Who Gets In?
I have the opportunity to meet and watch numerous salespeople selling various items under all sorts of circumstamces. One thing that remains constant is the top sellers. It is common see the same people at the top month after month, even though they are selling the same product at the same prices to the same types of customers as everyone else is. If you were to put these top sellers all together you would quickly see that they are quite different, just as those at the bottom are. They have different looks, personalities, ambitions, educations, and different approaches to selling. They also have some things in common, and these are things that are oftentimes missing in those that are consistently farther down in the rankings. At the top of the list is how they measure up attitude wise.

Winning Attitude
This is the biggie! Top salespeople manage to maintain a positive attitude and determination to sell in spite of whatever else is going on around them. They blow off the constant rejection from customers and negativity from low producing colleages. They never allow non buyers to steal their enthusiasm or self esteem. They convert rejection and negativity into added determination to succeed. They make up for missed sales with added sales later in the day or month.
If your ambition is to be a top seller, give yourself a “Check Up from the Neck Up” every day. Keeping the right attitude will get you to the right altitude!

…Sell More

Selling comes down to a verbal exchange between two people. Understanding what flows between two people is the best way to improve your selling results.

The single most important exchange of information takes place between the salesperson and the customer. This is where decisions are made that have the greatest impact on your company’s cash flow.

It’s pretty simple actually; it all comes down to talking and listening. Too many times the salesperson thinks that the talking part is most important. It makes no difference how smooth your delivery is if the reception is closed. 

People think faster than they listen. If your customer is talking at a faster rate than you are listening, you may fail to hear some very important information. Salespeople, intent on making the sale sometimes start thinking about their responses before the customer finishes talking. Missing one key point from your customer could easily cost you a sale.

You will enjoy more selling success by concentrating more on what your customer is saying than what you want to say back. Listening when you want to talk can be difficult if it is not your habit.

Developing good listening skills is like establishing any other habit. Practice makes perfect, but you need to be certain that you are practicing the right way, not the wrong way. Practice this at home and in your social activities so that when you find yourself with a customer it will come more natural.

Keep your ego in your back pocket and let the customer talk. Your time will come, and when it does, your presentation will more likely be on target than if you jump in assuming that you know what the customer is about to say. Remember also that non verbal communication is revealing as well. Watch as you listen to pick up on small body language messages that can keep you in synch with your customer’s thinking.

And always remember that selling is for the customer more than you. Your customers are most likely to have what they buy from you much longer than you will have the money they give you.

UPDATE:
4/10/08

Finally - It’s A Done Deal - It Took a Team

2008 Cadillac STS V8 - Black Raven Color

Angela Made The Sale

Marques Handled the Details

Danny Took the Money - $68,000 Paid in Full - No Payments!

This was easily the most difficult car purchase I have ever made, and I have made a lot of them. If you are interested in WHY I would want to trade in my fabulous Cadillac XLR for the all new STS, have a few minutes, and want to see what made it so difficult, just read the story below. In the end it was EASY; write the check!
I can now go off on my mainland tour and have my new car “pimped” and ready for me when I return.
Out with the old and in with the new!

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Update:
3/25-08
I know that I am holding you all in suspense with this decision, but the reality is I could wait until September if I had to, or I could buy it today.

I got a call from the Jaguar dealer yesterday inviting me to come down and take a test ride in the new XF model that I have been awaiting to arrive. Upon sitting in the car I found it a bit small, and at that time learned that what I really want is the XJ. I thought the XF was going to be the biggest and best; NOT! Anyway, I agreed to take the XJ out for a ride, and while it was nice, it didn’t knock my socks off.

With the ride of the Jaguar fresh in mind I went to the Cadillac dealer for an STS demo to see the difference. I sat in it, and liked it more than I did the Jaguar, but the ride may be different. No one seemed to be interested in me out on the sales floor, so I went into the GM’s office. He wasn’t in, so I asked the young woman at the desk next to his if I could leave my card for him. That’s when I met Angie, by far the best Cadillac salesperson I have ever encountered in 28 years of buying Cadillac’s in Hawaii. She asked me what brought me in and I asked her if she is in sales. Her answer was, “Why yes, we are all in sales”. I was sold right there. I asked her if she had an STS V8 that I could drive. She said, “Yes, we have three of them, do you have a particular color in mind?” I said, “No, I just want to see how it handles Honolulu potholes, I am used to big Cadillac’s and the XLR is just too uncomfortable.” She offered to get me a cup of coffee while I waited for the demo to be brought up.

