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Hub You - Sell More Using Sales Psychology
Financial asset management is a great tool, that is used to manage a companies, investments, available cash flow, and its liabilities. This type of asset management is very complex, and requires the assistance of highly qualified professionals to obtain the best results.Most companies tend to outsource this task to qualified professionals who specialize in the field of financial asset management. Companies that specialize in managing the assets of other companies are better equipped to manage a companies assets. The effort that it would take a small or medium sized company to put together a highly specialized team to manage their assets would be cost prohibitive, and counter-productive.Financial asset management services, covers everything that falls under the blanket of a companies financial assets. However the main emphasis is placed on the capacity of the companies investments, and the returns of these investment. Although more often than not, the use and mobilization of these finances will be a service that is provided by the financial asset management company.Companies that specialize in financial asset management will do all of the research that is needed to find the best possible options concerning the investment of the company they are working with. They will work directly with the company to find the best way to utilize its available finances. This is know as complete funds management. Initially funds management might appear to be simple and straight forward, but in reality it is a highly complex processes.There are a number of benefits to having of a good financial asset management team on your companies side. When most people talk about finances, banks tend
And it reinforces your status as a professional who customizes choices, simplifies options, and filters a lot of the ‘noise’ that the prospect has heard in the past. You’re customizing options based on the prospect’s situation. One size fits one.
The psychology of stories
One of the most powerful sales tools you have at your disposal is storytelling. Or more appropriately, storyselling!
So how can you use stories when working with future customers? All this requires on your part is the initiative to begin gathering stories by talking with your existing customers. Very simply, talk to your customers about their experiences with your products and services. You’re sure to gather some powerful and persuasive stories.
Focus on things like:
•A previous customer’s purchase and how the product helped them.
•A previous customer’s problem and how the product/service fixed the problem.
•A previous customer that had the same concerns/hesitation as your current customer, and how the outcome ended up positive.
•A previous customer’s experience with a certain product/service that didn’t work out and what happened as a result. (This can help lead to the product that would be more appropriate for your customer.)
•A previous customer’s “success story” with the product/service.
•Your own (or someone you know) experience with the product/service.
If you think about it…you are storyselling all the time with friends and family, “selling” them on why they should or shouldn’t go to this or that restaurant, use this or that product, etc. Think about the commercial you see on TV, where they guy says “I was so impressed, I bought the company.” That is a story!
Using stories when selling is a powerful opportunity to communicate with your customer in a meaningful way. The human brain is hardwired to quickly understand, interpret, and get the most information from stories.
Not sure if storyselling is wor
The author has spend years training supervisors, generally in manufacturing. With whatever curriculum he used he would add a chapter on adult learning theory. With this as a framework, he believed that trainees are far more receptive to the training as they have some understanding of why and how the program is constructed to benefit there growth. Very rarely do training facilitators take the time to explain the basics of adult learning to class participants. Indeed, if he has limited facilitator experience the facilitator may not even know the basics of adult learning himself.The Supervisor: A Key PositionFrom the outset you need to know that there is no other job more important than that of supervisor. It is the supervisor who helps staff work at their optimal levels. It is also the supervisor that helps make management’s work smoother and more trouble-free than it would otherwise be. But developing the necessary skills to be successful in this pivotal position is a real challenge and does not just happen because the new supervisor used to be a first rate tradesman!The new supervisor probably has the potential to be an excellent supervisor otherwise his boss would not have appointed him. But it is too much to expect you to “pick up the supervisory skills on the job.” This is why the boss normally provides supervisory training. When and if this occurs, the new supervisor owes it to himself, his boss and the training facilitator to do the best he can to participate fully in the session discussions and other learning activities.As a prerequisite to training, the new supervisory needs to understand how best to get the most of any supervisory training he may receive.
The psychology of urgency
Another typical sales scenario involves the salesperson doing everything right – until after the first appointment. Then, suddenly, the emails stop, messages don’t get returned, and the lead runs cold, leaving you scratching your head wondering how that nice, friendly, responsive, involved prospect dropped off the face of the earth.
Does that ever happen to you?
What you’ve just experienced is a good sales process gone bad for the lack of a key ingredient: urgency.
As Stephen Covey says, there is a big difference between the “urgent” and the “important.”
