Please come visit!

As far as your own personal challenge of getting yourself motivated to sell – think the following:  If you were in the nursery business, you would plant trees when it was planting time, whether you felt like it or not.  Same thing with selling.  Don’t wait until you feel like it. You call whether you feel like it or not.  Don’t wait until you feel enthusiastic and motivated.  You will never be ready.  Just start calling.

1. You are doing people a favor, so you should be excited about calling them.  They need you!
2. If they say “no,” they are saying no to the product, not to you.  They are not rejecting you.
3. Every time someone says “no” or “later” or any other excuse, you should feel good, because you are that much closer to a “yes.”

If you would like to hear more about overcoming your fears, please email us to receive a recording of our recent monthly conference call on the topic of “Self-Motivation.”  There were eight of us on the call, and my contribution was “How to Overcome Fear.”  Email us at sales@ssnseminars to receive a recording of the call.

 To your success!

 Steve Savage

Author & Business Owner, www.GuerrillaSecretsOnline.com, Savage International LLC

To be a Top Producer you must stay active and look for opportunity everywhere. 

To get your engine up and rolling, here are 9 top producing ways of doing it:

1  -  OFFERING PUBLIC EDUCATION SPEAKING SEMINARS

This is where you’re going to speak for free to a group, in order to build relationships and provide value to your community. It sharpens your skills as a presenter and also generates leads for you. Collect business cards of attendees and follow up with them. Consider offering a free financial diagnostic or a few effective money saving tips (whatever…) in a drawing for their business cards. You should have a 7 minute, 20 minute, and 1 hour versions of this to fill whatever time you are allotted.

1. Toastmaster Clubs
2. Churches
3. Colleges
4. Lions Clubs
5. Chamber of Commerce
6.  Kiwanis
7.  Company’s Weekly Sales Meetings
8. Rotary
9. Public Seminar – You find a room, send out flyers, social media/e-mail blasts, put up signs

2  -  REFERRAL PARTNERS

Build mutually beneficial relationships with people who do business within a similar customer demographic as you – but in an unrelated industry.  Find 1 or 2 sales professionals that you trust and offer to meet once a month and pass referrals back and forth. Make sure this person is trustworthy, honest, and also a top producer so that they’re not riding your coat tails.

3 -  NETWORKING GROUPS

Join groups that are designed for the purpose of networking.

BNI Networking is a good choice because they only allow 1 person from each industry to be in each group.

4  -  EXISTING CLIENT BASE

Call them just to check in as a courtesy call and see what they thought of your service. Specifically, what they thought of your professionalism and how you helped them with your services/products (you may have to dig a little here so that you can get a good fully explained story).

Remind/Restate that you are there for them if they need anything and really make them feel good about working with a professional like yourself that really cares about them if issues come up.

Make sure they have your number/email address always handy. Get them to write it in their address book, install it into their cell phone, write it on the fridge, etc. Where ever they keep their names and numbers you need to be there…

Then  when they are in front of their “circle of influence” names and numbers – ask them if there is anyone else that you should be speaking to that they know that would love to experience this tip top level of service you provide?

5  -  REFERRALS

Use a referral sheet template or memory jogger

Build more rapport with people you’ve done business with 3 or 4x to find the new things they’re involved with and new circles they are in.

6  -  SPHERE OF INFLUENCE

Make sure that you’ve talked to everyone you already know.

7  -  SOCIAL NETWORKING

Use Facebook and Linked in to keep in touch with past clients, and to join new groups of people that share common interests.

Use Twitter to grow the people in your Facebook and LinkedIn networks.

Do this on nights and weekends.

www.socialoomph.com – Use this to write out status updates all at once in the evening and schedule them for when they go out throughout the day. (Only works with Twitter but you can link Twitter automatically with your Facebook)

http://ping.fm – Use this to update in 1 place and it goes and hits LI, FB, Twitter, MySpace, etc.

