Month: September 2023

Be curious, not judgmental. Walt Whitman

BARBQUE SAUCE! This is the kind of person and sales professionals you want to be, talking to your prospects, representing yourself  and building out your pipeline. You work hard, you learn, become more efficient, and ultimately solve problems — both for yourselves and for the merchant. Are you curious to discover just how curious you are? No judgements here.

Here are the 7 signs of curiosity, and why they matter in sales. 

1.  You love to learn.
Curious people tend to be avid learners. In the world of sales, learning from what worked and what didn’t in a variety of scenarios is important to continuously refining your process. Whether it’s the style of prospecting you’ve  adopted, the subject line you use in emails, or the script you follow when going through a demonstration, curious salespeople want to experiment, learn, and optimize. Being curious means having an active mind. You’re not satisfied until you learn all you can about your process, and have the requisite data to start doubling down on what works and forgetting about what doesn’t.

2. You live to solve problems.
Every merchant has a need. It’s important to remember that whenever someone enters a sales process, they’re doing it because they want to improve on something. If you’re curious, you love this: You want to know their goals, how they plan to get there, and how you can help.It’s a sign you’re curious if you think about a customer’s success as if it was your own. How do you get them to where they want to be? What strategies can you develop together to bring their goals within reach?

3. Questions don’t scare you.
Curious sales people embrace questions. When approaching someone new, curious people aren’t afraid to ask questions and solicit feedback that they think will make them better. If you can learn from it, you’ll embrace that initial awkward moment and take in the information.The same principle applies when you’re making a sale. Some questions and follow-ups can be awkward. But curious folks don’t shy away. They welcome uncomfortable moments and embrace the idea of learning something new. After some practice, these salespeople  become familiar with the unfamiliar. And this is a huge advantage for anyone in sales, as unfamiliar moments are the rule, not the exception.

4. You’ll talk about anything.
Studies have proven time and time again that maintaining a healthy level of curiosity about different viewpoints enables people to more easily form and maintain social relationships. Curious folks are often above-average listeners and conversationalists.In sales, being a great listener and conversationalist goes a long way. Leading sales reps are no longer cold calling prospects. Instead, they’re offering assistance and building a relationship. They focus on the person they’re connecting with, and talk about what they’re interested in, struggling with, and aspiring to.

5. Virtually nothing bores you.
Curious salespeople are always investigating something new and as a result are constantly building knowledge. No matter the situation, they can find something interesting to explore.In sales, curious salespeople tend to maintain high activity levels and discover interesting facts about their prospects. While others are procrastinating or putting off talking to the “same old” buyers, these  curious salespeople are reading books, and learning new methodologies.

6. You question everything.
Why should you settle? I want to encourage you to create a culture where every practice is questioned.  emphasizes the importance of questions in order for you to “innovate, adapt to change, and maintain an edge in fast-moving, competitive markets.”Curious sales folks aren’t afraid to question old tactics, and this helps them continuously optimize their practices, messaging, and habits.

7.You don’t mind extra hours.
Curious people want to figure stuff out. When something piques their interest, they stick around until they discover more about the issue, or get to the bottom of the problem. And if the resolution won’t be uncovered for an hour or two after 5 p.m. rolls around, curious people settle in for the long haul — with a smile on their face.

Truly curious salespeople are always thinking of new ways to grow themselves as well as the merchants they work so hard to get.
In what ways do you use curiosity to prospect and grow your business?

Happy Selling, 

David

Today I want to focus on asking the right questions.  Let’s suppose you have been talking with a merchant for weeks, and the merchant has an interest in your payment processing services. This also would be a very good merchant for both your portfolio and to have as a referral source.

Next you call the merchant and schedule a meeting with them. You have prepared for every possible question and feel strongly that you fit well with their needs. During the meeting, you get the impression that you are asking the right questions and addressing their needs. During the conversation the merchant suddenly asks, “So, how many employees do you have?”

It seems so random, but you go ahead and answer the question. You may say, well we have 10 or 50, or you may say we have two. The conversation continues with smiles and laughter, and ends on a high note.