In everyday business, the urgent category includes soothing angry clients, “putting out fires,” production stoppages, surprise inspections or audits by regulators, labor problems, media blowups, and things of that nature.
The important category includes things like making employees feel appreciated, upgrading to new office technology, listening to someone’s ideas, increasing your industry knowledge, developing good corporate citizenship (charitable, environmental, etc) and so on.
Guess which category is at the top of every executive’s agenda each morning when they walk in the door?
If you’ve positioned the product or service you’re selling as a “nice to have” instead of a “have to have,” – or even better a “have to have now” – your leads will run cold. Simply put, buying from you (even if it’s important) takes a backseat to the urgent matters of the day.
If you as a salesperson haven’t identified the pain, then you will get a less than urgent response. If you walk up to someone on the street and they have a nail sticking out of their knee- they would have a high sense of urgency to have the nail removed. This is the same with the prospect. When you can identify their “nail” they will want to move on it quickly.
In my seminars, I ask people to think about these questions:
•Why is it urgent for the prospect to ACT NOW?
•What is the incentive?
•How can you create meaningful deadlines?
•How is buying both an important *and* an urgent issue?
Again, I’m not going to supply you with gimmicky stock phrases or clever comebacks, but rather suggest that you spend some time and energy thinking about how to intelligently and professionally address legitimate buying obstacles such as “We have no budget,” “We have no need for this product/service,” “We’re happy with who we’re using,” and “This is bad timing for us.”
I don’t believe in the process of “overcoming objections” – sounds too much like fighting. And if salesis a battle, you’re going to lose.
One method I like to use is simply turning objections into objectives. In other words, if you can intelligently address the objection in terms of reaching a goal, agreement, or solution that addresses the problem, you will be well on your way to collaborating with your future customer on buying your solution.
For example, if the objection is “it’s too expensive,” you can show, in clear dollars and cents terms (and using numbers supplied by your future customer!) how your solution will save money, generate sales, increase profits, reduce costs, etc.
You’re turning the price objection into a value objective.
The psychology of time
A lot of sales trainers suggest using the personal touch: handwritten notes, personalized gifts, etc.
We think these are powerful tools, but for different reasons. Whether a note is typed or handwritten makes little difference in and of itself. Whether the note comes with a small gift (personalized or not) also doesn’t really matter.
It’s really about giving time and attention. That is what makes you distinctive.
Let me give you an example. As you may have guessed by now, I’m a speaker, author, and seminar leader. As such, I’m a prospect for a wide variety of businesses – presentation equipment, publicity, advertising, direct mail, courseware, and e-learning suppliers all want a piece of me.
Recently, I put my name in at the website of a reputable radio PR professional who has been getting great results for people just like me. I filled out her online form, attended part of a tele-seminar that she sponsored, and then a few days later received a handwritten note together with 2 name-brand lollipops.
Some background you need to know:
1.I’m a sucker for handwritten notes. They never fail to amaze and impress me.
2.I have a small ego. I love to be told my books are filled with valuable and practical insights or that my ideas incited someone to take action.
Now, here are some problems with this story:
1.Her handwritten note said “Your book sounds perfect for radio.” I never gave her details of “my book.” And I have 5 books.
2.The tele-seminar was one step above terrible. Her guest was a pompous twit and the information in the first 10 minutes was so negligible, I hung up. How tough would it have been to send everyone a post-seminar email or form asking for feedback? Then she could have targeted people who loved the tele-seminar, or at least addressed the shortcomings with people, like me, who didn’t.
So, how does all this apply to you and your business? Simple. The lesson is: put in the TIME to make the sale, add personal meaning to your relationships, and make yourself stand out from the crowd.
For example, when you follow up with a well thought-out handwritten note, it shows the investment of your TIME.
I recently facilitated a six month Leadership Development program for 37 people. Afterwards, I sat down and wrote 37 thank you notes by hand. In each note, I tried to personalize a comment. I sealed the envelopes with red wax and my stamped monogram.
It wasn’t that I am crazy about wax and monograms; it’s the fact that I wanted to send a note that was different than any they had ever gotten. The response was tremendous.
