If Selling -- Listen to the Symptoms by Ron White

'Doc...I got this cough.'
'Is it a light cough?'
'No Doc it is a deep hacking cough like this....KUUH... KUUH'

'Okay, anything else?'
'Yeah, I got the shivers and this red bumpy rash.'
'Oh, well you have got the Jungle hemoglobin neuro-cardio virus. Take these pills for two weeks and you will be as good as new.' Isn't it amazing how a doctor can listen to the symptoms and then accurately diagnose what is ailing you?

Well, if you are in sales you should be able to do the same. Listen to what your customers are telling you and it will tell you where you are going wrong in your presentation.

I recently heard a speaker say, 'Yeah, I didn't sell but one package of CDs – the owner stood up and said he was going to buy one package of CDs for the office library and everyone could share.' The speaker then shook his head as if there was nothing he could have done to sell the group. I never heard that speaker's sales pitch; however, I know exactly what he did wrong by listening to the symptoms.

In his sales pitch, he sold the value of his products, which he should have done – however, he did not pitch the value of building your own personal development library. If he would have closed this way, the owner would have never of stood up and said he would buy one for the group to share because he would have been contradicting the value of your own personal library that was just discussed.

I didn't have to hear his sales pitch; listening to his symptoms, the diagnosis was easy.

What about you? What are the objections you are receiving? Listen closely because they are the symptoms that will diagnose your problem:

* Sounds great! I will definitely get this product one day! – Diagnosis – you didn't establish the benefits of purchasing today. You did not make it clear that inventory was low, the special price of purchasing today or other incentive.

* I need to think about it – Diagnosis – 50% of the time this will be because you didn't show them how to purchase (i.e. where to sign) or ask for the sale. The other 50% of the time it is because they have a hidden objection that you did not answer. Your response,' Is there something in particular I can answer for you as you think about it?'

* Let's buy one and share! – Diagnosis – you didn't establish the value of this being a personal purchase.

* It cost too much – Diagnosis – price is rarely the objection, you failed to build value and didn't demonstrate how this product will actually save you money over a period of time because it is durable or it will save you time and time is money.

Just as a doctor – listen to your symptoms and they will tell you where you are failing. Do not blame the symptoms on your prospects incompetence. Instead – listen, diagnose and treat by altering your presentation the next time. The answer to catapult your sales success is in the symptoms. Listen carefully!

Now, if you will excuse me I have to run. I have the Jungle hemoglobin neuro-cardio virus and I have some pills I need to take.

-- Ron White
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Ron White is the author of Memory in a Month - Train Your Mind to Work Like a Human Computer in Only 30 Days! To join Ron White's free ezine click here.
(c) All rights reserved worldwide.

Overcoming The Fear Of Success By Sandy Schussel

While most people think that the biggest fear we face in sales is the fear of failure, the fear of success is actually much more pervasive and paralyzing.

Lisa, age 28, had been earning $40,000 a year at her technical job and switched to a straight commission sales job with a company that provides printing services, because it promised her unlimited earning potential and flexible hours.

In her first six months in sales, starting with cold calls, Lisa cleared $31,000. But how much do you think she earned in her next six months?

That’s right, $9,000. Somehow, despite her continued activity on the phone, she could not set as many appointments, she had more cancellations, and she ended up with significantly fewer sales per kept appointment, so that her income came out to be just about what it was at her old job.

How could that have happened? It appeared that Lisa was actually avoiding her sales success of the first six months--but why would anyone avoid success?

My client called me to ask if I might be able to help Lisa. As it turns out, her problem is a common subject of coaching. Whenever sales professionals are having a run of "bad luck," fear of success may be at the root of it.

Dr. Kerry Johnson, suggests that this is not usually an issue of self-confidence, but something more specific, arising out of two limiting beliefs that may have become embedded in our thinking:

1. The belief that the only path to financial success is through extremely hard work. If we have a belief—conscious or unconscious—that our sales success is coming too easily or too quickly, we'll actually slow ourselves down.

