Communication Beat

I’ve been hearing for years that a successful business needs to have a USP (unique sales point). The problem is that most businesses find difficulty in identifying what their USP is. And even if they have a USP, eventually they find their competitors doing the same thing.

So instead of losing sleep wondering what your USP could be, far better to think about what your ESP (emotional sales point), could be.

Your ESP is about how your customers feel when they deal with you. How they feel when they use your product or service.

A USP could be – “We have a 24 hour delivery service” The ESP would be – “You’ll be enjoying our product the day after ordering it”

A USP – “Our prices are very competitive” The ESP – “You’ll feel you’ve received value for money if you buy this”

As all good sales people know, we don’t sell a feature (USP) we sell a benefit (ESP).

Customers don’t buy Nike clothing because there made from quality materials, they buy Nike because they want to feel like Tiger Woods on the Golf course or Andre Aggasi on the tennis court.

They don’t buy Microsoft products because of all the research they’ve done, they buy them because they feel good about them.

Start to think what your ESP is. What does your product or service do that makes your customers feel secure, comfortable, acceptable to others, admired, stylish, wealthy, important, happy, relaxed or sexy.

For those of you selling engineering or technical products and think this isn’t for you – think again.

Some years ago I worked as a Sales Engineer for Loctite industrial adhesives. On several occasions I proved to engineers through numerous tests, how my product could save time and money over the assembly methods they were using.

Many engineers agreed with all the test results however they often rejected the product on the basis that it didn’t FEEL right for them. I realised then that I needed an ESP to overcome this resistance.

So there you have it – always remember that a customer will make an emotional decision before a logical one, whatever they’re buying – so what’s your ESP?

Discover how you can generate more business without having to cold call! Alan Fairweather -”The Motivation Doctor” – is the author of “How to get More Sales Without Selling” To receive your free newsletter and free ebooks, visit: www.howtogetmoresales.com

All closes are not created equal. Top producers realize every homeowner has specific needs and every situation demands its own close. While you may have found a close that works better for you than others, it shouldn’t deter you from using a variety of closes depending on the situation. By learning the 22 trial closes, you’ll stand a better chance of getting more listings. Knowing how to close many different ways will enhance your success.

When a homeowner delays listing, you use benefits to move him towards a signature. Then, ask again with a different close. Constantly use different closes throughout the presentation at each listing signal. Most agents fail to get a listing because they don’t ask for it. They give the homeowner the facts and figures and wait for the homeowner to say, “This is terrific, I’ll take it.”

If you want the listing, you have to ask for it. You have to ask for it many different times and in many different ways during the presentation. Since homeowners are afraid of making a decision, they will say “no” several times before they say “yes.” This is true even if they want it and are almost ready to list. If you don’t ask several times with many different trial closes, you may stop selling and leave just as the homeowner was getting ready to list.

Tension at the time of the close is natural. The agent fears rejection; the homeowner fears making the wrong decision. Using different trial closes helps the homeowner get past this moment of tension and gets him closer to a listing decision. Therefore, you shouldn’t stop after just one “no,” nor should you fail to use a trial close just because of tension between you and the homeowner.

Soft trial closes can be used early in the presentation. These closes are not pushy. They don’t ask for a decision; they merely ask for an opinion. If the homeowner gives a positive answer to a soft trial close, you can then go to a stronger close asking for a decision. If they give a negative answer to a trial close, you go back to questioning and reselling benefits to encourage them to want to list and make it easy to close.

Here are 22 different closes and trial closes to help you ask for the listing. Use different trial closes throughout your presentation.

1. The Commitment Close

This close helps ward off the “I’ll think about it” objection by obligating the homeowner to make a decision on the spot. Use this close when you are talking to a homeowner you feel will use the excuse he has to think about it. At the beginning of the appointment, you say:

All I ask is for you to look at what we have to offer, and tell me if it applies to you.

As you go through the presentation, make sure to write down the various comments of the homeowner. If the homeowner later says that he’ll think about it, you can respond with a review of an earlier homeowner statement. You said, concerning selling your home, in point 4

2. The “Hot Button” Close

Warm up your homeowner by pushing their “hot buttons.” Emphasize those benefits you know are the most important to them. Homeowners make 80% of their listing decisions on only 20% of the benefits. So hit their “hot button” over and over to get them “warm” enough to close.

For example, the homeowner agrees with the uselessness of open houses… so you must repeat it over and over with a few stories of past client examples of successful sales without using open houses.