Investing time is another way you will separate yourself from the crowd. What’s the best way to invest your time? Choose as many as you like from the following list:
•Spend time listening
•Spend time customizing solutions
•Spend time following up
•Spend time supplying valuable information addressing your client’s needs and agendas (personal and professional)
•Spend time making your buyer look good to his or her boss
•Spend time referring business to your future client’s company
•Spend time dropping by for no reason and drop off lunch or donuts
A lot of salespeople are leery of doing this work for several reasons. Excuses and objections include:
•I can’t get enough information to do this
•This is free consulting – I need to make sales!
•Why would I waste all that time on a single prospect?
•This sounds like a lot of work
My responses:
•You can get this information
•It’s easier than you think
•Yes, it does take some work
•Welcome to your J-O-B!
The way to make sure you're investing your time wisely vs. doing “free consulting” is simply to make each of these points of contact an opportunity to move your sales process forward.
A final aspect of the psychology of time is timely response to emails and phone calls. This is truly a habit worth developing for several reasons:
•It shows respect and courtesy
•It proves your responsiveness even before the sale is made
•Sometimes, it’s just a practical matter of the first response gets the sale
If you show your willingness to invest your time and attention, prospects are more likely to respond with a willingness to invest their time – – and money – with you.
The psychology of choice
When it comes down to the wire, salespeople who have made a habit of studying sales techniques never offer a ‘take it or leave it’ deal.
It’s simply too easy to say no, and if you didn’t handle the rest of your sales process flawlessly, almost any reason to say no will look pretty appealing to your prospect.
If you always offer options, you shift your prospect’s mindset to considering WHICH, not WHETHER!
And it reinforces your status as a professional who customizes choices, simplifies options, and filters a lot of the ‘noise’ that the prospect has heard in the past. You’re customizing options based on the prospect’s situation. One size fits one.
The psychology of stories
One of the most powerful sales tools you have at your disposal is storytelling. Or more appropriately, storyselling!
So how can you use stories when working with future customers? All this requires on your part is the initiative to begin gathering stories by talking with your existing customers. Very simply, talk to your customers about their experiences with your products and services. You’re sure to gather some powerful and persuasive stories.
Focus on things like:
•A previous customer’s purchase and how the product helped them.
•A previous customer’s problem and how the product/service fixed the problem.
•A previous customer that had the same concerns/hesitation as your current customer, and how the outcome ended up positive.
•A previous customer’s experience with a certain product/service that didn’t work out and what happened as a result. (This can help lead to the product that would be more appropriate for your customer.)
•A previous customer’s “success story” with the product/service.
•Your own (or someone you know) experience with the product/service.
If you think about it…you are storyselling all the time with friends and family, “selling” them on why they should or shouldn’t go to this or that restaurant, use this or that product, etc. Think about the commercial you see on TV, where they guy says “I was so impressed, I bought the company.” That is a story!
Using stories when selling is a powerful opportunity to communicate with your customer in a meaningful way. The human brain is hardwired to quickly understand, interpret, and get the most information from stories.
Not sure if storyselling is wort
Having been in the franchising industry for some time now, I always find it fascinating when a regulator arbitrarily decides that we need more laws. As if we do not have enough laws impeding commerce there is always some regulator somewhere who says we need more rules. I cannot think of any reason why unless maybe the work for Al Queda and want to cripple America’s economic might; no maybe they do not work for the International Terrorists group. Maybe they just want to insure job security now and later when the get a real job in the private sector defending businesses against the insanity of government regulations?So you think I am anti-consumer? No, not even close, I love my customers and I do not wish to over charge them to make up for all the money I spend in complying with bogus regulations, which help no free man or free enterprise entrepreneur or corporation. It is for this reason that I am commenting on the Use of the words “Cost-Effective” when discussing the current Franchise Disclosure Documents in the Federal Trade Commission’s report on franchising.I first would like to formally announce that entrepreneurs when commenting on public regulatory policy should in fact forgo the niceties and compliments that so often accompany letters to the Federal Trade Commission. I do not believe they are deserved, I sincerely hope the Commission understands the absurdity of the bureaucracy they create and purport as Justice. I believe professionalism and respect must be earned, I do not feel the commission has ever earned that, nor do I believe they are capable of earning such respect after 15 years of studying the Franchising Division of the Federal Trade Commission. In my opinion the
•What is the incentive?