8  -  LOCAL SALES INCENTIVE PROGRAM

Call local sales managers and offer to come teach a class to their sales team during their weekly meeting where you donate a financial diagnostic, or free 30 minutes financial advice session, or a Gift certificate to the sales manager that he/she can use as a contest for his/her sales team. Just think outside the box here.

 9  -  REFERRAL ADVANTAGE PROGRAM

Give an incentive or reward for people who refer you business. Look for what Malcom Gladwell (The Tipping Point) calls “connectors”. These are the people who know everyone. Reward them and be around them as much as possible.

• Pay $50 for every referrals that converts to a client transaction
• Take “Connectors” to Lunch

By cranking each of these cylinders at some point during your week you should have referrals and new people to call on all the time. Your foundation has been laid and now is the time to push full steam ahead!

Have an awesome time working on your 9 cylinders and get excited about it.  Think about perfecting the introduction and qualifying part of your sale, refining your closing process and really digging deep into more ideas to keep your funnel full of prospects. Rock it!!

LIVING and LOVING every minute of it,  Dave Brown, “Salesman” – Success Starts Now! 

email – dbrown@ssnseminars.com   

“If you’re not constantly learning you’re not fully living.”

Awesome job of working with the girl in your group who was struggling and helping to get her some results.   I am really excited about 3 major things that you have done really well over the last 2 weeks: 1.  Is going to networking meetings.  That is a great place to get really connected with some great candidates.  2.  Instituting a Power Hour of calling time with your team.  3. The other major thing that you started doing- and that you used to do and you know you should be doing- is making a “model week” and sticking to it.  That is awesome!  The more you respect your time, the more the other people in your office with respect your time.

 Here are the steps for creating consistent momentum during your “Golden Hours”:  (Share these ideas with the people that you lead too.)

 *Schedule  “Golden Hours” in your calendar as if it’s the most important appointment you have in your day.

*Schedule your “Golden Hours” at the times of maximum productivity.

*Don’t waste a second during your “Golden Hours”.

*Have your top 20 prospects listed out and in a queue ready to call.

*Stand up for the entire hour.

*Set goals/ contests with yourself or others for this time.  (i.e. 5 contacts gets you ice cream that night.)

*Eliminate all possible distractions.

    -Put a sign on your door saying “Golden Hours in process. Currently

      raising your stock value!”

    -Turn you outlook email notice button off!  (I attached the instructions)

*Do not check email!

*Don’t answer questions.

*Don’t take personal calls.

*Don’t answer any call that is not someone calling to set a new appointment. (This means that you screen almost all of your incoming calls during this time.)

*Use the restroom before your “Golden Hours”.

*Don’t hang up the phone for the entire hour. (use your finger to hang up and keep dialing)

*Make as many dials as humanly possible during your “Golden Hours”.

Anyone can work intense for one or two hours every day.  By sectioning off “The Golden Hours” in your day you will be able to get done the things you get done while still not giving into the “tyranny of the urgent”- Stephen Covey.

Time  is the most precious thing we have in the material world.  We can waste a dollar, and we can replace it.  We can damage or destroy a piece of property, and we can rebuild it or repair it and make it whole.  But if we waste one hour of time there is nothing that we can do about it for the rest of our lives.  It is gone forever.

 Your action items are:

 1. Modify your schedule based on some of the ideas that we talked about, and send me the new copy.

(i.e.  make sure you have a set time in your schedule when you can answer questions/put out fires and be disciplined about holding to that.  I promise that will train your team to answer most of their questions on their own.  When they do still need you, they will be much more efficient when asking.)

  2.  Modify the schedules of those in your office.  (i.e. make sure they have a specific times during the day that are set up for nothing else but calling to set appointments and separate times that are set up for gathering pre-approach-finding new prospects to call on.)

