don’t Blow It

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You are at the caboose rather than the engine. If you want to start at the front of the train (Art Williams’ inspirational book, All You Can Do Is All You Can Do), read the Introduction, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, and Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10 and Chapter 11 before reading this final piece.

As Art Williams wraps up with the final chapter of AYCDIAYCD, he reminds us that we have heard a lot of fundamentals, all designed to help us win. Following them may lead to financial and worldly success, but if your priorities aren’t straight, you will still fail.

It’s not worth the effort to win in your business life if you fail in your personal life. You can’t overlook your spouse, kids, and other personal relationships.

Here are four “don’t blow it” warnings to be aware of.

 Warning #1 – Don’t compromise your integrity

Everybody faces temptations every day that call for compromises. You might say that “everybody does it” or “nobody will know,” but eventually your discretions will surface.

Over the years I (Doug) have seen many successful salespeople fired as a result of integrity issues. Most companies terminate employees quicker for these than for business mistakes, even when those screw-up’s cost the company more money.

Warning #2 – Handle your money wisely

You will also blow it if you aren’t conservative with your personal finances. You would be wise to adopt a philosophy of being “lean and mean.” Remember that the sales profession is deceptive. During the first 18 months you will ride a roller coaster of good streaks and deep slumps. The worst thing you can do is to go make major purchases or financial commitments after only a couple of good sales months with above-average commission checks.

Don’t get sucked in by the “fake it ‘til you make it” mentality just to impress your friends. It’s not important to try to make them think you’re a big deal in the company. Don’t forget that people can smell a phony a mile away, so live below (not within) your means and SAVE YOUR MONEY. Establish an emergency fund equal to 3-6 months’ income, because believe me; you will need to tap into it. Commission sales is a business of momentum with more up’s and down’s than the stock market.

————Busby Backslap————

“I’ve been in sales for over 20 years and have attended many seminars and read lots of sales books. Doug’s book not only provides great sales techniques, but the stories that accompany them give them true meaning in a humorous way.” Gary Busby-Atlanta Preview the book Gary’s talking about

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Warning #3 – Guard against being selfish or self-centered

Avoid catching the self-itis disease. Don’t view other people’s success as a threat to yours. Replace saying “me,” “my,” or “mine,” with us or “the team.” Don’t forget that there is a law of giving that says; the more you give, the more will be given to you. I realize it sounds corny and maybe even biblical but it’s true. As you help other salespeople around you it will come back to you. Support your sales team and management and your stature will grow as a team leader. Be a mentor to the new reps that join your company, and mysteriously good things will begin to happen for you. I don’t pretend to completely understand the principle behind this, but it happens. Finally when you give of yourself, give to help and not to get, because your motive is critical.

Warning #4 – Have the right priorities

Successful salespeople know the secret of living a balanced life. You must stay physically healthy in order to enjoy your business success when it comes. To accomplish this take time to exercise and pay attention to your health.

Many salespeople take their families for granted but, your family won’t take care of itself. Even if you have business success, you won’t have anyone to enjoy it with if you lose your family. Give family the same attention to detail that you devote to your working life.

As success comes many salespeople grow arrogant and begin to take credit for their accomplishments, rather than crediting God. Regardless of your beliefs, ignoring your spiritual life robs the inner peace and strength needed to get through tough times. Spirituality also keeps your head clear so you can make the right choices and decisions.

Art concludes his book by reminding us that from this point forward your life is a blank page. Fill it with the spiritual, family, and health principles mentioned and your success will be one hundred times more enjoyable.

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Chapter 11–The “Do It” Principle

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You are really late to the dance. This is the next to last chapter of Art Williams’ inspirational book, All You Can Do Is All You Can Do. To avoid missing a lot of good stuff you should go back and read the Introduction, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, and Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9 and Chapter 10 before jumping in here.

Art Williams devotes chapter 11 of AYCDIAYCD to his 40 year old “Do It” principle. There is something inside most people that won’t let them be average and ordinary, which is one reason books like this get published and read. Most salespeople still procrastinate before taking action, but a select few will finish the book and go “do it.” Everybody talks a good game, but all the good ideas in this and other books will be worthless if they are not acted upon.

You are probably asking yourself what is the “it” in “Do It?” The answer is simply, whatever it takes for you to win, and that’s obviously different for everyone. Everybody’s circumstances are different. A book like this can make it easier, but no book can “do it” for you. In every sales room there are winning reps that talk about how they “do it.” They all respond differently when you ask what their “it” is. Your “it” is probably something completely different. But until you get sick and tired of being average and ordinary you will never figure “it” out. Consider the following as you begin your journey toward “do it.”

Competition is one of the best things that can happen to people. When competition is present, it’s much easier to motivate oneself to “do it.” The main reason world class companies are where they are is because there are lots of solid competitors that continually try to copy them and undercut their prices. This environment helps folks stay focused on their “do it.”

Many people don’t “do it” because they never learn to deal with fear. Fear paralyzes and sucks up all your energy, draining your batteries. Fear creates imaginary difficulties because most of the things we fear never happen. You should stop imagining difficulties you think MIGHT occur, because chances are they won’t. Fear spreads like a disease. It multiplies and is sensed by those around you, causing them to think they should be fearful too.

Going back to the book referenced several times in this series, Think and Grow Rich, author Napoleon Hill said, “Do the things you fear, and the death of fear is certain.” Art recommends making a list today of the ten things you least desire to do, but will help your business the most, and do them!

————Thanks, Doug————

“Doug came to our rescue at just the right time! We were not meeting our sales goals and were desperately in need of sales management training. He implemented a sales management system for us that was simple, effective, and most importantly; doable. He met with our sales staff once a week for sales training using his book. He also met one on one with each of our sales reps using his “fix the worst things first” strategy. Within two months we exceeded our sales goals. At the time of this writing it has been seven months since we hired Doug and every single month we have exceeded our goals. Even our most seasoned sales rep with over 30 years of experience loves the training Doug provides. I recommend Doug to anyone who wants to increase sales.”  Jay Pollock, INVISION Technologies

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Here are 5 DO’s for “doing it” to strongly consider.

DO adopt the “little bit more” principle, meaning you do everything you are supposed to, and a little extra.

DO pick one specific thing to go for, because common sense says you can’t be great in every area.

DO learn to be flexible, since change is constant and the only way to grow is to realize and accept it.

DO find yourself a hero by reading biographies of people you would like to emulate. George Washington, Winston Churchill, Tony Dungy, or maybe “Bear” Bryant. Everybody needs inspiration along the way.

DO always “play scared” realizing that “gotchas” pop up when and where you least expect them. You must be positive, but if you don’t “play scared,” you’ll eventually get caught in a bad place.

Finally, don’t sit around waiting, because nothing great comes without a price. Don’t spend your sales career time just dreaming about “doing it.” Here is how Art ends his famous speech.

“A lot of salespeople will try to “do it”

Many salespeople will want to “do it”

Lots of salespeople will almost “do it”

But winners will “do it”

What will they do?

They just do it and do it and do it

They do whatever it takes to get the job done!”

The following link will take you to an 18 minute YouTube video of Art Williams giving his famous DO IT speech in front of a live audience in 1987. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxS8c0swJ88

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Chapter 10–Never Give Up

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By noticing that today’s post focuses on Chapter 10, you night guess you’ve missed a lot of something. We are discussing Art Williams’ inspirational book, All You Can Do Is All You Can Do. To catch up with the rest of us how about going back and reading the Introduction, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, and Chapter 9 before joining us here.

“When nothing seems to help, I go and look at a stone cutter, hammering away at his rock, perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred and first blow it will split in two, and I know it was not that blow that did it – but all that had gone before.” Jacob Riis

In this chapter, Art reminds us to never give up and tells us how to ensure that doesn’t happen. Anybody can quit, in fact most people do. If this were not true, the winners circle would be a lot bigger and far more crowded. If you hang on and refuse to give up, you dramatically increase your chances of winning.

Here are two good reasons not to quit; the first is that losing, like winning, is a habit. All quitters are good losers. If someone keeps losing a second and then a third time, quitting becomes a way of life.

The second reason is that, assuming people have the desire to be somebody, if they quit the opportunity to achieve their dream is lost. Chances are, if somebody quits once, they won’t ever bounce back and will remain average and ordinary for the rest of their life.

—————Relevant—————

The face-to-face skills I discuss are rarely emphasized in sales training programs. Based on my 45 years in the selling universe I know how critical these basic skill sets are. A quick look at the Table of Contents of Sell is NOT a Four Letter Word will confirm my belief about this.

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I (Doug) want to tell you a story about a guy named Gary who came to work for a services company in Orlando after answering a newspaper employment ad. The manager told him that he needed to hire three people by week’s end. Gary was breathing pretty well so he was hired. He went home and told his wife he accepted the sales job, although he didn’t think he would succeed there. Since the job provided a 3-month income guarantee he decided to go for it.

Gary was a sponge, soaking up everything he was taught, although he didn’t sell much during that the probation period. He wanted to quit most every day and endured lots of rejection. More than once he was ready to throw in the towel, but his wife encouraged him to stick it out.

He finally found his niche, working with service employees to generate sales leads. By the end of his first year he qualified for the President’s Club sales incentive trip offered by the company. He is still there and is a perennial top producer for that company. Where would Gary’s family be, if he had quit during those first few months?

Failure is only the end if you allow it. Gary often says that “failure is the halfway mark on the road to success.” Many salespeople get discouraged and go into a career death spiral. Others, like Gary, double and triple their efforts and press on. They don’t stand still and watch their dreams collapse around them. They keep pushing!

When you bump up against tough times, Art suggests three strategies to aid in “hanging tough.”

Use the magic of thirty days – Set specific short-term goals. Little victories can mean the difference between giving up and experiencing enough hope to hang on until things get better. When you feel like quitting, make one last surge with a 30-day goal. Thirty days is short enough to see an end in sight, and long enough to build some momentum and improve.

Use a reward and punishment system – If you achieve your weekly sales goal by Friday night, reward yourself and take the weekend off and relax. If you come up short on your weekly goal by Friday night, punish yourself and work Saturday and possibly Sunday to set some appointments to ensure you get back on track.

Give your efforts time to compound – Often people quit when they are close to breaking through but just don’t realize how close they are. The issue may be impatience, where they haven’t failed, they have just not succeeded fast enough.

Art continually reminds people that winning is never easy but it’s always worth it. He adds these three caveats, which are tough to take, but he believes in “telling it like it is.”

You never get used to rejection – Just because you may love what you’re doing doesn’t mean that everybody else loves it too. When you face rejection, listen to that little voice inside that says, “I know I’m right and I refuse to let anything stop me from succeeding.”

Things are never as good as they seem or as bad as they seem – When things are going good, don’t ever assume you’re home free. When things are going badly, don’t assume your career is over. During the good times, don’t get complacent, and during the bad times, don’t count yourself out.

Before you can be good, you’ve got to be bad – Most people have to slug it out and go through a learning process. Things usually start out crappy, but eventually they get better.

Before you can be great, you’ve got to be good.

Before you can be good, you’ve got to be bad.

But before you can be bad, you’ve got to try.

Art Williams concludes with some advice on how to make it easier to stay “up” most of the time.

Don’t compare yourself to others – Wherever you are on the road to winning, even as a rookie, be proud of where you are and who you are. Don’t apologize for anything.

Don’t get discouraged – One day the devil decided to go out of business, and he decided to sell all his tools. He displayed them for potential buyers to see. There was malice, hatred, jealously, greed, and deceit. But the tool with the highest price was discouragement. The devil said it was worth more because with it he could pry open a person’s consciousness so the other tools could do their work. The point is to keep your dream alive, and never, ever give in to discouragement.

Don’t almost do enough –

Most people almost work hard enough to win

Most people almost hang in there long enough to win

Most people almost have enough determination to win

Don’t do almost enough. Somebody is going to win and it might as well be you.

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Chapter 9–Treat People “Good”

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By now you must realize that we are in the midst of summarizing the twelve chapters of Art Williams’ inspirational book, All You Can Do Is All You Can Do. This is too good to miss so catch up with us by going back and reading the Introduction, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7 and Chapter 8 before jumping in on this post.

In this chapter Art Williams shares some sage advice that many salespeople overlook. You can possess great desire, a big dream, have a crusade along with a great attitude; but still fail. How? By not understanding human nature.

You absolutely have to believe in the goodness of people, and most folks don’t. They have been disappointed and hurt by others to the point that they simply believe everybody’s out to get them. Those beliefs just won’t work if you plan to build a large customer base.

Remember that most people feel the same way you do, including your customers and other salespeople. That simply means that everybody is wary of everybody else. The only way that will change is for you to begin to understand people and treat them the way you want to be treated.

Art says one of the best kept secrets is praise. When results are noticed and praised, people work much harder. Whether you realize it or not, adults are no different than kids. Everybody wants love and praise. Business studies continually reveal that people want more from a job that just money. That’s why it’s so important to “catch people doing something right.” Additionally when you give praise, always do it in public. If you really want your praise to be meaningful, give some memento of recognition.

More than once as a sales manager, I (Doug) was in situations where I had no budget for recognition. I Applied Art’s principle by buying a sack full of assorted candy bars, choosing those where the name held some sales significance. Whoppers, Payday, Mars bars; all these can be used for a great recognition moment for a sales accomplishment. You see it’s not what you give someone that’s important, but what you say about them when you give it. A carton of Whoppers malted milk balls coupled with a heartfelt thank you and a verbal reiteration of their “whopper” accomplishment in front of peers, can have the same effect as a plaque costing 40X more.

You can never get too important or make too much money that you don’t want to be praised and appreciated. Whether it’s an overnight stay at a nice hotel or simply a note saying, “You’re doing a great job, keep it up”; people love recognition.

There is another side of praise. Just as people will do almost anything to be praised, they notice when they don’t get it. When people perform poorly, instead of criticizing, just praise somebody else. There is only one comment Art Williams makes about criticism…don’t. Withholding praise is 10X more powerful than criticizing.

——————Doug Says…——————

“There are only two things that are consistent from client to client regarding sales training. Everybody wants effective and relevant training that will light a fire under the sales team and increase sales, but nobody wants to pay much for it.” As a blue collar sales coach, Doug understands both concerns and is committed to offering common sense economical sales training and coaching alternatives that will more than exceed expectations. Take a look at them here.

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To wrap up, here are some of Art’s principles for helping people become a master motivator like him:

  1. Praise people for everything; attitude, ideas, as well as sales. Nothing is too small.
  2. Use peoples’ first names. That in itself is strong motivation and is a form of recognition.
  3. Make sure everyone hears your praise.
  4. Have fun with praise and be creative, even with a small recognition budget.
  5. Use approval, not criticism to get results. Commend the ones doing it right and the others will get the idea and get on the bus.
  6. Applaud people when they are hurting to telegraph to them that they’re special.
  7. Praise must always be sincere because everybody can smell a phony a mile away.
  8. Newsflash! Don’t forget to complement at home. Make your spouse and kids feel special.
  9. Don’t stop praising, because everybody travels at a different rate of speed and may need to hear more of it than others.

When all is said and done, it’s not really the products and services of your company that win for you. It’s the people that win. So treat people good and they’ll respond with a new kind of commitment and enthusiasm that can be the tide that lifts all boats.

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Chapter 8–Always Be Positive

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Better late than never! Not so much. If you’re just now showing up for this series go back and read the Introduction, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, and Chapter 6 and Chapter 7 before continuing with this post.

In this chapter of AYCDIAYCD Art Williams addresses the need to Always Be Positive. He says, “You can do 99% of the things right but not possess a positive winning attitude, and you will fail. A PWA is not for sale, you can’t inherit it, nobody can give it to you, and you can’t go to college and get it.”

This thing called a positive winning attitude is the chief weapon for combating failure messages that are continually flashed your way. The difference between being “great” and being “average and ordinary” is so small that it’s almost too scary to talk about. So a PWA is one of those “little edges” that can make the difference between winning and losing.

I (Doug) would like to tell you about a guy on the west coast of Florida that went to work as a location manager for a services company after losing his VP job at a construction company during the great recession ten years ago. He became the manager of a branch in one of the hardest hit areas of the country, according to USA Today. His new location ranked next to last in technician sales out of eight in his region.

This manager began to build a little pride by buying new uniforms for his team and putting a fresh coat of paint on the building. He worked with them in the field to show them a picture of what winning looked like. He continually encouraged them and offered incentives. Less than two years later that branch sold 5 times the dollar amount than when he took over. The five top selling techs in the region were from that branch. John in Ft. Myers knew that or things to get better, he had to get better. He lived by Art’s principle to Always Be Positive.

When John made the conscious decision to change the tradition there and build a sales culture, things began to happen. Those Techs wanted to believe they were special, but they needed somebody to believe in them.