3. The power of suggestion close

Help your homeowner visualize using your services. Speak to them as though they already have listed, and tie in a “hot button” benefit. Remember enthusiasm is contagious. You should talk as though they already listed and sold their home through you. Use the word “when” not “if.”

When you sell your home, we will take a picture of us standing together in your front yard… just like these happy clients!

4. The “Yes, Yes” close

Ask “yes” questions, so when you close the homeowner is already in the habit of saying “yes.” Each time they say “yes,” they are closer to listing. Also, it becomes hypnotic. Eventually, “yes” comes automatically. Look at the following questions, and think about how natural it would be for the homeowner to answer with a “yes” to each one:

Do you want a quick sale?

Do you want top dollar?

Would you like to sell your home within 30 days?

May I show you some information?

5. The “Just Suppose” Close

In this trial close, you have the homeowner “just suppose” the objection didn’t exist. You then ask if he would list. This tactic also helps you uncover and tackle hidden objections.

Homeowner: Your commission is too high.

Agent: Is commission your only concern?

Homeowner: Yes.

Agent: Just suppose you felt our commission was fair, would you list then?

What this does is expose the truth commission is not really the problem. All the objection is about is the fear of saying yes. By eliminating the fear, or postponing it, you move closer to the listing.

6. The Sharp Angle Close

The sharp angle close uses the homeowner’s questions and comments to help you get a commitment to list. Instead of immediately assuring your homeowner you can meet all of their wants and needs, ask if they’ll list with you if you can.

Use this opportunity to try a trial close by asking the homeowner to commit to listing if you can do what he wants. Then, give him what he wants. Never say you can do something extra for the homeowner without a commitment he will list if he gets what he asks for. Without the commitment, he will say “great” when you say you can do what he wants. Then, he will say, “Okay. Let me think about it.”

Homeowner: I want a lower commission.
Agent: If I could get you a lower commission, would you list right now?

7. The Switch Place Close

When all else fails, ask your homeowner to tell you what he would do to sell the home. You might get a quick lesson not only on how to sell this person but also on how to sell more effectively to your other prospects. Use this close when you can’t figure out why the homeowner won’t list:

Mary, would you put yourself in my shoes? If you were selling to someone, and you didn’t know why he wasn’t buying, what would you do?

If you get an evasive answer, ask: Is it the price (me, service, etc.)?

Then, ask: What would have to happen for you to use our services?

8. The puppy dog close

This close gets its name from the pet store closing technique of letting prospects hold the animal they like, so they can’t resist buying it. This close lets your homeowner see for themselves their need for your service. Make sure your homeowner holds, tastes, feels, wears and tries out your service. Once they have experienced using it, they want it more and it will be easier to get them to list.

Example: Let the homeowner go through your MLS book (or computer listing database/print out) and decide the price point on the home. I did this all the time. I handed the homeowner the book and said:

“Here is your competition. They all have priced their home at $99,900. As you can see, there are pages of them! At what price would you price your home so it would stand out and not get lost in this book/computer listing?”

What this did was to establish my professionalism with the homeowner. Not one homeowner ever answered the question but rather said. “I’ll leave that up to you.” That’s the best yes an agent can ever get!!!

9. The summary close

To use the summary close, simply reiterate the homeowner’s needs and wants, and show how your service satisfies them. You sum up what the homeowner has told you about what he wants, and give him his own reasons back for listing. No one can disagree with his or her own reasons.

From what you told me, you want an agent with experience, honest, and doesn’t waste your time with useless activities such as open houses. Our company offers this and more! Don’t you agree?

10. The physical action close

The situation arises where you have to call the office to check on the possibility of accomplishing something the homeowner has asked if you can do. While on the phone, talk as though the homeowner has already listed. If the homeowner doesn’t stop you, she has listed.

Homeowner: I am happy so far but I have one question. What about this listing period? I find 180 days a little long.

Agent: Let me call the office and see if I can lower that. (During the call to the office, ask: Can we give Mrs. Homeowner a smaller listing period?)

When you get off the phone, tell the homeowner how lucky she was to have gotten the lower period. And show her on the listing form the shorter period. If she doesn’t stop you, she’s listed her house.

11. The hurry up close

This close implies it’s to the homeowner’s advantage to list now rather than wait until later.

Homeowner: Maybe I should wait.

Agent: You may want to list now. The reason is there are few homes in your price range in this neighborhood on the market today. This means buyers have less choices and the chances of getting your price are better. But if you wait, from my experience there will be more homes and then you’ll have to be more competitive.