•How can you create meaningful deadlines?
•How is buying both an important *and* an urgent issue?
Again, I’m not going to supply you with gimmicky stock phrases or clever comebacks, but rather suggest that you spend some time and energy thinking about how to intelligently and professionally address legitimate buying obstacles such as “We have no budget,” “We have no need for this product/service,” “We’re happy with who we’re using,” and “This is bad timing for us.”
I don’t believe in the process of “overcoming objections” – sounds too much like fighting. And if salesis a battle, you’re going to lose.
One method I like to use is simply turning objections into objectives. In other words, if you can intelligently address the objection in terms of reaching a goal, agreement, or solution that addresses the problem, you will be well on your way to collaborating with your future customer on buying your solution.
For example, if the objection is “it’s too expensive,” you can show, in clear dollars and cents terms (and using numbers supplied by your future customer!) how your solution will save money, generate sales, increase profits, reduce costs, etc.
You’re turning the price objection into a value objective.
The psychology of time
A lot of sales trainers suggest using the personal touch: handwritten notes, personalized gifts, etc.
We think these are powerful tools, but for different reasons. Whether a note is typed or handwritten makes little difference in and of itself. Whether the note comes with a small gift (personalized or not) also doesn’t really matter.
It’s really about giving time and attention. That is what makes you distinctive.
Let me give you an example. As you may have guessed by now, I’m a speaker, author, and seminar leader. As such, I’m a prospect for a wide variety of businesses – presentation equipment, publicity, advertising, direct mail, courseware, and e-learning suppliers all want a piece of me.
Recently, I put my name in at the website of a reputable radio PR professional who has been getting great results for people just like me. I filled out her online form, attended part of a tele-seminar that she sponsored, and then a few days later received a handwritten note together with 2 name-brand lollipops.
Some background you need to know:
1.I’m a sucker for handwritten notes. They never fail to amaze and impress me.
2.I have a small ego. I love to be told my books are filled with valuable and practical insights or that my ideas incited someone to take action.
Now, here are some problems with this story:
1.Her handwritten note said “Your book sounds perfect for radio.” I never gave her details of “my book.” And I have 5 books.
2.The tele-seminar was one step above terrible. Her guest was a pompous twit and the information in the first 10 minutes was so negligible, I hung up. How tough would it have been to send everyone a post-seminar email or form asking for feedback? Then she could have targeted people who loved the tele-seminar, or at least addressed the shortcomings with people, like me, who didn’t.
So, how does all this apply to you and your business? Simple. The lesson is: put in the TIME to make the sale, add personal meaning to your relationships, and make yourself stand out from the crowd.
For example, when you follow up with a well thought-out handwritten note, it shows the investment of your TIME.
I recently facilitated a six month Leadership Development program for 37 people. Afterwards, I sat down and wrote 37 thank you notes by hand. In each note, I tried to personalize a comment. I sealed the envelopes with red wax and my stamped monogram.
It wasn’t that I am crazy about wax and monograms; it’s the fact that I wanted to send a note that was different than any they had ever gotten. The response was tremendous.
Investing time is another way you will separate yourself from the crowd. What’s the best way to invest your time? Choose as many as you like from the following list:
•Spend time listening
•Spend time customizing solutions
•Spend time following up
•Spend time supplying valuable information addressing your client’s needs and agendas (personal and professional)
•Spend time making your buyer look good to his or her boss
•Spend time referring business to your future client’s company
•Spend time dropping by for no reason and drop off lunch or donuts
A lot of salespeople are leery of doing this work for several reasons. Excuses and objections include:
•I can’t get enough information to do this
•This is free consulting – I need to make sales!
•Why would I waste all that time on a single prospect?
•This sounds like a lot of work
My responses:
•You can get this information
•It’s easier than you think
•Yes, it does take some work
•Welcome to your J-O-B!
The way to make sure you're investing your time wisely vs. doing “free consulting” is simply to make each of these points of contact an opportunity to move your sales process forward.
A final aspect of the psychology of time is timely response to emails and phone calls. This is truly a habit worth developing for several reasons:
•It shows respect and courtesy
•It proves your responsiveness even before the sale is made
•Sometimes, it’s just a practical matter of the first response gets the sale
If you show your willingness to invest your time and attention, prospects are more likely to respond with a willingness to invest their time – – and money – with you.
