"But I Could Never Sell! ..." By Bob Burg

Several weeks ago, as I took my seat in the crowded airplane, the woman in the next seat over smiled. "Headed home?" she asked.

I nodded. "Jupiter, Florida."

"My, you're a long way from home!" she exclaimed. We were on the tarmac in Regina, Saskatchewan. "What brought you to Regina?"

I told her I had been conducting a seminar for a direct selling organization. She wrinkled her nose. "Oh," she pronounced, "I could never sell."

This wasn't the first time I'd heard this. In fact, most people not actually in sales seem to feel this way. I asked her, if she didn't mind, how would she define "selling"? I was curious as to what it was she felt she could never do.

She frowned in thought. "I don't know," she said after a moment. "I guess, maybe, 'pushing things on other people.' "

"Ah. Well in that case, I wouldn't be very good at it either," I replied. "I don't really like it when people do that to me. Do you?"

"Not at all," she answered promptly.

"Do you buy from those people?"

"No way!" she said.

"Me neither." We both smiled. After a moment, I went on. "But what if," I paused and thought for a moment, "what if we defined selling as 'Helping someone get something they want or need?' What if we defined it as adding value to someone's life? Did you know that the original Old English word sellan meant to give?"

She shook her head.

"I didn't either, but I looked it up. Amazing, isn't it?"

She nodded.

"What if we saw selling that way, as giving - as sharing the benefits of a product that we ourselves love, and helping others get those same benefits? If we saw it that way, do you think you'd feel it was something you might be able to do?"

"If I really believed in it myself?" she said. "Well ... definitely!"

"So, maybe it isn't that you could never sell," I suggested, "just that you'd really need to feel you were helping someone, adding value to their life, giving value and sharing the benefits of something that you yourself truly believed in."

"Yes" she replied excitedly. "That, I could definitely do."

"Me too!" I replied. "I think just about everyone could. And that's exactly what I was just teaching at the sales conference. That's the essence of selling."

At the end of the flight I introduced her to one of the women from the direct selling conference where I'd spoken who happened to be on the flight. As I rushed to my next gate, I left the two of them in animated conversation about the possibilities in store for this young woman in the exciting field of direct selling.

The day after arriving home, I had another exchange about selling. At a local lunch place I often frequent, I passed by Bill, an architect and genuinely nice guy whom I see there often, and with whom I typically share cordial "How are you?" type greetings. Bill commented that he hadn't seen me for a week. "On another speaking trip?" he surmised. Yes, I told him, I had been. "You look happy - bet you sold a lot while you were gone!" he said with a twinkle in his eye. I laughed and said, "Of course, of course." He shook his head and said benignly, "Sales ... the necessary evil of business, right?"

I could have launched into the same sort of explanation I'd shared with the woman on the plane, but Bill and I were just passing each other in a restaurant line. It was neither the time nor place to launch into an explanation of the benevolent nobility of the selling profession. Another time ...

Still, it's a shame. The necessary evil of business ... There are people who see it this way. Personally, I think of selling as the most positive aspect of business.

We all have products and services that enrich our lives, that we need, want and even love. The fact is, we love to buy and we love to own - and it often takes a sales person to educate us and help us connect our needs and desires with the benefits that those products and services provide our lives. This not only benefits us personally, it also provides the basis for a vibrant and growing free market economy.

Selling is giving - giving time, education, advice, counsel, value - and the more you give, the more you get.

Knowing that, how could anyone not sell ... and not be proud to do so?
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Would you like to view a brief video about the true art of selling? Then visit www.EndlessReferralsVideo.com. I think you’ll really enjoy it. At the end, you’ll be able to download (with our compliments) Chapter One of Bob Burg’s underground bestseller, Endless Referrals: Network Your Everyday Contacts into Sales (over 175,000 copies sold). You may also want to add value to someone else by passing along a link for this brief video. It may inspire — and it will let them know (without you saying it) what kind of principles you stand for in the world of sales.

*brought to by SalesTrainingAdvice.com

How to Use Human Nature To Dramatically Increase Sales or Any Other Type of Performance! By Bob Davies

It was eleven o'clock on a cold Wednesday evening. I had just arrived at my hotel from the airport for a keynote program on Thursday morning. After checking in, I went directly to my room. As I watched the floors go by on the elevator panel, I kept thinking, I am really hungry.

As I walked into my room, what was about to happen would change my life...forever! I went directly to the "mini bar", opened the door, got on my hands and knees, and ate everything there.

Oh, I started out with good intentions. I had only consumed 1000 calories so far during the day. My body weight was around 198, so I could have almost 2000 calories daily and not gain weight. I had plenty of calories to spare.

I started out with the M&M's. One bag, 240 calories, no problem. Next I happened to see a bag of chocolate chip cookies, two for 270 calories, again, no problem. Next I saw the Oreo cookies, then a bag of Barbecue potato chips. Next a Mars Bar, then another bag of M&M's, this time with nuts, then something I would never ordinarily eat, marshmallows and Rice Crispies, combined into some type of a one serving square.