12. The testimonial close

To build credibility and reassure your homeowner he’s making a wise decision, tell him about the success other people have had with your service. In this close, the agent uses letters or stories from other clients who have used the service and have received fantastic results. This eliminates listing anxiety.

Homeowner: I’m not sure.

Agent: These clients used our services, and they have had fabulous results. So will you!
This close is good for an insecure homeowner afraid of making a decision. The fact others have already tried your service and are happy will relieve his anxiety.

13. The qualifying close

This close determines whether or not the person you are talking to is able to make the necessary decision.

If I can sell your home at the price you want, are you in a position to make a listing decision today?

14. The readiness close

When you can’t tell if you’re getting through to a poker-faced homeowner, use the readiness close to gauge your homeowner’s interest. This close checks the homeowner’s “listing temperature.”

You can also find out if you are on the right path with your presentation or need to change course. The great thing about this close is it doesn’t end your presentation. Instead, it tells you whether you should keep selling or go for a stronger close.

Does this make sense to you?

How do you feel about this so far?

Is this what you wanted?

Is this an improvement for you?

15. The invitational close

If your homeowner is waiting for an engraved invitation to list, give them one. Make a persuasive argument for your service, including the reasons why your homeowner should list. Then, invite them to do it. This close is powerful because it is direct. It is especially useful with the no-nonsense homeowner. They appreciate its directness.

Why don’t you give us a try?

Why don’t you take it?

Would you like to get started right away?

16. The ultimatum close

This close is best used when the homeowner is putting you off and hasn’t made a decision. He hasn’t said “yes” or “no.” He just continually procrastinates. This close should be used only when you have decided the homeowner isn’t worth pursuing any further. You want to force a decision. In this close the agent fills out a listing agreement, looks at the homeowner, and says:

Either it’s a good idea, or it isn’t.

At this point, you give the homeowner the agreement, and ask them to sign it.

17. The reverse close

The reverse close turns a homeowner’s reasons for not listing into reasons for listing. When your homeowner voices an objection, think of a benefit to that objection.

Homeowner: Your commission is too high.

Agent: That’s the very reason you should use us. Because of our successful track record, which proves our quality, we list and sell more homes than most other companies. Being with the best is better than with the rest!

18. The take away close

People want things more if they feel they may not be able to get them. If you suggest what you are offering may not be available it can be just enough to help the homeowner want to make the decision now.

I only take a few new listings per month. I do not want to over extend myself and hurt my clients. Right now I have the time for another client. I sure would love to work with you! I think we would work together well. Wouldn’t you agree!

19. The Scratch Pad Close

This is a very powerful close. Bring out three or four agreements early in the presentation. Mention you’ll be using them as scratch paper. You are doing this because if you get a strong listing signal later, you’ll already have a filled-in agreement with their name and address on it. You can just slide it across the table for the homeowner to sign.

20. The Ben Franklin close

Since few agents can offer homeowners the perfect service, it’s often difficult to overcome every one of their objections. When an unanswered objection stands between you and a listing, make a list of benefits versus objections. Just make sure the benefits far outweigh the objections.

Present them to your homeowner, and say, “As you can see, the reasons for listing outnumber the reasons against.”

This is a good close to use when the homeowner has some objections you cannot overcome. Simply list all the pros and cons of the situation.

21. The “You’ll Thank Me Later” close

Use this close when you know you’re pressuring the homeowner.

Homeowner: (Irritated) I’m not ready to list.

Agent: I know I’m pressuring you. But you’ll thank me after you’ve sold your home and found the one you want. You’ll feel great!

22. The story close

Close to 80% of the listing decision is based on emotions. The part of the brain involved with emotions is the right hemisphere, and this side deals well with stories and pictures. In order to appeal to the emotional side of the brain (the listing side), build your presentation around stories of others who have hesitated before making a decision but were overjoyed with the results when they did decide to act. You can even use stories that are not business-related.

Randy Roussie has been a real estate trainer since 1987 and has helped thousands of agents succeed in real estate sales! Randy is the author of many real estate training programs and his company has developed many unique products and services for agents.

You can visit Randy’s web site at http://www.randyroussie.com

The bad news is you shake and tremble at the idea of calling someone out of the blue and asking for their business.

The good news is you recognize you are motivated by fear, and if you openly acknowledge this fact, you can put it to work.

What do you fear MORE than cold calling?