The psychology of choice
When it comes down to the wire, salespeople who have made a habit of studying sales techniques never offer a ‘take it or leave it’ deal.
It’s simply too easy to say no, and if you didn’t handle the rest of your sales process flawlessly, almost any reason to say no will look pretty appealing to your prospect.
If you always offer options, you shift your prospect’s mindset to considering WHICH, not WHETHER!
And it reinforces your status as a professional who customizes choices, simplifies options, and filters a lot of the ‘noise’ that the prospect has heard in the past. You’re customizing options based on the prospect’s situation. One size fits one.
The psychology of stories
One of the most powerful sales tools you have at your disposal is storytelling. Or more appropriately, storyselling!
So how can you use stories when working with future customers? All this requires on your part is the initiative to begin gathering stories by talking with your existing customers. Very simply, talk to your customers about their experiences with your products and services. You’re sure to gather some powerful and persuasive stories.
Focus on things like:
•A previous customer’s purchase and how the product helped them.
•A previous customer’s problem and how the product/service fixed the problem.
•A previous customer that had the same concerns/hesitation as your current customer, and how the outcome ended up positive.
•A previous customer’s experience with a certain product/service that didn’t work out and what happened as a result. (This can help lead to the product that would be more appropriate for your customer.)
•A previous customer’s “success story” with the product/service.
•Your own (or someone you know) experience with the product/service.
If you think about it…you are storyselling all the time with friends and family, “selling” them on why they should or shouldn’t go to this or that restaurant, use this or that product, etc. Think about the commercial you see on TV, where they guy says “I was so impressed, I bought the company.” That is a story!
Using stories when selling is a powerful opportunity to communicate with your customer in a meaningful way. The human brain is hardwired to quickly understand, interpret, and get the most information from stories.
Not sure if storyselling is wor
If you are looking for a way to make your company stand out from the crowd, you may want to consider purchasing a batch of double sided business cards. These cards are unique as they are printed on both sides. Double sided business cards offer many advantages compared to those with printing on only one side.First off, double sided business cards allow for your card to stand head and shoulders above the rest. If your prospective clients receive a double sided business card from you, it will show that you are professional, and that your company has a sense of elegance. Double sided business cards are more expensive to print, but they go a long way in making a great first impression. By only printing on one side of your business card, you are only using half (1/2) of the available space to get your message across.Double sided business cards also allow for you to fit more information onto your card. Have you ever received a business card that seems cluttered? On the front side alone there is a name, address, phone number, company name, and mission statement. This clutter does no good for your client, as it is very difficult to read and comprehend. If you offer a double sided business card, you can put all of your contact information on one side, and then add a mission statement or other customized text to the other side. Be creative here when deciding on text for the back of your business cards. Creativity goes a long ways towards that first impression on a new prospective client.These double sided business cards can cost more, but it makes up for it in appearance. These business cards look great. Think about it. If you are searching through a stack of cards, which one will you no
Recently, I put my name in at the website of a reputable radio PR professional who has been getting great results for people just like me. I filled out her online form, attended part of a tele-seminar that she sponsored, and then a few days later received a handwritten note together with 2 name-brand lollipops.
Some background you need to know:
1.I’m a sucker for handwritten notes. They never fail to amaze and impress me.
2.I have a small ego. I love to be told my books are filled with valuable and practical insights or that my ideas incited someone to take action.
Now, here are some problems with this story:
1.Her handwritten note said “Your book sounds perfect for radio.” I never gave her details of “my book.” And I have 5 books.
2.The tele-seminar was one step above terrible. Her guest was a pompous twit and the information in the first 10 minutes was so negligible, I hung up. How tough would it have been to send everyone a post-seminar email or form asking for feedback? Then she could have targeted people who loved the tele-seminar, or at least addressed the shortcomings with people, like me, who didn’t.
So, how does all this apply to you and your business? Simple. The lesson is: put in the TIME to make the sale, add personal meaning to your relationships, and make yourself stand out from the crowd.
For example, when you follow up with a well thought-out handwritten note, it shows the investment of your TIME.
