How to Conquer Call Reluctance–Once and for All
===APRIL 12 ADVANCED SELLING PODCAST=== (15 Minutes)
In this week’s episode of The Advanced Selling Podcast, Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale discuss how to overcome your fears of cold calling and prospecting. In sales, the majority of the business you generate is from calling on new prospects.
Even though those first phone calls are some of the most dreaded parts of sales, they CAN be mastered. And like we say, ‘make your biggest weakness your biggest asset’ and watch success ensure. The mind is telling you something if you have fear. It tells you “you aren’t looking at the situation ‘correctly.’” Caskey and Neale help you change your thinking around these aspects of sales so the “phobia” evaporates.
Don’t believe us? Listen and see!
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Is "The Secret" Really THE Secret?
Just finished The Secret DVD. Although the book left me a little cool, the DVD was quite good.
Here are my LIKES and DISLIKES and a recommendation. By the way, if you’ve been living in Bahrain the last month, The Secret is the Law of Attraction, which says you attract to things/situations that mirror your feelings and thoughts.
The Secret LIKES
*The production quality of the DVD was outstanding. Other than a few annoying things (like the announcer reading quotes from famous people that you could barely hear–he was whispering–you see, it was a secret), it was worth watching.* The interviews the producer (Rhonda Byrne) had with other supporting authors (Bob Proctor and Henry Beckwith and others) were well done. Joe Vitale (Dr.) was good as well. (Is that Dick Vitale’s brother? Sure looks like him.)
* The last hour of the program was very good because it addressed the reasons the secret works, which I didn’t think the book addressed well.
The Secret DISLIKES
* I despise this idea that they started this program with the attraction of material things (necklaces, bikes, parking spaces). It seems they’re taking a big idea and dumbing it down for the consumer society.* They should have told the truth that, sometimes, even though you might think about things, you can’t attract them to you. Because you aren’t mentally/physically or emotionally ready for them. Sometimes God actually stops things from coming into your life–they just aren’t right for you. In other words, what we might hope for might not be right for us.
* They never talked about the Reverse Organizing Mechanism of the mind. (Although they did talk about the vast power of the mind. ) This “organizing phenomena” kicks in when you put an idea (goal) out there. The Universe has a way of helping you recognize situations that will help you accomplish those goals. In a way, the mind “reverse organizes” all the things you need to see to accomplish that goal.
In the video, Jack Canfield had a perfect example when he said he wanted to sell 400,000 books at .25/ea. He was in a store one day and saw National Enquirer and thought that would be a good way to do it. In the next 30 days, he met a writer for the Enquirer which ultimately led him to the goal. Do you think he would have noticed the Enquirer in the store if he had not written the goal down? Probably not.
But they skipped that part of the phenomena.
Recommendation
Ok, so here’s where I think The Secret is good for sales professionals. A good selling strategy has to do with qualifying people who can buy what you have. In order to execute a sales strategy, you have to have a good idea of what an Ideal Client looks like.Your Assignment
In the next week, write down your definition of your Ideal Client. We did a podcast on that called The Ideal Client. Be very clear about what that client looks like–how much they buy per year, how they are to work with, how they treat you, what kinds of pains/problems they have which would make them perfect for your solution etc., Look at that list each morning.And as you come across people you’re tempted to add to your sales funnel, stop and ask if they meet the attributes of the Ideal Client. What you’ll find is that your awareness will become much keener in how you see the market place and you’ll become more discerning about who you pursue.
Now, that’s the REAL Secret!
You've Been Given a Gift. Are You Using It?
I heard a commerical the other night that posed a profound question: “Are you using all of the gifts (talents) that you’ve been given?”
Thoreau said many of us, “live lives of quiet desperation.” To me that means we sort of meander through life–taking what’s given us, but not really exploiting our gifts and talents.
As sales professionals, we have many gifts–the gift of creativity–the gift of being able to touch people with our work–the gift of solving problems–etc. But how many of us really “exploit” those gifts?
One Gift That Stands Above All Others
In sales, one gift we’ve been given, that most of us fail miserably to exploit, is the gift of intuition. That gift is a sixth sense…a feeling…a notion of what’s not right in the relationships we have with prospects and clients. Yet, how often do we follow that intuition–and act on it? Not often.