But then a week goes by and you hear nothing. You attempt to call the merchant but can only leave a message, and your call is never returned. You call your other contacts but get nothing but voice mail. Your emails are only getting cursory replies. What happened?

If you are like every other merchant services salesperson, you start to replay the meeting with the merchant in your mind to identify what was said and what was shared to try and find a reason why the merchant was suddenly not interested but nothing stands out. In fact, all the questions from the merchant were as generic as the one he asked you about your number of employees.

But, when you think about it, wasn’t the number of employees question a little out of place? Why was that even brought up? Random.. right?

This scenario happens all too often. The sale was lost because you answered the question. Merchants and prospects tend to ask generic questions when trying to garner information about you, your company, and your credit card processing services. In this instance, the true meaning behind the question could have been, “How many people do you have that can help us convert our 20 something locations throughout the southwest?”

Of course, they don’t ask it in that way. It is up to the sales professional to question any question that seems vague or out of place. Yes, that’s right. I am saying you should answer a question with a question.

For example, in this instance you could say, “That’s an interesting question. What brought that up?” You have to clarify the question, drive past the generic facade, and determine the real reason for the question.

A lot of merchants ask questions this way. They are not just random questions, but can trap any merchant services provider into an answer that could cause you to lose the opportunity. In an effort to help, here are several questions I have heard, along with sample responses.

Q. Who does your settlement? 
A. That is an interesting question. Have you had a negative experience with a settlement provider?

Q. What is your equipment preference?
A. It depends on the need. What is your preference?

Q. Where is your office?
A. My office or our corporate office?

Q. What time do we have to batch out? 
A. It depends. Is there a reason why you’re concerned about batch time? Is there something that you have had an issue with before?

Q. What is your service level?
A. That’s a great question. Which types of service are you referring to? Have you had any concerns in the past?

All of these questions seem pretty basic, but questions that use “industry speak” like settlement time or batch time imply that there is more to the question than meets the eye. If they are asking about settlement, they have likely had a problem in the past. If they ask about your batch time, they have likely had a batch miss settlement.

Asking about service levels may imply that they are going to need more assistance then normal.  A commitment to a certain level of service should be determined ahead of time. Always remember “Under promise and over deliver” Never promise something you can’t deliver on.

In each of these cases, the answer provided may be the completely wrong thing to say. So, the simplest solution is that when the merchant asks a question, you should pause for five to ten seconds and ask yourself,

 “Why did they ask that?”

 If the answer doesn’t quickly come to mind, don’t answer until you clarify and get to the root of what the merchant is really looking for.

Tell me, have you ever had an experience where there was more to a merchant’s question than meets the eye?

And how did you respond to it and were you able to eventually sign the merchant?

Happy selling, 

David

Each of us has a past. Some of it is good and, perhaps, a lot of it is bad. Whether we made bad choices in life or circumstances just hit us, we must remember that our past does not equal our future. 

A key principle is knowing to keep a positive attitude, no matter your past. You have plenty of new opportunities within your reach. Your past does not define you. If you find that your past mistakes are wearing you down, it’s time to bury the problems of the past.

Perhaps you have made some bad choices in life or you are living with regrets. Welcome to Life! All of us are in that club in some form or another. Let me encourage you to forgive yourself. Use your past failures as learning experiences. Never make the same mistakes repeatedly and remember that once things happen, they are finished. There is no point in living in situations that you cannot change. Never lose hope and never stop moving ahead. 

You are not what happened to you. You are what you choose to become. There are things that happen in our lives that we do not have control over. Don’t ever let your past define you. You have a choice. You can be a victim or you can choose to have the victory.

The past is gone and it’s time to move forward. Do not look back any more. You are no longer going that way. Your future looks incredible and you’ve been gifted with some wonderful opportunities. You have the talent to make it happen and it’s time to take action and live your dreams. It’s time to get motivated.

Start by setting some small goals. Take it one step at a time. Take a look at your big dream and focus on how you can break your long-term goal into small targets and focus on the one that’s in front of you.