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Where are your residential and commercial salespeople, selling technicians, and call center employees receiving instruction and coaching on critical topics like Goal Setting, Buyer Temperaments, Off-season Appointment Setting, Likability, Over-Talking Prospects, Active Listening, Avoiding Weasel Words, and Prospect Apathy, to name a few? Find Help Here

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Art cites four fundamentals for developing and maintaining a winning attitude:

1. Always be excited – There is no trick to winning; it’s an everyday, all-the-time attitude. A major part of having a positive attitude is excitement. When things are going great excitement comes easy, but when things are going poorly it’s much more difficult. So if you want to win you have to get excited and stay that way; regardless. Deal with the negatives and continue to stumble forward, and you will start to achieve success.

In Art’s words, “More than 90% of winning is being excited, especially when you don’t feel like being excited.” Nobody can motivate you but you.

2. Stop making excuses – An important part of a positive attitude is refusing to accept reasons for not doing it. You must avoid negatives, and pursue positives.

Several years ago I (Doug) had conversations with two solid performing sales reps that both relocated to new areas with the company where I conducted sales training at the time. One rep told me how great things were in her new area. She said if she’d known how lucrative it was she would have moved there a year earlier. She even called it the “promised land.” The other rep struggled and spent time telling me how “different” the people were in his new location. He spoke of how hard it was to convince them to buy from his company. I wouldn’t embarrass either one, as both are great sales people, but “it’s the man and not the land.” People are people everywhere across the country.

“Life is 10% what you make it and 90% how you take it.”

3. Always be “up” – Although everybody gets down and discouraged, you must make a decision to always be “up” about everything and everybody. It’s always easier to be negative than positive, because worrying is a part of human nature. You can beat it if you work at it. Additionally, you must also realize that most of the things you worry about will never happen.

There are a couple things you can do that will help you accomplish this objective:

Don’t let the criticizers and complainers change you and influence you to give up. Insulate yourself from these folks and don’t give them permission to dump on you.

Pass negatives up and positives down. When disappointment and frustration comes your way, tell your manager. He or she handles it much better than your peers. Once you stick your sword in the sand and establish these tenets, the negative chatter will begin to subside.

4. Make a total commitment – If you’re committed to win, you have a completely different outlook. Your only recourse is to turn negatives into positives. A wise man once said, “If you have something to fall back on, you are guaranteed to fall back.” As reckless as it may sound, once you burn your bridges, your subconscious will find a way to help you succeed, and it begins with total commitment.

Art ends this topic with another quote, “Attitude isn’t just a little thing; it’s everything.”

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Chapter 7–Dream Big but Keep It Simple

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Maybe you’ve managed to fiddle around and miss the first half of the game (12-part series). You’ll be better informed if you STOP NOW! First read Introduction, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, and Chapter 6 before continuing with this post.

In this chapter Art Williams discusses a topic called Dream Big but Keep It Simple. This is something he is better at relating than anyone I know. He often quoted a smart man who once said, “Genius is the ability to reduce the complicated to the simple.” It seems that more times than not people think something is better when it’s bigger or more complicated. Just look at the 2700 page healthcare legislation our “genius” Congress gave us! It just seems with all the advances in technology, we have lost respect for all things “simple.” Complex may work for fiber optics, robotics, or artificial intelligence, but not so much for people.

In 1973 a young, Harvard business graduate decided to start his own business. He asked his grandfather, a Wall Street investor, to be his adviser. After a couple of weeks they met one day for lunch, and the grandfather asked how many customers he had. The grandson replied, “None yet. I’ve been very busy hunting for just the right accounting system.” The grandfather replied, “Son, until you have customers, you don’t need any systems, or an office or even a desk. YOU NEED CUSTOMERS.”

Thankfully the young man listened and put aside his “strategic planning” and went to work gaining customers. The business took off and in 2000; Cadbury Schweppes acquired the Snapple Beverage Group. Since 2006 Snapple has been a part of Dr. Pepper Snapple Group. His beverages are sold all across the nation, but to this day he still has no office or desk. When asked about it his response is, “Because you can’t sell anything to a desk.” That’s a great story because it reminds us to keep the main thing the main thing and keep the focus on what generates income.

As you consider ways to “keep it simple,” Art Williams suggests you include the following steps to ensure your business takes off. He said, manage activity, create little successes, and not get bogged down in paperwork. Let’s look at each one individually:

————I Don’t Want to Hire Doug! ———

Well join the club! Using Doug for live online coaching sessions doesn’t fit most company’s training plans, so consider ordering and using his materials and DIY. That’s why Doug developed a Leader Guide to accompany his book of sales training segments. Look them over for yourself HERE.

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Manage Activity – If you are going to succeed in sales you have to take action. You can’t sit in the office “thinking” or “planning.” Your office is a very poor place to prospect.

A great example of this principle is an insurance company in Chicago that called a marketing firm to analyze what was wrong with their business. The company was averaging only 2.5 sales per agent per month. They had tried everything they knew to do but kept getting these poor results. The marketing firm quickly established that their number one problem was that the agents weren’t seeing enough people.

This was just too simple for the company to accept, so to prove it the marketing guy did an experiment. He chose 20 agents randomly from across the company, and provided them a one-sentence presentation. “You don’t want any life insurance, do you?” was all they were to say. The agents were instructed to repeat that message to as many people as possible each day. As they did, nearly everyone responded with, “You’re right, I don’t, get lost.” But, one out of every sixty people responded with, “Yes I do. I’ve been thinking about getting some (or some more) insurance.” The agents were able to give that message to about sixty people a day, and began to average a sale per day. The company’s business took off and its viability was saved. ACTIVITY REALLY IS THE KEY!

Create Little Successes – Often when you look at your sales goal, it can seem overwhelming and cause you to give up before you really even get started.

When I order a sizzling medium-well steak at Longhorn, I don’t pick it up and gnaw at it until I consume the whole thing. I cut it into small bites with a knife and eat it with a fork. That’s what Art suggests you do with your sales goals.

You can’t close it until you propose it, and you can’t propose it until you find a prospect with a need for it. Rather than agonize over closing sales, concentrate instead on the activity that is necessary to produce those sales.

Instead of selling $X a month, shift gears and just think about selling 1/20th of $X every day. If you normally close 1 of every 4 you propose, make sure you propose 4 each day. Since you don’t get to propose everyone you see, be sure to see at least 6 today. Since you only get in front of about a third of the people you make contact with, be sure you call or knock on the doors of about 20 each day.

Now instead of frantically trying to sell $20X a month, change your focus to contacting 20 people a day, and let the law of averages produce the sales for you. $1X a day is a much better and less stressful way to reach $20X each month. By creating these little successes, your confidence gets a real boost and some of the fear of failure is eliminated.

Don’t Get Bogged Down in Paperwork – Nothing will get you in trouble quicker than taking your eye off the ball. At most companies the fastest way for that to happen is to drown in paperwork. I understand you can’t complete a sale or get paid without mucking through a certain amount of administration. Do the minimum but keep the main thing the main thing.

When I (Doug) was a corporate sales coach, a rookie salesperson asked me if I would tell her which contract to complete for a particular service. I asked her how big the sale was. She said she hadn’t made one yet, but wanted to get be knowledgeable about the paperwork before she proposed one. I responded by telling her to go create the problem and find somebody who wanted that product. Then she would need to know how to write it up.

Every communication is better when you simplify it and make it brief. People today are afraid to write in short, simple language for fear that others will think they’re dumb. That’s DUMB! I assure you if your message is clear nobody will want to know where the big impressive words are. It’s almost always true that the shorter the message, the greater the effect. Advertisers know this too. These one-liner slogans automatically reveal the names of the following products:

The Ultimate Driving Machine (BMW)

I’m Lovin’ It (McDonalds)

Just Do It (Nike)

You Can Do It, We Can Help (Home Depot)

Eat Fresh (SubWay)

Melts in Your Mouth, Not in Your Hands (M&M’s)

Art’s message rings true; Dream Big but Keep It Simple

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©2019 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC  

Chapter 6–Have a Crusade

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By now you should realize that you are part way into a 12-part series. You’ll be better informed if you STOP NOW! Go back and read the Introduction, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, and Chapter 5 before continuing with this post.

Everybody knows money doesn’t buy happiness, although most of us still want to give it a shot. Think about all the wealthy rock stars, actors and athletes that became addicted to drugs and alcohol. Many had more marriages than could be counted on one hand. They had dreams, worked hard and paid the price long enough to fulfill their dreams. But when they got to the top, they still weren’t happy.

Here Art Williams demonstrates that people who are crusaders have the highest quality of life. This is in addition to achieving their financial dreams. Here are two reasons for this:

Crusaders add meaning to life – People need to be a part of something bigger than them and need to be active participants in some great event. Life is always richer when it reaches beyond our own doorstep.

Crusaders die hard – People on a crusade have an edge in life. They have inner strength and toughness that can’t be manufactured any other way. A dream backed up by a crusade is virtually an unstoppable combination. A crusade is a cause bigger than you and has an impact that reaches beyond your own wants and needs.

A good example of this principle in the business world was Henry Ford. During his lifetime automobiles were a luxury and only available to the rich. His crusade was to produce them cheaply enough so that every American family could own one. Today, most American families have two.

A powerful non-business example of a crusader was a middle aged woman in Montgomery, AL. She decided that having to give up her seat on the bus simply because she was black, was unfair. So she took a stand for the equality of all people. Every one today realizes the impact that Rosa Parks’ stand for human rights had in changing the course of history.

Hopefully your company is continually looking for crusaders to recruit as future employees, because crusaders stand for something. They believe honesty and integrity are priorities. It’s just not good enough to take a job simply because it’s a good money making opportunity. You must be willing to want to really serve your customers. This involves providing honest advice for the problems they encounter that your company addresses.

After you complete your diagnosis, if people don’t need your service or product, you must tell them.  Even when it means “no sale” you must put them ahead of your selfish desires. Remember you can achieve anything you want in life if you help enough other people meet their needs and wants. The key is to make sure you help them get theirs first. That philosophy must drive you from the time you wake up in the morning until you go horizontal at night.

Steve Bartkowski, Atlanta Falcons quarterback from 1975-1985 said, “If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything.” You must have a crusade to always do what’s right for your customers and prospects, regardless what you sell or service.

Often when you take an unwavering position, you become controversial. It’s not unusual for you to endure shots from competitors every day. These critics would love to work for a company with name recognition and a reputation like yours. But rather than do that, they just snipe from the sidelines. Similar to the old western movies; as a wagon train slowly came through town, the dogs would keep barking. Regardless, the wagon train continued moving without paying any attention to the dogs or the noise they made.

In business today the only way not to be controversial is to settle for being average and ordinary. Everybody who wants to win knows that’s the last thing anybody wants to be labeled.

Once you find your personal crusade, you will never be the same again. From that point on it will be much more than a job. Sure, you will work hard, but you won’t mind since the cause is bigger than you. When discouragement occurs, just go talk to a satisfied customer. Listen to their positive feelings about what you did for them and how it improved their life. That will pump you up and get you ready to head back into the battle once again.

I (Doug) have heard Art say so many times that the best part about a crusade is that it motivates you to reach higher and farther. It makes you get out of bed in the morning and go when you really would rather just sleep in.  

I’ll admit I don’t know anybody who grew up playing the role of a helpful business crusader because that was their mission in life. Most kids played cowboys and Indians. But there are thousands who have come to find a workplace with a cause worth fighting for. Additionally, as a result of helping by being crusaders, they have done very well financially for their families as well.

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————WOWZA————

Doug Robinson has been a large part of my sales success in the pest control industry. His book and leader guide are simple and effective sales training tools to increase sales and it would be well worth your time to check out his website and material. He also has a FREE weekly sales newsletter that is informative and fun. Greg Cosgrove, Owner Cosmo Pest Solutions, Doniphan, MO.

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©2019 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC  

Chapter 5–Become a Dreamer Again

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Hey You! If you’re been binge-watching Arrested Development on Netflix and have yet to read any of this 12-part series, STOP! Go back and read the Introduction, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, and Chapter 4 before continuing with this post.

For the next few minutes Art Williams wants you to stop thinking with your brain and become a dreamer again. To accomplish this you must think with our heart. Believe it or not this activity is the inspiration to winning. You might ask what dreaming has to do with success, and the answer is simple. Dreams are the most powerful success tools you have. Frankly, if you don’t have a big dream, you’re done. The Bible says it this way; “Without a vision, the people perish.”

In an earlier chapter Art referenced Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill. From studying successful people he discovered the common thread running among them was a dream they had cherished for a period of time. If you are still capable of dreaming, you still have a chance to accomplish something big. Better yet, you can begin to see the change occur in just 30 days!

A Dream Becomes Success

Here’s a glimpse of a success story that began as the simple dream of a pair of college students. As you read it you probably won’t believe something like this could happen to you.

The names Larry Page and Sergey Brin probably don’t ring a bell. In 1997 they were students in their early 20’s who dreamed about organizing information on the Internet. They thought people might have a need for what we now call a search engine. In 1998 a business man who noticed what they were doing thought they might be onto something and invested $100K into their venture to help get them going. They opened a bank account in the name of GOOGLE, and the rest is history. Market capitalization of GOOGLE is now over $700 Billion and their stock currently sells for over $1,000 per share. Again, these were just a couple of guys with a dream.

Brothers Dream Before Winning

In the late 1920’s most people in America were living from hand to mouth and would soon enter the Great Depression. Two brothers, Roy and Walter had a dream of creating entertainment for young and old people alike. Long story short, we have all laughed, smiled and contributed financially to the empire known as the Walt Disney Company. Although Walt Disney has been dead for over 50 years, this giant company is still growing and is currently worth $160 billion, with earnings of $12 billion last year. Just a couple of brothers who dreamed about providing people with some happiness.

Okay, so I’m sure you don’t believe you could become mega-millionaires like these folks, but think how they must have felt when they began. But even if you don’t reach levels of success like these people, you can absolutely participate in the American Dream and secure financial independence for your family, regardless whether you are an employee or an entrepreneur.

Success means different things to different people, but it’s very hard to substantially help others if you are in debt and financial bondage. Your dreams may give you the desire to help your own parents or assist other family members pay medical bills. You may dream about contributing substantially to secular charities or religious missions, or provide a legacy for future generations.

Visualize

Once you have a dream you can strengthen it by visualizing. You must be able to see yourself in the role of a successful person. One way is to place photos of your dreams in your environment where you will regularly see them. Your bathroom mirror, in the car, or on the refrigerator door are places where you can’t avoid seeing those dreams.

Visualization causes your subconscious mind to engage and begin to figure out ways to make your dreams become reality. In addition to visualizing you should share your dreams with a spouse or partner. When you both see things from the same perspective you will be impossible to stop, unless you just quit.

Finally, start hanging out with like-minded people. It’s much easier to accomplish your goals if your friends share your positive attitude and are also working toward their dreams. It’s almost impossible to win if you spend your time with negative people that continually throw cold water on every positive idea and thought you have. Do you want to “soar with the eagles” or “cluck around in the barnyard with the turkeys”?

Art says to become a dreamer again, because whatever you dream about you can become!

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————Kudos to Chad————

Today I want to shout out Chad Johnson, an outside sales consultant at Cooper’s Plumbing & Air. 2018 was Chad’s first full year and he sold $1,065,087. That’s not easy especially for a rookie. I’m proud of Chad’s performance and the opportunity to provide online sales coaching to him and his teammates every Wednesday.

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©2019 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC  

Chapter 4–There is No Free Lunch

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HEADS UP: If you’re late to the dance (this 12-part series), you really should go back and read the Introduction, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, and Chapter 3 before continuing with this post.

Thomas Edison said it this way: “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”

Here Art Williams shares the simple formula for winning. I said simple, not easy:

You beat 50 percent of the people at your company by working hard.

You beat another 40 percent by being a person of honesty and integrity.

The last 10 percent is a just a plain old dogfight as you jockey to become #1.

Anybody that tells you selling success is a make-money-fast proposition also has also some swamp land to sell. Selling success takes hard work, probably harder than you have ever done before. The good news is the potential income is probably greater than you’ve had a chance to earn before on previous jobs, so it will definitely be worth it when you get there.

Art reminds us that believe it or not, work isn’t fatal! People die from stress, worry, and fear, but not hard work. No matter how hard you work or how many hours you put in, you can just keep working because before you die, you will pass out. God wired you that way. When you come to, take a hot shower, eat something, get some rest and you will be ready to show up and go at it again tomorrow.

Most people don’t give themselves enough time. You’ve got to work hard for several years, not months. Throughout my career I (Doug) always hated to see salespeople that I trained or coached do pretty well early on. Most ended up giving up and leaving for that mythical “good job” when they realized it takes a couple of years to succeed at the level they desired. They typically took another job that ended up offering less opportunity, but the grass always seems to look so much greener from where they were at the time.