While waiting I brought her to this Blog so she could be up to speed on my purchase progress. That’s when she got the call that the three demos were all V6’s. DRATS! I was ready to buy today; from her! She tried her best to get me to drive a V6, but I told her that her GM had strongly suggested that I NOT drive the V6, because I wouldn’t like the lack of power.

I left and asked her to have Tony call me. I have no doubt that if they had that car for me to drive today, she would have closed me, and I would have been picking out the color and placing the order.

So, it’s still an open door for someone to waltz me through. I really do not want to break my Cadillac tradition and the promise I made to Marvin K Brown in 1964, but…  

Nice Ride, But!

UPDATE 2/11/08

Many people have been asking me if I have ordered a new car yet, and if so, who won; Cadillac or Jaguar. Scroll to the end for the latest news: 

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Those of you familiar with my first book SUCCESS MADE EASY may recall the reason I get a new Cadillac every two or three years, and have since 1962. My latest ride was this super cool XLR Hardtop Convertible. I have really enjoyed my XLR, but have been considering a change. The only problem with the XLR is the closeness to the road that I am unaccustomed to. This car feels every little bump, and Honolulu has more potholes per mile that anywhere in the country.

The BIG EASY

My Sedan Deville’s seemed to “float” down the road. My car was known as the “Big Easy” whereas the XLR was the “Hot Easy”. As much as I enjoy the fun of driving and the attention I get in the XLR, I have missed that float. So I stopped by at our local (one and only) Cadillac dealer today to check out the 2008 Sedan Deville’s. I quickly discovered (on my own) that there is no Sedan DeVille any longer. All I saw was a CTS and DTS, whatever that means. As I climbed in and out of these two models I saw things that I liked and more importantly disliked about each of them, besides the color, which I knew could be ordered.

A salesman approached me and asked if he could help me (mistake number 1). I teach to NEVER ask a question that MIGHT get you an answer you don’t want too hear. In this case he got away with it. I told him why I wanted to change cars, as well as what I liked and disliked about each of the two models on the showroom floor. He urged me to take the CTS for a test ride (mistake number 2). He was assuming that the ride would overshadow the things I told him that I didn’t like about the car. While out on the road he said, “Isn’t this fun to drive?” (mistake three). I said, “No, after driving the XLR this is a lousy ride”. This was not something he wanted to hear. I told him that the test drive had convinced me not to get the car. He then suggested I drive the DTS (mistake four). I had already told him that I did not like the looks of that car.

We arrived back at the showroom, and as went back inside, he stayed outside with the car to figure out why some interior light wouldn’t go off while we were driving (mistake 5).

The General Sales Manager saw me and came over to say, “Aloha”. (Right move number one). He then asked me what brought me in today (Right move two) I told him my dilemma, and that I was going to go down to the Jaguar dealer to see what their new cars looked like. He asked me to be specific about what I didn’t like about the CTS and DTS. (Right move 3). He listened carefully (Right move 4) and then asked, “Did the salesman show you the STS?” (Right move 5). I said, “No, what’s that?” He said that it is in between the two I looked at, bigger than the CTS, but with the look and style of the XLR I loved. (Right move 6). The salesman appeared at this time and the GM told him to show me the STS.

The salesperson asked me if I wanted to go up on the roof to see it (Mistake 6) I reluctantly agreed to climb the stairs to the roof only to find it was not there. (Mistake 7) He then asked me if I wanted to go over to their warehouse to see it. (Mistake 8) I said, “No, I’m off to the Jaguar dealer. He said, “Okay, let me know when you are ready to see the car.” (Mistake 9)

The GM intercepted me on the way out, told the salesperson to go get a catalog on the STS, and then went through it with me. (Right move 7). As we went through it I realized that it overcame all of my objections. It had everything I liked about the other two cars and none of the things I didn’t like. (Right move 8). I told the GM to do the arithmetic and send me e-mail as to when the car would be in and what he needed from me to pick it up. I went home and looked at the color chips and called him back to tell him what I like.

The bottom line here was; know your inventory and listen to the customer! It’s Easy!

The ONLY mistake the GM made was not asking me for the order at that time. I am ready to buy that car, but I am still going to go look at the Jaguar. That one last little mistake could undo all of the good moves he made. Stay Tuned!

Here’s the latest:

While in Denver last month I got a call from the Cadillac salesperson saying that his General Manager wanted my e-mail address. I gave it to him. That was about a month ago and I have not heard a word.

JAGUAR XF

Today I returned to the Jaguar dealer to see if they had a new XF in stock. As I roamed through the showroom I saw three salespeople talking to each other in one office, two in another and one who was alone in a third office.