I recently facilitated a six month Leadership Development program for 37 people. Afterwards, I sat down and wrote 37 thank you notes by hand. In each note, I tried to personalize a comment. I sealed the envelopes with red wax and my stamped monogram.
It wasn’t that I am crazy about wax and monograms; it’s the fact that I wanted to send a note that was different than any they had ever gotten. The response was tremendous.
Investing time is another way you will separate yourself from the crowd. What’s the best way to invest your time? Choose as many as you like from the following list:
•Spend time listening
•Spend time customizing solutions
•Spend time following up
•Spend time supplying valuable information addressing your client’s needs and agendas (personal and professional)
•Spend time making your buyer look good to his or her boss
•Spend time referring business to your future client’s company
•Spend time dropping by for no reason and drop off lunch or donuts
A lot of salespeople are leery of doing this work for several reasons. Excuses and objections include:
•I can’t get enough information to do this
•This is free consulting – I need to make sales!
•Why would I waste all that time on a single prospect?
•This sounds like a lot of work
My responses:
•You can get this information
•It’s easier than you think
•Yes, it does take some work
•Welcome to your J-O-B!
The way to make sure you're investing your time wisely vs. doing “free consulting” is simply to make each of these points of contact an opportunity to move your sales process forward.
A final aspect of the psychology of time is timely response to emails and phone calls. This is truly a habit worth developing for several reasons:
•It shows respect and courtesy
•It proves your responsiveness even before the sale is made
•Sometimes, it’s just a practical matter of the first response gets the sale
If you show your willingness to invest your time and attention, prospects are more likely to respond with a willingness to invest their time – – and money – with you.
The psychology of choice
When it comes down to the wire, salespeople who have made a habit of studying sales techniques never offer a ‘take it or leave it’ deal.
It’s simply too easy to say no, and if you didn’t handle the rest of your sales process flawlessly, almost any reason to say no will look pretty appealing to your prospect.
If you always offer options, you shift your prospect’s mindset to considering WHICH, not WHETHER!
And it reinforces your status as a professional who customizes choices, simplifies options, and filters a lot of the ‘noise’ that the prospect has heard in the past. You’re customizing options based on the prospect’s situation. One size fits one.
The psychology of stories
One of the most powerful sales tools you have at your disposal is storytelling. Or more appropriately, storyselling!
So how can you use stories when working with future customers? All this requires on your part is the initiative to begin gathering stories by talking with your existing customers. Very simply, talk to your customers about their experiences with your products and services. You’re sure to gather some powerful and persuasive stories.
Focus on things like:
•A previous customer’s purchase and how the product helped them.
•A previous customer’s problem and how the product/service fixed the problem.
•A previous customer that had the same concerns/hesitation as your current customer, and how the outcome ended up positive.
•A previous customer’s experience with a certain product/service that didn’t work out and what happened as a result. (This can help lead to the product that would be more appropriate for your customer.)
•A previous customer’s “success story” with the product/service.
•Your own (or someone you know) experience with the product/service.
If you think about it…you are storyselling all the time with friends and family, “selling” them on why they should or shouldn’t go to this or that restaurant, use this or that product, etc. Think about the commercial you see on TV, where they guy says “I was so impressed, I bought the company.” That is a story!
Using stories when selling is a powerful opportunity to communicate with your customer in a meaningful way. The human brain is hardwired to quickly understand, interpret, and get the most information from stories.