It went on and on. I ate over 4000 calories that night. It's ok, though, I thought. I'll just write them down on my calorie chart, I'm accountable after all. Then I'll just pick up my workouts and burn an additional two hundred calories per work out next week. That along with a decrease in my intake ought to get me right back where I should be.

That type of thinking was absolutely correct. I would increase my expenditure, decrease my intake, and I would be back down in weight next week except for one thing...

...I would always be playing catch up. I would always have that extra five to ten pounds that I know I can lose and will someday.

It was that mini bar experience that made me realize that I had a problem...

The problem was HUMAN NATURE!

There is a well-known principle in the law of human behavior, which states the following:

"All human performance is either the avoidance of Pain or the seeking of Comfort!

This is referred to as the human performance law. I like to use the analogy of the principle of gravity. It doesn't matter if you understand the principle of gravity. It doesn't matter if you believe in the principle. The principle will apply its effect in your life regardless of your attitude or understanding of it.

The same is true with human nature. All human beings are driven by the avoidance of anything that they perceive as uncomfortable, or painful, and driven to anything that they perceive as pleasure or comfort.

This effects our perceptions. We are designed as a species to have what is called selective perception. We are designed to pay attention to what can hurt us and avoid it.

When I walked into that hotel room, what did I pay attention to? Did I see the telephone and think about checking my voice mails? Did I see the closet space and think about hanging up my garment bag? No! I saw the mini bar and thought about the food!

Where is the pain here? The pain is that I am hungry. Where is the comfort? The comfort is in the food. So what will human nature drive me to do? The obvious answer is, eat! But what about my commitment to weight control?

It doesn't matter. All human performance is either the avoidance of pain, or the seeking of comfort. Pain is the hunger, comfort is the mini bar!

For years I had a problem with my weight. I kept using willpower to eat less but it never would last very long. Human natures compelling forces of avoiding pain and seeking comfort are far more powerful than great intentions and willpower. Human nature will always win!

Since human nature is all-powerful and will always be working in my life, I wonder if there is a way to get human nature to work for me instead of against me...

Finally, the solution hit me like a gust of cold air on a still night! Stop fighting human nature. Since I will always be driven to avoid pain and to seek comfort, then I need to associate pain with the mini bar and comfort with staying out of the mini bar.

Here's how! I told five of my coaching clients that if I go into the mini bar on my trip then I would pay each of them $250. That's $1,250 if I go into the mini bar!

Now, where is the pain!

I had finally figured it out! I linked pain to the behavior I wanted to avoid, and pleasure to the action I wanted to have!

...Accountability!

The five people I told I knew would hold me accountable. I even suspected that one of them would actually call the hotel and tell them he was from the FBI and needed a copy of my room bill!

Look at the dynamic I had. I had a specific action: (no mini bar) combined with accountability ($1,250 fine).

That is the elite performance formula. You can do this yourself and I promise you that over the next seven days you will find the opportunity to take the action you commit to as long as you link the not doing it to pain, and the taking of the action to comfort. In many cases, the avoidance of the pain becomes the comfort.

Apply this to your prospecting. Commit to making so many calls this week. Make sure that this number is a realistic number that you should be able to do. Make this commitment to another person, put a fine on it, and enjoy your week!

Here is what you will find out at the end of the week.

It was easy! Do this for just one activity every week and you will be quite impressed when Dec. 31 rolls around!
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For keynote speaking engagements or personal coaching, contact Bob Davies, M.Ed, MCC
info@bobdavies
www.bobdavies.com
949-830-9192

Stress-Busting Ideas by Tom Hopkins

Let’s face it, on a list of high-stress careers, selling has to be up there with tightrope walking. Haven’t you had days when you felt that you actually were on a tightrope? I know I did.

To survive, and, more importantly, to maintain a healthy balance in life, we need to be proactive about releasing our daily stress in creative ways.

For some people, exercise is the best way to relieve stress. Physical activity is a civil way to release pent-up frustration without risk of causing harm to yourself or others.

Another idea is to schedule a brief decompression session each day. Go somewhere calm and peaceful where you can simply relax with no further demands on yourself. Once you’ve taken a few deep breaths and calmed yourself, this is when you’ll renew your dedication to your goals, your uniqueness, your purpose, and your faith in you ability to perform at peak levels. This could take as little as five minutes of your time to have a positive effect.

A third idea is to take up a hobby — something that uses different parts of your body or your brain. If you’re a parent of young children, I suggest a hobby that you might be able to share with your children. Or even better, make your children your hobby. Find out about something they’d like to learn, and learn it together. This method serves two purposes: you learn something new, and you create wonderful memories with your child.

Insulate yourself from the killing pace of change. Granted, we have to keep up when it comes to business, but do we really need to strive to have the latest and greatest in all aspects of our lives? My answer is no. We don’t have to be trendy in every aspect of our lives to keep up. On the contrary, you’ll find it easier to run at the front of the pack if you keep your life simple, and if you keep in touch with who you are and where you’ve come, rather than what you own.

