Death of the Salesman

The prizes of life are at the end of each journey,  not near the beginning; and it is not given to me to know how many steps are necessary in order to reach my goal. Failure I may still encounter at the thousandth step, yet success hides behind the next bend in the road. Never will I know how close it lies unless I turn the corner. Always will I take another step. If that is of no avail I will take another, and yet another. In truth, one step at a time is not too difficult. I will persist until I succeed. Og Mandino.

As salespeople, we deal with rejection on a daily basis. The way that we react to this rejection can either make or break us. Charles R. Swindoll once said, “Life is 10 percent what happens to you, and 90% how we react to it.” This statement is incontrovertible and the epitome of truth.  In sales, as in life, failure is a forerunner of success; we must fail many times in order to succeed only once.  A successful salesperson is resilient and has bounce back ability; no matter what trials or tribulations come their way, they emerge triumphant in the face of adversity. When a potential customer says “No,” the “No” simply means not yet. 

Studies have shown that 80 percent of consumers say no 4 times before they finally say yes and agree to make a purchase. The problem with most salespeople is that 92 percent have given up after hearing no for the 4th time, 66 percent after the second time, and half of all sales presentations end without the salesperson ever asking the prospect to buy. These numbers are staggering.

Everyone has heard of the 80/20 rule, also known as the Pareto principle, which states that the top 20 percent of salespeople in an organization generate 80 percent of the sales and therefore make 80 percent of the income. I believe it’s more like 92/8. The Bible says, “Ask and Ye shall receive.” The bible is right; if you do not ask prospects to buy, you’re never going to be successful in sales.

In sales, we need to make the Law of Averages work in our favor by asking as many prospects as possible to buy our product or service.  The most successful salespeople get the most “no’s,” however, they also get the most “yes’s” and therefore, make the most money. If you want to generate more sales……………..JUST ASK!!!!!

Goals. Set your goals extraordinarily high; it is far better to aim your spear at the moon and hit an eagle, than to aim at an eagle and hit a rock. Og Mandino 

As I Grow Older, I pay less atttention to what Men Say. I just watch What They Do.

-A. Carnegie

At the end of the day, we are not what we say we say we’ll do, but what we actually do. Don’t tell the world what you can do; show it!

Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step. MLK JR. 

If you want to get to a place where you’ve never been you must be prepared to do things you’ve never done. If you do what you have always done, you will get what you have always gotten. If you want more, do more. Lets all do more Today! 

TNT!  Today not tomorrow. A good idea implemented today is better than a great idea implemented tomorrow.  General Patton. Procrastination is for the weak. Make a committed decision and do it now. 

If you set your goals ridiculously high and it’s a failure, you will fail above everyone else’s success.  James Cameron.

In sales asking the right questions and getting the right answers can either make or break a potential prospect’s buying decision. It’s imperative to not only ask the right questions at the right time, but to be a great listener as well. There are two types of questions in sales: open ended questions, which cause a prospect to respond with more than a one word answer; and closed ended questions, which usually result in a one word answer. Both questions are vital to the sales process and imperative in building rapport, trust, interest, confidence, and ultimately closing the deal.

Before ever recommending a product or service to any potential client, it’s important to conduct a needs analysis and ask qualifying questions to decipher what is going to be the best product or service to meet their individual needs and budget. These questions should be open-ended. Great open ended questions include: what or who are you currently using, what do you like/dislike about the product or service you are currently using, if you were to change products or services when would you be looking to make a switch? What, when, where, why, who and how questions are great ways to get the prospect talking and involved.

Take great notes and let the prospect know that you are paying attention; this is a great way to build rapport, trust, and confidence. It’s imperative that when qualifying prospects that we are tuned in and not broadcasting. Be sensitive and be sure to empathize with the prospect by letting them know that you completely understand what they are saying. After carefully listening to your prospect, you will be ready to provide them with a solution to their problem. Great salespeople are phenomenal problem solvers. This sales method is commonly referred to as solution selling, one of the greatest ways to generate business. Being a great listener also helps you to ascertain what type of prospect you are dealing with. No two prospects are alike. By listening closely to what your prospect is saying, you will be able to decipher what is most important to them and what hot buttons you need to press in order to get them to make a buying decision.

The other types of questions are referred to as closed ended questions. Studies have shown that prospects that say yes six times or more during a sales call are 90 percent more likely to buy. In phone sales, we use rhetorical, close-ended yes questions to force a prospect to nod their head and say yes. These questions should be asked continually throughout the sales process and especially when making initial contact and directly before closing. Great ways to get a prospect to say yes include confirming facts and information that have already been collected or disclosed. Other ways include asking great qualifying questions like, “Mr. Prospect if I’m able to find you a better product at a lower price, you would obviously be looking to get started right away, right?”

The most successful sales people are great listeners. They ask the right questions, listen attentively, adapt to their prospects personality by mirroring, and provide products and services to meet their customers’ needs, as well as their budget. By qualifying properly, taking good notes, mirroring, and keeping your prospect involved during the sales process you will build rapport, trust, consumer confidence and interest- ultimately gaining their business. When it really boils down to it, people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.

Daniel Hardwick
Managing Director
                       
3 Huntington Quadrangle Ste 400N
Melville NY 11747
877.548.2826 x110