Real Value

If you have been in sales for a while, you know that the past few years have been especially challenging. Buyers are still remembering the financial crisis of 2007/2008 and are very wary of building up fixed costs to pre-crisis levels. Meanwhile, companies are finding ever more ways to cut costs with technology and if you happen to be selling into a cost cutting situation, now, more than ever, you are going to need to prove the value.  Read More

Opportunity is Knocking

If you read last week’s column, I talked about the striking difference in Mr. Shmooze type customer service at the front desk of a top hotel. One person started presenting me with problems to solve, while the other person interrupted and solved all my problems by simply saying, “I will take care of it.”  Here is another one . . . but not to be redundant . . . I will follow with some new thoughts.

I went to the airport yesterday. I printed my ticket. I used mileage for a first class seat (important to me . . . I am 6’6”). The ticket gave me a coach seat. I went to the counter and the lady there could not help me. She called the awards department.  Read More

That’s What I’m Talking About!

One of the fun things about thinking and acting like Mr. Shmooze is that once you become sensitive to the next levels of positive attitude, great communication and outstanding service, you can find it in so many interesting situations.

I was recently up in Park City, Utah for a workshop. The venue was a beautiful and popular hotel. In fact, it was so popular, there was nowhere to park outside. So I drove down into the garage and finally found a parking space. I noticed some valet parking signs but they were not very clear, so when I got up to the lobby I decided to double check just to be sure I would not get towed.  Read More

Check the Text . . . Lose the Sale

Cell phones and texting are here to stay and as younger people move into the business world, they are bringing a legacy of checking and sending messages during all occasions ranging from walking down the street to dinner. Evidently they do not see it as rude since everybody is doing it, and my point here is not to debate changing social mores. I have a different thought in mind.  Read More

The Fear Factor (Part 2)

Last week we talked about fear as a powerful element on the buy side and the fact that fear of pain is a more powerful emotion than reward. So how do we overcome this resistance in a buyer?  This can be approached in a couple of ways.

One, we can identify his perceived risk and remove it. For example: Read More

The Fear Factor!

Here is some “scary” research for us to consider as salespeople.

 
You can see this natural tendency in play all the time . . . for example, most people did not start using seatbelts, which were available for years, even though studies showed the obvious reward (safety and good health), until it became a law. Then people feared getting a ticket if they did not comply.  The same thing is going on today with texting and driving. It will not stop until a tangible fear (probably a law, unfortunately) is introduced, since simply the reward of being safe, as logical as that should be, is not compelling enough for many. Read More

Simple Gesture – Awesome Power!

Body language is a major element of communications in all species.  When it comes to human beings, research has shown body language to be even more powerful than verbal communication, as it’s an indicator of a person’s true feelings and motives.  As professional communicators (salespeople), it is mission critical that we have a good understanding of other peoples’ body language and what we are conveying with our own.

There are hundreds of books on this subject and we obviously cannot tackle this huge body of work in depth here, but there is one simple gesture that generates astonishing, subliminal power both on the giving and the receiving end . . . the SMILE. Sound a little light? Check this out.  Read More

One More Call

Selling is and always will be a numbers game to the extent that, the more people we communicate with, the more people are likely to transact with us. In that light, here is a simple tip from a very successful salesperson I know, that you may want to consider in your own selling strategy.  Read More

How Bad Do You Want It?

Many of the contemporary and historical figures I admire most, share a common characteristic that translates perfectly to sales. They never, ever, EVER give up going after a goal they think is worth achieving. People who come to mind are Pat Riley, Winston Churchill, Michael Jordan, Rick Pitino and others who, once they decided what they wanted, went after it with a focus and tenacity that just would not be denied. Read More

Are You a Good Listener? Are You Sure? I Hope So…Your Achievement Depends On It.

Most of us, who sell for a living, have pretty healthy egos so when I ask a question like, “Are you a good listener?” You probably answered “yes!” Here is the problem.

In a survey taken of salespeople in the financial services arena, in a one hour meeting, the salespeople talked for 48 minutes and listened for 12 minutes. Whoops . . . 48 to 12 . . . that pretty much violates every communication rule in the book . . . 48 to 12 is not communication, it is domination . . . exactly the kind of behavior that often gives sales, and salespeople, a bad name. Read More

Specialty Power

As we all know, the medical profession has changed over the years from the days when a country doctor tried to cover all the bases to there now being “specialists” for everything ranging from pediatrics to heart, from orthopedics to ear, nose and throat. This evolution occurred to meet the demands of a market which is always seeking better service, benefits and results when it comes to health care. That same market dynamic is in play in sales. Read More

People are Desperate for Different

I like to tell the following story at my workshops.

There is a fellow who specializes in helping elementary school teachers develop techniques to engage their students.  He is very creative and slightly outrageous to emphasize a point I will get to in a minute.

Anyway, when a school hires him, he makes sure he schedules his visit so that he shows up during recess when all the kids are outside. Then, he pulls up in his van . . . but not just any van. HIS van is decorated with big dinosaurs . . . Pterodactyls and T-Rex’s that are attached and extend beyond the roof line like big puzzle pieces. So what do you think the reaction is when he pulls up?  Read More