Not sure if storyselling is wor
How much do you want to win? Are you willing to put everything on the table and examine every opportunity for your brand to succeed in market warfare?We all pretend to strive for victory but most companies fall far short of what it takes to actually prevail. Most brands fail to really challenge the market leader because they continue to salute sacred cows or wasteful process. They become enamored with their past successes and cling to the old business model long after it has been rendered obsolete. There are only two flags that should be saluted — the flags of brand integrity and of customer’s needs. Everything else is an obstacle and is in your way.Catch-22 There is a fatal flaw in market leadership — fear of risk — and that same fear is the weighted anchor that holds back the competitors that nips at the leader’s dangling heels. This catch-22 should both be avoided and/or exploited. The market leader may have found their success for a myriad of reasons. They may have been in the right place at the right time or possibly the result of visionary leadership. It is even possible that they were just plain lucky. No matter what the reason for their success, few of them recognize clearly and dispassionately the value that keeps them at the top. It is this blurred vision of reality that the astute competitor can exploit.Attachment to their prior success is their Achilles heel and you need to exploit this inherent weakness. The vast majority of market leaders are wedded to the status quo, they avoid risk and change — they are, for the most part, aided in this static paradigm by the many competitors who mimic their every move. If, as a challenger brand, your goal i
•Spend time listening
•Spend time customizing solutions
•Spend time following up
•Spend time supplying valuable information addressing your client’s needs and agendas (personal and professional)
•Spend time making your buyer look good to his or her boss
•Spend time referring business to your future client’s company
•Spend time dropping by for no reason and drop off lunch or donuts
A lot of salespeople are leery of doing this work for several reasons. Excuses and objections include:
•I can’t get enough information to do this
•This is free consulting – I need to make sales!
•Why would I waste all that time on a single prospect?
•This sounds like a lot of work
My responses:
•You can get this information
•It’s easier than you think
•Yes, it does take some work
•Welcome to your J-O-B!
The way to make sure you're investing your time wisely vs. doing “free consulting” is simply to make each of these points of contact an opportunity to move your sales process forward.
A final aspect of the psychology of time is timely response to emails and phone calls. This is truly a habit worth developing for several reasons:
•It shows respect and courtesy
•It proves your responsiveness even before the sale is made
•Sometimes, it’s just a practical matter of the first response gets the sale
If you show your willingness to invest your time and attention, prospects are more likely to respond with a willingness to invest their time – – and money – with you.
The psychology of choice
When it comes down to the wire, salespeople who have made a habit of studying sales techniques never offer a ‘take it or leave it’ deal.
It’s simply too easy to say no, and if you didn’t handle the rest of your sales process flawlessly, almost any reason to say no will look pretty appealing to your prospect.
If you always offer options, you shift your prospect’s mindset to considering WHICH, not WHETHER!
And it reinforces your status as a professional who customizes choices, simplifies options, and filters a lot of the ‘noise’ that the prospect has heard in the past. You’re customizing options based on the prospect’s situation. One size fits one.
The psychology of stories
One of the most powerful sales tools you have at your disposal is storytelling. Or more appropriately, storyselling!
So how can you use stories when working with future customers? All this requires on your part is the initiative to begin gathering stories by talking with your existing customers. Very simply, talk to your customers about their experiences with your products and services. You’re sure to gather some powerful and persuasive stories.
Focus on things like:
•A previous customer’s purchase and how the product helped them.
•A previous customer’s problem and how the product/service fixed the problem.
•A previous customer that had the same concerns/hesitation as your current customer, and how the outcome ended up positive.
•A previous customer’s experience with a certain product/service that didn’t work out and what happened as a result. (This can help lead to the product that would be more appropriate for your customer.)
•A previous customer’s “success story” with the product/service.
•Your own (or someone you know) experience with the product/service.
If you think about it…you are storyselling all the time with friends and family, “selling” them on why they should or shouldn’t go to this or that restaurant, use this or that product, etc. Think about the commercial you see on TV, where they guy says “I was so impressed, I bought the company.” That is a story!
Using stories when selling is a powerful opportunity to communicate with your customer in a meaningful way. The human brain is hardwired to quickly understand, interpret, and get the most information from stories.
Not sure if storyselling is wor
Each time you contact someone, you learn a little more about what they do, their hobbies, interests and other personal information. You should be making note of everything that is important to that customer. You should be keeping your power page up-to-date at all times. These are the crucial notes that give you the information you need to make a touch point with this person. Remember that any excuse will do when contacting a client. Some people call this the inner ring of importance.There are some people that do this extremely well and their career in sales seems to be unrealistic in the way they have repeat customers. I remember reading a book by Joe Girard on how to "Sell Anything to Anybody". In this book he outlined the things he did to keep the customers coming back. One of the most important points in this book was that he kept in touch with all of his customers from day one. He bent over backwards with customer service and made sure they got what they needed. His customers always came back even if the price was slightly higher. Why? Because he kept in touch with them and gave them the service they loved.If you see something that will interest your client, pass it along. You do not need to make a sales call each time you have a touch point. All you have to do is show that you are interested in them. My step father was always cutting out newspaper articles that he thought I would like to read. It seemed very curious that he would take such an interest in what I did but I also found out that he did the same thing for the rest of his family. It was his way of keeping in touch and letting us know that he cared. The same should be true of your customers. You need to show you care an
And it reinforces your status as a professional who customizes choices, simplifies options, and filters a lot of the ‘noise’ that the prospect has heard in the past. You’re customizing options based on the prospect’s situation. One size fits one.