2. The belief that being too successful is somehow wrong. If we’ve been taught that "money is the root of all evil," and "you can only make money off someone else’s back," we may start back-peddling when we suddenly find ourselves making real money. If we think we'll hurt dad’s feelings if we’re earning more than he does, we’ll slow down our activity so as not to get too far ahead of him.

Here are the symptoms that you may be suffering from the fear of success:

1. Your sales have stayed flat or decreased, even though you’re not working any less or doing anything substantially different.

2. You feel guilty about your small successes, but you’re not sure why.

3. You’re missing what usually are easy sales, especially after you’ve had a good week.

4. You’re "forgetting" to follow through on a promise made to a prospect or client—and blowing sales that were “in the bag” by doing something unusually foolish.

If you think you have any of these symptoms, you may be backing away from the success you deserve—even sabotaging it. Here are some of the things you can do to turn your situation around:

1. Take a look at where your sales are now. Set goals and get them down in writing.

2. Observe and record each time and place that the "fear factor" appears in your daily sales activity—that uncomfortable or guilty feeling.

3. Talk these out with your manager—or get some coaching.

Once Lisa learned that she had created her own limitations and started to catch herself before she let those guilty feeling associated with her success cause damage, her earnings started to soar. This year, she’s on track to earn a comfortable six-figure income—doing less “work” than she did last year.
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Sandy Schussel, is the "More Clients" Coach who went from being a rainmaker for his law firm, to running his own seminar business, to being hired as the national sales training director of a financial services brokerage. He is the author of the acclaimed book, The High Diving Board: How To Overcome Your Fears and Live Your Dreams. Visit Sandy’s website at BrassRingCoaching.com and sign up for his free weekly e-letter, REACHING…

* brought to by SalesTrainingAdvice.com.

The Greatest Sales Success Strategy in the World By Richard Fenton and Andrea Waltz

It is our contention that the greatest success strategy in the world is to increase your failure rate; to do what we call, "going for no."

One of the key strategies we talk about in our programs and workshops is having "no" goals. We are not saying not to have goals, we are talking specifically about having goals for the number of times you are turned down, rejected, told "no."

Here is an excerpt from our book, "Go for No! Yes is the Destination, No is How You Get There!" that explains this cutting edge process through the dialog of our two main characters:

"Would you agree that the average salesperson slows down when he or she reaches their quota?" my mentor asked. "Yes," I replied. "Why do you think that is?" "They’re rewarding themselves for their accomplishment, I guess."

"Rewarding themselves by ruining their chances at having a record breaking week or month? No, I think it’s just another way of staying within comfort zones and avoiding the pain of rejection. Most people classify the amount of pain they must endure to survive in this world as necessary pain. Anything beyond that, by definition, is unnecessary pain. That’s why it becomes so easy to dodge that extra effort – we’ve labeled it in our minds as unnecessary."

"That’s exactly what I did this week," I finally admitted. "I had a great Monday going. I was three for three, and what did I do? I spent Tuesday doing paperwork, Wednesday in a focus group, and on Thursday I was going to play golf, until I fell out of bed and wound up here, that is."

"Ben Franklin said it best: Success has ruined many a man!"

"Yeah, well I let having a great day turn into a horrible week."
"Let’s look at what would have happened if you were setting no goals rather than yes goals."
"Okay."
"What was your sales goal for the week?"
"My goal was to close four sales," I replied.
"And how many calls do you usually make in a typical week?"
"I try to get myself in front of twenty prospects every week."

"Okay. So what if, instead of having the goal of getting four yes’s, your goal had been to get a minimum of sixteen no’s. What would have happened on Monday afternoon after you closed your third sale?"
"Instead of being ahead I’d have been behind!" I exclaimed.
"Correct. So what would you have had to do?"
"I’d have had to increase the number of calls if I was ever going to get to sixteen no’s for the week!"
"Exactly! Your success would have led to an increased number of calls, whereas when you were going for yes you decreased them."

