Month: November 2023

In this post, I will walk you through The Top 10 ways to stand out as a salesperson. 

Note that these 10 are not in a rank order. Each one is just as important as the other. However, if you want to stand out and be seen as the salesperson every company wants to deal with, you must exemplify these 10 traits. You must possess these not just some of the time, but all of the time. Let’s get started! 

From the Home Office in Tightwad, Missouri 

Here are the Top 10 ways to stand out as a salesperson.

10. Trust 

The number one quality is trust. This probably sounds cliché. It sounds so trite, but you know what? Trust must always be at the core. I share this one first, because when you demonstrate the other nine things that I’m about to share with you, you will find yourself in a position of creating trust for your customers. Trust is not what you say. Trust is not what you do. No, trust is what you say, and it’s backed up by what you do. 

9. Research and Development 

R&D stands for the Research and Development Department, and this is the department you want to be for your customers. You want to actively work on research and development for them. What does that mean? It means you’re bringing them ideas. You’re bringing them solutions and new ones that they would not have thought of. Because you understand their business so well, you’re seen as a person highly capable of bringing them keen insights. 

8. Timely 

Timely means you say what you’re going to do and you do it. You follow through – always! You show up on time. You’re punctual and more importantly, you respect their time. When you say it’s going to be a short phone call, you keep it short. When you say it’s going to be 15 minutes for a meeting, it is 15 minutes. When you say you’re going to have something to them by Tuesday at 4:00, you deliver it to them by Tuesday at 1:00. You always exceed whatever schedule that you create. Timely is absolutely imperative, and especially at the prospecting level, because customers often say, “I don’t want you wasting my time.” What does that mean? That means that you respect their time. 

7. Respectful 

What does it mean to be respectful? It is demonstrating that you understand where they’re coming from both personally and professionally. Now, I could break personally and professionally apart, but I am going to keep it together, because when I understand someone professionally, I understand him/her personally. And when I understand you personally, I’m going to understand you professionally. When you’re respectful, you understand your position, where you came from, and what your goals are. Being respectful involves understanding you as an individual just as much as understanding your business. When I understand both areas, I am respectful. 

6. Listen 

Yes, listen. Again, many people say, “You’re kidding me. Really?” But it is amazing how few salespeople truly listen. You want to be the salesperson who not only listens what’s being said, but also listens for what’s not being said. You want to listen to what’s being seen and what’s not being seen. Listening skills involve the eyes just as much as they do the ears. Body language in all forms demonstrates what’s really going on. Listening is about understanding where the customer’s going. Listening is about helping the customer feel more confident in being able to share more insights with you. And that leads me to my next one relating to a level of confidence. 

5. Integrity 

Integrity means there is a level of honesty. There’s a level of absolute genuine compassion being demonstrated. Integrity means that you’re living out integrity to them as the customer as well as all of their employees. Integrity is portrayed when you’re see as the same person all of the time no matter what. Whether you’re in front of the customer or whether you’re in front of a barista, whether you’re in front of a CEO, or whether you’re in front of a waiter in a restaurant, you are a person of integrity. This is not something you turn on or off. Integrity is 24/7. 

4. Helpful 

It sounds basic, but helpful is not just helping the customer with what they see or what they need, but being helpful in other ways. I always say that the mark of a great salesperson is when the salesperson is asked for input and assistance on things that they don’t sell, they don’t have anything to do with. What does that mean? That means that the customer must have a level of confidence. They must see trust. They must see integrity. Once they start to see all of those things in you, the customer looks to you as able to help them. Being helpful goes beyond normal expectations. Being helpful goes past what should be done to get the deal. Helpfulness is about creating a long-term relationship. 

3. Transparency 

Transparency is something that’s often not on display. It refers to those times when an order is not happening right, when something didn’t get followed up correctly, or when you may have dropped the ball on something, you are willing to say, “Hey, here’s what went wrong.” Being transparent is the willingness and humility to throw yourself under the bus. Sometimes you put yourself under the bus if that’s what it takes, because you’re upright and honest with the customer. Furthermore, when you’re transparent, that’s how you demonstrate integrity and trust. 

2. Honesty 

Being honest, being truthful. Yes, I’m sure you’re seeing how all 10 of these fit together. When you’re honest, it is amazing how nothing else gets hit. You see, you can’t be transparent without being honest. You can’t be honest without showing trust. See how all these begin to come together? 

And the #1 way to stand out as a salesperson is……

1. Committed  

Do you have a level of commitment to the merchant? Do you have a level of commitment to yourself? 

It’s true that when people are committed, they don’t make excuses. When people are committed, they’re focused on making sure the task at hand gets done. When they’re committed, they follow through and deliver on what needs to be done. When they’re committed, results happen. Do customers want to deal with companies and salespeople who aren’t committed to them or to the outcome that they’re looking for? No, of course not! I intentionally started with trust as number one, and ended with commitment as number 10, because ‘trust’ and ‘commitment’ are the bookends to the other eight items. 