I’ll tell you what I fear and loathe:

(1) Losing my independence. I realize that much of my calling is non-delegable. If I don’t do it, nobody else will nearly as capably, on my behalf. And if I don’t get it done, my business will fail, and I’ll have to get a job working for someone else, and that taskmaster, by the way, WILL compel me to make cold calls!

(2) Not paying my bills, when due. Chalk it up to the fact that I started my career as a bill collector. I just hate getting behind, and I’m resolved to not letting that happen. Cold calls book business for me, enabling me to meet my obligations on time.

(3) Procrastination makes me feel like a flake, and I hate feeling flaky! So, better to make that call I’ve been postponing than to feel badly about myself.

(4) I have a reputation to uphold as a masterful cold-caller, and I’m not going to let my fans down. I’m supposed to be a good role model, after all!

(5) I hate feeling that I am stagnating, and nothing dashes that notion better than meeting strangers by phone, getting the adrenaline pumped, and so on.

So, imagine those fears and undesirable outcomes that are calculated to occur if you don’t cold call, and it will make the lesser task of dialing and smiling a lot easier to do!

Dr. Gary S. Goodman, President of Customersatisfaction.com, is a popular keynote speaker, management consultant, and seminar leader and the best-selling author of 12 books, including Reach Out & Sell Someone® and Monitoring, Measuring & Managing Customer Service, and the audio program, “The Law of Large Numbers: How To Make Success Inevitable,” published by Nightingale-Conant. He is a frequent guest on radio and television, worldwide. A Ph.D. from USC’s Annenberg School, a Loyola lawyer, and an MBA from the Peter F. Drucker School at Claremont Graduate University, Gary offers programs through UCLA Extension and numerous universities, trade associations, and other organizations in the United States and abroad. He holds the rank of Shodan, 1st Degree Black Belt in Kenpo Karate. He is headquartered in Glendale, California, and he can be reached at (818) 243-7338 or at: gary@customersatisfaction.com.

If you manage others, delegating is a critical skill. There are many excuses why people don’t delegate, but there is one important rule of thumb. If you want to develop others and free yourself up for higher level tasks, you should consider delegating anything that someone else can do 70% as well as you.

The fact is that it is highly unlikely that your staff will be able to complete a particular task or project as well as you at first. You probably have more expertise and experience; isn’t that why you’re the boss? If you want to grow your staff and your organization, however, you will need to develop additional skills and competencies in your people. Here are the seven steps to mastering delegation:

1. Develop a climate for delegation – By placing value in the feedback and work of others, your staff will feel appreciated and work harder. They will want to contribute in new and different ways to the success of the organization.

2. Determine your objectives – Before you get started, you need to ask yourself, “What do I want to get accomplished?” With that in mind, “What tasks can be done by others?” When you are mapping out the action steps to a goal, always consider who can handle the different tasks involved.

3. Know your workers – Who would be the best person to complete a particular task? If you understand and know your employees’ strengths/weaknesses and likes/dislikes, you can match up assignments more appropriately.

4. Develop a plan – You should have an overall work plan or goal planning summary that spells out responsibilities and deadlines. This plan can be done in conjunction with the employees being held responsible for the various tasks.

5. Communicate your expectations – Your employees must have clear directions and a full understanding of the deadlines and expectations. Make sure that they understand what you’re communicating. The use of clarifying and confirming questions can ensure proper understanding. If you are unsure if the employee “gets it,” you can also ask them to repeat their understanding of the situation back to you.

6. Monitor progress – Make sure that you monitor and assess the employee’s performance on a particular assignment and give appropriate feedback. This is particularly critical when a new assignment or responsibility is being handled by an employee.

7. Evaluate results and assign new work – At the completion of the project, review the results to make sure your objectives were met. If you outlined your expectations and the results desired on the front-end, this should be easy to measure. If the job was completed in a satisfactory manner, congratulate and praise your employee. You can also look for additional opportunities to assign new work. If the desired results were not achieved, use this as a teaching and learning opportunity. Continue to assign new work and monitor performance.

Will Turner is the Founder and President of Dancing Elephants Achievement Group, a sales training and consulting company. Will has over 20 years of sales and sales management experience and is the author of over 150 sales-related articles and programs as well as the co-author of the book, Six Secrets of Sales Magnets. Will can be reached at Will@dancingelephants.net.

Different states call it different things: a discount reseller’s license, a seller’s permit, resale certificate, certificate of authority, application to collect/report tax… but in the end, no matter what it’s called, discount reseller’s licenses are all the same thing. A wholesale company asks you for a discount reseller’s license in order for you to get further price cuts.