"I get it!" I said excitedly. "Let’s use my friend Paul who is in network marketing, for example. If his goal is to get ten people per week to come to a meeting, and typically about five percent of the people he approaches are willing to attend, then his goal would be to get one hundred and ninety people to say ‘no thanks.'"

"Yes. His goal would be to get rejected by one hundred and ninety people. You might call it the get rejected and get rich plan."
"Get rejected and get rich," I repeated quietly to myself.

"Eric, I’m going to tell you the truth. I haven’t set a traditional success oriented goal in almost ten years. I only set goals for the number of no’s I’m going to get."

"You set no success goals at all?" I asked in disbelief.

"None whatsoever," he responded firmly. "If I focused on how well I was doing in terms of results-oriented goals I’d probably slowdown just like you did. But, instead, I’ve focused on the behavior-oriented goal of constantly increasing my rate of failure. I have complete and total faith that if I set my failure goals high enough, and do my best in each and every sales situation, then the successes will come. And they always do."
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Richard Fenton is the co-author of "Go for No!" a short, powerful story written specifically for organizations and professionals just like you who must learn how to face failure and rejection to be successful. For more free cutting edge ideas and strategies to help you achieve courageous breakthrough performance, accelerate your success and double, triple or even quadruple your sales go to: www.GoForNo.com and sign up for the Free Ezine, ROAR!

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Actions Speak Louder Than Words By John Boe

The 1960 Presidential Debates between Vice President Nixon and Senator Kennedy were the first nationally televised debates in presidential campaign history. With the advent of television the debates took on a visual dimension and for the first time, 70 million voters were given the opportunity to not only hear the candidates, but to visually compare them as well.

Surprisingly, opinion polls revealed a sharp contrast between the voters who had actually watched the debates on TV versus those who had merely listened to them on the radio. While radio listeners clearly thought that Nixon had won the first debate, television viewers were captivated by Kennedy's smile, charm and athletic appearance.

The majority of viewers interviewed reported that Nixon's five-o'clock shadow and darting eyes made him appear sinister and far less presidential than Senator Kennedy. The television cameras underscored the significance of nonverbal communication and forever changed the political landscape.

Are You Missing Your Prospect's "Buy Signals?"

Think about the tremendous advantage you would have as a baseball manager if you knew the opposing team's signals and were able to anticipate their game plan. For example, suppose you knew in advance that the other team was planning to steal second base. Obviously, your team would have a competitive edge because you would be able to adjust your strategy as necessary.

Likewise, as a professional salesperson, you would be wise to monitor your prospect's body language and adjust your presentation accordingly. By reading your prospect's gestures you will minimize perceived sales pressure and know when it's appropriate to close the sale.

In 1872, Charles Darwin published the book "The Expressions in Man and Animals" and launched the modern study of nonverbal communication. Essentially, body language is a mixture of movement, posture and tone of voice. The good news about this subject is that your subconscious mind already understands the meaning of every gesture, posture and voice inflection. The bad news is, without the proper training you are unable to consciously apply this information during your client appointments.

Top salespeople and the most successful managers recognize the importance of nonverbal communication in the selling process and have learned to "listen with their eyes." They understand that one of the easiest and most effective ways to close sales is to be aware of their prospect's "buy signals." In addition to monitoring your prospect's body language, it's important to be mindful of your own gestures and keep them positive. Remember to unfold your arms, uncross your legs, nod your head in agreement and smile frequently.

The study of nonverbal communication is similar to learning a foreign language in that it requires time and effort to achieve fluency. Acquiring this important skill will allow you to communicate more effectively, read your prospect like a book and close more sales in less time.

Build Trust and Rapport ...
Matching and mirroring your prospect's body language gestures is unconscious mimicry. It is a way of subconsciously telling another that you like them and agree with them. The next time you are at a social event, notice how many people are subconsciously matching one another. Likewise, when people disagree they subconsciously mismatch their body language gestures. The psychological principle behind matching and mirroring is that people want to do business with salespeople that they believe are similar to them.