I was working with a group of accountants last week and we talked about that very thing–”acting on your intution.” If you feel something isn’t right, you must call it out to the prospect–not in an angry, accusatory way–but in an honest, all-truth-on-the-table way.
I was taught early in my career that when you disregard your feelings and hold them to yourself, you bottle up your creativity–and your ability to be in the present moment with people. Plus, you “own less of your self.”
I hope you’ll think about your intuition–listen to it–and follow it.
It’s a gift you’ve been given.
The Myth of the Enthusiastic Salesperson
===NOVEMBER 23 ADVANCED SELLING PODCAST=== (11 Minutes)
In this week’s episode of The Advanced Selling Podcast, Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale discuss the problems associated with being too enthusiastic about your product/service. The problem is that your enthusiasm can get in the way of focusing on helping your prospect solve their problem.
Enthusiasm in sales is OK, as long as you’re more excited about helping your client solve his problem than you are about your product. When you show up at a prospect’s office and the only thing that you’re excited about is closing a deal, the prospect senses that – thereby raising their BS detector.
This is a perfect episode for the “technical seller.” Pass it on to your technical team, if you have one.
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Advice for the New Sales Person
===NOVEMBER 4 ADVANCED SELLING PODCAST=== (17 Minutes)In this week’s episode of The Advanced Selling Podcast, Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale respond to a letter they recieved from a listener. They answer his many questions about being new in sales. He wants to be an advanced seller, but he has to start somewhere.For those of you who have been in sales for years, it might make sense to listen to this –sort of a back to the basics in selling strategy. It has a lot of great information that can help to boost revenue. Remember, if you have questions that you would like answered on the air, leave us a message at 317.722.6299.
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"She Left The Store–He Got Nothing!"
I’m a bit crazy these days. I think this business is doing it to me. Why, you ask?
I have this philosophy–call it spiritual or call it practical–but the foundation of the philosophy is that the Universe guarantees the potential for our profound success–just for showing up.
Here’s the story.
I was at my pool retailer this weekend (having problems getting chemicals right–in the 100 degree weather). This retailer also built my pool so I know he has a high ticket sale on the front end ($50-100,000) with low ticket sales on the back end (chemicals).
I’m standing there waiting for my results to be analyzed and a lady walks in asking about pools. The owner (actually the owner’s son) is talking with her. Do you know what buying signals are? Those casual references to problems the prospect wants solved–the deep desire the prospect has to solve her problem? Well, this lady was pitching buying signals right and left at the owner.
He walked her through some of the features (seldom asking any questions about why she was interested or what she was hoping to accomplish with a pool). And the lady says, “This is VERY interesting. We’re going to do something this year. Let me think about it and come back in. OK?”
Being a sales trainer, I’m interested in the interaction–listening to this conversation. I can’t keep quiet. I say, “You know if you want a great pool contractor, this is the guy. He just put our pool in and it’s wonderful.”
She says, “Oh, great. That’s good to know.” And walked out.
I was aghast! A $70,000 sale that walked in the door and walked out and HE HAS NOTHING! Not a name. Not an address. Not a hint at where she is in the cycle. HE HAS NOTHING!
I came to my senses and kept my mouth shut…
As I walked out I thought how often that happens to each of us. Maybe not where a person wants to buy and we won’t let them. But think how often you come across someone–maybe you meet at a friend’s house–or at a civic lunch–and we get nothing from them. No business card. No phone number. Nothing.
And that person is quickly forgotten. Yet that person could be a suspect for what we do–or at the very least, they know others who are. Yet, we let opportunity slip away.
The Lesson
Be “list conscious.” Think like a direct mail company thinks. The list is the thing. That’s all the direct mailer has–a list. If it’s a good list, they get wealthy. If it’s not, they work on building the best list.
You have a list–and your list has the potential to grow everyday–with everyone you meet. So get a “list process” to make sure that everyone you meet gets on your email list, or your Friends & Associates list.
Capture data. It’s the thing that will make you an elite acheiver. While everyone else is sending blind direct mail and making cold calls, you’re harvesting those relationships that began with a brief introduction and ended with a happy client.
"How Do I Start The Sales Process?"
Question From Blog Reader:
I’m assuming that you mean: “how do I start the process so that I can control it all the way through?” That’s a better question. In this post, I give you several components of how to handle the very first call.