I spent a good 10 minutes checking out the cars. The one I like was not on the floor. The salespeople looked up at me occasionally, but continued their chat with one another. Finally the one who was alone ventured out onto the floor and said, “Did you need some help?” I replied (smiling), “Do I look needy?” He said, “Well I am helpless myself”. I bit my tongue and said, “I was in here six months ago looking for that car there in the photo.” He said, “We won’t have that model until March, it’s a 2009″. I said, “When I was here before I was told it was a 2008, and would be here in a few months”. He said, “I don’t know who would have told you that”. (Are you counting the mistakes here?) I said, “It was the manager.” He said, “No way”. I said, “Yep, he walked me out to my car, commented on what good shape it was in, got my card and said that he would send me the numbers”. He just shook his head and said, “Nope, that’s a 2009 and won’t be here until March.” I said, “Okay, I guess that Cadillac wins. That’s all I have driven since 1962″. He replied, “You are just like my mother. I’ll give you a catalog”.

About this time the manager came out of his office and said, “Hey, good to see you”. I said, “Do you remember me?” He said that he did and I asked, “What do you remember about me?” He looked a little confused and finally said, “Oh yeah, your that sales guy”. I reminded him that I have been waiting for his e-mail for six months now and he said, “Well you are here now”. I said, “Yeah, but I am leaving, I need to go see if they have that Cadillac SLS in yet”. I gave him another one of my cards and left.

Are you shaking your head in disbelief?

Stay Tuned!

You Need To Dig For It

If gold could be found laying on the surface, everyone would pick it up. The fact is that you need to dig for it, sometimes deeper than you may want to. The same is true whether prospecting for gold or for new business. There are two kinds of people in the world; there are those who get what they want and those who take what they get. Guess which one gets the most.
Customer prospects (and gold) are everywhere.

Put On Your “Prospecticles”

The good prospector is always on the look out for new business. Regardless where you might be, chances are there are some good prospects within sight, but you must be looking for them. I have a term; DBWA (Doing Business Walking Around). It is amazing how many people you can meet if you have your “Prospecticles” on while you are anywhere.

W. Clement Stone

Like many people I have walls of framed mementos in my office. Perhaps the most treasured of them all is this 1975 photo of me and W. Clement Stone (May 4, 1902 – September 3, 2002) taken in my Hollywood office (very faded), along with the one of him wearing an oversized “Do It Now” T-Shirt that I sent to him.
“Clem”, as he was affectionately called was a prominent businessman, philanthropist and self-help book author. “Do It Now” was Clem’s motto. While in my office that day he told me this wonderful story.

As Clem was getting into the elevator to go up to his office at Combined Insurance Company of America, a man stepped in and said, “Hey Clem, I’m ready to buy that policy you have been talking to me about”. Clem said, “Okay, I will drop by your office later today to write it up”. The policy was for a million dollars.

By the time the elevator reached the top floor Clem had an idea. He called a spontaneous meeting with his top salespeople and announced, “Just a few minutes ago a man in this building told me that he is ready to sign for a million dollar life insurance policy. I told him that I would come down today and write it up. I’m kind of busy today and was wondering, would any of you like to go take it?” Of course they all raised their hands enthusiastically. Clem then said, “Great, go find him”.

Clem told me that they sold well over a million dollars of insurance that day, in that building, and never found the man. Think about it! This story has stayed with me for the last 32 years. All of those “prospects” were in that building all along while his salespeople were sitting on their hands drinking coffee (or something). The business was right there under their noses. All it took to get them out there “prospecting”, was the assurance that someone would buy. That assurance is always the case.

“I start buying when I run into someone that is selling”
-J. Paul Getty

Clem died at the ripe old age of 100. I hope you will take the time to click and read this story. If you don’t find it inspiring, have someone take your temperature.

 It’s You on You

At Success Dynamics we are dedicated to motivating people to try a little harder. Most people know what they are supposed to do, it’s just that sometimes they don’t, and for different reasons. The biggest thing that keeps people from reaching out is negative thinking.

Fear Paralyzes People
Fear of rejection keeps salespeople from talking to prospective customers. It’s human to dislike rejection, but in the game of sales it is a part of the territory. Sales is a numbers game. Stores and other businesses that do not require selling (or so they think) hire clerks and order takers. There is very little rejection at McDonalds or 
Starbucks. Very few customers get all the way up to the register and then say, “I’ll be back” or “I need to think about it.” True salespeople hear it all day long.