You can build trust and rapport by deliberately, but subtly, matching your prospect's body language in the first fifteen minutes of the appointment. For example, if you notice that your prospect is crossing their arms, subtly cross your arms to match them. After you believe you have developed trust and rapport, verify it by seeing if your prospect will match you. Uncross your arms and see if your prospect will match and mirror you as you move into a more open posture.

If you notice your prospect subconsciously matching your body language gestures, congratulations, this indicates that you have developed trust and rapport. Conversely, if you notice your prospect mismatching your body language gestures, you know trust and rapport has not been established and you need to continue matching and mirroring them.

Body Language Quiz ...
If you're a manager, consider using this quiz at your next training meeting to assess your sales team's current level of expertise. When sitting in on a sales appointment with your sales rep, be sure to incorporate nonverbal communications feedback in your critique.

Do you have a working knowledge of body language? See how many of the eight questions you can answer.

1. What emotion is associated with the "palm to chest" gesture?

A. Superiority
B. Critical judgment
C. Sincerity
D. Confidence

2. What is the meaning of the "thumb under the chin" gesture?

A. Deceit
B. Boredom
C. Anxiety
D. Critical judgment

3. What nonverbal message is conveyed with the "chin rub" gesture?

A. Decision
B. Deceit
C. Control
D. None of the above

4. What does it mean when a person rubs his or her nose?

A. Superiority
B. Anticipation
C. Dislike
D. Anger

5. What message is conveyed when a person touches his or her eyeglasses to their lips?

A. Interest
B. Stalling
C. Disbelief
D. Impatience

6.When a person looks over the top of his or her eyeglasses, what message are they sending?

A. Contempt
B. Distrust
C. Scrutiny
D. Suspicion

7. What is the impact of nonverbal communication in a face-to-face conversation?

A. 20%
B. 40%
C. 70%
D. 85%

8. Which of the following gestures is/are associated with lying?

A. Talking through fingers
B. Eye rub
C. Ear rub
D. Lack of direct eye contact
E. All of the above

Quiz Answer Key

1. (C) The palm to chest gesture indicates sincerity.

2. (D) The thumb under the chin gesture indicates critical judgment and a negative attitude. A good way to get your prospect to drop this gesture is to hand them something.

3. (A) The chin rub gesture indicates decision. When you see this gesture, avoid the temptation to interrupt. If the gestures that follow chin stoking are positive, ask for the order.

4. (C) When someone rubs his or her nose it's an indication that they don't like the subject. When you see this gesture you would be wise to probe with open-ended questions to draw out your customer's concern.

5. (B) When someone touches his or her eyeglasses to their lips it signals that they're stalling or delaying a decision. If they put their glasses back on, it's a buy signal. If they put them away, you have more work to do.

6. (C) When a person looks over his or her eyeglasses it indicates judgment and scrutiny.

7. (C) Research indicates over 70 percent of our communication is achieved nonverbally. In addition, studies show that nonverbal communication has a much greater reliability than the spoken word. Therefore, you would be wise to rely on body language as a more accurate reflection of a person's true feelings.

8. (E) All of the above. The statue of the Three Wise Monkeys accurately depicts the three primary hand-to-face gestures associated with deceit. See no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil.

While you may not be called upon to participate in a presidential debate or manage a baseball team, you need to be able to recognize your prospect's "buy signals." By gaining a working understanding of nonverbal communication, you will be able to reduce sales pressure, build rapport quickly and dramatically increase your sales effectiveness!
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John Boe presents a wide variety of motivational and sales-oriented keynotes and seminar programs for sales meetings and conventions. John is a nationally recognized sales trainer and business motivational speaker with an impeccable track record in the meeting industry. To have John speak at your next event, visit www.JohnBoe.com or call 877 725-3750. John's free newsletter is available on his website.

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Seven Easy Steps To Follow Up By Phone By C.J. Hayden

You know how critical it is to follow up your initial contacts or mailings with a personal phone call, but somehow your list of calls to make always seems to get longer instead of shorter.

Days or even weeks go by before you place important calls, and there always seems to be something more important to do. Why not make this the month you get off the dime and get on the phone?