 3.  Be disciplined enough to strictly follow your schedule.  (Yes, that means cutting off at a pre-planned time every day so that you can have time for yourself and for your family.  Remember, top producers are disciplined and intentional about planning their personal time into their schedule too.  I do date night every Wednesday with my boyfriend.  The only thing that would change that is if we pre-plan on Sunday to have our date night on Tuesday instead. )

 Let me know where you would like to go with the next several calls.  Some of the topics that I think could be valuable right now are:  1.  Helping your team to deal with the fear of prospecting.  2.  Leaving mystery messages that get people excited to call you back.  3.  Having effective personal conferences with your team.  4.  Hiring a personal assistant and outsourcing some activity . . . .etc. etc.  Let me know where you would like to go next.

 Your Partner in Success,

Emmie Young

Professional Sales Trainer

There are two reasons that people buy things. Either they want or need it or they like and trust you. In the game of sales it is incredibly important to master both the former and the latter. First off, it is important to consider the difference between creating a value based asset and a price based commodity. It’s much more difficult to sell a “romance novel for $29.95″ than to sell the “journey”, “experience” and the “allure of curling up with a good read”. This way the buyer will leave the purchase not merely thinking “I have a new book”, but instead “I am excited for the experience that awaits in the pages”. Now we have connected the product with their emotions!

Okay, a romance novel might not be the best example for everyone, but the bottom line is that a good salesperson sells VALUE and BENEFITS, not PRODUCTS and therefore relates directly to the wants and needs of the consumer.

On to the next important sales technique: building trust. If people like you and trust you they will not merely “shop” you, but may invest more of themselves into your products or services because of the relationship you have established. On the other hand, if trust has not been built with the buyer and you jump into the sale, you may be construed as another pushy sales person with no concern for their needs and wants.

It’s all about emotions.

]]> http://successstartsnow.wordpress.com/2009/10/06/navigate-selling-the-way-people-like-to-buy/feed/ 0 takethestairs Dustin Hillis http://successstartsnow.wordpress.com/2009/10/05/11-characteristics-of-a-great-closer/ http://successstartsnow.wordpress.com/2009/10/05/11-characteristics-of-a-great-closer/#comments Mon, 05 Oct 2009 19:53:04 +0000 takethestairs http://successstartsnow.wordpress.com/?p=60 ]]> 11 Characteristics of a Great Closer  By:  Gary Michels

All great sales closers have a few things in common.

1. Great closers have a burning desire to close the sale. They know that closing one additional sale per day, per week, or even per month will greatly increase their income. As I have traveled around the country with great closers, I have noticed that they often have a score sheet on the wall or in their car, and they can’t wait to fill in the numbers after closing the sale.

2. Great closers really believe that their prospect is going to buy. Believing the customer will buy and selling with conviction greatly increases your chance of making the sale. Great closers expect success. They don’t think it was just “their lucky day.” In the car on the way to the presentation, they do a lot of positive self-talk, assuming the person is definitely going to buy. They say things like: “I am now pulling into the parking lot of my next big client!” “I know that I have the best product and the best price for this customer, at this time. Now I will prove it to be true!”

3. Great closers are sincere. People can tell when you are not sincere. Sincerity will always sell more than anything else you do, and your lack of sincerity will almost always kill the deal. Look people directly in their eyes and tell them the honest truth. Listen and really care about what they are trying to accomplish.

4. Great closers talk low and slow. When you are calm and talk low and slow, your prospect will listen and believe you. If you talk too fast in a high pitched voice, you come across as pushy and tend to sound like someone they cannot trust.

5. Great closers keep the close simple. Your prospect must fully understand what you are talking about, so be straightforward.

6. Great closers ask a lot of questions that will elicit a positive response. The more you get prospects saying “yes” during your presentation, the more likely they are to say “yes” during the close.

7.. Great closers realize the importance of names and examples. They will “name drop” appropriately throughout the closing process. Once again, remember that the close is supposed to be a natural ending to your presentation that makes people feel comfortable enough to move forward. By using names of other people whom they know, you subtly make them feel comfortable because they feel they are not taking such a huge risk. After all, others they know have done well with your product or service, and so should they.