Here’s some questions I want you to ask yourself right now: of the 10 traits I shared, which is your strongest? And where are your weaknesses?

Focus in on your strength. Take that to the next level, but then look at one of your weaknesses and think about how you can improve and correct that.

How can you bring your weaknesses up to a higher level where you can be that salesperson that a customer says continually demonstrate all 10 of these traits at a high level?   

Have a great weekend,

David

Cold calling… just saying the word may make you shiver. No one really likes to make cold calls, but if you’re in any kind of sales position, it’s probably a part of your job. Facing rejection and offering your product or service confidently takes guts. Here are some great tips to help you increase your success and turn those cold calls into winning ones!

1. Set personal feelings aside.

When making cold calls, you have to understand what you’re getting into. In many ways, what you’re doing is basically an interruption to anyone – they have a job to do, and your call isn’t high up on their priority list. Rejection is imminent. Depending on the nature of your business, you may hear more “no’s” than “yes’s”. This doesn’t mean you remove all feeling. Your prospects and smart and will know immediately if you’re just trying to make a sale. But you can’t take it personally when people tell you any number of objections or even get upset with you.

2. Design a script.

Having a proper script may help you to concisely explain the benefits associated with our product and services within a short span of time. The less time the prospect has to listen to an explanation, the better. In other words, rather than ‘beating around the bush,’ you should provide a description and succinct set of reasons to buy our services.

3. Lead with an offer or a solution, not a question.

When starting out a cold call, asking a question first will end the conversation much faster than you want, especially if the answer is yes or no. Your product or service can be the solution to someone’s problem. So if you lead by offering your solution, the prospect can take more of a vested interest. Your goal is to build a business relationship that will last – if you’re providing something the prospect need or solve a pain point, they’re more likely to remain loyal to you.

4. Have a long-term vision.

When cold calls are the main source of your prospective leads, it can be easy to get bogged down in the sheer amount of time these calls take. But if you have a long-term vision, you’ll be able to get past some of the nuances of cold calling and keep your focus on successfully helping your prospects. It’s all about the long game. When you can see the big picture and the part you play in it, you can keep your mindset positive.

5. Set realistic, reachable goals.

After figuring out your long-term vision, take the time to set some reachable goals. A lot of salespeople set their sights too high, whether because of pressure or because of what they think is required, and this will ultimately lead to major burn out. Keep your goals realistic.  Take a close look at your close ratio and set realistic expectations, and determine what your goals should be from there.

6. It takes a personal touch.

It may sound strange, but when you add some of your personality into your cold calling, it increases familiarity with your prospects and can lead to a better business relationship. Whether it’s the CEO or the gatekeepers (the secretaries, cashiers, managers, wait staff), take notes and make it personal – remember names or past conversations. When salespeople are too aggressive or pushy, it disinterests prospects. You don’t have to take control of the whole conversation. Listen and respond when a prospect has a problem or an issue. Making them feel important will increase sales exponentially.

7. Practice makes perfect.

Everyone knows that the only way to get better at something is with practice. Rehearsing your pitch before making your calls is in your best interest. Some experts believe in practicing in front of a mirror, or making sure your body language speaks positively (remember to smile!). Your attitude will determine which direction the call goes. If you’re positive, the prospect will be too.

Cold calling is not always a joy, but your attitude is the determining factor in how those calls will go. Warm those calls up by putting some concentrated effort into improving your cold-calling mindset.

Happy Selling,

David

Have you ever met someone, had a conversation, and then you part ways only to know that there is a possibility you will see them again? When you do see them again, do you struggle to remember much in regards to the conversation? You see that specific person, and are hoping they do not address you by name since you cannot remember theirs?

This use to be a huge issue for me especially when I would meet someone new in a meeting, have a conversation about their past year and family, but yet forget about almost all of it by the next time I see them.

There is a system I heard about at a chamber meeting with speaker Joel Brown who claims that it may sound crazy, but it works wonders and all we need is a voice recorder.

Here are three easy ways to impress someone by remembering things about them by speaker Joel Brown:

1. Record yourself speaking about the subject of interest after the interaction happens

An example is when going on a date and learning something new about them, I would leave at the end of the date, take out my voice recorder on my phone and repeat anything that I could remember from our conversation such as names, dates, employment, cute quirks, or even her favorite things.

This allowed me to go back and listen to the recording before I saw her again, so when we spoke, I would use more personable words that the majority of people would not remember, but I did. For example, instead of saying “How is your brother doing?” I would say “How is [insert name of brother]?”

For most people, family is very personal, and so remembering the little things such as their names, takes one a very long way. This created a sense of trust, comfort, and feeling as though I was different than the “other men” they had dated.