The psychology of stories
One of the most powerful sales tools you have at your disposal is storytelling. Or more appropriately, storyselling!
So how can you use stories when working with future customers? All this requires on your part is the initiative to begin gathering stories by talking with your existing customers. Very simply, talk to your customers about their experiences with your products and services. You’re sure to gather some powerful and persuasive stories.
Focus on things like:
•A previous customer’s purchase and how the product helped them.
•A previous customer’s problem and how the product/service fixed the problem.
•A previous customer that had the same concerns/hesitation as your current customer, and how the outcome ended up positive.
•A previous customer’s experience with a certain product/service that didn’t work out and what happened as a result. (This can help lead to the product that would be more appropriate for your customer.)
•A previous customer’s “success story” with the product/service.
•Your own (or someone you know) experience with the product/service.
If you think about it…you are storyselling all the time with friends and family, “selling” them on why they should or shouldn’t go to this or that restaurant, use this or that product, etc. Think about the commercial you see on TV, where they guy says “I was so impressed, I bought the company.” That is a story!
Using stories when selling is a powerful opportunity to communicate with your customer in a meaningful way. The human brain is hardwired to quickly understand, interpret, and get the most information from stories.
Not sure if storyselling is worth learning? What if we told you that one of the greatest “storysellers” of all time is investment billionaire Warren Buffet and that one of his most valuable skills lies in tapping into the "gut reaction" of different types of clients through stories?
The psychology of risk
What can you do to minimize the risk to the prospect of buying your product or service? Look at all the products out on the market that offer risk-free, money back guarantees.
In today’s “do more with less” business environment, many economic decision-makers have a new top priority – and it’s not “making the very best choice.” It’s “not making a mistake that will cost me my job.”
How can you reassure someone with this mindset that buying from you is smart and safe and risk-free?
Do you offer guarantees, warrantees, refunds, make-ups?
In my seminars, we spend some time exploring how you might do one better than minimizing risk – and eliminate it altogether.
Some of the ideas that seminar participants generate for their specific businesses are outrageous, some are plain impossible – but a good number are brilliant and immediately implementation-ready!
Ask yourself the following questions:
•How can I provide a free version of my product or service?
•What can I learn from the auto industry’s new trend of “the 24-hour test drive”?
•What does the buyer have to lose if they buy from me?
•What do they have to gain?
•How can I ensure the buyer’s success – not just their satisfaction?
•How can I employ the concept of risk-reversal – meaning that the risk is all on my side if they don’t achieve success?
When most sales training programs talk about overcoming objections, they usually don’t discuss the real objections that are in most buyers’ minds. These are things like:
•I don’t trust you
•I don’t believe this will get the results you say it will
•This sounds too good to be true
•If this works, I would have heard of this solution already
•Who says so besides you?
You should understand (and expect) that people probably will not trust you in the beginning of the sales process. They have been sold stuff all their lives “against their will.” They bought the steak knives, the insurance, the Girl Scout cookies, the raffle ticket, or the car and regretted it later. (OK maybe not the cookies.) Trust has to be earned over time.
To address these aspects of buyer resistance, you can use a battery of smart sales tools. You may be using some of these already, but the more you pile on, the more effective they will be.
Start to collect, use, and document:
•Customer testimonials (letters are good; audio and video are even better)
•Awards and industry recognition of your product/service
•Press clippings and articles mentioning you or your clients using your product/service
•Objective, fact-based side-by-side comparisons with competing products/services
•Cost analyses and comparisons between using your product/service, using the competition, doing it themselves, and doing nothing
All of these items will help reduce risk, build credibility, and pave the way for an easier, more collaborative solution-based sale.
Your job as a sales professional is not changing people’s minds (that’s extremely hard to do); your job is to help them make a good decision.
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