I remember a sales guy from a company where I conducted sales training. Following his initial training he did well for almost a year. But he gave up on his goal too soon and left to be a service writer at a local Ford dealership. He had been “sold” on what a great opportunity it would be. He was recruited under the guise of a regular income, as opposed to living on commission.

For the next couple of years I would see him when I would stop in for service on my company vehicle, but each time his attitude seemed head further south. Promises made to him weren’t being kept, and the green grass income level hadn’t materialized. I tried to convince him to come back but his pride wouldn’t let him do it. What a shame, as one day he disappeared from the dealership, a political casualty of an ownership change there.

Not only do you have to work hard, you must also master the fundamentals. Too many sellers are searching for a system that guarantees success, but the system isn’t the key. Football is a good example of this principle. Different teams use different formations but still win. Some win with a “pro set,” others with the “wishbone,” and still others with an “I-formation.” So it’s not the system that brings about the victory. The team that wins does a better job of blocking and tackling and is in better physical condition that their opponents.

While I am referencing football, although I grew up in Kentucky my Big Blue loyalty only extends to basketball season. During football season, since 1972 when I moved to Birmingham, I’ve been an Alabama fan. I remember well legendary coach “Bear” Bryant, and saw him coach a game in the fall of 1973 at Legion Field. That year he led the Crimson Tide to one of his six national championships.

Bear coached at four colleges, Maryland, Kentucky, Texas A&M, and Alabama. Each of those schools had a losing record when he went there. He started with the same players, the same facilities, and the same alumni as the preceding coaches. At each school, almost immediately things began to improve and the teams began to win.

Most people automatically assume Coach Bryant was a football genius, but that’s not really true. Those close to him knew that where other coaches coached football, Coach Bryant coached people, and the techniques he used were always wrapped around the fundamentals of the game.

Your personal selling success will unfold one step at a time just like it did for Coach Bryant’s players. That’s why one of my favorite slogans is, “inch by inch it’s a cinch, but yard by yard it’s hard.”

Recently I (Doug) interviewed a sales guy who qualified for his first corporate incentive trip after six years at his company. He was the first seller to accomplish this from his location. He said he used to think it was just impossible, although he always made a decent living. But he just kept applying the fundamentals, inching his way along, and logged the following annual sales increases that put him over the top, during the four years of the Great Recession: +11%, +17%, +6%, +14%. He finally accomplished “the impossible,” and he and his wife had a great time at the week-long all expenses trip at a western Canadian resort.

That’s why it’s crucial to master the fundamentals that will lead you to your personal championship. You can’t just read about them and then go on to something else. You have to apply them to your business life and think about them every day. Sometimes you will be like a juggler with too many balls in the air, and will drop a fundamental. Reach down, pick it up, work on it one more time, and eventually you will get there.

Art closes this chapter by saying, “I hope you realize nobody’s going to strike an oil well in your yard. You are the one who has to change. If you don’t, the person in the mirror will be the same one you’ll see five years from now. The difference will be some additional pounds, wrinkles, and more gray hair.”

Art’s advice: There is no free lunch so get fundamentally sound and stay fundamentally sound.

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————Don’t Respond to this Request————

DON’T admit your sales and tech teams need improvement. DON’T be impressed that my book contains 116 coaching topics. DON’T get excited that the book only costs 6₵ per page. And definitely DON’T go to my website and check it out.

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©2019 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC  

Chapter 3–The Secret to Winning

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REMINDER: This 12-part series began on January 3. If you’ve missed something go back and read the Introduction, Chapter 1, and Chapter 2 before continuing.

I mentioned once before that if you were to look at the photos and videos that come from your company’s annual winner’s trip, whatever it’s called, you would quickly realize that the secret to winning is not looks, talent, degrees, or pedigrees (privileged background).

Here in chapter 3 Art Williams reveals the real secret to winning. The secret to winning is desire, the will to win, or you may just call it basic “want to.”  You can have all four of those components mentioned above, but if you don’t have desire, you will still fail.

I have always been an avid reader, especially non-fiction books that feed my mind. I have used reading as one way to always be a “student of the business” in every industry where I’ve worked. Years ago I read a short book written by Napoleon Hill, called Think and Grow Rich. In that book Hill documents his study of successful people, sharing common denominators they possessed. In the book he lists a simple six-step plan that goes like this:

  1. Have a specific goal
  2. Set a specific time in which to achieve your goal
  3. Write down your goal
  4. Develop a plan to achieve your goal
  5. Decide the price you are willing to pay
  6. Think about reaching your goal every day

Regardless what position you hold at your company, these six steps can’t be overlooked. I know first-hand they work, and they will work for you. Your success won’t happen overnight, but if you want it bad enough, you can become somebody special.

Let’s look at this concept of desire, in order to understand why it’s such a powerful force.

Desire gains strength when it has a concrete form

That’s why I advocate setting sales goals at the beginning of each month, because it forces the construction of a game plan for achievement. When you apply your company’s activity system of appointments, proposals and closes against that goal, you have a solid game plan.

Desire becomes obsession

Writing it down, reading it over and thinking about it constantly ensures that your goal becomes a part of your daily life. This is the exact process young athletes follow on their path to becoming Olympic gold medalists.

Desire becomes a commitment

At this stage you go beyond thinking and dreaming and devote your time and energy to achieving the goal. Art says that everyone that’s done this typically has gone through three stages before reaching the final commitment level necessary to see things through to the end.

The first one is The Lying Stage. This is where deep down you really don’t think you can do it so you walk around lying to everybody you talk to. You tell everybody how you are going to really do something great, but when you look in the mirror at night before turning off the light, you say to yourself, “Who are you kidding?” You really do want to make it bad, but you don’t believe you will.

That stage is followed by The Quitting Stage. After fighting through the lying stage and working like crazy for months, you hit the wall and go into a sales slump where everything you touch goes south. You finally tell yourself that you’re not cut out for this and you begin to look for a “good job.” It doesn’t take long for you to realize there aren’t any “good jobs” out there. So you suck it up and re-double your efforts only to hit another wall a few months down the road. After repeating this vicious cycle several times you eventually make the final commitment to do whatever it takes for however long it takes to achieve your goal.

That third phase is The “DO IT” Stage. This is where you turn the final corner and begin your real road to success. Talk to anybody who has been there and they will tell you these three stages are as real as death and taxes. They are quite normal for folks who are obsessed with doing something big.

Desire then becomes endurance

This component is that extra ingredient ensuring victory. It also requires realizing that succeeding is a marathon and not a sprint. Regardless where you work you might as well plan on everything possible happening negatively. I can name countless salespeople who have been “shooting stars,” doing really well for two or four or six months. Regrettably, they get washed out of their business after a sales slump rocked their confidence. Because they had no endurance, they never made it a full lap around the track.

One of the best examples of endurance is the most successful international golfer of all time, South African Gary Player. He is the only golfer that won the British Open in three different decades. He’s also the oldest player ever to make the cut at The Masters (1998 at age 63).

One day at a tournament a man came up to him and said he would give anything if he could hit a ball like Player. Usually a very polite person, Player looked the man in the eye and said, “No, you wouldn’t. You’d give anything to hit a golf ball like me if it was easy. But to be able to hit the ball like me you’ve got to get up at five o’clock in the morning. You’ve got to swing at golf balls until you’ve hit a thousand. When your hand starts bleeding, you walk to the clubhouse, wash the blood off and slap a bandage on it. Then go right back and hit another thousand golf balls. That’s what it takes to hit a golf ball like me.”

So if you are really looking for the secret to winning, it’s not a secret at all. It’s right here in front of you. The secret to winning is desire. “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”

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————Care and Feeding for Improved Tech Sales————

Provide your techs improved face-to-face selling skills this year. My solution is SIMPLE-RELEVANT-INEXPENSIVE. Look for yourself right HERE on my website.

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©2019 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC  

Chapter 2–Warning: Failure Message Ahead

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REMINDER: If you didn’t catch the beginning of this 12-part series, go back and read the Introduction and Chapter 1 before continuing.

Don’t let anybody rain on your parade! Art Williams begins the second chapter of AYCDIAYCD by reminding us that the incoming negativity never stops. He asked a rhetorical question about the number of hours of social media, TV, and talk radio you absorb each day. He wonders how much of that sends negative messages… MOST OF IT! So it’s natural after deciding to “go for it” and become somebody, to “hit the wall” of negativity. Don’t overlook the fact that everybody builds these walls. Here are three examples of what they might sound like to someone who makes a personal decision to become a salesperson:

“So you are going to leave here and make your fortune selling what?” (Co-workers)

“What makes you think you can make it in sales?” (Friends)

“What am I going to tell my parents when they ask me if you’ll be selling door-to-door?” (Spouse)

Add that heartburn to the nagging negativity of the illegal immigration dilemma, the constant military threat from bad actors around the world, and the $21 trillion US debt. All these worries plus not knowing if or when you will ever get another raise at your current job.

Another failure message people receive is getting “dissed” by employers or co-workers for not possessing a college degree, or a master’s degree, or the right “pedigree.” Seems like everybody wants to give you the 3rd degree! No wonder most people are “cooked in the squat” when they decide to get moving in life.

It’s critically important that you realize that artificial things like these aren’t the secret. The key is what’s inside you, your character and your people abilities. Don’t let anybody rain on your parade.

It’s funny, but at my (Doug’s) 40th high school reunion over ten years ago, almost all the popular people, crowned “most likely to succeed” in 1967, didn’t. Most of my classmates who ended up owning businesses or achieving notoriety in other ways were the “middle of the road” students back then. They were not super popular and didn’t garner tons of attention.

I felt some satisfaction that night because I wasn’t one of the real popular guys in high school, nor was I one of the big jocks. But as I reunited with my old classmates, many who intimidated me then, I had zero feelings of  inferiority. I felt really good as a financially successful, debt free entrepreneur member of that graduating class. Additionally, I was a guy who didn’t finish college, but rather decided to jump into life and become a salesman!

This brings up an important coaching tip from Art. You must choose to ignore failure messages heard from all those around you, even those from friends or family. Remember, these people aren’t going to make your house payment or educate your kids so why listen to them?

Put your blinders on and keep pressing. Become a student of your business, never quit, continue to build your character, and accept responsibility for everything that happens. All the while, maintain a positive attitude.

Don’t Let Anybody Rain on Your Parade.

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————Don’t Settle for What You Got in 2018————

I know how badly you need more technician sales and I have developed a very inexpensive answer to your dilemma. Read about it for yourself on my website HERE. 

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©2019 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC   

Chapter 1–Everybody Wants to be Somebody

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If you missed the introduction to this new series of posts last Thursday, catch it here before reading on.

Art begins All You Can Do Is All You Can Do by relating how everybody want to be somebody and grows up with the feeling they are special and different. My (Doug’s) generation watched Art Linkletter’s show on TV, “Kids Say the Darndest Things.” He regularly asked children what they wanted to be when they grew up. Kids would answer all over the map with everything from President of the US, to movie stars, Olympic gold medalists, astronauts, and Super Bowl MVP’s.

It never occurs to kids that there are obstacles and barriers to their dreams. And why should they, because at this point in their life they are constantly encouraged and surrounded by family members that tell them how special they are. This usually lasts until kids graduate from school and then they come face-to-face with the “big bad world.”

They marry, have kids and take on increased responsibilities. They go to work for companies that promise but don’t deliver.

Their level of frustration goes through the roof as they wake up one day thinking that life has passed them by and that things will never work out like they thought they would. Instead of juggling choices and options, they begin to take on an attitude of simply accepting what life dishes out. Childhood feelings of excitement and enthusiasm wane, replaced by feelings they must just be average and ordinary, like everybody else.

I (Doug) know because I’ve been there. Born the first child and grandchild in my family, rhetoric told me I was smart and special and would be a superhero when I grew up. Then life began to close in. My mom died of cancer at age 36 as I began my senior year of high school. Following that tragedy my dad drowned on a beach vacation in Florida. I had to take a full-time in a grocery store to work my way through college. And then to my surprise, there wasn’t a long line of companies fighting to be the highest bidder for my services.

Within a few years, marriage, children, and several multi-state relocation’s told me this was survival on life’s treadmill. This same story occurred to pretty much everybody else in my circle. I decided not to live the next 40 years of my life that way and decided to make some changes to ensure that wouldn’t happen.

Art defines it by saying that you have to fight for whatever you want, because life has a way of slapping you around and beating you up if you let it. If you will accept being unhappy, or broke, or being an average Joe; that’s exactly what life will give you.

In the book Art describes four principles people must burn into their brains to turn the corner in life:

The first one is that you’ve got to demand happiness and success because nobody is going to just walk up to you and give you something.

Second he states we must learn to dream again like we did back in high school. By the way, that is probably the last time most people really did any big thinking.

His third principle is that everybody has got to compete. You have to see yourself winning and then continue to slug it out until you work your way up through the food chain and reach YOUR objectives. Yes, it takes time; but what’s 5-10 years if your family can eventually “live like nobody else.”

Whether you believe it or not, your company probably has an environment where you can compete. Take a look at photos from your company’s past annual “winner’s” incentive trips, whatever they are called at your firm. You will see people who look just like you, warts and all, with similar backgrounds and abilities. The difference; they decided to compete and are now winning; many earning six-figure incomes. Decide to go be one of them!

I’ll bet you’re familiar with this sequence of events that actually happened to a great American:

1831 – Failed in business

1832 – Defeated for legislature

1833 – Second failure in business

1836 – Suffered nervous breakdown

1838 – Defeated for speaker

1840 – Defeated for elector

1843 – Defeated for Congress

1848 – Defeated for Congress

1855 – Defeated for Senate

1856 – Defeated for Senate

1858 – Defeated for Senate

1860 – ELECTED PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

Abraham Lincoln just kept competing until he won, although he had an unbelievable pattern of failure that would cause most people to just give up. His saga lasted for 30 years. But the principle stands that if you’re tough enough and compete long enough, you will win!

The fourth principle Art shares is that you must realize you can change. Your friends, relatives and even spouse may not believe in you, but if you believe in you, nothing else matters. What about these “losers”:

Henry Ford – Went broke 5 times before founding Ford Motor Co.

Bill Gates – Dropped out of college and started a business that failed before birthing Microsoft.

Albert Einstein – Didn’t speak until he was 4 or read until he was 7. Later expelled from school.

Thomas Edison – Was told by teachers he was “too stupid to learn anything” and unsuccessfully attempted to invent the light bulb 1,000 times before succeeding.

Winston Churchill – Failed 6th grade and lost every election until he became Prime Minister at 62.

Oprah Winfrey – Endured an abusive childhood and fired as a reporter as, “unfit for TV.”

Dick Cheney – This former vice-president of the U.S. flunked out of Yale…twice.

Jerry Seinfeld – Froze in front of a comedy club and booed off the stage.

Charles Schultz – The author of “Peanuts” had every cartoon rejected that he ever submitted to his high school yearbook staff and later in life was rejected for a position with Walt Disney.

Elvis Presley – Fired after one performance and told to “go back to driving a truck.”

Just think for a minute what the world would have missed if these folks would have listened to those external voices and quit, instead of their own internal voices to persevere. Art Williams says to keep stumbling forward and constantly improving!

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©2019 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC  

Best Inspirational Book You’ve Never Read

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Needless to say, over my 45 year career in the selling-related universe, I’ve read a lot of books. I think this is a necessary activity, regardless of vocation, to balance the negativity that bombards everyone, every day. It’s critical to continually feed your mind and sharpen your ax. This equips you to play above the rim regardless how you feed your family.

I would like to “serialize” my next dozen posts by reviewing the 12 chapters of the best inspirational book you’ve never read; All You Can Do is All You Can Do.  It was written in 1988 by Art Williams. He was an ex-high school football coach who became a financial services entrepreneur and billionaire.

Over all my years in business, this man has been the most positive and highly motivating figure I’ve ever met. I was fortunate enough to be indirectly mentored by him for several years, and the recipient of his wisdom and admonition to simply “be somebody.” I’m sure I wouldn’t be where I am today if I hadn’t crossed paths with Art all those years ago. I might also add I am the proud owner of an original, personalized, signed copy of AYCDIAYCD.

In order to give you a peek under the tent of what to expect during the next six weeks, below are the titles of the twelve chapters of Art’s book that we will be exploring together:

  1. Everybody Wants to be Somebody
  2. Failure Messages Ahead
  3. The Secret to Winning
  4. No Free Lunch
  5. Become a Dreamer Again
  6. Have a Crusade
  7. Dream Big but Keep it Simple
  8. Always Be Positive
  9. Treat People “Good”
  10. Never Give Up
  11. The DO IT Principle
  12. Don’t Blow It

Considering all of Art’s endearing characteristics, the one I’m most fond of is the what-you-see-is-what-you-get, simple and direct writing style he exhibits. He goes out of his way to use as few words as possible to deliver his message in a way that is impossible to misunderstand!