Here are seven steps to make it easy for you:

1. Know why you are calling. Sounds obvious, but we have all been guilty of making a call just because it was on the list, having long since forgotten why we were calling. Or worse, never calling at all because you aren't sure of your reason. Make it a habit to keep a note along with each person's contact information about where you left off in your last contact and what is the appropriate next step.

The most productive calls are about something you know or suppose the other person wants from you, rather than something you want from them.

In preparing to make a call, visualize that person in your mind. If you have never met, gaze at his or her business card or website. Ask yourself, "How could I best be of service to this person today?" Whatever you answer, that should be the reason for your call.

2. Prepare a "script." A better name for this essential tool would be "introduction and talking points." The last thing you want is to sound like you are reading lines. Begin with a brief introduction of yourself and the purpose of your call. Say just enough to answer the question "what's in it for me" for the person you are calling, then check to see if they have time to speak with you.

Your talking points should contain mostly questions you wish to ask them, and answers to questions they may ask you. Each one should be no more than a breath or two long. If you have to inhale several times to get all your words out, you're making a speech, not having a conversation.

3. Get in the mood. Gritting your teeth is not the best frame of mind for making follow-up calls. Take a few moments to build a positive attitude about the calls you're about to make. Remember your highest purpose in doing the work that you do, whether that is providing for your family, changing the world, working toward a comfortable retirement, or serving the community.

Now, mentally direct that purpose toward the people on your call list. How can you best serve your purpose and their needs at the same time? If you find yourself feeling nervous, try one or all three of the following when you call: stand up, look in the mirror, and smile.

4. Speak briefly, then listen. Imagine your call as a tennis match. You serve the ball by making a statement and asking an open-ended question. The other person answers and you listen for where the ball is going. Then you hit the ball back with another statement and question, or a question alone. You listen again. If you don't listen, you will miss the ball and lose the point.

5. Make it a conversation. Your talking points should be a loose framework, not an outline that must be covered. This is why listening is so important. Yes, keep your purpose in mind, but let the other person's responses guide the direction of the call. Especially at the beginning of the conversation, keep your focus on learning rather than on teaching.

Once you learn more about what the prospective client or networking contact you are calling needs or wants, you'll be able to offer assistance in a relevant, respectful way. There's no payoff in launching into a description of what you can provide without knowing first if your listener has any need for it.

6. Be yourself. If you remember none of the other tips on this list, remember this one. The person you are calling is another human being, with a family, responsibilities, problems, goals, and dreams. If you speak from that authentic place yourself, you will establish a personal connection with the people you call. But if you put on some artificial selling persona, your listeners will immediately go on the defensive.

Keep in mind your own reaction when you answer the phone and realize you are about to be sold to. Isn't it usually, "Oh no, how fast can I get rid of this guy?" Make it a point to have your call be one that people enjoy getting, because they are speaking to a real person who treats them as if they were real, too.

7. Ask for the next step. Before you hang up the phone, be sure both of you know what will happen next. This isn't pushy; it is respectful and professional. Determining the next step for your interaction with the person you called is essential to being of service to them.

Your next step might be an in-person appointment, sending information, placing a call to someone else, or calling again after a length of time. Whatever it is, be clear about it, and get the other person's permission for what you plan to do.

You may notice that all of these tips suggest that you hold your focus on being of service to the other person. That mental shift may be the most important thing you can do to make follow-up calls easier. If your intention is to help people instead of to sell to them, not only will you find it easier to call, the people you talk to will find it easier to buy.
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C.J. Hayden is the author of Get Clients Now! Thousands of business owners and salespeople have used her simple sales and marketing system to double or triple their income. Get a free copy of "Five Secrets to Finding All the Clients You'll Ever Need" at www.GetClientsNow.com.

*brought to you by SalesTrainingAdvice.com

The Puppy Dog Close By Tom Hopkins

Can you provide potential clients with strong demos or 30-day trials of your product or service? If so, you need to master the Puppy Dog Close. It's patterned after a method used for years by people selling pets, especially puppies.