There are two premises behind discount reseller’s licenses:

1. The government wants to make sure that businesses are reselling wholesale goods appropriately by collecting and rendering taxes legally, and
2. Manufacturers want to be assured that the goods they are selling to a discount reseller are not being used for personal consumption.

When a business is acting as a discount reseller but isn’t licensed, an item ends up being taxed twice: once when it is purchased from the wholesale supplier, and once when it is purchased by the end consumer. By purchasing a discount reseller’s license, middlemen businesses can avoid this headache and save some cash in the process.

To find out where and who to get these discount reseller’s licenses from, look in the blue pages of your local phone book for the local government business regulators. Give them a ring and ask if and how you can apply for a discount reseller’s license, and what the costs are.

Another option is to contact your local Chamber of Commerce to see if they have any relevant information on discount reseller’s licenses. Usually they can save you a lot of time and heartache by knowing exactly where to look for the information you require, with little time or expense.

Jim Staley is the is the CEO for WholesaleGopher, one of the most trusted dealer and distributor directories on the Internet, offering visitors wholesale items, import and export goods, surplus and closeouts from true wholesale sources. Learn more about wholesaling with his free, bi-weekly blog at http://wholesalegopher.com/blog/.

Yes, you heard me right; I said “Date your clients!” Just think about it for a moment-what did you do when you first met your significant other?
You probably went through a series of questions so you could find out a little bit more about each other. Next you say something like, “We should go do something sometime.” They gave an answer that showed they were interested, and you went forward with the dreaded “Do you want to go out Friday night?” question. Putting yourself totally on the line you felt vulnerable and scared to death! When they said “yes” you breathed a sigh of relief, and started to get to know each other to see if a long-lasting relationship was in order.

You try to find out…

1. Their beliefs and views

2. Their interests and hobbies

3. Their future plans

4. What they like and don’t like to do

5. Etc.

So, when you first meet on your first date are you excited? Do you want to make a great 1st impression, and started it out with a compliment? Are you really attentive to their wishes and needs? I mean, you wouldn’t want to rush into a relationship without knowing what their basic likes and dislikes are, do you? That would make for an incredibly stormy relationship.

Now, putting it into perspective, your client relationship is very much the same. You meet with a perspective client, and open a dialog that you hope will be a mutually beneficial one. You make a great impression, and you and the customer gather all of the information needed to see if you can begin working together. Then the dreaded question of if they want your solution or not, putting you in the same vulnerable, scared position!

Once they say, “yes” to your proposed solution, you begin following thru with your promises, and build and grow a great business relationship that should last a very long time. (Notice I said, “follow-thru” not “follow-up”! You made the promises to take care of all of their needs, so you come through as you said you would!) Your gathered information is also critical, as well as your impressions given, and your attentiveness to their needs or desires. We wouldn’t dare mismanage our personal relationships, why do we constantly mishandle them in business?

Michael Niles is a Seattle based sales trainer, speaker, and coach. He can be reached at 206-229-3119, michael6941@hotmail.com, or http://www.focustrainingsystems.com.

The best cold callers on the planet are topnotch sales professionals. Oddly enough we are also the worst.

When we sales pros first start the process of cold calling prospects, it’s not unusual for us to establish new records for scheduling meetings with decision makersmagically transforming scheduling as many as 8 appointments out of cold calls to 10 prospects.

Then, one day, seemingly overnight, the novelty wears off. The thrill is gone. The smile and dial routine, becomes, well … routine.

Although cold call prospecting is lucrative …

You quickly tire of the repetition.

You want the meetings and deals that energize you. But the process of 10-20 calls per day 5 days a week, leaves you bored right out of your gourd!

Did you know many people thrive on repetition and routine? More than half the population falls into that category. As you may well imagine, those folks aren’t drawn to the sales profession.

Our natural behavioral style gives us:

* The confidence to do the difficult assignments
* The ability to think on our feet; and to support (or oppose) strongly
* The talent to bring fresh ideas for solving problems

By our very nature we:

* Are optimistic, enthusiastic, and build confidence in others

* Have the “gift of gab” and an ability to verbalize our feelings

* Are excellent troubleshooters

With the right incentives we sales professionals are willing to take risks that can give our companies unbelievable success.

Routine. Our nemesis.

So, how do you reconcile the fact that the most successful cold calling system has to do with using the same script over and over again?

You have to be aware of your strengths and weaknesses so you can develop strategies to meet the demands or routine cold calling. You must claim victory over … the boredom-factor.