2. Engage in active listening

This might seem obvious, but I am shocked when I see how many people are engaged in passive listening, or are thinking about what they are going to say while the person they are speaking with is talking. When one actively listens, they fully concentrate, understand, respond and then remember what is being said.

An example is that someone may ask someone “How was your day?” After the person responds, they reply not with a follow up question about their day, but bringing back to conversation to them. This is a big no no. One must inquire if they say “My day was good,” then ask “Why was it good!” “What was the best part of your day?” Have them talk more so you can truly understand why their day was good.

3. Ask questions

Make sure to always ask questions. I have realized that the more I am focused on the conversation, the more I can ask follow up questions without forcing the conversation. One’s goal should be to ask such great follow up questions that the person they are speaking to does not realize that they are still talking. Before they know it, you will know much more about them than they do about you, and that keeps you interesting and mysterious.

Everyone wants to feel valued, loved, and cared for, so by using this technique, you will remember specific details about your conversation that will astonish the other person.

They will find that you are different and actually care, which is the whole purpose of recording whatever details you can remember after the conversation. Be different so that you can be unforgettable to everyone you meet.

“Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers.” – Voltaire

Joel gave us 3 good points that I know I’ve been guilty doing. How about yall

Happy Selling,

David

Never allow fear to stop you from achieving your dreams. We all have fears. The philosophy that we must adopt is “Be afraid but do it anyway.”

It’s important to recognize that fear is actually part of the process. I remember when my youngest grandson had just turned one and he was in the beginning stages of walking. It was so wonderful to experience to watch him. When he falls, he just gets back up. Nothing in his mindset says ”I don’t think this walking thing is for me.” He has fear but he’s committed to walking. He falls down, but he always gets back up.

Reframe the fear in your mind and realize that fear and setbacks are just temporary. Failure is part of success, and will result in opportunities for all of us to become better. In order to achieve great things, we must step out of our comfort zone. When we do that, the typical emotion is fear. Recognize that it is part of the process and go out and do it anyway. Do not allow fear to stop you in your tracks.

When you realize that fear is part of the process, you must look at the big picture. Instead of focusing on your fear, start focusing on what you accomplished in reaching your goals. Think about how you would feel and how your life would change. Instead of thinking about the fear, start thinking about your vision for success.

Start thinking about some of your previous accomplishments. Whether it’s sports or the business world. In the beginning, you experienced fear and being uncomfortable but you did it anyway. Start making a list of some of your accomplishments and take a look at that list anytime fear starts creeping in. You’ve overcome fear before and you will do it again.

Think about whatever task or opportunity is scaring you. You have an incredible opportunity staring you right in the face. You see others achieving incredible success. This is your time. It’s OK to be afraid but it’s time for you to make it happen. Invest whatever time or energy it takes. The more prepared you are, the fewer reasons you will have to be afraid.

Success involves taking risks. There will never be a better time to take the leap than right now. If you have a dream in your mind, there’s a reason for it. Do not waste this opportunity. Learn everything that you can about your opportunity. Find the people who are in life where you want to be and do what they do. There are no short cuts and it’s time for you to make that 100% commitment.

You are not alone, and your fears are not unique. Transform those fears into power. Never allow fear to bring you down. Give yourself the push you need to move to the next level. This is your time. Be afraid and do it anyway!

Happy Selling,

David

Can you still prospect in the months of November and December? Absolutely! Yes, you can. 

Putting in the effort now boosts your fourth quarter, while simultaneously setting up the new year for success. Let’s walk through 10 strategies and approaches that you can use to prospect during the last part of Q4.

From the home office in  Pumpkintown, South Carolina 

Here are The Top 10 Prospecting Hacks for November and December… 

10. Break the Routine

Do things differently. Now, I’m all about having a schedule and staying focused, but never hesitate to break the routine this time of year. That means I may be making calls Friday afternoon, or at eight o’clock in the morning. I’m going to break the routine in how I reach out to people because again, schedules change. Be prepared for that. 

9. Lost customers

They left you because they weren’t happy. Don’t think for a moment that you can’t reach back out to them. In fact, you need to, because the end of the year is the best time of year. 

People begin to evaluate. Imagine hearing, “Yeah, you’re right. We left you guys. We weren’t happy with you, but we went over here. You know what? They’re not any good at all. We need to talk.” 

Year end is a great time to pick up lost customers.

8. Lost deals

You may have had an unbelievable opportunity in the first quarter that you didn’t get, and went to somebody else. Call that customer up. “Hey, how’s that working out for you? I want to find out because we are here to help you.” It’s amazing how much business you can pick up which isn’t involved in that other contract. 

7. Reach out to old customers

Old customers may be buying from somebody else and then suddenly they need you. Yes, even that is prospecting because I’m creating opportunities! You won’t know unless you contact them.