Learn to start appreciating yourself. Celebrate the small victories because they bring you closer to your ultimate goals. Always focus on your positive qualities. Feel good about you and your future.

Your body language is very important also. You can tell a lot about a person based on their body language. Make sure that your body language is that of a confident person. 

As you are moving forward, make sure your surroundings are very positive. Hang out with the winners in life and those that are constantly encouraging you.

You are a winner, and you matter. You have an amazing future ahead of you. Your thoughts must always be uplifting and positive. No more negative self talk. No more living in the past.

Finally, take care of you. I’m talking about your physical health. When you take care of your physical health, you are also taking care of your mental state. Focus on good eating and sleeping habits. To be a high-level performer, you must have energy and you must be healthy. Make yourself a priority.

 The past is behind you and your future looks better than ever. Take advantage of your opportunities. Give it your all and keep marching forward. You will have difficulties and you will overcome them. You are getting ready to live the life of your dreams. Get excited about your life and your goals! Now, go out and achieve them!

This is YOUR time! What a great future you have! 

Happy Selling,

David

Dale Carnegie is the best-selling author of “How to Win Friends and Influence People.” He helped people truly grasp how powerful interpersonal skills and public speaking could be to one’s life.

He was born into poverty in Missouri, and worked as a salesman and actor following his college graduation. Additionally, he began teaching public speaking classes which ended up becoming extremely successful. Carnegie was able to sell advice which if applied, could help people from all ages become successful.

From the Home Office in Maryville, Missouri, Below are The Top 10 Dale Carnegie’s most influential quotes from his book, How to Make Friends and Influence People

10. “A person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.” – Dale Carnegie

9. “Every successful person loves the game. The chance to prove his worth, to excel, to win.” –Dale Carnegie

8. “Every man I meet is my superior in some way. In that, I learn of him.” – Dale Carnegie

7. “Pay less attention to what men say. Just watch what they do.” – Dale Carnegie

6. “Ask questions instead of giving orders.” – Dale Carnegie

5. “There is only one way to get the best of an argument — and that is to avoid it.” – Dale Carnegie

4. “Happiness doesn’t depend on any external conditions, it is governed by our mental attitude.” – Dale Carnegie

3. “To be interesting, be interested.” – Dale Carnegie

2. “All men have fears, but the brave put down their fears and go forward.” – Dale Carnegie

And the #1 Dale Carnegie’s Most Influential Quotes From “How to Win Friends and Influence People ”is……

1. “Talk to someone about themselves and they’ll listen for hours.” – Dale Carnegie

Which one of these Dale Carnegie quotes resonated most with you and why? Let me know.

Have a great weekend,

David

Tell me if this has happened to you. Your prospect needs what you have to offer, you’ve had what you feel is a very productive sales call and then boom — the prospect hits you with an objection.

The timing of the objection couldn’t be worse, or at least that’s what you thinking, because you thought you would be able to close the sale.

The fact the prospect is throwing out an objection doesn’t need to throw you for a loop.  In fact, it’s great the customer did throw out an objection, because it allows you to demonstrate value and show them even more why what you have makes even more sense.

First thing you need to do when the prospect objects is to make sure they mean what they’re saying.

Surprisingly, many times what the customer says to you is not the real objection. It’s merely what they are saying either because they don’t know how to say what they want to or they just want to throw you off track.

If you don’t know why they said what they did, you will find yourself going down a dark path, resulting in very little opportunity to close the sale.

When a prospect throws out an objection, you need to ask “why?”  This is absolutely critical, because otherwise you will be tempted to take what they said at face value.   Ask why and ask them to explain to you more about what they’re objecting to.

Your goal in asking the prospect more is to allow you to first ensure the objection they said is what they mean, and second to begin breaking it down into smaller pieces you can deal with.

Overcoming the objection occurs when you then link the objection back to a critical need they have.