If you decide you want a copy of Art’s classic, you can jump on Amazon and order it in hard copy, paperback, or for Kindle here .

For this series, I’ll write a blog-length post summarizing each chapter of Art’s book. I’ll be adding some editorial comments to his content, and updating and modernizing some of the original examples he used back in the 1980’s. During this special series I will posting from this classic every Monday and Thursday through Valentine’s Day. It should be fun, as well as informative and inspirational, so let’s get started.

PLEASE SHARE THIS POST TO YOUR FACEBOOK & LINKEDIN 

————Become a Subscriber————

To have this series of posts sent directly to your email immediately when published, and to gain admission to the other 300 FREE Selling Point articles I’ve written since 2013, subscribe here. You can also access my articles on my Facebook or LinkedIn pages here and here.

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©2019 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC  

Prospects vs. Suspects

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Before we look into the dilemma of prospects vs. suspects, let me introduce the post with this.

One morning the manager strolled into the sales room and just stood there with his arms crossed. One by one the reps began to take notice of him resulting in all of them stopping what they were doing and looking in the boss’s direction.

The manager looked directly at one of the reps and asked, “Marconi, do you believe in life after death?” 

“Yes, sir,” Marconi responded.

The boss replied, “Well, then, everything is just fine, because after you took off early to go to your grandmother’s funeral yesterday, she came here to the office to see you!”

Frankly, lying has gotten so pervasive that there is now a website that will make up convincing lies for people. I remember reading an article about this service that provides elaborately constructed “excuses” for its clients. This company charges $75 for a simple untruthful phone call, up to thousands of dollars for big time lying, to spouses and bosses. Furthermore, there is a $75 annual fee to join this liar’s network.

Now Back to Prospects vs. Suspects

Every afternoon about 80% of all salespeople head home beaten down and defeated. This is partially due to spending too little time with prospects and too much time with suspects. The suspects of course, will never buy, or at least never from them.

The other 20%, the top producers, determined that if non-serious people won’t respond to questions and requests, they simply refuse to pursue them. Winners realize they can’t afford to waste time with suspects.

Today I want to focus on the need for salespeople to ask for commitments. This is a task that should be repeated early and often during every sales call. As a result, following that path will not only improve your closing numbers and reduce your frustration, but will also save you time.

Think about it this way. If prospects are unwilling to comply with even the smallest request, how serious are they? Based on that thinking, the more commitments they are willing to make, the more they’ll be invested in the deal. Additionally they will be less likely just to walk away from that investment.

Commitment is a two-way street. Therefore the seller has as much right to ask prospects to comply with reasonable requests as the buyer does. If you’re not getting reciprocal commitments from prospects, you’re insuring your place among the 80% mentioned earlier.

Consider Disqualifying Questions

To help determine which buyers are all show and no go, why not devise some disqualifying questions to use when you start getting red flags. These will help to determine how committed your buyer is and how much more time and effort you should invest in them. Here are several examples of what I mean:

  • “Since I found something you agree needs to be replaced, what would stop you from moving forward with me and my company to resolve it?”
  • The next time you hear, “Just leave me a brochure or something to look at,” your reply should include a commitment request. Consider something similar to, “Gladly, and to make sure you have ample time to look over the recommendations I’ll make, is Thursday or Friday better to continue our discussion?”
  • When a prospect says, “You’ve really given me something to think about,” reply with, “I’m glad to hear that. What is your timetable for taking action?”

Listen closely to how prospects answer these commitment questions because the answers you get will be pretty much the same ones you’ll hear on future follow-ups when you discover you have lost the sale. Sure, I know it sounds harsh, but would you rather know sooner or later if you’re entering a black hole?

Maybe you’re reading this and it dawns on you that you are currently deep in the weeds with a couple of suspects, who are starting to moonwalk. Assuming that you didn’t get any commitments like we just discussed, it’s time to probably go ahead and draw a line in the sand by asking a question like this:

“If you don’t mind my asking, what is your real level of interest about my service?” Let’s say you hear something pretty wimpy; try this for a follow up:

“What haven’t I addressed that would move your interest level higher?” or “What’s causing you to hesitate?”

Sometimes you will have a serious buyer with legitimate concerns, although most of the time they would rather climb a tree and tell you a lie than stand on the ground and tell you the truth. It may be time to make a let-them-off-the-hook statement and cut your losses:

“If you have no intention of doing business with me that’s okay, just tell me now. That way if you’ve already decided not to proceed I won’t bug you anymore.”

Asking commitment questions early-on will help determine the next steps you should take with prospects, resulting in needing to cut the anchor rope less often. Consequently, you’ll be less frustrated, make more sales, and increase your income.

—————————————Why Not Start Off 2019 with a Bang———————————————————————–

Check out Doug’s Book containing 116 lessons for the salesperson, along with an accompanying Leader Guide for the manager. With one click your weekly sales meetings are set. FREE SHIPPING! 

https://robinsontrainingsolutions.com


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 ©2018 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC  

 

Believe!

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Every year about this same time, participants of my coaching practice and subscribers of our newsletter read my pleadings about the importance of self-generating their own sales leads.

Here’s the Outline

  • I first write and lecture about determining for yourself what your creative prospecting system will be during the winter months. Then comes a buffet of ideas, but you must winnow down the choices and adopt your personal strategy or system.
  • These ideas are followed up with reminding salespeople how critical it is to actually being a “doer of the word and not a hearer only.” It does no good to know how to accomplish something and then be unwilling to execute the plan.
  • Along with this sales folks are implored to be persistent, realizing that “Some will, some won’t, so what, whose next?” Your success rate may very well be lower than at other times of the year. The bottom line is that you must slug it out to ensure that, “Your take-home pay will take you home.”

Regardless, you might have a great system, a superior work ethic, and maintain a tough skin to withstand the “no’s. But if you don’t believe in who you are, what you sell, or the importance of your service to society; you will fail. I’ll conclude with this short story.

There was a lawyer arguing a case for his guilty defendant, who was on trial for murder.

The one challenge in the prosecution’s case was that the body had never been found. However, the abundance of expertly presented circumstantial evidence was more than compelling. Everyone in the courtroom, jurors included, knew that the man was guilty—so in his closing argument, the clever defense attorney decided to go for broke.

He pointed grandly toward the courtroom doors and declared, “Ladies and gentlemen of the jury: In exactly 60 seconds, the so-called corpse, the man you believe to be dead, is going to come walking in right through those very doors. We can begin counting now.”

The time ticked by: 3 seconds, 10 seconds, 20 seconds, 45 seconds, 55 seconds, …and then, at exactly the one-minute mark, in walked…nobody at all. Certainly not the corpse.

Photo credit-bettinapickering.com

The lawyer addressed the puzzled jury: “Ladies and gentleman—I apologize. I told you something that obviously did not come true. However, the mere fact that you looked at the doors as you did showed me—and shows you—that you had some measure of doubt. And of course, if you have any doubt, any doubt at all, you must— return a verdict of Not Guilty.”

And with a triumphant flourish, he returned to his seat.

The jury went into deliberations—and just five minutes later came back out to render their verdict. The foreman stood up, faced the judge, and said they declared the defendant…guilty!

The defense attorney was enraged. “How could you?!” he demanded. “I saw all of you watching that door!”

The foreman replied, “Yes, sir, you are correct: We were, in fact, watching the door. But we were also watching you and your client—and you did not watch the door. Your client did not watch the door, not even for a moment. And that’s because you both knew there was not a chance in the world that anyone would be walking through it.”

The lesson? Don’t expect anyone else to believe something you don’t believe yourself!

————Perfect Blue Collar Sales Help————

“Doug, I really enjoyed every chapter of your book, and believe everyone who reads it will really benefit. I placed an order for 15 more copies to use as prizes to give out for good performance to my sales folks following local sales contests.”
Shaun Gilman – Area Sales Manager, Memphis, TN. Check it out for yourself, here.

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©2018 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC  

Leadership is a Choice, Not a Position

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Whether you are a service manager, sales manager, or business owner, you have chosen to lead. Leadership is a choice, not a position, so make sure you learn how to rock it! Here are a few leadership quotes to begin our conversation.

  • “Don’t tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let the results surprise you.” George Patton
  • “Leadership has been defined as the ability to hide your panic from others.” Lao Tzu
  • “The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good people to do what he/she wants done, and self-restraint to keep from meddling with them while they do it.” Theodore Roosevelt
  • “Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because they want to do it.” Dwight Eisenhower

In order to be successful once you’ve chosen to lead you must be a creator not a processor. This requires vision to see what “can be” along with inspiration to attract others to help you to achieve your objectives. A mental image comes to mind of an orchestra conductor creating an environment where musicians want to work together harmoniously to produce the musical masterpiece you see in the vision.

This may sound simple but it’s not easy. There are many skill sets to continually tweak and fine-tune. Great leaders all share common characteristics which make them successful. I could discuss many realities which under-gird the behaviors and actions of leaders, but I’ll limit this post to five.

Inspiration Jump-Starts Motivation

Nobody can motivate someone else. Motivation comes from within a person. All the strategies and techniques in the world will fail if the folks aren’t jazzed up over the ideas being sold to them. Both the head and the heart must be in agreement. That’s why great leaders know the importance of inspiration, and that it can lead to motivation.

Collaboration Produces Results

Great leaders are wiser than to attempt to be a one-man-band. They inherently understand the team concept and that the best results come from pooling strengths and resources. Final solutions are always better supported when multiple participants have “skin in the game.”

Speed of the Leader Determines the Rate of the Pack

If you want your employees to behave a certain way and display particular skills, then you must be willing to show them a picture of what that looks like. People respect leaders who have and model principles and values. Old Chinese proverb says, “If you show people what you want them to do, it greatly improves the chances they will do it.”

Leaders Believe Their People Can DO IT

Believing in the potential of people is critical when you are a leader. You must trust your employees to be competent in order to provide their piece of your organizational puzzle. When you believe, they will excel, if they are the right kind of folks.

Leaders Should Look in the Mirror

Before you grab the flag and charge the hill in your business, make sure you know who you really are. Shakespeare penned a line in Hamlet that’s relevant for all leaders. “To thine own self be true,” means to operate consistently by your own inner compass. You also need to recognize what you can and can’t do. By understanding yourself and your emotions, you will be a stronger leader for your team.

————SINAFLW on Amazon?————

Most people purchasing Doug’s book, Sell is NOT a Four Letter Word, get their copy from his website. But don’t forget Amazon carries both new and used copies of this good read available right HERE: https://www.amazon.com/Sell-Four-Letter-Word-above-average/dp/0578108283/

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©2018 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC  

Sales Tips for Introverts Who Are Salespeople

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I (Doug) often hear from self-admitted introverts who are salespeople or have a sales responsibility with their job. Recently the following excellent article caught my eye as it will relate to all selling introverts. It was written by international sales expert Grant Cardone and I’m sharing his article in its entirety. After reading the article you can follow Grant here: https://grantcardone.com/blog/.

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Meet me at a party and I won’t have a lot to say. Sit next to me on a cross-country flight and I may not say a word to you the entire trip.

I am an introvert.

It has never been easy for me to start a conversation with people I don’t know. But you wouldn’t know it if you saw me on a Google Hangout, in a TV interview or at one of my sales seminars. When I got out of college I was terrified to go on a job interview until I realized employers weren’t going to come to my house and hire me. At 23, I sold cars for seven years and never got comfortable saying hello to a customer. Yet I still figured out how to reach the top 1 percent of all the salespeople in the auto industry.

We can all be introverts or extroverts, depending on the situation. I know people who would be viewed as extroverts at a party they host, but when they are guests at a party where they know no one, they appear to be introverts. As a professional speaker and educator, I become extroverted in order to deliver information, but when I attend seminars I am much more introverted.

So, how do you become extroverted in a sales situation when you are not naturally comfortable with it?

This is what I do to step out of my comfort zone:

Get passionate. I become so excited about what I’m selling that I have to share it with the world. Becoming passionate about your product or service makes you less interested in how you are perceived and more concerned about showing excitement about what you have to offer.

Do one thing a day that you fear. It’s very important for me do the things that make me most uncomfortable. You need to be courageous and make a point of facing your fears, no matter how big or small. The single scariest thing for me was visiting my customers or prospects in person. So that is exactly what I did first thing every day to get over my fear. It instilled courage in me, belief in myself and changed my focus from limitations to possibilities.

Be so persistent you get criticized for it. In life and in business, especially sales, you won’t become successful if you never get criticized. Follow up on customers so much that they actually complain about it, and once they do, keep following up until they admire you for your persistence. If you believe in your product, company and yourself, then you will be willing to insist—and risk being criticized for it.

Say hello to everyone you pass. I refuse to walk past any person without acknowledging him or her. I force myself to look everyone in the eyes and say hello. This builds a muscle enabling me to decide at will when I want to be extroverted, whether in a sales call or other situation.

Observe people for their differences. After a series of failed sales calls, you may start to see all prospects as likely rejections. What you need to do is take a moment and observe how people are different from one another. This will stop you from thinking that everyone is going to respond the same way your last few prospects did.

Force yourself to be in public. Step out of your home and office often so you can socialize with people. When I move to a new city, I will go to the same place over and over until I am comfortable and know everyone there. I have done this same thing with my children, bringing them to the same grocery store every morning until they could talk to the people working there as family.

Deliver public speaking engagements. The only way to become comfortable speaking to people is to get in front of audiences. Join a supportive group such as Toastmasters International where everyone is learning how to speak in front of others.

Stay busy. When you’re constantly on the go, you don’t have time to be uncomfortable. You have to ask for help, get help and talk to people because you are running from one sales meeting or event to the next. So, get moving.

Help other people make sales. Anytime I go a few days without making a sale for myself, I immediately offer my help to other salespeople because it’s a great way to get outside yourself. After several failures to close, a salesperson can become introverted and anxious. But by working with someone else’s prospective customers and having nothing to lose yourself, you will feel more relaxed and regain your confidence. Once you score a sale for someone else, it’s back to your own prospects again.

————Extrovert or Introvert? ————

“Doug’s online temperament training has really helped my sales team. He made it so simple and understandable. Now they are able to make a quick read and then mirror the temperament they identified. This has helped their confidence and their closing rate.” Earl Moody, Sales Manager- See how Doug can help you here.

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©2018 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC  

“I Can Get It Cheaper From…”

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I hear salespeople regularly ask for help with prospects who incessantly respond with, “I can get it cheaper from…” The best way for me to respond is to compile a list of nearly 20 quotes for readers of this newsletter from the archives. Start sprinkling some of these into your presentations and proposals and see if they don’t help your effort.

⇒”It is unwise to pay too much, but it is worse to pay too little. When you pay too much, you lose a little money; that is all. When you pay too little you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do. The common law of business prohibits paying a little and getting a lot. It just can’t be done.”

⇒“There is hardly anything in the world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and the people who consider price only are this man’s lawful prey.”

⇒“Would you order a steak from a restaurant menu that only costs $3?”

⇒“If you think it’s expensive to hire a professional, wait until you hire an amateur.”

⇒“Good quality is cheap; it’s poor quality that is expensive.”

⇒“The bitterness of poor quality and service is remembered long after the sweetness of a low price has faded from memory.”

⇒“We offer three kinds of service: ‘GOOD-CHEAP-FAST; You Can Pick Any Two.’ Good service cheap won’t be fast. Good service fast won’t be cheap. Fast service cheap won’t be good.”

⇒”Buying quality items is one of my top ways to save money. Paying more upfront for an item that lasts longer makes financial sense.”

⇒”Overall, I tend to spend more on items to get better quality, more comfort, and extra longevity and durability.” The upfront costs might be higher, but over time, a more expensive purchase can pay dividends by serving you better and lasting longer.”

⇒“Being frugal doesn’t just mean saving money—it means spending your money wisely. That also means some things may be cheap now, but actually cost you more in the long run, while other times it makes sense to spend more now for a better, longer-lasting experience.”

Photo credit-hinthacks.com

⇒“I tend to go for the cheap things when it comes to things I don’t care about, or when it comes to things that are of comparative quality regardless of price. For things that vary greatly in quality, I tend to come down on buying the quality item instead. After all, just because something is cheap, doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s frugal. If the cheaper item wears out before it’s time you’re going to be spending more money to replace it.”

⇒”When you do find companies that make quality products and support this mindset, invest in them. It shouldn’t be difficult—many are proud of their commitment to quality, even if it means their prices are a little higher. Companies that generally put quality first are usually proud to say it, and their customers are usually proud to back the statement up.”