You let uncertain potential owners take the puppy home for a couple of days to see how it goes. By the second or third day everyone is in love with the puppy. They've named it. They've snuggled it. They've bought it toys, feeding bowls and food. In other words, it has become a part of the family. It's impossible to think of returning it.

This strategy is awesome for closing sales to businesses especially goods and services used by multiple people in a business. If members of a businesses' team get excited about a new copier, software or other product that is puppy dogged into the company, it's hard for the business owner or decision-maker to take it away from them by not going ahead with ownership. In fact, it would be demoralizing. No business can afford to have demoralized employees so a very high percentage of “use it before you own it” sales close.

Figure out a way to have your potential clients get deeply involved with your product or service and you'll watch your closing ratio soar!
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Tom Hopkins International
7531 E. 2nd St., Scottsdale, AZ 85251
Tel: (480) 949-0786 or 800/528-0446 Fax: (480) 949-1590
Visit our website for a great "Tip of the Day".

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Catch Change on the Move by Tom Hopkins

What is the emotional process that leads to a purchase? It involves a transition from one emotional state to another. It's a new development in the buyer's self image. The buyer begins to see himself or herself in a new way: as the owner of your product or service.

If the projected purchase is small, that change need only be small, but if the purchase is a large one in relation to the buyer's current situation, the change in self image that makes the purchase possible will be large. Such a change can come about very quickly. It can take within a few minutes, even seconds.

Champions are adept at spotting these changes as they occur during sales presentations. They are quick to reinforce the buyer's new idea that he or she can have and enjoy, will look good in and be complimented on, deserves, needs and is worthy of the marvelous new goodie they have started to like.

As a simple example, let's say the products you market are mobile phones. Your clients may not initially envision themselves as cell phone users. They may be hoping to have one. They may need one, but their self image may not be such that they are comfortable envisioning themselves owning, carrying and using a mobile phone on a daily basis.

As their belief changes during your presentation, they'll begin to see themselves enjoying the benefits of mobile phone service that they'll rationalize their need for one and want to own it. The change will often be demonstrated with ownership phrases that you'll hear (if you're paying attention).

They'll mention someone they'll be able to stay better in touch with. They'll mention a situation in which "it'll be nice to have" mobile service. They'll start to look at the case in which they'll carry the phone and decide whether it'll go in their purse or pocket versus wearing it on a clip and so on.

When you see their initial hesitation turn into eagerness to own, you need to reinforce the new self image before you go for the close...before you cover the money. You want to build their self image to the point where they see themselves so strongly as owners that they won't raise any sales resistance when it comes time to make the financial commitment.

Do that and they won't just like your product, they'll want it, need it and realize they can't get along without it. Then, they'll get antsy to own it and get on with their lives.

A few words of caution:

* First, you must be genuinely interested in doing your best for the client and show this interest by asking a lot of questions about their needs... about what they're seeking to accomplish with ownership. Make an intense effort to see the world through their eyes.

* Second, use your expertise to guide the client to the best solution for their needs.

* Third, wait for the clients' positive stimulus. Nothing will turn them off faster than your eagerness to close the sale. Rather, be eager to serve their needs.

Avoid worn out phrases such as "you're gonna love it," and "this is my favorite feature." They don't care what you like. You need to care what they need.

Make sincere and positive statements that reflect your client's uniqueness and builds their self image and you'll not only make that sale, you'll create a client who will send you referrals and buy from you again and again.

* From the book, How to Master the Art of Selling by Tom Hopkins.
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Tom Hopkins International
7531 E. 2nd St., Scottsdale, AZ 85251
Tel: (480) 949-0786 or 800/528-0446 Fax: (480) 949-1590
Visit our website for a great "Tip of the Day".

Sponsor Message: Introducing An Incredible Collection of Sales Experts and Training -- Online sales training that captivates, motivates and inspires. Tom Hopkins, Jim Cathcart, Todd Duncan, Jeffrey Gitomer, Zig Ziglar, Harvey Mackay and Terri Sjodin are just a few of the champion sales training experts you'll learn from! Learn more, and or grab your 7-day risk FREE trial membership.