8. Great closers never argue with their prospects. They agree with objections and continue closing the sale. Whenever they must disagree with a prospect, they do it in a light, agreeable way. The rule of thumb that I like to follow is: “If I win the argument, I lose the sale!” One way to disagree in an agreeable way is to say, “I totally understand how you feel. Let’s move on to the next point.” If the disagreement occurs on a major point that could derail the sale, you could say, “If we were to work together, what would it take for us to move forward on this point?”

9. Great closers never lose their cool. If customers upset them occasionally, they never show it. They always keep their voice low and have a friendly expression on their face. If you get the reputation of being a friendly sales rep, you can more easily build a large client base. Remember, more often than not if people like you, they will overlook some of the negative points of your product or service.

10. Great closers are politely persistent. They are not overbearing, yet they give prospects a number of chances to buy before judging whether or not the sale will actually happen. The key here is to walk the fine line of trying a little harder to get the sale without the prospect feeling any pressure from you.

11. Great closers leave people happy. They make sure their prospects are in a good frame of mind before they leave. They want to brighten people’s days. They are also aware that their reputation precedes them in the community. Additionally, they know that by leaving prospects happy, they too will be happier, thus increasing their chance of making a sale at the next appointment. When I walk out the door of a prospect or client, I always say to myself: “I hope he or she thinks I am a cool guy!” If the prospect thinks that, I will likely get to work with that person at some point in the future.

Gary Michels
Author/Professional Speaker
Co-Founder Success Starts Now!
gary@ssnseminars.com
408-888-4848

http://twitter.com/dhillis

Creating Positive Momentum:

Life is all about momentum. Whether it is at work, in sports, or in relationships momentum is the key to reaching your maximum potential.

One of the best examples of someone I have met through the years who wins in everything he does by creating positive momentum is Dave Brown. While working at Southwestern and selling books door to door eighty-five hours a week on straight commission, Dave operated on a philosophy called Little Victories.  It is a checklist of activities you do every day to create momentum consistently:

Little Victories List:

 
1. Wake up, jump out of bed and say, “It’s going to be a great day!”

2. Hustle to the bathroom, look yourself in the eye and say, “You sexy animal, I hope you never die!”

3. Do some kind of physical activity: run, pushups and sit ups, etc. Each day do one more repetition than the day before.

4. Take a two minute shower and say ten times, “I can, I will, I’m going to ________ (insert your goal for the day).”

5. Get all fixed up, and then during breakfast read something inspirational.

6. After breakfast take ten minutes and review your “must do’s” for the day and visualize success. If you are in sales pre-fill out your order forms and date them.

7. On your drive to the office listen to motivational or training CD’s.

8. When you get to work say something uplifting to the first person you see.

9. Pick up the phone or knock on your first door before a certain time everyday.

If you do these nine Little Victories every day, you will have so much positive momentum going for you that your confidence will be at a peak even before you technically start your work day!

Rory Vaden MBA, is the Co-Founder of Success Starts Now!™ and represented the State of Colorado at the Toastmasters 2007 World Champion of Public Speaking, taking first runner up out of 25,000 contestants.  He is also the author of a book called “No Laughs to Know Laughs – How To Be Funny To Make More Money,” and a new book being released later this year called “Take The Stairs – Raising Your Performance to the Next Level.” 

Success Starts Now!™ has been on a world tour and getting rave reviews!  It is now coming home to Colorado:  Colorado Springs on December 10, 2009 at the Crowne Plaza Colorado Springs and Denver on December 14, 2009 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel – Denver International Airport. The conference which is designed for all salespeople will not only invigorate you, but will give you a wealth of new sales tools and techniques that will help you be more successful and make more money.

Success Starts Now!™(SSN) is totally different than anything you have ever seen. It is a professional development company that hosts city-wide motivational training events across the U.S.  Success Starts Now!™  offers individual coaching, corporate training, and a variety of training media to its clients.  SSN is a division of the 150–year-old Southwestern Company. Visit http://www.ssnseminars.com/ .

Schedule your free workshops now by emailing rvaden@ssnseminars.com and find out how other businesses are prospering in this economy.