I know that’s tough to do, nonetheless, your ability to fight the boredom is critically important to your success.

Folks like accountants and clerks who gravitate toward routine flip out as they read these suggestions. But successful sales professionals, you’ll laugh … and value these simple yet effective tips. Blast past the dreaded “boredom barrier” as you follow through with these techniques, and keep laughing all the way to the bank.

OK. Let’s shake things up a bit.

Your prospect never needs to know you are doing these kooky things on the other end of the line to break the monotony of cold calling decision makers.

These are the tips that’ll blast you past the boredom barrier.

* Get rid of your chair.

Conduct calls from squatting positionposition yourself as though you are sitting on air. The physical tension of this “squat” will distract your brain from the boredom as you are challenged to sound natural to the executive assistant on the other end of the phone!

* Stand with pen in hand over a calendar or stylus over your PDAready to schedule a meeting.

The changes in your voice as you assume this position and your sense of expectation will convey to your prospect. Much like when you extend your hand in person and expect the other person to extend their hand to shake yours … your sense of readiness will convey to your prospect.

* Keep the chair.

Lean back in it and put your feet up on the desk, like the big wigs in the movies.

* Oxygenate – project your voice with clarity and strength.

First time I did this I got dizzy and called the doctor. He said, “No worries. Your brain isn’t used to that much oxygen! This is good for you. Keep it up.” To get as much air in as you can, put your hands on your bent knees. Lean forward into this slight squat lean, take 5 deep breaths in through your nostrils-so deep that your abdomen fills first then your lungs, and finally your chest. Then, exhale through your mouth. This will pump you up for your calls and add strength to your voice.

* Immediately follow one successful call with another.

Your sense of exhilaration and success will carry to the listener. And you’ll feel the sweet sensation of riding the crest of the wave of success!

Is boredom keeping your from your personal best with cold calls? You will blast through that barricade as you master these tips!

Forward this article to friendsthey’ll thank you for it!

For your FREE mini-course “Jealously Guarded Secrets to Cold Calling Company Presidents” visit http://www.ColdCallingExecutives.com! Or call Your Sales Coach for Extreme Profitability, author/speaker Leslie Buterin (like butterin’ bread) at (816) 554-3674 9-3 CST (that’s Kansas City/Chicago Time).

This week’s article is my response to a question by David Cohen of Bridge-Soft.

“Quite a few prospects have told me that business is stagnant at the moment, but they are hopeful towards the 4th quarter. How do you approach the sales cycle where the cost of the product is relatively high and the sales cycle is lengthy, sometimes six months or more, in good times. I have little trouble generating interest in our products during my cold calls, but the relationship of a slow economy, long sales cycle, in combination with the cost of the software puts a few road blocks up. Any ideas on how to either avoid or breakdown these road blocks?”

-David Cohen, Sales Director, Bridge-Soft

Thanks for writing in David. Essentially what you want to know is how to speed up the sales cycle. Let’s start the discussion from the standpoint of why people and businesses buy when they do.

Everyone buys to solve a pain or fulfill a desire. This is true for individuals and businesses alike (businesses are nothing but a group of individual decision-makers). Buying decisions are always prioritized, whether people are aware that they do this or not. Businesses making buying decisions usually have formal procedures for prioritizing their acquisitions. Individuals also prioritize their buying decisions, but this generally is a much more casual and often unconscious process.

To speed up your sale, you must move the pain that you are offering to solve near the top of the prospect’s priority list.

Here are three ways that you can do this.

#1 – Choose Your Prospects Ruthlessly

To put it simply, the fastest sales happen when the prospects know they are in pain. For a given problem, the businesses (or people) who have this in common will likely share other characteristics. Look at who has been spending money during this slowdown with either you or your competitors, and ask yourself what they have in common. You want to have a profile of what these customers look like when you are prospecting. This will enable you to quickly decide whether to engage in a sales effort. Prospects who don’t meet your profile should be thrown out.

#2 – Get To The Executives First

Not getting to the decision-makers early in the sell cycle is a common reason for lengthy sales cycles. To get there, you have to know how to talk to them. Exec’s want to know how you are going to increase revenues or efficiency, and save money or time. Their biggest fear of salespeople is that you will waste their time with techno-babble.

You can create a direct mail and telephone campaign to make contact with your target executives. This is a topic that demands way more space than I have here to write. But the strategy is to get their attention with specific stories and questions that dramatize the pain using examples that they can identify with.