The Myths of Selling By Kelley Robertson

For more than a decade I have had the opportunity to interact with thousands of salespeople and I have discovered a few myths that many of them have fallen prey to. Here are just a few.

* Buyers are liars - I’m constantly amazed how many salespeople use this expression. Do people mislead salespeople? Absolutely. But this usually occurs when the sales person has failed to earn that person’s trust. Gaining someone’s trust means not pushing them into making a buying decision. It means focusing your attention on THEIR situation rather than trying to close the sale. Earning trust means treating people with respect and dignity even if they are not prepared to make a buying decision right now.

* Anyone can be persuaded to buy - This may be true of impulse purchases but in today’s business world, buyers are more savvy than ever before. I once heard someone say, “If you have a strong case you will clarify it. If you have a weak case, you will try and persuade the other person.”

The real key is to determine whether or not the person or company you are speaking to has a genuine need for your product or service. If they do not, then your best strategy is to move on to someone who does need AND want your particular solution. Even if a company could benefit from your product but they are reluctant to give you the opportunity to discuss, your time is better spent talking to other companies.

* Price is the only reason people make a buying decision - I will never dispute that price is a factor in the buying process but it is not usually the primary reason, unless, of course, you fail to establish the value of your products or services. If you don’t clearly show how your solution will help your customer, price will become the default decision-making criteria.

* A technique that works well for one person will work for everyone - Countless books have been written about one sales strategy or another and I have read many of them. In this search, I have discovered that we all have our unique personality and what works well for someone may not work as effectively for us. However, instead of discarding that particular idea you should look for a way to integrate it into your natural style and approach.

* You must close the sale quickly - This is one of the craziest beliefs. Yes, it’s important to move people towards a buying decision. Yes, it is important to gain commitments along the way. Yes, it is important to include a call to action in your proposals and conversations. But, it is also important to recognize that not every sales decision will be made quickly. Decisions can be delayed for a number of reasons, and in certain situations, trying to rush the customer to a commitment will actually cost you the sale.

* Close the deal at any price - Too many people feel they have to close every deal, even if it does not make good business sense to do so. I have spoken to countless sales people who will accept a deal that has virtually no margin just so they can get the sale. I recall talking to a store owner who quickly matched the prices of her competitor in order to prevent people from going to her competition.

However, this seldom creates loyalty and only conditions that customer to continue asking for a better price. Decisions like this cost you or your company money. If you are not making your desired gross profit on a particular sale, then you need to consider whether it makes good business to accept it.

I know small business owners who will offer substantial discounts to a large company in the hopes of generating additional business from that client in the future. Unfortunately, they end up giving away their services and expertise because they don’t get any more business from that company. They neglected to negotiate an upfront agreement.

* Do whatever it takes to get the sale - Manipulative, aggressive, high-pressure sales tactics work. But, they don’t create loyal customers and clients. You may win the sale, but in the long run, you will lose the customer. I once had a participant in a workshop proudly state, “I don’t care what my customer’s want, I’ll sell them what I need to hit my quota.” Ouch! As a sales professional I take serious offense to this mentality and type of behavior.

Selling is an honorable career and sales professionals need to avoid falling prey to these myths. Focus on helping your customer make an educated buying decision. Concentrate on asking high-quality questions and positioning your solution appropriately and these myths will not affect you.

© 2007 Kelley Robertson, All rights reserved.
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Kelley Robertson is a professional speaker and trainer on sales, negotiating, customer service, and employee motivation. Visit KelleyRobertson.com. He is also the author of “The Secrets of Power Selling” and “Stop, Ask & Listen-Proven Sales Techniques to turn Browsers into Buyers.” Receive a FREE copy of “100 Ways to Increase Your Sales” by subscribing to his free newsletter available at his website. For information on his programs contact him at 905-633- 7750 or Kelley@RobertsonTrainingGroup.com.

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