⇒“Good work ain’t cheap, cheap work ain’t good.”

⇒“Where quality is the thing sought after, the thing of supreme quality is cheap, whatever price one has to pay for it.”

⇒“Buy best and you’ll only cry once.”

⇒“I’m not so rich that I buy cheap things.”

⇒“Quality is never an accident. It is always the result of intelligent effort.”

⇒“Quality, quality, quality: never waver from it, even when you don’t see how you can afford to keep it up. When you compromise, you become a commodity and then you die.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

————I’m Flattered————

In response to last week’s Thanksgiving post, I received this from Mike Jones-Rollins Region Mgr.:

“Happy Thanksgiving Mr. Robinson! I am thankful for people like you in my life that have been great examples and mentored me. Thank you Doug!”

Get to know Doug here.

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©2018 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC  

My Attitude of Gratitude

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Thanksgiving Season

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Today begins “Thanksgiving Week” in our nation, so this post will be void of selling-related material and strategies. I want to step back from those activities that are important but not urgent and share my attitude of gratitude.

I am thankful to be an American. It is great to be a citizen of a nation that allows me to proclaim a message like the one I’m publishing today. With all our “warts” Ronald Reagan was right when he said, “America is a shining city upon a hill whose beacon light guides freedom-loving people everywhere.” Although being born here was none of my doing, I feel extremely blessed to partake in American exceptionalism.

I am thankful for generations of Robinsons’, originating in Great Britain, who understood they were the handiwork of the Creator. My attitude of gratitude extends back through all those generations who held fast to spiritual truth. This ensured that those embers remained hot and bright for me to experience. The Apostle Paul was certainly correct when he wrote; I couldn’t be surer of my ground—the One I’ve trusted in can take care of what He’s trusted me to do right to the end.

I am thankful for physical health although I’m a heart attack and a prostate cancer survivor. For His purposes I’ve been allowed to survive these events. I am blessed at age 69 to be able to walk 10-12 miles every week as my exercise regimen to stay physically active.

I am thankful for stable mental health and reasonable intelligence, along with the gift  of written and oral communication. This is attested to by thousands of salespeople who read my written words or attend my online workshops. I recognize I’m incapable of even drawing a breath by myself, therefore my attitude of gratitude extends to these gifts. I plan to ‘burn out rather than rust out’ as long as I am able.

I am thankful for my wife of 40 years for loving me, even when she doesn’t like me. She is an awesome partner, mother, and grandmother. Three months ago she was diagnosed with uterine/endometrial cancer and is currently receiving chemo following major surgery. I am currently functioning as her caregiver, but she deserves so much better. By the time she finishes her treatment and Christmas rolls around, my attitude of gratitude will certainly be evident through her renewed health. I can’t wait to see her sweet smile return once again.

I am thankful for my children, now adults with families of their own. They are all physically, mentally, and emotionally healthy, for which I take no credit. All four, ages 35 to 45, have earned college degrees and hold responsible occupations. To turn out as well as they have is proof once again that grace has been at work. I sure am thankful and proud of who they have become and the families they have built.

I am thankful for my six grandchildren, Alexandra, Cameron, Cade, Colton, Jackson, and Emery, ranging from age 16 to 5. If I had known they were going to be so much fun, I would have skipped the kids and had them first! My attitude of gratitude definitely applies for their physical, mental, and emotional characteristics.

I am thankful for solid finances. Over 35 years ago a mentor taught me the principles of financial independence. Because of this and my awesome spouse, we are completely debt free. This enables us to give generously to causes and organizations we believe in, while maintaining ample resources for our retirement.

I am thankful for my role as a semi-retired sales training coach and author. I very much enjoy working with salespeople and passing on tips, techniques, and attitudes I’ve learned over the past 45 years. There is a solid feeling of accomplishment to witness improvement in the performance of those I coach.

I am thankful for my spiritual life. When all is said and done this is the only aspect of life that will endure. I’m fortunate for my exposure to many mature Christians who have modeled a true relationship with God rather than just “religion without reality.” I responded to what I experienced by placing my trust in Him and His promises, which are available to all who will believe and trust in Him. As a result I am confident in spending eternity with Him when He decides my life here on earth is finished.

What are you thankful for? Try sneaking off to a quiet place for a few minutes this week and think about the things that will trigger your attitude of gratitude. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Riches and glory come from You, You’re ruler over all. You hold strength and power in the palm of Your hand to build up and strengthen all. And here we are, O God, our God, giving thanks to You, praising Your splendid name. 1 Chronicles 29:12-13

Give Thanks To The Lord

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————Berta is Thankful for Me! ————

“I appreciate the knowledge and advice you share that inspires me to improve.” Berta Britton, CIC Personal Lines, East Ellijay, Ga. Look HERE to help you understand what she means

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©2018 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC  

Earn the Benefit of the Doubt-Part II

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If you have not read Part I of this longer-than-usual post, Earn the Benefit of the Doubt; STOP! Go back and read Part I here: https://robinsontrainingsolutions.com/earn-the-benefit-of-the-doubt-part-i/ Once you do I’ll continue and conclude the story.

Upon arrival at their home Mrs. Car Buyer came outside and immediately commented that she really liked the car, saying that it looked new. She immediately said, “Let’s take a drive.” I got into the passenger front seat and off we went. I mentally identified her as an extrovert, so I wanted to remind her the car was an LX trim package. She needed to realize why the vehicle did not have every available bell-and-whistle.

I was glad I did, as she began a non-stop interrogation. Some were “How do I…” questions and others were “Does it have…” questions. I patiently demonstrated how to operate, engage, open and close everything she asked about. When her preface was “Does it have…” I reminded her again it was an LX and wasn’t equipped with that. This Q&A session continued for the entire 30 minutes we were on the road. Finally she pulled back into her driveway, smiled at Mr. CB and told him she really liked my car. Although he wasn’t thrilled with her outward emotion, she verbalized that it was the nicest one they had seen.

He thanked me for my willingness to spend time with them. He also told me they would sleep on it and get back with me the next day. Before I could finish telling him that was fine, she interjected asking if I would hold it for them. I simply responded saying I couldn’t do that. He chimed in that a car like this wouldn’t last long and that he understood they needed to decide quickly.

Here are the results

Mr. CB did call the next morning saying they wanted to buy the car and would pay my asking price. (BOOM!) He asked me to meet him at his bank with a bill of sale and the title. Oddly, we banked at the same place so he simply transferred the funds from his account to mine. I signed both the documents and our deal was completed. On the way out the door he smiled and said I should do that for a living. I smiled back and thanked him for the kind words.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let’s compare notes and see if you noticed what I believe helped earn the benefit of the doubt:

  • After paying for detailing, I went back and still touched up minute things that most people would never notice. This helps remove the tendency of a buyer telling himself he will offer less than asking price because of…
  • Asking several diagnosis and timetable questions on the front end helped me determine the seriousness and quality of Mr. CB.
  • I went above and beyond by not only mentioning that service records were available, but by including copies. These were in chronological order with a typed recap, kept in the vehicle for viewing. You might say, “Seriously,” but I simply ask, “Do you seriously want to get your asking price?”
  • A Carfax report to verify everything I said, as I wouldn’t expect buyers to believe my statements.
  • A printed KBB pricing report for a private party sale, so buyers knew how I came up with the asking price, which was set in the middle of their suggested range.
  • Photos of everything conceivable, beyond what is expected. Seeing is believing and helps remove doubt.
  • The description did not simply list features, like a window sticker, but included logical and emotional benefits. These helped to personalize the vehicle for potential buyers.
  • Absence of any hard selling actions, coupled with confidence that I knew my vehicle was a premium offering.
  • My willingness to “go the extra mile” by investing time and effort to satisfy potential buyers questions and curiosity.

I suggest you apply these principles to what you sell to help you earn the benefit of the doubt. When you do there will be fewer objections, stalls, and awkward questions, leading to more closed sales; sooner.

————My Pleasure————

“Thank you Doug for all your hard work in helping all of us become more successful. You are such a wonderful asset. To be able to count you among my friends makes you even more valuable.” Tony Iverson, Combo Sales Manager, A.C.E., Salt Lake City

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©2018 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC  

Earn the Benefit of the Doubt-Part I

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Selling is a difficult profession regardless what you market. Your job becomes somewhat easier if you learn to break the code to earn the benefit of the doubt with your prospects. Let me share a personal selling experience involving this very principle. As you read this unfolding story highlight the things you notice that might earn the benefit of the doubt.

Recently one of our neighbors died, leaving behind a legally blind widow. After the funeral when we asked Sue how we could help, she smiled and asked us to sell their car. It was a mid-size SUV similar to one of my vehicles. It was four years old, in pristine condition with only 15K miles on the odometer. Mine was five years old with 75K miles. Long story short I decided to buy her’s and Sue and I were both thrilled. Now I was the guy who needed to sell a car.

Here’s my strategy

That process began with a detailing job, although the car was garage-kept and normally very clean. The next step was staging a series of photos of the car, not 7 or 10, but 19. I snapped them from every angle, inside and out, making sure of no glare or shadows. One pic even showed an open manila folder of the service records with a typed chronological recap from the day I bought the car.

I wrote a short description of the vehicle and included why it was for sale and the fact that it had no mechanical issues. This bio, confirmed an accident-free history, verified by a Carfax report. It also stated the car was a non-smoking vehicle that always garage-kept. I also printed the KBB private party pricing report, which I used to set the asking price. An ad was then placed on Craigslist, Cars.com, and Facebook Marketplace, consisting of all this information.

The very next day I got a call from a man who asked if the car was still available. He wanted to see it ‘as soon as possible,’ so we agreed to meet 30 minutes later at a neutral site. I made sure the service record folder was in the passenger seat as I backed out of my garage.

Mr. Car Buyer’s first words were, “After seeing your online ad and now the car, I’m curious to know if you are a car salesman.” I responded with, “Today I am.” He smiled and began a walk-around to size up the vehicle. He stated he was looking for a car for his wife and this nameplate was one she liked. I then asked several questions to gauge their seriousness and timetable for purchasing. His answers quickly convinced me he was prepared to buy as soon as the right vehicle came along.

He told me he was 63 years old and had never seen a used car for sale with the level of transparency for potential buyers as this one. Following that he added that he had also never seen a car as clean inside and out as mine. After one look at the service recap I compiled he only said one word, “Wow.” When he noticed the name of the automotive shop I use he smiled again saying, “I use them for my vehicles too.”

I held out the key for him to drive it and he said that wasn’t necessary. He stated that it checked all of his boxes and that his wife needed to see and drive it. Before I could say anything else he asked if I could follow him home for that purpose. I agreed and he immediately called her to say we were on the way.

Next time in Part II I’ll finish the story and compare notes with you to earn the benefit of the doubt.

——————-Recommended Link———————–

How long has it been since you holed up for a while and read part of a book that would increase your income, but was also enjoyable? I thought so. Well take your bad self to my online man cave and check this out!

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©2018 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC  

Exposing Stumbling Blocks

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Those of you proposing and selling in the commercial marketplace need to excel at exposing stumbling blocks (deal killers). You should be as effective at this as you are identifying and influencing the players (deal makers). All sellers have been coached over and over on strategies to get face-to-face with the latter group, but probably have not been given much help with the former group. On pages 153-156 in Sell is NOT a Four Letter Word, I discuss the categories of buyers and influencers, and will quickly mention them here for context. (The titles for these four groups were conveyed by me)

  • There are Funnels, who functions like coaches although they don’t approve deals. Their role is to open doors and “break the code” to expose you to key players within the enterprise. Examples might be a Security Officer or an Instrumentation Technician.
  • Fiscal Buyers are “Mr. /Ms. Big.” They are the final authorities, regardless of title, for purchasing services and products, and closing deals.
  • Function influencers weigh in to determine the impact of what you’re selling on the job performance of employees. They are also umpires on the day to day operation of the facility. Examples of this group might be Maintenance Engineers or Department Supervisors. The larger the business the more of these may be embedded throughout the company.
  • The fourth group are Formula authorities. These specialists match products and services to company specifications and requirements. The more complex the business, the more of these folks there will be. Examples can include Quality Assurance Managers and Purchasing Agents.

Focus Your Attention Here

When exposing stumbling blocks it’s crucial to focus on the last two groups above; the Function and the Formula influencers. Although neither group can say yes, they can and will say no. They will regularly screen out products and services they determine don’t meet specs. They also focus anything causing too much heartburn to incorporate into their operation.

These stumbling blocks may also feel your solution might point out deficiencies in their portion of the kingdom. They may worry that you are casting doubt on their ability to perform their jobs. This may occur even when your intent is to help productivity and achieve better results. Remember, stumbling blocks may have bad tastes in their mouths from sellers who previously didn’t deliver what was promised.

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The best way to identify these deal killers early and often is to realize that questions are your best friend. Here are some of my solid ones to ask, in order to avoid being involved in boardroom “train wrecks”:

  • Who are the people that you know I should be aware of, that I don’t know?
  • In what areas will I get the most push back to changes my solution might suggest?
  • What department will probably feel like my recommendation is a bad idea?
  • What job positions, if any, do you anticipate eliminating as a result of these changes?
  • Can you think of a time when your company stalled while trying to implement a change like this? What caused that?

Start seeking out the stumbling blocks in companies you are attempting to work with. Once identified, try to understand their positions and concerns. This is a great first step to eventually gaining their blessing. The deal killers you are struggling with today could become important deal making influencers tomorrow. Start assessing and asking!

————This is Good Stuff!————

Doug, after your online video coaching session about comparison checklists I really focused on the homeowner questions for contractors and closed 8 out of the last 10 jobs I’ve gone to! Tyler Payne, Barineau HVAC Get to know Doug here.

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©2018 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC  

Handwritten Notes; Seriously?

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Suppose you’re the planner who extended the invitation for me to speak at the annual conference of your company. Which of the following thank you notes would you rather receive from me following the event?

This: Thank you for your business. I really appreciate it and look forward to working with you again soon.

Or this: Thank you so much for inviting me to speak at the annual conference. I really appreciate your attention to detail. You responded to my questions promptly this past month and were gracious throughout the planning process. You are a sales trainer’s dream client!

I’m guessing you picked the second one, along with everyone else on the planet. Only two things would improve that note. One is to hand write it with pen on paper, including the envelope. Secondly, put a stamp on it and drop it in a mailbox.

Personal handwritten notes have become rarer than albino alligators. The latest Postal Service annual survey reports that folks only receive a personal letter or note about once every eight weeks. For comparison purposes it was once every two weeks in 1987. It’s not news that there is a constant evolution away from written communication and toward more email, texts, and tweets. People are quick to say they have no time for stationary and stamps. However  there is value and importance in handwritten notes that should be considered.

Recipients of handwritten notes instinctively know that they cost the sender more, in time and materials. Electronic communication costs essentially zero and we all send and receive hundreds of them every day. This means they are rarely notable, whereas handwritten notes are unusual. I assure you each rare note or letter you’ve received means more than all of the electronic drivel clogging your inbox daily. If you don’t believe me, show me the stack of emails you cherish. Are they kept in a drawer for safekeeping or is it handwritten notes and letters that are there? ‘Nuf said!

Why Salespeople Should Listen Up!

In the selling world handwritten notes are normally messages of gratitude and appreciation that go beyond just a thank you. Readers of my newsletter should remember the missive about legendary car salesman Joe Girard who sent a handwritten message to all his clients once a month. These notes contained one simple sentence every time. For January the note read, “I like you, Happy New Year.“ For November it would say, “I like you, Happy Thanksgiving.” Joe believed these simple notes were one of the reasons his clients stayed so loyal to him over the years. What a great way to remind others that you value your relationship with them.

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In your selling world notes and cards can be used for many occasions and reasons: To confirm an appointment, to thank a buyer for meeting with you, to memorialize the anniversary of a client business relationship, or even to cite something personal, such as a congratulatory note for a sports or academic accomplishment by a customer’s child. What better way to show the people who matter to your business that they are important to you.

Finally, physical notes are memorable. Whether the customer is commercial or residential, it’s not unusual to see notes and cards displayed on desks, refrigerators, or mantles. This is never done with email. So yes, they cost you something to create and send, but they mean so much more. They tell your customers how much they are deeply appreciated.

————WOO-HOO!————

“I want to give a shout out to Doug for his Selling Point newsletter. Most bloggers just tease readers with tidbits of information, but Doug provides a complete lesson on each topic he writes about. Every week I look forward to reading his posts and applying his ideas in my business. Who says you can’t get something of value for nothing?” Rob D. – Lafayette, IN. Subscribe for FREE here.