You can also have your current executive customer contacts refer you to other executives that they know within your target prospect accounts. Or You can use your management as a “power meets power” way of getting access. And you can also form partnerships with complementary vendors who might have access into your accounts.

In the case of a small software company, it could make sense to partner with a larger company who already has the executive relationships. Companies like IBM, HP, or Accenture have salespeople for every account you can imagine. When you show them how they can sell more of their products and services, they will want to work with you to get into the account.

#3 – Intensify Their Pain

When your sale is low on their priority list, it is because the executives believe they have bigger problems to focus on. You can influence their perception and priorities by getting them to experience the consequences of the unaddressed problem in advance of it happening. You want to make this problem feel real in the present moment.

There are two very effective techniques for doing this. One is to tell stories. You mentioned that you had a number of customers both large and small. Interview your customers and find out precisely why they bought your software. Determine the specific pains, and the specific results they got from installing it. Create detailed stories about your customers such that your prospect will identify with the pains that your customer’s had. Discuss how bad things would have gotten if they hadn’t solved the problem with your software.

Stories are an effective indirect way to get a prospect to open up about a potential problem. The most powerful motivation for a sale is the prospect’s own fears and desires. You can uncover this and use it to propel your sale forward with planned persuasive questioning. People make decisions to buy, or move your sale up on their priority list when they are in an emotional state. Questions that get them to experience the consequences of problems that they are not dealing with can bring the pain strongly into the present moment.

Focus On The Right Things

You cannot control the slow economy.

Here are some things you can control.

• Who you sell for and what you sell.
  
• Which prospects you choose to engage.
  
• The level at which you first engage your prospects:
  
  
  
  • executive, middle management, or staff.
  
  
• What you do, say, and ask when you engage people.

© 1999-2004 Shamus Brown, All Rights Reserved.

Shamus Brown is a Professional Sales Coach and former high-tech sales pro who began his career selling for IBM. Shamus has written more than 50 articles on selling and is the creator of the popular Persuasive Selling Skills CD Audio Program. You can read more of Shamus Brown’s sales tips at http://Sales-Tips.industrialEGO.com/ and you can learn more about his persuasive sales skills training at http://www.Persuasive-Sales-Skills.com/

We are all suject to the law of the Hierarchy of Habits.

Just like gravity, you are under the control of the Law of the Hierarchy of Habits whether you like it or not. But unlike gravity, many of us don’t realize how important this law is to our performance in virtually every skill performed.

The Law of the Hierarchy of Habits says that, “Under pressure, you will do what you are most prepared to do.”

Now this makes a lot of sense when you think about it. Look at someone who has never tried to play tennis. When they get out on the tennis court they look like a real klutz. The same thing with bowling or golf or really any other skill.

Now most of you will probably say that this is common knowledge and it is easily overcome. First, you have to be taught the right way to hold the racket, or club or release the ball. Then you have to practice so you can do it better and better. That makes sense and is how most of us gain at least some proficiency in these sports. Also, how many teams do you know that perform well without practicing together? So the key factor here seems to be learning a skill and then practicing it.

Today we also refer to this as muscle memory. It is also the reason pilots train in handling emergencies over and over. So if one should occur, they are prepared to handle it correctly. Most of us have trained our muscles to drive a car so we handle nearly every situation “automatically.”

This is where the law comes in. Most many situations you face put you under pressure to some degree. As a result, your performance will reflect the degree with which you are prepared to perform to a standard. If you have practiced and “trained” your muscles to act the way you want, then your performance will reflect that development. If however, you have not prepared yourself, then your performance will reflect that lack of preparation and you will be disappointed.

My golf game is terrible. Every time I play, I say that I will never play golf again. And I have seen Jack Nicholas and Arnold Palmer and the other greats play lots of golf. I know how to play scratch golf, so why don’t I play scratch golf?

The reason is simple; I don’t prepare myself to play like they do. When the Law of the Hierarchy of Habits hits Arnold Palmer he plays as he has prepared himself to play, the same thing holds true when Bill Truax plays. I don’t deserve to score as well as Arnold Palmer.

Now when you decide to make cold calls, how can you expect to perform? The way that you have prepared, of course. The same thing holds true with your sales presentations and objection handling techniques, every aspect of your sales conduct. One of the things that has always surprised me is that a sales professional will practice his or her golf game, bowling, tennis, or soft ball, but will not practice their prospecting or presentations skills. Yet their prospecting and presentation skills are critical to their success and happiness. And also gives them the opportunities to play those games!