For example, a prospect may say they don’t like the way dual pricing charges their customers. In asking them to explain, you find out the real issue is not dual pricing but it’s the fear of losing customers . Knowing this, you then can craft your pitch that provides them with options they can handle.

With this example it isn’t that you linked it back to a need they have, rather you linked it to a need they just shared with you.  Either way, you were able to develop a solution.

Overcoming objections is not a show-stopper. Rather, it’s an opportunity to engage the prospect and ultimately close more sales.

Happy Selling,

David

In the world of sales, cold calling remains an ESSENTIAL tool for generating leads and closing deals. 

However, making a successful cold call is no easy feat. It requires skill, strategy, and most importantly, an effective opener to capture the attention of your prospects. 

The first few seconds of a cold call are CRUCIAL, as they determine whether the prospect will engage in a conversation or quickly dismiss the call. In today’s post, we will explore the best cold call openers that can help us salespeople build rapport, establish credibility, and increase their chances of success.

1. Research-Based Openers

The foundation of any successful cold call lies in thorough research. By understanding your prospect’s business, industry, pain points, and goals, you can tailor your opener to resonate with their needs. Research-based openers demonstrate your commitment and knowledge, increasing the likelihood of engaging the prospect. 

Examples of research-based openers include referencing recent news or industry trends, mentioning mutual connections, or highlighting a common challenge your prospect might be facing.

2. Solution-Oriented Openers

Prospects are interested in solutions that can address their pain points and help them achieve their goals. A solution-oriented opener demonstrates that you understand their challenges and have something valuable to offer. These openers focus on the benefits and outcomes your product or service can provide, emphasizing how it can positively impact their business. 

By positioning yourself as a problem solver right from the start, you increase the chances of piquing the prospect’s interest and engaging them in a conversation.

3. Provocative Openers 

Provocative openers are designed to grab the prospect’s attention by challenging their current perspective or offering a thought-provoking statement. By challenging the status quo, you create a knowledge gap that encourages the prospect to listen and engage in a conversation. 

However, it is essential to strike a balance between being provocative and respectful to avoid alienating the prospect. Examples of provocative openers include posing a question that challenges a common assumption in their industry or sharing a surprising statistic related to their business.

4. Personalized Openers

Personalization is key to making a lasting impression on your prospects. When crafting a personalized opener, you demonstrate that you have taken the time to understand their unique situation and challenges. Personalized openers can involve referencing specific information about the prospect’s company, recent achievements, or even their social media activity. 

By establishing a connection and showing genuine interest in their business, you build rapport and increase the likelihood of further conversation.

5. Referral-Based Openers

Referral-based openers leverage the power of social proof to establish credibility and trust with the prospect. When you mention a mutual connection or a satisfied customer who referred you, the prospect is more likely to perceive you as a trusted advisor rather than a salesperson. 

Referral-based openers can be highly effective in grabbing the prospect’s attention and increasing the chances of them being receptive to your pitch.

6. Humorous Openers

Humor can be a powerful tool to break the ice and create a positive initial impression. A well-crafted humorous opener can help you stand out from the crowd and make the prospect more receptive to your call. However, it is important to exercise caution and ensure that your humor is appropriate and aligned with the prospect’s business context. 

A lighthearted joke or a witty remark that relates to their industry can set a positive tone for the conversation and establish rapport.

7. Direct Openers

In certain situations, a direct opener can be effective in conveying your purpose and capturing the prospect’s attention immediately. Direct openers are concise and straightforward, clearly stating the reason for your call. They work best when you have a strong value proposition that directly addresses a known pain point of the prospect. 

By being direct and confident in your approach, you demonstrate your professionalism and respect for the prospect’s time.

Mastering the art of cold call openers is a CRITICAL skill for salespeople. While there is no one-size-fits-all approach, the openers discussed in this guide provide a strong foundation for success. 

Remember, the key to a successful cold call opener lies in TAILORING your approach to your specific prospect and industry. By combining research, personalization, and value proposition, you can capture the attention of your prospects, build rapport, and increase your chances of converting leads into satisfied customers. 