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©2018 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC  

First Impressions

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Today let’s talk about first impressions. It was Yogi Berra who said, “You can observe a lot by just watching.” And when you are selling, rest assured, you are constantly being watched. All my life I have heard the phrase, you never get a second chance to make a good first impression. Many folks try to argue that statement from both sides. Those who know have documented that approximately eleven decisions are made about a person during the first four to six seconds they are together with someone! That’s first impressions on steroids.

President Ronald Reagan understood first impressions and also knew the power that humor brings to communication and bargaining. Prior to his first meeting with Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev at the SALT talks with the Soviet Union, there was a great deal of tension. This created a considerable coolness in the initial stages of their meeting. This was no surprise, since Reagan had often referred to the Soviet Union as the Evil Empire, so he decided to melt the chilly atmosphere at the meeting by telling Gorbachev this joke:

Moscow had been having a terrible problem with people speeding, so the local police were given strict orders to give speeding tickets to everyone caught driving over the limit. One day Gorbachev was late getting to the Kremlin, so he said to his driver, “You get in the back and let me drive. We’ll get there faster.”

They sped by a couple of motorcycle cops, and one of them took off after the car. He came back ten minutes later, and his buddy asked, “Well, did you give him a ticket?” “No, I didn’t.” “Why not, who was it?” “I don’t know, but his driver was Gorbachev.”

Reagan made a positive first impression on Gorbachev who loved the joke, and from that point on tensions eased. Additionally, considerable progress was made in their negotiation process. The shared laughter facilitated a more positive climate for debate between the two leaders.

Whether you agree or not, as a salesperson you are judged by things like your diction, vocabulary, body language, tone of voice, your walk, slang terms you use, and accents you may have.

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Suggestions to Consider

Since all these and more are evaluated in such a rapid-fire manner, you must be prepared for virtually anything, so here are some tips to consider that will help you through these close encounters:

  1. Arrive on time; preferably early.
  2. Smile, offer a firm handshake and make direct eye contact.
  3. Project confidence and relax.
  4. Display friendly (open) body language.
  5. Pronounce your buyer’s name correctly and then use their name during the conversation.
  6. Dress professionally, but not above your prospects’ level of attire.
  7. Don’t make any apologies related to the prospect making time to see you.
  8. Use acceptable language and grammar, while avoiding controversial or divisive topics.
  9. Minimize small talk, as your prospect isn’t looking for a new best friend.

Now mentally put yourself on the buyer’s side of the desk and evaluate what he/she observes according to this list. I’m guessing that by doing these things, you will be given the benefit of the doubt more times than not by your buyers. Selling success always boils down to likeability and trust, so keep those two objectives at the forefront of everything you say and do.

Heck, even though they were miles apart on ideology, not only did Gorbachev soften, but Democrat Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill liked and developed a close friendship with Republican President Ronald Reagan!

————Two Thumbs Up————

Doug’s book, Sell is NOT a Four Letter Word really rang my bell. Over a hundred sales related topics and none were longer than 3 pages each! Concise, relevant, and sprinkled with humor. If you sell in a blue collar world you’ve got to get a copy for yourself! Dirk S., Port Orange, FL.

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©2018 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC  

Confirmation Bias

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Just so you won’t be guessing from the beginning of this post, confirmation bias is defined as interpreting information in a way that confirms what you already believe. You see what you’re looking for and hear what you’re listening for. Confirmation bias causes people to seek to confirm existing beliefs rather than challenging them, regardless what information is presented.

My closest friend and his wife attend a church where, after 30 years at the helm, their beloved pastor retired. He was the only church leader most folks in that congregation had ever known. My friend was asked to serve on the pastor search committee and soon thereafter they found and vetted a great candidate. This fellow happened to have been a former missionary. He was invited to come and preach one Sunday and meet the members of the church. He was also asked to bring his family for an opportunity to size up their potential new home town.

All went well except that one member of the search team kept mentioning that the retiring pastor always said that “former missionaries don’t make the best pastors.” He couldn’t get that (confirmation bias) out of his mind and began to have sidebar conversations with various members prior to the church-wide vote. When the votes were counted, you guessed it, the candidate failed to get the required majority. This tragedy was due to the negative lobbying efforts of this one man.

Sales reps too, fall victim to confirmation bias when they ask prospects loaded questions as they search for specific answers. For example, if a rep thinks a prospect could benefit from additional attic insulation he might ask the following question. “Would you like to save money on your energy bill each month?” Of course the answer will be yes. The rep immediately responds, “Then you should add a six inch cap of insulation in your attic.” The problem is that without an energy audit/inspection there’s no way to confirm the additional insulation is actually needed.

While it’s helpful to have research-backed assumptions prior to talking to a prospect, reps need to remember to be open to new information and be ready to admit their “educated guess” might be incorrect.

Confirmation bias also impacts your buyers, both residential and commercial in several different ways. If people on the buyer’s side of the table already have a preferred vendor when you come along, the chances are great that they will interpret whatever you say as positive in favor of your competitor. This will happen regardless how convincing you feel your presentation is, meaning you lose the competitive scrum.

This bias can also cause them to prefer a highly advertised solution over yours, even if yours is objectively better. This is due to the tendency of the human brain to believe information encountered early over information encountered later.

Even if the person researching your solution is open to your ideas, confirmation bias can cause snags later in the process. This occurs when a higher level decision maker or influencer has a strong preconceived preference for a competitor. Those people may interpret your information in a way that confirms their bias, rather than considering your solution on its own merits.

Googling the Internet for information has made this bias even stronger. It causes opinions to be formed about products and services prior to ever coming face-to-face with salespeople. This now occurs so frequently and impacts sales so often that salespeople must counter it.

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To have a shot at overcoming this bias I suggest using a circular strategy, with four simple steps to help bring prospects and buyers around to your point of view:

Empathize along the vein of agreeing before disagreeing. Empathy encourages cooperation and relationship-building, rather than confrontation which acts like a magnet for reinforcing confirmation bias.

Explore using open-ended questioning that can lead buyers to discover the “warts” in their current thinking. This process makes them more likely to consider your thinking and your solution.

Encounter their existing beliefs by connecting discomfort and pain with the path they are currently traveling. If you succeed you may be able to nudge their thinking in your direction.

Execute by making your alternative suggestion attractive, positioning it as the path of least resistance back toward their comfort zone.

This is a tough one so it won’t be easy, but it will be worth it.

————Much More than Basics————

My initial choice of words was “getting back to basics” when reading Doug’s book. But after finishing, it is so much more and I have already learned some new things!  Plus, I love the funny stories and examples throughout the book. Tina Mabry, Lifetime Member, Million Dollar Club Realtor, Georgia

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©2018 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC  

Battling the Status Quo

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As you attempt to schedule appointments, realize that your biggest competitor is battling the status quo, the path of least resistance that your buyer is currently travelling. At times this trajectory can be extremely costly, as detailed in the following historical example:

In Montana, during the hot dry summer of 1949, Wagner Dodge and a dozen other firefighters were battling blazes in the Mann Gulch area. Suddenly the winds reversed course and drove the flaming inferno towards them. Knowing that they could not get to the river before the fire overtook them, Dodge stopped and ordered his men to do what he did. Dodge lit a fire in the grass around him and created a small circular area of burnt grass. Then he lay down on the ground and stretched a wet handkerchief over his head. Instead, his men panicked and in “status quo” fashion, kept moving. On the other hand, in that moment of severe stress, Dodge was still able to think of a creative solution. That decision enabled him to survive as the fire burned around and past him. Of the twelve men from his crew who panicked, only two survived.

When one of your prospects becomes anxious about something, the thing they need the most, imagination, is often paralyzed. This action causes them to be unable to visualize creative solutions. So keep in mind that most buyers think they are happy with what they’ve got. If this were untrue, they would be calling you, right? Hence, the status quo controls.

Therefore, here is the antidote and some selling food for thought:

  • About one third of your sales will occur regardless of your technique. This points toward your need to constantly contact enough needy prospects so that some will always be buying.
  • Regrettably, the second third will never buy, no matter what you do or say. These people will either do nothing, or buy from one of your competitors. Sometimes they simply adjust priorities at their companies when changes alter things internally (promotions, illnesses, relocations). Either way, you won’t “ink” that group.
  • The final third is the group that’s up for grabs. That said the more prospecting and proposing you do, the more of that third-third you will ultimately sell.

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Many people will not respond favorably to your first appointment request, but don’t let that deter you. You can often salvage a meeting by attempting one of the following “…get together anyway” responses:

  • Regardless what they say, respond with, “Oh well, that’s OK. Why don’t we get together anyway?”
  • You should also learn to establish a foothold for any negative response, by simply asking a question related to that particular comment; followed by suggesting to “get together anyway.”

As an example assume during an appointment setting phone call your buyer says, “We don’t make decisions like that here locally.” Respond by asking, “Oh, where are those decisions made?” After he/she answers, respond with, “That’s fine, but to help me gain a better understanding of your operation why don’t we get together anyway?” Often this will turn a prospecting conversation into an appointment.

  • To regain your footing following a negative response, try answering with, “I’m just curious,” and then ask another pertinent question. Regardless of the response you receive, answer with, “Interesting, why don’t we get together anyway?”
  • When someone says, “I’m the wrong person to talk to,” simply say, “Gee, what do you do?” If they really are the wrong person, say, “Well, who is the right person?” Unless they are openly obviously the wrong person, just say, “Oh, then you know what, we should get together anyway.” Often they will end up being somebody who can help you secure an appointment and maybe even help get a deal done, although they are not a

Realize that 65% of your selling success is finding people willing to talk and then explaining what you do. It all begins with a conversation that can lead to an appointment that may lead to a new customer.

————Here’s a Tip————

“Doug, your book is a great tool that is helping me with my team in the sales room. It is very practical and easy to read and comprehend.” Get you copy here with FREE shipping. Chris Watring-South Carolina

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©2018 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC  

Selling More by Talking Less

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When it comes to closing sales we often bloviate way too much in our effort to help homeowners and commercial buyers make informed decisions. Well I hate to break the news to you, but that additional yammering doesn’t really work, so today let’s focus on selling more by talking less.

Now stay tuned in as I share some really wacky sounding comments in the next two paragraphs that originate from Charlie Greer, a fellow sales coach. He presents a different perspective than you’ve probably considered before.

With all due respect the vast majority of the folks you are selling to are not PHD’s or Mensa Society members. They are just regular folks, probably near the median intelligence level. Besides that, many of the people that you are calling on, are part of that huge group of U.S. citizens who take more prescription drugs than the rest of the world combined. Sadly a high percentage of those drugs are antidepressants.

These prescription bottles have stickers on them that say, “May cause dizziness or drowsiness,” and many of them are prescribed to people with ADD or ADHD.

So you’re probably wondering why this sounds like a pharmaceutical lecture, but when you’re selling to the public you’ve got to realize who your prospects really are and adapt your approach to them.

That’s why simple is better when communicating while selling, or selling more by talking less. Everybody has heard the acronym K.I.S.S., which of course means “Keep It Simple Smiley.” Why provide such detailed explanations on everything you’re recommending, and then wonder why most folks can’t seem to make a decision. Ever known anybody who has taken a course on decision-making? Of course not, so why not give this a try:

—Keep it short, as most people don’t have the time or attention span for long explanations.

—Keep it simple, since a confused mind always says, “No.”

—Don’t take bunny trails, stay on message, keeping the conversation business-related.

—Since folks taking medication probably won’t get the punch line and may even get offended, don’t try to act cool and use a lot of humor.

—Cover the basics, give them a price, and then ask them to buy.

—If they don’t buy, drop back and tell them a little more, and then try again for a decision.

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Before you speak, ask yourself these four questions:

Who really cares? If the answer was no one but you, don’t say it.

Can I sell without saying it? You can always say more, but you can’t un-ring a bell, so weigh your words.

Will this cause them to like and trust me more? Your job is to persuade folks to feel good about buying from you, so if your words won’t accomplish that, swallow them instead. Always consider what you would want to hear if your roles were reversed.

Is what you’re saying something a person trying to spend the least amount can relate to? Your objective is to show the homeowner or buyer how to spend the least amount of money over the life of the product or system. Everybody wants a bargain, so create that feeling in every feature you discuss and stress the long-term savings.

You can’t hold people hostage long enough to educate them to the point that they know everything necessary to make a knowledgeable decision. They won’t devote that amount of time to you. What they will do is buy with their heart (emotion) and not their head (logic). THE FACTS DON’T COUNT…basically. They are unlikely to remember the details of what you said, but there’s a good chance they will remember how you made them feel.

The old maxim holds true, “They don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.” Often, what’s left unsaid, says it all! Just make sure they feel that you’re looking out for their best interest. When that occurs people will want to be your customers.

—————Less than 6₵ per Page? —————

You should be excited to learn how simple and inexpensive Doug’s 274 page sales coaching tool is in helping to increase and improve the sales results of you and/or your team. Would you believe less than 6¢ per page? See for yourself here.

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©2018 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC  

One-Legger Presentations

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Salespeople already know that appointments where one of the decision makers is absent from the discussion are called one-legger presentations. I’ve written and spoken early and often that sellers should do everything possible to identify all the players and then make every attempt to schedule appointments when all these folks can attend. This minimizes one-legger presentations and maximizes selling success.

Recently I heard a very successful career salesperson express his perspective that he doesn’t wig-out when he’s forced to propose to one-leggers. His perspective related back to the way he was raised as a child, where he was used to his mother making virtually all the business decisions for his family.

He recounted that when making purchase decisions, the only time she said she needed to talk to her husband was when she had no intention of buying what was being discussed. From those experiences he feels it’s very natural that in traditional households more times than not the female handles the financial affairs.

Those comments piqued my interest because I realize that “attitude is everything,” and that includes one’s mindset on one-leggers too. That tells me that a sales rep who admits he would divorce his wife if she spends any money without asking, probably will have trouble selling something to female one-leggers.

So the bottom line is, even when a one-legger balks, by stating a need to talk it over with somebody, they can still be closed as long as they want what you’re selling.

Roughly half the time you will be told they can’t make the decision alone, and that the other decider is unable to be reached at that time. Realistically, when you hear a response like that, it doesn’t add up. If the product or service being discussed is really important to that family, wouldn’t you think the other decider would find a way to be available to weigh in, if not in person at least by text message, or on a phone call?

Reality and experience reminds me that when a salesperson doesn’t close the sale on that visit, he or she rarely hears from that prospect again. Truth be told, what that means is the decision WAS made by the person the rep talked to. Apparently the salesperson failed the job interview and wasn’t hired.

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If you’re going to win more of these tough encounters, it’s important to recognize that most folks would rather climb a tree and tell you a lie than stand on the ground and tell you the truth. Most are four-square against a face-to-face confrontation, so quit buying into this smokescreen or you will join the ranks of the unpaid entertainers.

Here’s the deal. In order to get decider #1 to verbalize their opinion of your proposal, why not just ask how they feel about it, or what they plan to tell decider #2 when he/she returns?

If the decider you’re in front of wants what you’re recommending, give him/her a little sales coaching. Remind them of several benefits they should recite to their other half.

If they are willing to call their spouse and have you talk to him/her, make sure you have asked and received permission to state, “it is okay with him/her if it’s okay with you.”

When you talk to the missing spouse, start by reciting that sentence and you may not need to say much else.

If you do, why not utilize technology and take a photo of your key figures or summary notes and text it to decider #2 so they can discuss it with the spouse over the phone while looking at it, which should really simplify the conversation. Your role then becomes to excuse yourself and step outside to “return calls/respond to messages,” allowing them some privacy.

So, although you’re much better off when both deciders are sitting in front of you (and you should work hard trying to arrange that), don’t give up when that doesn’t happen. Talk to everyone as if they have full decision-making authority, and with the suggestions discussed here, I’m betting you’ll close more sales. Equally gratifying is avoiding some of the accompanying frustration you’ve been experiencing.

—————Thanks, Jim!—————

“With the publication of ‘Sell is NOT a Four Letter Word,’ Doug has completed a bucket list check-off. With this offering he strives to help salespeople join the ranks of the top 20 percent who seem to always close 80 percent of the sales.” Check out the ToC of this book here. Jim Q. – Leesburg, Ga.

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©2018 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC  

Chat ‘Em Up Prospecting!

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As a sales rep many years ago, I remember coming into the office one rainy and foggy morning with absolutely no sales appointments on my calendar. Remembering the old Chinese proverb, He who see most, sell most, I knew I had to get creative and do some chat ’em up prospecting to turn nothing into something for that day.

I fought off all the normal excuses for not hitting the bricks, and soon headed toward an area of the city with plenty of strip centers. I set a goal that I wouldn’t break for lunch until I had canvassed two of those centers, comprised of roughly 30 businesses. I reminded myself from the outset that the most important thing that day was to relax and have some fun, while engaging in as many prospecting conversations as possible.