When I go in the field to spend time prospecting with a sales person, I do all of the prospecting calls myself. The sales person is there to watch and answer technical questions because I don’t know their products. Before we go out on the calls, I have to learn the wording for the prospecting call, I call it a BLITZ CALL®. So I write it out, practice saying it aloud, and ask the sales person if it makes sense. When it does, I am ready.

There is always some pressure on you when you are cold calling. If you are practiced and ready you will do well, if not, you will do less than well. The reason is simple. We are all subject to the Law of the Hierarchy of Habits.

Sell Well and Often,

Bill Truax Bill@BlitzCall.com

© Copyright 2006 WJ Truax

In general your going to allow a delay between your movement and theirs. A terrific delay time is 3 seconds.
Think about it. Someone reaches up to their mouth and you just reach up to your mouth about 3 seconds later. Then they put their hand back behind their head a little bit, and you put your hand behind your head a little bit later.

I’m just going along with him as he moves. As he moves I move – only later. And I’m not following him exactly, but I’m following him every time. So there is consistency to what I’m doing.

Here’s the key – You can allow up to a half a minute delay but then start to zero it out. Meaning that as that person moves you’re going to move closer and closer to when they move until pretty soon – he makes a move and you move right along with him. He makes another move and you move right along with him. But it ’s okay to allow a lengthy delay to begin with.

Now if you’re not going to have a long interaction with a person, you don’t want a lengthy delay. You don’t have time. So part of this will be judged by the context that you’re in. If you only have a short interaction with them, you better get on it! Don’t allow much of a delay because you aren’t going to be there long enough to be able to to gain the rapport that you want.

So delay but close the gap!

To practice this: find someone to practice on/with and set your intention to pace their movements – use mirroring and as the persuader allow a lag, the lag can be anywhere up to 30 seconds. You can start with a 3 second lag and then zero it out over the next minute. So if the person I am pacing is sitting in a certain way and rocking a bit, I would wait 3 seconds and then I would rock and then wait a little less and rock with them again, and then pretty soon as he rocks I’m going to rock.

I want you to be seeing with your peripheral vision. Take into account the whole person. See with your peripheral vision, because that’s where the most amount of information will come from. Oh and do all this while enjoying your conversation with them!

A lag time – then zero out the lag; use your peripheral vision; and enjoy talking with them.

Your unconscious mind is to really get this! You can simultaneously take a fly on the wall position to watch it being done, to evaluate is it being done right and how can you do it better. You will see how to fine tune it for the next time you do it. The goal is to observe it in action in a way that it’s being done so you can pick up how it’s working and then be more effective with it yourself.

You can do this in 3 minute chunks and then get feedback from the meta fly on the wall position and then do it again incorporating the learning from the meta position.

Mirroring and Matching

Mirroring is: If I stand and look in a mirror, that person I’m looking at is going to be doing what I’m doing. Mirroring is simply – if I move my right hand, you’re going to move your… left hand. If I scratch with my left arm, you scratch with your right arm.

Matching is: If I raise my left hand, you raise your left hand. You match the movements with your same hand.
In general you want to mirror – not match. Mirroring will build deeper and stronger rapport.

Distinction between mirroring and matching

I make a distinction here because I hear it all the time from people saying, “I was mirroring and matching.” They may have misunderstood their training and thus they are confused when they get results and when they don’t get results.
So my intention is to make sure there is no confusion here. so that if you have always referred to it this way, I want you to know what these things are so you can start to take control of your own behavior and you can get the results that you’re really looking to get.
You will find yourself, with enough time practicing and enough experience, that you become aware of yourself automatically mirroring another person.
Obviously this can be a distraction for you, but what I suggest you do is become impressed!
So in other words if you find yourself pacing someone like that – you go, “Cool!” I’m doing really well. That is a command and affirmation to your unconscious mind. You tell your unconscious “Yes! We’re doing good on this one. I like this.”
And your unconscious goes “Woo Hoo! I’m doing a good job!” And it does even more for you.
Physical mirroring is lower on the scale of techniques that work. it’s necessary, you’ve got to understand it, you’ve got to be able to do it, but it’s actually lower in effectiveness. A higher technique is the energy that’s generated from your thoughts. You can set the physical behavior aside and just pace with words and energy.
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Kenrick E. Cleveland – is the “Top Secret – Goto Guy” for persuasion training for over 27 years. Check out MaxPersuasion Tips and get serious persuasion tips every 2 weeks – increase your power to persuade and put money in your pocket. Lots of it! http://www.maxpersuasion.com/