It’s Mental

Your thoughts can control your actions. In order to act in a positive manner, think positively. “Easier said than done” you say. Yes, sometimes, but there are things you can do to control your thoughts. Ask yourself to picture the best customer that you have had today or this week. Rewind the tape and re-live the sale. Remind yourself what was said, and what was purchased. It’s difficult to think of more than one thing at a time, so this positive picture keeps the potential negatives out. You bring about what you think about. Think about your successes, talk about your success, and expect more success and you will attract it to you. It’s Easy!

“Please call me back.”

Matt Muccio, CEO of Techniques Hawaii says, “I never leave a message”.
I thought a lot about that one. How many times have you left a message that was not returned? To add insult to injury you are hesitant to call back for fear of appearing pushy, disbelieving or too anxious.

I shared Matt’s thinking with Bob today and he sent me this list of reasons for not leaving a message as posted on a blog by Jacques Werth.

Prospective customers might react in one of the following ways, none of them positive!

1. Prospects may hear your name and company, and, not recognizing either, delete your voice message without listening to the rest of it.

2. Prospects may hear your pitch and delete it, because they are too busy to think about your offer now.

3. Prospects may hear your one-way communication and get frustrated, because there is no opportunity to ask any questions. They then hit “delete,” and click to the next message without trying to call you back.

4. Prospects may not like the sound of your voice, and immediately delete your message.

5. Prospects may listen to your voice message and be interested, but too busy to call you back. Eventually, they become frustrated and/or annoyed that you did not call again, or be faced with a potential phone tag scenario.

6. Prospects may listen to your voice message, stop what they are doing, and call you immediately. Approximately 1 out of 120 voice messages (to a prospect) will result in a call back, and an average of 1/3 of them will result in a new customer. Therefore, without actually talking with them, salespeople that leave voice messages alienate the other 119 prospects.

A better way to go would be to make a note of the attempted call and schedule the next one. Doing that keeps you in control.

It’s Not Too Early

There was a day when it was considered sacrilegious to even mention Christmas until after Thanksgiving. Well, like it or not, those days are over. Malls are decorated for Christmas long before the Thanksgiving feast begins.

Retailers that wait until Thanksgiving miss the opportunity to help their customers get a good jump on their shopping “chore”. No, it shouldn’t be seen as a “chore”, but the longer it is put off the more of a chore it becomes.

-Last minute shoppers face these challenges:
-The malls are crowded.
-The weather is bad.
-The merchandise is picked over.
-The prices are inflated.

People on the average have 20 people to shop for. The sooner they get started the more enjoyable it will be. Here are some things that you can do NOW to get the customers to start their Christmas shopping in your store TODAY.

-Make a countdown sign which changes daily. Say, “There is ONLY 76 Shopping Days left before Christmas.”
-Provide a wrapping station with paper, ribbons and cards.
-Start the Christmas music playing.
-Start decorating now; small at first, and then go all out after Thanksgiving.
-Provide printed shopping list to help people remember who they are going to be shopping for.

If you are in Hawaii remind customers that a gift from Hawaii will be the most unique gift under the tree.

Remember what they say about the early bird.

Look Ahead to the Future

When selling, think about more than just this sale. With a little added thought and effort you can manage the lifetime buying cycle of your customers.

Rest assured there is someone out there that wants your customer, and it is a sad scenario when a customers goes to a different store next time when you have what they are buying.

Build Lasting Relationships:

You have access to tools today that didn’t exist just a decade ago. How effectively are you using e-mail, your computer, your web site, and the good old the telephone? When you use all of these tools (and more) you will have satisfied customers that wouldn’t dream of buying from your competition. Could you imagine getting great service in a restaurant and then dropping your tip on a different table?

Behavior Styles:

The four primary styles of behavior are; aggressive, expressive, passive or analytical. You as well as your customers fall into one of these four styles. Be sure to communicate in the style that is comfortable for your customer. Aggressive customers want service NOW, not later. Expressive people need to see samples and pictures. Passive people can’t deal with pressure, and the analytical mind needs to understand the value.

When you smile at someone, be sure that it is it seen as sincere?
The best way to do that is to really mean it!

“To be persuasive you must be believable; to be believable you must be credible; to be credible you must be truthful.”
-Edward R. Murrow

Your smile is a huge part of the first impression that you make when you meet someone. First impressions are lasting impressions, and you only get one chance to make it.
Make the right one the first time.
Smile with your heart, not just your lips.

“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”
-Wayne Gretzky

Too many salespeople sit back and decide if to talk to a customer.
Too many times the salesperson is afraid to ask for the money.
Too often there is no attempt to add on to a sale.
Too many times a sale is missed for not trying.
Take the Shot