With practice, patience, and a commitment to continuous improvement, you can become a master of the cold call and drive your sales to new heights.

Here are five examples of effective cold calling openers:

1. “Hi [Prospect’s Name], this is [Your Name] from [Your Company]. I wanted to reach out because we’ve been working with several companies in your industry, helping them [specific benefit or solution]. I thought it might be worth discussing how we can potentially do the same for your organization.”
2. “Hello, I hope you’re doing well today. My name is [Your Name], and I represent [Your Company]. We’ve recently developed a [innovative product or service] that has been generating significant results for companies like yours. I’d love to explore if there’s a potential fit and discuss how it could benefit your business.”
3. “Good morning/afternoon, [Prospect’s Name]. My name is [Your Name], and I’m calling from [Your Company]. I noticed that [mention recent news or industry trend] and wanted to connect with you because our company specializes in helping businesses navigate and thrive in this changing landscape. I’d love to explore how our expertise can support your goals.”
4. “Hi, this is [Your Name] calling from [Your Company]. We’ve had the privilege of working with several companies similar to yours, helping them achieve [specific measurable outcome], such as [result or ROI]. I thought it would be valuable to discuss how we might be able to replicate those successes for your organization as well.”
5. “Hello [Prospect’s Name], my name is [Your Name], and I represent [Your Company]. I came across your company’s website and noticed [mention a specific challenge or opportunity they might be facing]. I have some ideas on how we can address those challenges and potentially help you capitalize on the opportunities. Would you be open to discussing this further?”

Remember to tailor these openers to your specific offering, industry, and the prospect you’re contacting. 

It’s also important to demonstrate value and show that you’ve done some research beforehand. Keep the conversation focused on the prospect’s needs and how your solution can address their pain points.

Happy Selling,

David

Success is definitely a journey, not a destination. In order to have consistent success, momentum plays a key part of that. 

The road to success is filled with many detours, obstacles and challenges. It’s wonderful when we get that momentum going, and we feel that we are in the success zone. However, it’s important to understand that we will have failures and we will have tough times. Most of us will have moments when we feel we’re not as successful as we should be. We all have faced obstacles that seem impossible to overcome. Unfortunately, this can lead to almost giving up on our goals and dreams entirely.

The important thing to remember is that you will get through and overcome all of your obstacles. You must understand that being defeated is temporary, but giving up makes that permanent. 

Perhaps you have lost your mojo or you are in a funk. You might be going through a slump and you’ve lost your confidence and motivation. I want to encourage you today to stay positive, because you will get through this. Everyone who has accomplished great things has been there. So the question comes, “How do I get myself back on track again?” Well, I am so glad that you have asked that. 

It is time to remember why you started in the first place. It is time to reevaluate. Let’s take a good look at your priorities, and make a commitment to get yourself back on track. You can do this!

Break out a sheet of paper and write out your dreams again. It’s important to take a look at your WHY. Now is your time to get back on track. Put together a plan of action and make a commitment to never look back. 

Today is the day that you start. You start right where you are and you use everything that you have and you do everything you can. It’s time to do the next thing. Keep this simple and you will have excellent progress.

Embrace failure because failure is part of the success process. View each day as a brand new opportunity. You cannot change the past, but you can learn from it.

Getting that momentum back is going to be difficult in the beginning. You must understand that. You may even experience more challenges than ever. That’s part of the process. You may be going slow but, no matter what, do not stop. The most important thing is to make consistent progress. If you keep this mentality and you keep plugging away, I guarantee that you will get your momentum back. You will experience incredible success, and you will find yourself with more gratitude and you’ve ever had. 

The most certain way of having success is to keep plugging away, one step at a time. It’s not going to be easy, but it is definitely going to be worth it. 

Today is the beginning of the rest of your incredible life. The best is yet to come. It is time to build a better and stronger version of yourself. It is time to get back on track again. Start today with a super positive attitude. Start talking to people that will encourage you and lift you up. Talk like a winner and act like a winner. Let’s get that momentum going, and let’s go out and make it happen!

Happy Selling,

David