Several hours later I ducked into a diner to grab a sandwich and inventory my results from pressing the flesh that nasty stormy February day. I don’t remember most of what was said, but I do remember I was able to schedule four firm appointments and got permission to call back four other businesses. That burst of prospecting conversations paid off handsomely for me in new sales over the next 60 days.

My purpose today is to translate the appointment setting process I just described into simple steps that can lead you to that same prospecting success. You may be the smoothest presenter on the planet, but if you don’t have an appointment with a qualified prospect, you can’t sell anything.

Regardless whether your prospecting conversations are in person or by phone, there are really only four components to obtaining the appointments necessary to achieving your sales objectives. I’ll use my sales coaching business to provide you with examples of what I might say to generate an appointment, as a way to help you sharpen your own prospecting ax.

1. Communicate

This is more common sense than anything else. Start by identifying yourself and providing a one sentence description of your business:

Example:

“Mr. Kapoor, I am Doug from RTS. We specialize in providing economical sales coaching designed to improve prospecting productivity.”  

2. Collaborate

Attempt to develop interest by trying to uncover what might be keeping this person up at night. After making a connection, provide a reason for continuing the conversation. In simple terms, describe a benefit for agreeing to meet with you.

Example:

“If your company is like most I work with, sales productivity is not where it should be. That’s said, I’d like to spend a few minutes with you to determine specifically what you’re facing. Then I can provide a brief overview of the proven strategies we advocate to improve sales productivity. May I ask you a couple of questions to see if we have anything in common?”

If you receive a negative response or sense you may have caught the prospect at a bad time, ask permission for a day/time to re-contact and withdraw.

3. Cultivate

Assuming a willingness to move forward, ask open circumstances questions relative to what your business does. Drill down on responses with why questions to establish need(s), which may open the door for your product or service to help eliminate the pain.

Example:

“What one thing concerns you most in regard to your sales force?” (Too few sales appointments)

“Can you tell me a little more about that?” (My people seem fearful, but my boss says they are just lazy)

“What have you done so far to improve that situation?” (We’ve started conducting two sales meetings a week instead of just one)

“How’s that working for you?” (I’ve seen no change, except for a bad attitude about the extra meeting. Something needs to change)

Follow your line of questioning by verifying the need and to show you were really listening, which should help you at least get an appointment.

“I agree with your concern. If salespeople are costing you money due to too few productive sales calls, you can’t afford to keep them on your staff. Eventually results like this will reflect on your performance too.”

Photo credit-theeyesofhorus.com

4. Consolidate

As you ask for an appointment, remind them why they need to meet with you. Confirm the appointment and thank them for agreeing to meet.

Example:

“Based on your concerns and my experience, I really feel it would be worthwhile for us to get together and discuss your productivity issues in greater detail. What about Friday morning or next Tuesday afternoon; would either of those fit into your schedule?” Great, I look forward to meeting with you then.”

There you go! One sales appointment down, many to go. Conversational and consultative. Rinse and repeat.

————WTG Zach————

“I am a PC technician and want you to know I just started reading your book and it’s very motivational and useful. I’ve only read a couple of chapters but it’s truly helping me as today I sold $1,000 of pest control. Thanks for your words of wisdom and I’m excited to find more ‘secrets’ in your book.” Zach Shaw, Sikeston, MO.

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©2018 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC  

Networking:You Never Know Who They Know

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Photo credit-eatbloglive.com

In selling, the definition of networking is meeting people who can be of help to you and reciprocating by offering help to them in the arena of referring and providing introductions. Here is an example:

I heard about a financial advisor who was on the receiving end of lots of new business because he networked with a landscaper on the Alabama Gulf Coast. This landscaper had a pretty wealthy clientele of people who owned summer homes on or near the beaches.

He told the financial advisor that he was positioned to provide him with referrals, but the financial guy couldn’t figure out how this could be possible. After all, this fellow worked with his hands in an unsophisticated profession. The financial guy had trouble understanding what kind of leverage and credibility this guy could possibly have with wealthy potential clients, but he agreed to work with him, hoping to gain some new contacts.

Since the wives usually made the majority of the landscaping/gardening decisions, this fellow was able to build relationships and have extended conversations with them. Here is a sample of one of those:

“You and your husband are obviously very successful, so I’m guessing you have a financial advisor for your investments. If you don’t mind, I’d like to ask you for some advice. I met this financial guy in my networking group who uses article 32.3(e) of the I.R.S. code in a unique way in order to pay far less tax on gains. He said dozens of his clients have saved thousands of dollars this way. I suppose your financial guy does the same thing for you, so I’m curious if that strategy really works as he says?”

The wife responded with, “Gosh, I’m really not sure; I’ll have to ask my husband about that one. What is this fellow’s name again?”

Although it might not seem to add up that a landscaper would be a referral source for a financial advisor, this story is a reminder that, you don’t know who they know; or how well they know who they know.

There are many ways to network and various resources to use, but today I’ll highlight two:

BNI (Business Networking International)

With roots back to 1985 and 8,000 plus chapters currently, BNI is the largest networking organization in the world. BNI offers opportunities to share referrals, ideas, and contacts. To find your nearest local chapter visit bni.com, where you will find the associated costs of membership and details to determine if this is a good networking option for you.

Although referrals are BNI’s focus, when you ask participants about their BNI membership, responses include comments like:

  • I’ve developed long term friendships.
  • I was able to improve my presentation skills immensely.
  • The environment at BNI helped me overcome my shyness.
  • BNI has taught me to be a better listener.
  • Meeting day is the best day of the week for me.

Two consultants that sell for one of my weekly coaching clients attend separate BNI groups in their city. They tell me they receive multiple leads every month that convert to sales at a high closure rate. They give BNI “two thumbs up.”

Why not mention BNI to your manager and ask how you go about being sponsored?

Trade Association Gatherings

Photo credit-babawashington.org

Trade associations are organizations devoted to improving, protecting, promoting and supporting their particular industry. Virtually every company you want to sell belongs to an association affiliated with their particular market segment.

All these groups have regular luncheons/meetings for their members and are continually looking for interesting guest speakers to address members on topics relevant to their group. It’s not difficult to network yourself onto the agenda of association meetings where you think there is sales potential for what you market. The key is to NOT give a sales pitch, but rather only share interesting information pertinent to that particular industry. The sales appointments will follow soon after your willingness to go and share with these groups.

In the late ‘80’s, when I was marketing mutual funds and other investments, I learned from my accountant that many of their clients wanted investments with a reasonable yield but with little risk. I briefly explained the mechanics of U.S. Government Securities funds to him, and he was very receptive. About a month later he called and asked me if I would speak about those funds at a luncheon of a newly-formed trade group that his firm helped sponsor earlier that year. It was great exposure for me and filled a learning void for them. Over the next year, I gained more than ten new clients as a result of referrals from those accountants.

Simply Google trade or industry associations if you need help locating these groups and get started networking.

Once you begin, as discussed in this post, it won’t take long to realize that you never know who they know!

————The Wizard of Cos Speaks————

“Doug Robinson has been a large part of my sales success in the pest control industry. I have personally watched several managers, salespeople, and technicians step up their game with the help of Doug’s material. His book and leader guide are simple and effective training tools to increase sales and it would be well worth your time to check out his website and material. He also has a FREE weekly sales newsletter that is informative and fun.” Greg Cosgrove, Owner Cosmo Pest Solutions, Doniphan, MO.

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©2018 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC  

Deal Appeal

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Deal Appeal

As a typical everyday consumer, you may have trouble routinely determining the price of many products and services purchased in today’s economy. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to determine whether you’re getting ripped off, so most people really dislike having to navigate this topic. It breeds mistrust, and gives folks a lousy feeling about the entire process. Here are some examples and pet peeves to many consumers:

When it comes time to buy or lease a car, dealers seem to go out of their way to hide the actual pricing numbers. That experience is scary because it is virtually impossible to determine the true price of a vehicle.

I also cringe when trying to make a decision about where to buy my Internet and TV services, because they don’t seem to have firm prices at all. It’s like arm wrestling or playing Let’s Make a Deal with the sales rep, just to try to figure out what I’ll end up having to pay.

It’s the same routine with financial stuff. The last time I got a mortgage, they started by offering me one rate, but then they said if I did thus and so they would change it to another rate. Then there was a caveat that could alter that one to even a third rate. There were so many variations that it seemed as if I was blindfolded, trying to hit a piñata. That totally frustrated me and caused me to be unsure of what to do.

I really wish sellers would just lay out their best price, and let the chips fall, period. Tell me how much it is and I’ll make a buying decision one way or the other. I know how to compare the pro’s and con’s, but I really don’t relish complicated, tennis-match style negotiating conversations, where I feel like I’m being nibbled to death by a duck over every single option offered. Just give me your best price.

It should be pretty easy to feel my frustration as you read these comments. As a salesperson, you need to be aware that a large percentage of consumers and virtually all your buyers harbor many of those same feelings.

Buyers want the best, at the best price, but even when they find the deal acceptable they almost always question something just to double-check the deal. For that reason alone, you shouldn’t expect to complete a sales call without some resistance. You just need to realize that not all questions are objections and not all objections are a deal appeal.

Sales Objections

Deal appeal is how buyers are reassured before making commitments, so make sure you are able to recognize them when you hear them, for example:

You: “Mr. Throckmorton, it appears the service and warranty I’ve presented are what you need, right?”

Throckmorton: “Yes, this looks like a good solution.”

You: “Great! With your signature approval, I’ll call my service department and get an installation day and time locked down for you.”

Throckmorton: “Okay… (hesitating), but I’m just wondering is this the best price I can get?”

You: “Yes sir, that’s why I wanted you to work through my company’s pricing protocol with me so you could see the numbers for yourself. The only way I could discount below that is if you also bundle at least one additional service, but you already said you didn’t want to do that at this time.”

Throckmorton: “Yeah, yeah, I remember now. That’s fine. OK, where do I need to sign?”

This is deal appeal, just a checking question from your prospect and not an objection. Just make sure you respond to every price question with a value or benefit statement, like the example above, or a deal appeal could easily grow into a full-blown objection.

————Have You Heard These Facts? ————

Employees who have been consistently coached:

Outperform their peers by 27%, are significantly (25%) more engaged, are 25% less likely to leave, are 11% more promotable, apply 18% more effort, and retain four times the amount of information after training. To help your salespeople attain improvement like this, Doug has some very inexpensive coaching solutions you can learn about here.

Sources: Sales Executive Council, Gallup, Hay Group, Harvard University, Goleman & Boyatzis

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©2018 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC

Ousting Occupying Opponents

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Ousting Opponents

Every B2B salesperson has more than one company in their funnel they want to sell, but can’t figure out how to oust the opponent, who is the incumbent vendor. When you have attempted to break through, all you get is the same old jazz, “We’re satisfied with the company that services us now.”

Knowing that if you keep doing what you’re doing you will keep getting what you’re getting, why not try a different approach in order to have a shot at a different result. Here are several ideas:

Are you sure who the bullseye is on the target? If you don’t know specifically who the occupying opponent is, it’s going to be very hard to know how to oust them. Once you know for sure, and if you have done some mystery shopping like I continually recommended, you will be able to cobble together a solid proposal and expose gaps in their service without ever mentioning the competitor’s name.

With that established, it would be entirely appropriate to mention in your opening statement that lots of your clients felt they were basically happy with existing vendors, but were at least open to looking elsewhere due to changing demands that current vendors were struggling to fulfill and successfully complete.

Go for the heart before you go for the throat. You should never forget that people buy with their emotions and then justify their purchase with logic, so even when they realize your company provides a superior service, they probably have an emotional connection to the current provider that will be difficult to overcome. Go ahead and get the 800 pound gorilla out in the open and begin to deal with it. The buyer knows all is not well with the existing service but may feel like a Benedict Arnold to even consider changing from a company that has been with them for a long time, to buying from one they’re not sure will deliver.

Get ahead of these feelings by admitting that if you were in their shoes you would be wondering if this outsider can really deliver, and also has a valid plan of action for when things go south. An empathetic statement like that will help level the playing field and go a long way toward separating you from all the other over-promisers in the marketplace.

No more sales pity parties

Above all, avoid personal pity parties. It is commonplace for sales reps to look in the mirror and convince themselves that they won’t be able to win over prospects that are long term customers of other providers before the opening bell has rung, and often they act wimpy or retreat.

Start thinking differently and you will begin to act differently. As Yogi Berra used to say, “Hit it where they ain’t.” The vendor you are attempting to replace may have been in place for a long time but may not be able to provide everything they need.

You job is to determine the gaps in service offerings and pursue them rather than dwell on the part your prospect is most worried about giving up. Gain a foothold into the enterprise by this fork in the road and then work hard to climb from vendor to credible source, to problem solver, and eventually you will become a trusted advisor and will earn ALL their business. Sometimes you must be willing to start small and “earn your stripes.”

Ousting opponents is not easy. To succeed you must learn to get out of your own way and avoid becoming a suicide bomber. Then be willing to live by the principle of delayed gratification as you create and build value for your buyers and customers.

————Kudos from the Gem State————

Todd Sawyer, owner of the Orkin franchise in Boise, ID. sent me this note; “I want to thank you again for all you offer in our online weekly training meetings. The techniques and strategies we talk about every Tuesday will make a huge difference in the success of our employees and our company, and you are an important part of our team.” You Can Do This for Yourself

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©2018 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC

Do You Acknowledge the Butterfly Effect?

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Butterfly

At the outset of this post I want to introduce you to Edward Lorenz, a meteorologist and mathematician who defined the Butterfly Effect in 1963 as “a tiny change in the initial conditions of something that has enormous long-term implications in its outcome at a later time.” He was theorizing for a way to better predict worldwide weather and suggested that a butterfly flapping its wings in one part of the world begins a chain reaction that results in a typhoon in another part of the world at some point in the future. I don’t know what I don’t know about that, nor am I a weatherman, but here are a couple of examples of from history embellishing this concept:

During the construction and testing of the Hubble telescope’s mirror in the late 1980’s, a microscopic chip of paint flaked off a measuring rod that was supposed to make sure the mirror was the right shape, rendering the Hubble unable to take clear photos. As a result, after it was launched into orbit in 1990 it started giving false readings and the mirror wound up being off by four microns; 25 times smaller than the width of a human hair. It took 5 space shuttle mission costing billions of dollars to fix the mirror.

In 1862 a Union scout found a box of cigars at an abandoned campsite. Wrapped around three of those cigars was Special Order 191, issued by General Robert E. Lee. That order contained detailed descriptions of the movements of every army in his brigade. Stonewall Jackson distributed copies to all his commanders, one of whom was General Daniel Harvey Hill, who wrapped his copy around his cigars and forgot about them. That mistake greatly attributed to the South losing the Civil War.

I would like to compare this slow, intensifying progression of events to recurring sales coaching. Obviously sales coaching means different things to sales reps in different industries. I don’t want to pretend that I am a coaching expert in every market segment, so let me clarify that my 45 years of selling, managing, training and coaching has been primarily in blue collar service businesses. So if you sell environmental services like pest and termite control, or HVAC systems, or home security products, or replacement windows, etc. etc.; this article may be very important for your financial future.

Although the benefits of sales coaching are indisputable, many businesses are still hesitant to invest in this recurring training activity. I don’t intend to provide a long laundry list of reasons for sales coaching here, but I will emphasize a half-dozen advantages that clients of my inexpensive weekly online 30 minute sales coaching sessions typically receive, culminating in the following results:

1. Improves Communication Skills

When coached properly salespeople will learn face-to-face soft skills that will help them increase revenue and commissions. In my coaching practice I cover topics such as empathy, temperament-centric conversations, likeability, active listening skills, and avoidance of weasel words; all of which help salespeople who want to move up the vendor pyramid toward eventually becoming a trusted adviser.

2. Increases Sales Revenue

Prior to discussing the assigned coaching topic for each session, we spend the first 5 minutes reviewing an online scoreboard where each sales rep has posted the dollar amount of proposals and sales from the preceding week. This public focus on activity acts as a “rising tide that lifts all boats” and helps to stir the competitive juices of the participants. This is a side benefit, albeit an important one to my topical coaching.

3.  Invigorates Manager Involvement

Managers are asked to attend coaching sessions with their sales teams so that they can reinforce what is covered. They are asked to follow up during the week with discussions, role play sessions, and Q&A’s with their folks. This multiplies the effect of the abbreviated amount of time spent with me.

4.  Inflates Average Size Sales

Sales coaching not only helps your team close more business, but instigates larger sales as well, due to the increased confidence that salespeople gain. Additionally, by emphasizing the bundling of multiple services, average size sales tend to ratchet upward as customers are better served by more competent reps who are unafraid to propose everything prospects actually need.