Train yourself to look at time as a precious resource rather than a merciless taskmaster. I am a firm believer in time management — managing to enjoy my life while conducting business, rather than filling in every gap with a meeting or project that will get me further ahead.

Hang out with people with whom you have fun. Seek out and make friends with people who accept and affirm your worth as a person.

Accept your human nature. You’ll never have the perfect answer to every question. Don’t lead yourself or others to believe you do. Make a habit of searching for challenging new concepts and opinions contrary to your own to help you develop a better understanding of your world and how to live well in it.

Develop your own list of things that make you feel good. Keep that list handy and apply at least one item to your life on a daily basis in order to keep the negative effects of stress at bay.
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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
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You Can Sell - 10 Steps to Break Through Sales Resistance By Helaine Iris and Jean McCarthy

I hear it all the time. "I hate selling". It seems most small business owners would rather clean the toilet than focus on selling for their own business. While it's an understandable resistance it's not acceptable IF you want to make money. Chances are, you didn't start your business to become a sales person, but - as reality dictates, this is a skill you must develop in order to be successful.

The critical shift in perspective that will begin to turn your sales resistance around is this - Be yourself, and ALWAYS be true to your values. Being a good sales person never means selling out on what's truly important to you and your brand.

Think of it this way - each opportunity to sell is the beginning of a relationship. After you close the sale, and have delivered what you promised, you have built a new, mutually beneficial relationship. That means - a relationship that goes both ways. Not only do you have a new source of revenue, your customer has gotten their needs met as well.

Why is it so easy to forget that selling your product or service to someone who actually NEEDS it is a good thing?

We all know the hardest part of learning something new, or recommitting your energy to something important is getting started. Here are 10 steps to follow as you begin to train yourself to embrace rather than resist sales. Why not get started today?

Believe in what you are selling. If you don't believe your product will make the customer's life better, you need a new product to sell. If you can't tell your prospect why they need your product you can't sell it.

Know your product. Know why your product is different than others in the same industry. Know all the technical, physical, emotional, and cognitive differences between your product and everyone else's who competes in the same industry. Know everything about your product in detail.

Know the other products in the industry. In order to help the prospect make a good decision, you must be able to honestly discuss the other options in the market.

Make the right contact. Don't waste time talking to the receptionist, clerk or the assistant, when they can't make a purchasing decision. Ask enough questions to make sure you are talking to the right person. Go higher up the organizational chart, rather than lower. Someone higher on the food chain can influence someone lower on the chain. It will rarely happen the other way around.

Ask Questions. You have to have a conversation with each prospect. You have to determine if your product will help them or their customers, or enrich their lives, or solve a problem that they have, or not. Ask questions that will uncover their needs and wants. Provide information about your product that will help them decide how your product or service may help fill the stated needs. (The needs will have been stated if you asked the right questions). Don't be afraid to acknowledge gaps in your knowledge regarding their specific needs or situation. Telling the truth and sincerity is critical in any healthy relationship.

Propose a Solution. If you have the product that may be right for the prospect explain how your product or service will specifically solve a problem or handle a need.

Don't be afraid of objections. If your prospect has no questions or objections, it may be too good to be true. If they don't seem to have any, encourage them. You need to find out what their concerns are, and if you can satisfy them, do so. If they have too many concerns, you may not have the product for them at this time. This is ok. And also remember, they may not be your customer today, but if your treat them the way you want to be treated, with respect and with truth, they will be your customer some day.

Confirm the Sale. Don't focus on "Closing the Sale". This term indicates the end of a process. Confirming the sale actually indicates the beginning of a long term relationship in which you will be continually making a positive impact on the customer's life. You will be solving problems, providing great service, and helping them grow their business, or enriching their lives. It is the beginning of a relationship which will be built on trust, respect, and mutual rapport.

Deliver. Often the sales process is thought of as "finished" with the confirmation of the sale. However, as discussed above, the "order" is only the beginning of the relationship. And there is no sale if there is no delivery. You must provide what you said you would provide, and it better show up the way you said it would show up.

Follow Up. This is often more difficult than the initial sale. Now is where you find out how your client likes your product or service. Now is the time to discover any problems the customer may have, AND FIX IT. Hopefully, this is the place to begin the repeat business and/or get referrals to new prospects.

It's YOUR life...imagine the possibilities

(c) 2007
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Helaine is a Life and Business Coach, who has been featured in numerous publications, including "O" The Oprah Magazine. She helps entrepreneurs accelerate their professional success, while achieving a more fulfilling personal life. She combines a broad range of professional experience in her work, including management positions in the education, training, retail and international non-profit sectors. For a free consultation, contact her at 603.363.4252 to discuss how she can help you accelerate your own success. You may also visit her website, PathOfPurpose.com, for additional information, or email your questions to helaine@pathofpurpose.com

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