Sales Tip: Master the Mental Battle

Going out and selling each day is a tough job. You face adversity and challenge that most people don’t know. One of the keys to selling is the commitment to winning deals. This commitment starts in your head. Many sales are won or lost based on your commitment and will to get a sale. When you enter a sales situation you need to be more committed to working with the client than they are about not working with you. If they are wishy-washy and you are committed, who do you think wins? You do.

If you approach each sale driven with hope instead of commitment – then you are as wishy-washy as your prospective client and that will never aid you in getting deals.

Get up each day and know that you are going to win some new clients. Remind yourself as you walk into each meeting and see how your mastery of mind wins people over.

Sales Tip: Give Me Something For FREE

People love FREE. It’s usually something they want or can use, sometimes not, but people always respond to free. When you are selling into a new account or company you need to provide some value without asking for anything. Free is a great way to do that. I don’t know you. I don’t trust you. But when you offer me something for free I start to think I can trust you and you are looking out for me – which builds trust fast. Make it a free trial, a free demo, a free sample, a free whitepaper, a free study, a free assessment (a real assessment not a sale wrapped as an assessment).

Find something to give away and people will open their doors to you for more sales.

Sales Tip: Forget "Closing"

The idea of "closing" a sale has both a positive and negative meaning for most people in sales. First, nothing feels as good as closing a sale and gaining a new client, being able to work with a new organization and, of course, collecting a commission! On the other hand, closing is also that build up of pressure, anxiety and the moment everything has been building to!

What if we told you that closing doesn't work? Most successful sales people know that getting the contract/agreement or go-ahead is only a small step in the process. When you LEAD a prospect through a good selling process, they will follow you easily through the step of going ahead, getting the nod and moving forward. Step to the decision and let them know what the steps after that will be.

If you guide them through each step, most prospects follow and your sales increase.

Sales Tip: Invite Old Clients Back

Have you ever been in a conversation about a past or old client and suddenly thought or said, "I wonder what happened to them?" Apathy or perceived apathy is still the number one reason people leave a supplier. Beyond price or service. The easiest way to overcome this is to constantly invite old clients back. Make them feel welcome over and over. Your past clients should become your base of VIP’s and should be the easiest sales in the world. Too often we take those past relationships for granted or forget about them all together.

If you are doing a decent job then most of your clients will be willing to purchase again … so invite them back to the table to work with you over and over. Introduce new products to them first and have a circle of people that always buy and continue to refer you year after year.

Stampede Networking

Its that time again in Calgary, time for the Calgary Stampede. It is also time for some of the worst networking practices I have ever seen. Sure, the amount of alcohol plays into that ineffectiveness so then we need to plan for it!
These networking ideas can apply to really any cocktail party, social event or networking breakfast:

1) Drink less than the people around you - seems like an obvious place to start but sometimes we forget.
2) Carry a pen and a piece of paper. This is key. Too often people don't have a card to write their information on, so you should carry a pen and paper to get their number or email. You can use the back of your own card if it has white space.
3) Focus on collecting cards instead of handing them out. Too often people return from a networking or Stampede event and say I handed out over 500 cards this week! Now who has the power in that situation? Unfortunately the people with your cards. Don't leave it to them to follow-up (or more likely not). Forget giving out information, get it! Get their information so you can follow-up with them forever.
4) Write information down on the back of every card you get. This is also critical. I will not remember you from the event. BUT, when you call and say, I met you under the big tent on Thursday, we were talking about how we played in the same hockey league and then you said to call you this week about the widgets we sell ... it will produce very effective results. Write down what you know you won't remember later.
5) Be memorable! This applies to your introduction, your explanation of what you do and your general level of energy. If I am going to meet 20 people this afternoon Stampeding, how will I remember you? If your typical introduction goes like this, Hi, my name is _________ and I work for _________, we do __________ ... then you need some help. Make what you do sound exciting. My friend Van says that insurance is the greatest product ever developed by man! It's insurance! What is he talking about?! Well, people remember his line, his passion and he gets conversations started.
6) Take an interest in everyone else first. People love to talk about them, not you. So become a master at asking questions to keep others talking. People will remember the great conversation they had with you - because they were doing all the talking. When you make others the focus, you see ways to work with them and sales will result faster than if you talk about you. Seems counter-intuitive but it's not. Talk about them.
7) Figure out how you can help. Look for ways to help the people you meet. Introduce them to others, figure out who they should meet, give them a prospect, buy them a drink. When they see you as an ally and someone who is prepare to help them, your stock rises and your relationship builds (so does your memorability).

Start with that. Above all that - have fun. People are drawn to those at any function that appear to be energetic, approachable and fun!

Sales Tip: Build Your Sales Case

How many times have you seen a salesperson who can't think of more than one or two good reasons to buy their product? A strong sales case has at least three reasons for every potential objection to your product or service.

If you can't overwhelm prospective clients with great reasons and ideas to buy your product, don't expect them to think of the reasons on their own. It is your responsibility to build a case for your product, not theirs.

Create a cheat sheet of ideas for product and service. Make a huge list of reasons and advantages - then internalize it. Know it well enough it comes to mind easily and instantaneously.

With a strong case you can win almost any deal!