6. Speed meetings

Q4 is not the time to say, “Hey, what’s your calendar look like a couple weeks from now?”  Speed meetings are, “Hey, have you got 15 minutes tomorrow?” 

Think 15 minutes this afternoon, or 20 minutes now. What you don’t want them to say is, “Why don’t we just touch base after the first year.” 

5. December holidays. 

The last two weeks of the year are always weird. This year for instance, Christmas and New Year’s each fall on a Sunday. So the holidays are going to bleed into Mondays. It’s going to mean a lot of disrupted weeks. Just like Thanksgiving week, it’s an excellent time to be making calls. Yes, a lot of people are out, but there will be people you do get a hold of. What a way to jumpstart the first quarter! While most people are just starting to get going, you’ve already got meetings on the calendar. Focus on businesses that aren’t as busy, Tire shops, auto repair, storage units, car dealerships plus many more. 

4. The personal touch

Let’s say you see somebody make a comment somewhere, perhaps on Facebook or Linkedin. Well, you add a personal touch, you add a personal comment back. People’s mindsets shift during November and December and they’re far more open to personal conversations. Take advantage of it. 

3. Thank you calls

You may send out holiday cards, you may send out Christmas gifts, whatever it is. But what I love doing is picking up the phone and calling people and saying thank you. I do this with existing customers, people who perhaps used to do business with me or people I just know. It creates conversation, and from that–opportunities. Prospecting is all about creating opportunities!

2. Holiday hours

Here’s a fun trick Call and let your prospects know your hours, you can call a prospect and say, “Hey, I want to let you be aware that we’re going to be open X day, X time.” You communicate with prospects because they may be buying from a different supplier (and they’re going to be closed!)  Cha-ching. It’s an easy way for you to pick up additional business. 

And the # 1  Prospecting Hacks for November and December is….

1. Thanksgiving week

Believe it or not, it’s a great week to prospect. Why? Because so many people are on a different schedule. There are a lot of people off. I get it. That means meetings that normally occur don’t happen. So I can make phone calls on Thanksgiving week and I can have conversations with people that I don’t normally have the ability to reach. They answer the phone because they’re willing to talk, willing to have a conversation. This is especially true for higher up people that you don’t normally have a chance to reach.

Have a great weekend,

David

In the dynamic world of sales, the battle isn’t just between us and our potential merchants —it’s often within the confines of our own minds. Self-doubt and inner voices can be relentless adversaries, but mastering this internal dialogue is the key to unlocking unparalleled confidence and success in the sales arena.

Let’s look into strategies tailored for salespeople to overcome the voices in their heads and close deals with unwavering assurance.

1. Recognize the Salesperson’s Inner Monologue:

Sales professionals are no strangers to the inner monologue that questions their pitch, value, and ability to close deals. Acknowledge these thoughts, dissect them, and understand that overcoming them is a crucial step toward success.

2. Reframe Objections as Opportunities:

Transform internal objections into opportunities. Instead of seeing obstacles, view them as chances to showcase your problem-solving skills. Every objection is a stepping stone toward a more refined pitch and a stronger client relationship.

3. Confidence through Preparation:

Confidence is born from preparation. Arm yourself with in-depth knowledge about your product or service, anticipate objections, and rehearse your responses. A well-prepared salesperson exudes confidence, both to clients and to themselves.

4. Harness the Power of Positive Affirmations:

Integrate positive affirmations into your pre-sales routine. Affirm your value, expertise, and ability to close deals. These affirmations act as a powerful mental preparation, setting the stage for a confident and successful sales presentation.

5. Embrace Rejection as a Stepping Stone:

In sales, rejection is inevitable. Rather than letting it fuel self-doubt, embrace rejection as a stepping stone to improvement. Learn from each “NO,” refine your approach, and recognize that it brings you one step closer to a successful “YES.”

6. Visualize Success:

Visualization is a potent tool for overcoming self-doubt. Before meetings or presentations, take a moment to visualize success. See yourself confidently presenting, addressing objections, and closing deals. Positive visualization lays the groundwork for actual success.

7. Seek Mentorship and Support:

Connect with seasoned sales professionals or mentors who understand the challenges of the field. Share your concerns, seek advice, and draw inspiration from their experiences. Knowing that you’re not alone in facing these challenges can be a game-changer. Let me know how I can assist you grow your business.

8. Continuous Learning for Continuous Confidence:

The sales landscape evolves, and so should you. Invest time in continuous learning—stay updated on industry trends, sales techniques, and communication strategies. A well-informed salesperson is a confident salesperson.

Overcoming the voices in our heads as a salesperson is not just a personal victory; it’s a strategic advantage. By conquering self-doubt, we enhance our ability to connect with clients, articulate our value proposition, and ultimately close deals with confidence. Remember, in the world of sales, the most convincing pitch often begins within.

Happy Selling,

David