Coaching

5. Instills Prospecting Strategies

Because I work with blue collar sellers who typically are responsible to self-generate their own leads for several months of the year, my coaching is structured to be season-specific to ensure the participants are totally supported both curriculum-wise and emotionally. Over-wintering the sales folks is critical to maintaining low turnover during the off-season.

6. Integrates Ideas from Non-Competing Reps

As an example, one of my online coaching groups consists of 14 reps from 7 franchises of the same nationwide company, located in 5 different states; which provides a grouping of sellers with no head-to-head competition among its participants. That said, these folks are much more willing to share ideas and strategies with one another during discussions, realizing it won’t cost them any commission dollars; and so what comes around, goes around. There’s that rising tide again!

Relating back to the introduction to this post, as the sales coach I continue to flap my butterfly wings each week for 30 minutes at a time, as the participants improve, morph, and change into stronger, more productive commercial and residential salespeople that eventually become unrecognizable from where they began.

————————A Franchisee Speaks————————

“When running small franchises you have to wear a lot of hats, so by having both my locations participate in Doug’s weekly sales coaching sessions, based on his book Sell is NOT a Four Letter Word, I stay focused on one of the most important parts of the business. I also enjoy listening to the folks from other states share what they are doing to become more successful in sales. So both Doug’s book and his weekly coaching are well worth the time and money.” Bill Wert –Tallahassee & Gainesville, FL.

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©2018 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC

Is Their Perception Your Reality?

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Perception vs Reality

Let’s pretend that your neighbor, Joe America, is putzing around in a 10 year old 2008 mid-size vehicle with nearly 200,000 miles and breakdowns are starting to pop like popcorn. He realizes it’s time to look for a new vehicle. (Just so you know, although Joe hasn’t been to a dealership yet, the average mid-size in 2008 cost about $20K and that same vehicle today in 2018 would set him back about $30K).

However, Joe has seen a few typical “bait & switch” commercials that makes him think he can replace his old car for about the same amount he paid for it when it was new 10 years ago. Heck, he even saw an Internet ad for a new 2018 Mitsubishi Mirage ES Hatchback subcompact for $14,290! But somehow I doubt he realizes yet that it comes with a manual transmission and only 78 horsepower, but it is a new car for under $15K!

With that mindset one can only imagine what Joe’s reaction will be when he finally discovers the drive-off price for a new mid-trim-package equipped vehicle. It will take some serious price conditioning to bring Joe back to earth.

Now shift your focus to a homeowner who bought a new air conditioner for his home in the year 2000 for $2,200, but now in 2018 it has breathed its last and is blowing hot air on these current 90+⁰ summer days. This guy certainly knows prices have gone up over the last 18 years, but does an Internet search and discovers that a 4 ton unit and evaporator coil can be had for $3,350 installed. With that mindset he rings up an HVAC comfort consultant and asks for an estimate.

You know better than I that when selling blue collar products and services, price is not normally discussed until value has been built through a presentation/proposal. Having said that, I’ve got a theory that when folks only replace stuff every 10-20 years, there will be push-back and sticker shock with current prices. If I’m right, salespeople should implement some price conditioning early in the sales cycle to prep their prospects.

Homeowners usually have a price expectation in mind for expensive purchases they are considering, and when there is a big disconnect between expectation and reality, the human mind gravitates toward “no.” Often expectations are unrealistic, as the actual price may be double or more of the expected amount. That means that the seller can’t possibly build enough value to offset the difference, and the homeowner’s brain won’t be able to compute, and so typically the sale will be lost.

Therefore when a realistic price range is established early, the following happens:

• Prospect stress is reduced as they start wrapping their brain around a new-normal price range.

• Trust in the seller improves as expectations become clearer; sooner in the process.

• Additional time to “marinate” will have an impact on the need and willingness to spend more.

For example, let’s say a homeowner realizes this is the year to finally have their air conditioning replaced or maybe a crawlspace encapsulation completed to eliminate severe moisture problems, or a new roof put on their home. When the consultant/salesperson arrives and engages in conversation, the discussion gravitates to other bids. The owners admit they have already received two other bids, but haven’t pulled the trigger because both were too expensive. It seems the lowest bid was $6,000, and even that was more than they were ready to spend.

At that point, the consultant realizes that the homeowner’s budget is not reality, since he immediately knows his lowest option will cost more than their budget. Typically the consultant would just continue with his assessment and presentation, waiting to give his out-of-the-budget price until he has finished with his selling proposition at the end of a presentation. But this time, instead, he decides to try price conditioning.

He informs the owners that to properly take care of a home like theirs could run as high as $15,000, but he could do the bare minimum for as little as $8,000, but that more than likely they will probably be looking at around $10,000 to adequately solve the problems. He tells them that he will know the exact amount after completing his inspection and assessment. Immediately it becomes obvious that the homeowners are frustrated and disappointed hearing this news. He continues by reminding them that an important part of his job is educating homeowners, so since he is already there that day, he wants to at least complete his due diligence and then educate them about what will work best, so they will have the necessary information to make the right decision down the road.

That approach immediately reduces the pressure of budget from their minds and allows them to focus on learning about the various solutions, and provides time to “soak” on the value with a clear mind. When he finishes presenting, of course they want an exact quote, which is almost $10,000.

Fast forward a few minutes and this same homeowner ends up spending $9,700, and when the work was completed, they were very pleased. What made the difference for this consultant was the upfront price conditioning.

Price Conditioning

Price Conditioning Principles

-Do your level best to conduct your selling conversation with all decision makers together.

-Ask about the homeowner’s experience to this point in gathering estimates for what they need.

-Since price conditioning is more of an art than a science, choose carefully when to bring up price, but make sure it’s early enough to give them ample “incubation time,” simply meaning the homeowner realizes they may have to spend more than they originally planned.

-As you present the price ranges, start with mentioning the high, and then state the low, and conclude with what’s typical for homes similar to theirs (as you read in the example above). In doing so, make sure your voice sounds confident and sincere; as well as empathetic, but never apologetic.

This is a very reasonable optional strategy for those of you who continually lose sales to low bidders, or no decisions, after working your butt off and investing lots of your precious time!

————WOWZA!————
“The sales coaching sessions are working! Sales have increased tremendously plus David said they really enjoy being in with the Arizona group.” Mary Paine, franchise owner, Dothan, AL. Learn how your sales folks can experience results like this too.
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©2018 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC

Carnegie’s Clue for Confident Closing

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Win Friends Influence People

DALE CARNEGIE (1888-1955), became famous by showing others how to become successful. His book How to Win Friends and Influence People (1936) has sold more than 10 million copies and is still very popular because of his illustrative stories and simple, well-phrased rules.

Every salesperson has trouble closing sales from time to time, so today I’m pulling some guidance from Carnegie that will no doubt be helpful, even though we no longer speak as he did 80 years ago when he wrote this. His advice is,

“Arouse in the other person an eager want. He who can do this has the whole world with him; he who cannot, walks a lonely way.”

Carnegie continues;

“Why talk about what we want? That is childish, even absurd. Of course, you are interested in what you want. You are eternally interested in it. But no one else is. The rest of us are just like you: we are interested in what we want. So the only way on earth to influence other people is to talk about what they want and show them how to get it.

One time I rented the grand ballroom of a certain New York hotel for twenty nights in each season in order to hold a series of lectures. At the beginning of one season, I was suddenly informed that I should have to pay almost three times as much rent as formerly. This news reached me after the tickets had been printed and distributed and all announcements had been made. Naturally, I didn’t want to pay the increase, but what was the use of talking to the hotel about what I wanted? They were interested only in what they wanted. So a couple of days later I went to see the manager. “I was a bit shocked when I got your letter,” I said, “but I don’t blame you at all. If I had been in your position, I should probably have written a similar letter myself. Your duty as the manager of the hotel is to make all the profit possible. If you don’t do that, you will be fired and you ought to be fired.

Now, let’s take a piece of paper and write down the advantages and the disadvantages that will accrue to you, if you insist on this increase in rent.” Then I took a letterhead and ran a line through the center and headed one column “Advantages” and the other column “Disadvantages.” I wrote down under the head “Advantages” these words: “Ballroom free.” Then I went on to say: “You will have the advantage of having the ballroom free to rent for dances and conventions. That is a big advantage, for affairs like that will pay you much more than you can get for a series of lectures. If I tie your ballroom up for twenty nights during the course of the season, it is sure to mean a loss of some very profitable business to you.

“Now, let’s consider the disadvantages. First, instead of increasing your income from me, you are going to decrease it. In fact, you are going to wipe it out because I cannot pay the rent you are asking. I shall be forced to hold these lectures at some other place. “There’s another disadvantage to you also. These lectures attract crowds of educated and cultured people to your hotel. That is good advertising for you, isn’t it? In fact, if you spent five thousand dollars advertising in the newspapers, you couldn’t bring as many people to look at your hotel as I can bring by these lectures. That is worth a lot to a hotel, isn’t it?”

As I talked, I wrote these two “disadvantages” under the proper heading, and handed the sheet of paper to the manager, saying: “I wish you would carefully consider both the advantages and disadvantages that are going to accrue to you and then give me your final decision.” I received a letter the next day, informing me that my rent would be increased only 50 percent instead of 300 percent. Mind you, I got this reduction without saying a word about what I wanted. I talked all the time about what the other person wanted and how he could get it. That is so simple, so obvious, that anyone ought to see the truth of it at a glance; yet 90 percent of the people on this earth ignore it 90 percent of the time.”

Pro Con List

So the point of this week’s post is to realize that your buyer’s and homeowners don’t care what you want, but will often agree to outside-the-box suggestions if they lead them to what they want.

—————Here’s Another Good Book—————

“I would highly recommend Doug’s book to everyone who wants to sharpen their selling skills. His weekly sales coaching is also very relevant and a great value for all four of my locations.” Terry Woods – Sikeston, Imperial, Columbia MO., and Paducah, KY.

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©2018 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC

Pesky Pillars of Premium Priced Products

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Selling Premium Priced Products

An acquaintance of mine with a similar work background told me that recently he and his wife were shopping for a graduation gift. They found an attractive ladies’ watch and decided to buy it. After telling the store salesperson they wanted the watch, the clerk violated a selling no-no. He volunteered a 30% discount although they didn’t ask for one, and had already told him they wanted the item.

This surprise discount made my friend curious how much more he could get the price reduced, with a little work on his part. He started into the role of a grumpy customer with second thoughts and told the salesman they wanted to look a bit more before making a final decision. Automatically the clerk responded by taking another 20% off, which came to a 50% discount in less than 60 seconds!

Now he was really curious to see how low the clerk would go, as his wife started feeling uncomfortable, knowing what was coming next. The guy continued to object and argue with the sales rep, and yes, every time this employee responded with an additional discount.

They finally walked out of the store with the watch, having paid only 35% of the list price! He said he thought he could have even done a little bit better, but was getting the hairy eyeball from his better half, so he thought he’s better call it a day.

If you sell premium products or services, routinely priced at double the amount of your competitor’s offerings, this should be an informative piece for you to absorb. I’ll bet many of you regularly whine about major pricing variances, although I’m sure your sales manager has provided repeated training on overcoming this hurdle. I’ll skip what you already know and go straight to the importance of these three pillars; pesky because if you omit one, you’re probably done!

1. The Credibility Pillar – Your prospect has to believe, without question or doubt that you believe you’re going to get your asking price for what you’re selling. Staying with a wristwatch illustration, for a jeweler to be able to sell a Rolex he must be loaded with credibility. He will talk about aesthetic value, beauty, design, style, color, and balance. He will elaborate on the mechanism and conclude by talking about the platinum and gold.

Circling back to what you sell, you need to embellish your offering in the same manner. Along with emphasizing your years of continuous customer service and the generations of customer satisfaction your firm has provided, you will need to relate what it is that makes your brand the most successful name in your industry.

To succeed as a credible premium seller, you can never knowingly misrepresent anything, because people won’t pay top dollar for excuses. Why should they? If you want to sell at a premium price you can’t have delivery problems, and you certainly can’t ever lie about ANYTHING. Otherwise, your prospect is finished with you, because your credibility pillar failed to hold up.

2. The Comparison Pillar – Just because your prices are higher than the competition doesn’t mean they are too high. If you feel they are you may need to be working somewhere else, because you will end up exaggerating whether you realize it or not.
You must be prepared to sell value, which is what buyers receive for the price they pay. Emphasize features that are either unique or exclusive. You must know that you know you are providing the best customer value in your industry.

Quality vs Price

3. The Consideration Pillar – When people pay a premium price they almost always know it, so don’t ever take them for granted and think they are stupid. Buyers in that league have a different set of expectations, and you cannot afford to test or frustrate them.

Your prospect doesn’t want to hear that one of your installers or technicians didn’t come in this morning. They don’t care if somebody forgot to gas up the truck, resulting in your team arriving an hour late at the job site. All they want to hear is, “You need it when? No problem.” Remember, excuses don’t count in the big leagues!

As a premium provider, you must quickly learn to play above the rim, and your admin support people, service department and management team must be right there to back you 100% of the time. If any one of those three pillars is weak or missing, you have no business attempting to sell premium priced stuff, because you will absolutely fail.

—————How Rare is This?—————

Upon returning from his mailbox one day, Doug opened a piece of mail bearing the return address of a long term client. It turned out to be a handwritten thank you card that read: “Doug, thanks for taking time from your retirement to help make us better. It was good fortune and God’s providence that connected us at just the right time. Thanks again.” I (Doug) am humbled…get to know me here.

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©2018 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC

Demonstrate as You Elaborate

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Sales - Paint a picture

A picture is worth a thousand words is a phrase everybody has no doubt heard all their lives. Today I want to add to that phrase that a demonstration is worth a thousand (or possibly thousands of) dollars.

Your offering may contain many differences and advantages, but if you don’t demonstrate them to your prospects, how will they ever know and remember how superior it is? Additionally, it might not have occurred to you, but insightful demonstrations will also reduce the frequency of hearing, your price is too high! Here are three examples you have no doubt seen in the past.

The photo above is a SodaStream 3D demonstration depicting the volume of wasted plastic and can material that can be saved by a typical family over a 5-year period by using their device instead of purchasing beverages in bottles and cans. This one sits permanently at the Tel Aviv airport, graphically strengthening the product’s value proposition without making a sound.

Dawn dishwashing liquid ran ads that demonstrate how the product was used to clean ducks with oil embedded in their feathers after the 2010 Gulf Coast Oil Spill. It’s brilliant because this demo powerfully illustrated how effective Dawn is at removing grease, while at the same time showing how gentle it is at protecting these delicate creatures.

Febreze embarked on an ingenious challenge campaign during the 2012 London Olympics by sponsoring the Azerbaijani Olympic Wrestling Team in the smelliest sport possible. They sprayed sweaty jock straps and wrestling boots of team athletes with Febreze, and then dangled them in front of the noses of random blindfolded Londoners while asking them to guess the smell. Videotaped guesses included “strawberry milkshake,” “passion fruit,” “citrus,” and “floral bouquet.” The demonstrations were highly memorable and convincing that the product was extremely effective.

The good news is, since many of your competitors are too lazy to stage demos, by providing them you will stand alone as the rep who illustrates what your product or service really can do.

Sales Demonstration

Here are some tips to help effectively demonstrate your product or service:

  • Choose aspects of your product to demo that are relevant to your buyer’s needs.
  • Decide in advance what you will say about the item your demo, and then discuss it from the buyer’s perspective, needs and wants.
  • Choose demonstrations that will produce a WOW and involve the largest number of the buyer’s senses.
  • Plan ahead to ensure you have everything needed and double-check that all the components work properly.
  • Make sure your demonstrations are completed in as much of a controlled environment as possible, so as not to leave anything to chance.
  • If possible, involve the prospect in the demo. If they try it, they’ll buy it!
  • Hold a demo dress rehearsal, including any planned comments that will make it more effective.

About five years ago my wife and I were watching TV when a commercial began for a brand-name water filtering system where not one word was spoken. In pantomime fashion, a guy poured like amounts of red wine into two containers of water and then ran them through competing filter systems.

What blew us away was how only the featured filtration system produced completely clear water. That really brought on a WOW since red wine is pretty hard to hide. It was obvious to us from this simple silent demo that the 5-stage filter system did the job, so that item immediately went on our Christmas list!

If a picture is worth a thousand words, a demonstration really is worth thousand(s) of dollars.

—————Read Joe K’s Comment—————

“I was in an audience where Doug was speaking about ways for salespeople to improve their communication skills and he was spot on. He was interesting, witty, to the point, and made some suggestions that I will definitely share with my employees.” Joe K. – Huntington, W.V. Preview Doug’s DIY sales training.

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©2018 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC