Author: David Matney

There is a fairly simple rhythm of activity that should be conducted strategically every single day in order to reach the goal of making sales consistently  in Merchant Services. Each activity must be treated as a separate stage in the sales process with its own sub-activities to move the sale to the next stage. Every stage has its own reward.   

Daily Activity #1– Prospecting & Qualified Lead Generation

In the  Prospecting & Qualified Lead Generation Stage the only goal is to generate as many qualified leads as possible. There are two things that make these leads”count” at this stage:

1. The leads must meet the qualification criteria you have previously determined 
2. You are able to accumulate qualified leads in quantity every day.

If you achieved these two things in this stage the reward is you are building your lead inventory which is the reward in this first stage of the sales cycle.

Daily Activity #2  – Scheduling Appointments / Picking up Statements
At this stage there is only one goal:

• Pick up or view two current merchant processing statements a day.

The practice of picking up a copy of two current statements, that reflect processing in the last 60-90 days, this will provide you with important details about your prospect’s business in your next stage of the selling cycle. 

Submit these statements to your statement-analysis department for a detailed review or as I have mentioned before use Clientvie. (It’s FREE for 30 days) At this stage, some agents like to do a quick analysis on the spot. Sometimes the merchant will not allow you to take a copy of their statement off premises but usually will allow you to scan it with your phone.  (use TurboScan app)

 In the case of doing one on the spot be prepared with a tool like Clientvine to do an on-the-spot analysis which will lead you right into your presentation.

Before you proceed into your presentation, make sure that you are talking to all decision-makers, and that there is adequate time for your presentation to be given and evaluated.

In some cases, when prospecting, you will have to schedule an appointment at a future date when all decision makers can be present, and there is plenty of time for the presentation and evaluation. Although you may prefer to do a one-stop-close, it is in your interest to make sure that all decision makers are present, and there is time to give your presentation and allow the decision makers to evaluate your offer. Without both of these criteria you may be wasting valuable time.

Daily Activity #3 – Preparation / Statement Analysis

The preparation / statement analysis stage is important because the information gathered from current statements will reveal valuable information to customize your presentation even if you are offering cash discounting. 

This will help you build relevant value in the eyes of the merchant on why they should choose you and your company to provide credit card processing for their business. 

I have discovered that there is a lot more valuable information than just a straight across comparison of rates. If you will take the time to learn what information to gather from the analysis, and how to work it into your presentation, it will increase your ability to close in the next stage of the selling cycle.

Daily Activity #4 – Closing Deals / Boarding the merchants

This stage is the one that most sales professionals have their eye on throughout the sales process. However, skipping through, or weak execution in stages 1 – 3 will create unpredictable results at this stage. You can dramatically increase the reward / pay off in this stage if you have given adequate attention to the three preceding stages of your sales cycle.

One common mistake that I see with merchant services sales reps is that they have not properly qualified their lead in stage one. By the time they get to what should be stage four, when they are attempting to close a deal and board a merchant, they may discover that the processor considers this particular business to be high risk and will not underwrite; or, they may discover that there are other decision makers involved in the final decision and they cannot close without coming back at a future date to hopefully present to the additional decision-makers.

In this stage you will focus on building relevant value for your offer based on the information gathered in stage three. You should anticipate common objections to your offer and work the responses into your presentation before the objections are raised. 

Close with an offer of how they would like to get started, not if they would like to get started. 

Daily Activity #5 – Delivering “Rave Review, Referral Getting” Follow Up

Once the merchant application is approved

1. schedule the delivery and installation of the terminal or POS. Of course with the POS there will need to be time for the programming of the inventory or menu. Terminals are usually shipped overnight or two day delivery. Don’t try to do the installation during your new merchants busiest time of the day. Find out from the merchant when the ideal time is for installation, without letting them put off the installation too long.
2. follow up the next day to be sure that the first day’s settlement went through without a problem. Just a quick phone call or pop in if your out and about.
3. schedule to talk with them about their first statement and PCI. Schedule time to walk them through the Self Assessment Questionnaire for PCI Compliance. Do this within the first 30-40 days after the merchant has been boarded, and annually for as long as the SAQ is required and the merchant is processing within your portfolio. Trust me, other sales agents seldom do any of this at all. 

These are the very minimum boarding activities you should do to support your merchant.

There are other things that you can do to stay in touch with the merchant to let them know you’re available when they need you. And, of course, always a good opportunity to let them know you have time for their referrals.

• Drop off receipt paper or order it from the processor for them,
• Drop by point of sale tools such as signature mat, table tents, pens, and a variety of things available through Discover Signage with the card brand logos on the item – available to you for free to supply your merchant. 
• Send weekly, bi weekly or monthly emails with basic information that helps them understand their processing service better. Services like mailchimp which is free or Constant contact are good to use.
• Send monthly post card or greeting card – This is a fun and friendly way to stay in touch; something that I call my “Ultimate Referral Program”. Postable and Send out cards are good resources for this.

Let’s Wrap it up – Putting it all together
Initially you will be doing all of these activities yourself. However, once you get a rhythm and start making regular sales, look for qualified team members to whom you can delegate some of these activities. Your primary role should be to generate new business. Your support team should be trained help you with installs maintaining current business and encourage referrals. 

Happy Selling,

David

I’ve seen way too many people wait for everything to be perfect before they decide to take action. The problem is, they never take action. When an amazing opportunity comes, they are waiting until they become motivated or fully ready for it.

People make the mistake thinking that motivation comes before action. The truth is, that is a backwards way of thinking. Many look for ways to get motivated to exercise, to get up early or to stop procrastinating. The motivation may be good in the beginning, but shortly thereafter, the motivation fades and action stops.

It’s important to take small actions to keep the motivation going. The truth is, that action leads to motivation. Whatever you want to get motivated about, it’s important to understand that it all begins with action. It’s the action that comes first and then the motivation comes after that. How many times have you said “I need to get motivated to take action“? If you truly want success you have to change that phrase to “I need to take action to get motivated.”

In order to have success, it is important to have goals. We definitely want to set long-term and big goals, but when it comes to taking action, you must focus on the small goals first. The key to getting started is to have a simple plan to achieve those daily goals. Don’t wait for motivation. Take small specific actions to get started. Once you do that, you begin to build momentum and then the motivation naturally happens.

Remember that your feelings have nothing to do with getting started. Never wait until you feel like it. The motivation will always come from action. When you start taking action, motivation follows. If you only wait for inspiration, that’s going to be a problem which will stop you from having success.This is why routines and scheduling time for success are very important. Never wait until you’re in the mood. Put together a plan and stick to the plan. Write out your success schedule and make that part of your life.Get rid of all procrastination. If you wait for motivation first, you may never get started. You must start and then the motivation will follow.Action is the key to success. If you want to be a top level performer, you must take massive, determined action.

Going forward, never allow anything to ever hold you back again. Motivation is important, inspiration is important, but the most important thing is to simply just take action right now. If you feel like you’re not ready, take action. If you don’t feel motivated, take action. If you’re not inspired, take action. No matter what your feelings are, make the decision to take action.

You have an incredible opportunity at your fingertips. Don’t waste it! 

Do not procrastinate any longer! 

Do not make any excuses! 

If you want true incredible success, start right now, start right where you’re at and make the commitment to TAKE ACTION!

Happy selling,

David

Good Friday morning everyone. Over the last couple of days we’ve discussed Procrastination and the fear of rejection. Today, we will continue the focus on how to cure our fears in regards to the specific task of selling.

We all enjoy making a sale, but sometimes we find ourselves getting that butterfly feeling before an important cold call or presentation. Sometimes we sit in our cars before the call and just start mentally talking ourselves out of walking in and pitching. In order to close a sale we all have to engage in sales.

These are the Top 10 Ways  to Overcome the Fear of Selling. They will help you overcome your fear of selling by suggesting some simple action steps.

Once again in true David Letterman Style, From home office in

Uncertain, Texas

10.Be Free!

The most obvious way to eliminate your fear of selling is to quit your job.

Why in the world would you even consider for a single minute staying in a job that you fear. I seldom encourage quitting. But if your fear of selling cannot be resolved and it is giving you daily pangs of anxiety and occasional headaches – maybe, just maybe you ought to consider another line of work.

On the other hand, if you are just suffering from a little angst now and then, keep reading for some creative ways to deal with your fear of selling.

9. Do this self-assessment.

On a 1-10 scale, 10 being the highest competency, rate yourself in these 13 categories:

– Attitude
– Self-confidence
– Enthusiasm
– Goal setting
– Time management
– Communication skills
– Prospecting
– Qualifying your prospects
– Presentation skills
– Handling objections
– Preparing sales proposals
– Closing skills
– Measuring your results

This self-evaluation will help you with the next point.

And remember, all these skills can all be learned.

8. Pinpoint your fear of selling.

What exactly is it? Does your fear of selling originate with your lowest assessment numbers from the previous self evaluation?

There is an old saying that says, “A problem defined is a problem half solved.”

I believe this to be true. Determining your weak links is the first step to eliminating them.

7. Do what you fear first.

Let us say your fear of selling stems from a lack of self confidence when you are prospecting. You are just not good at cold calling people you do not know and trying to get a statement from them. It takes skills and lots of self confidence to do this right.

Here’s your choice. 1) You can acquire the necessary skills by reading and doing. 2)  or do what Albert Einstein says is Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. The best way to defeat the fear of cold calling is honestly to cold call.

If your on the graphite payments team I’m here to help you. We have training resources available to help you overcome those fears.

6. Think big and start small.

Okay, you want to cure your fear of selling and in this case, it means getting better at prospecting and meeting with business owners. Starting small means buying a book or an Audible on this topic and making a list of what you need to do to overcome this paralysis.

Actually, the best and easiest way to dramatically improve your skills is to get Tom Hopkins book “How to Master the Art of Selling” and yes its available on Audible. I would get both book and Audible. Also Join the Graphite team so we can help you achieve that goal.

5. Keep a success journal.

Keep a written record of what is working and what is not working on a daily basis. The ideal time to do this is right after a sales call, while it is still fresh in your mind. Notice and record the little things. These little things add up over time and can influence outcomes. Clientvine CRM has a notes section for just this purpose.

4. Talk to yourself. Use affirmations repeatedly.

Try this on for size

. “Everyday, in every way, I am sharpening my selling skills and acquiring new ones.

“ Say this 10 times aloud before your first sales call and again just after lunch.

Fears and anxieties cannot stand up to powerful self affirmations. Try it for 21 days. It really works.

Every time you do this you are taking a solid whack at your fear of selling.

3. Always expect the best outcomes.

This is a major attitude adjustment for most salespeople. Don’t let your mind wander aimlessly and attract negative thoughts.

One of the best ways to cure your fear of selling is to always think positively. You cannot control the weather. You cannot control what someone else is thinking. You cannot control time by making it go faster or slower.

But you can control your thoughts. You can have positive thoughts and you can have negative thoughts. And guess what – you get to decide!

2. Put a “mask” on as you are driving to your first sales call.

Don’t zone out on me yet.This mask is made from a blended and invisible substance. It is available to everyone who wants it.

The cost is zero and the benefits are many. The mask is made from equal parts of energy, enthusiasm and passion. Add a smile to the mix and you will likely vaporize any fear of selling you have. Ask yourself,

Who can resist a person who is smiling?

Who is not attracted to a person who loves his or her work?

Always remember your energy, enthusiasm and passion are contagious. They are all part of your P.S.A.! (Positive Sales Attitude, Geez, read the blogs folks)

And the #1  Ways  to Overcome the Fear of Selling,

1. Enjoy the journey.

Do not take things too seriously. Have fun. Enjoy the view and the ride. The sum of your life is not based on how many meetings you attended, how many e-mails you sent, or how many voice mails you returned.

The quickest way to sharpen your selling skills is to read up and practice, practice, practice. Yoda said it best ” Do or do not, there is no try”.

There you have it – The Top 10 Ways  to Overcome the Fear of Selling

Now you can start selling more and turn your fear of selling into a fearless P.S.A. that accompanies you on every sales call.

Happy a great weekend,

David

Today’s article is about  procrastinating. Ask yourself, Is your Procrastination Killing Your Sales?

We’ve all been there.  Ever have the feeling you’re expending more energy and time avoiding a task instead of actually diving in and doing it?

I usually can get a lot done, but I can also be a master of putting certain things off. I have an email sitting in my inbox about an offer for lead generation that I’m keep telling myself I will look into. Oh, wait, it’s from June. I get to it today, maybe.

Procrastination is an ailment that debilitates salespeople. Not only does it create guilt and anxiety about not getting things done, it obviously pulls down our sales results.

So what causes procrastination?

Fear of failure, and/or of success, says Jane Burka, author of “Procrastination: Why You Do It; What to Do About It,”(Yes, its available on Audible) Regarding the fear of failure, she says that it’s more acceptable to believe you’ve failed to reach a goal by putting it off, than to believe you lacked the ability to reach it.

Also, there’s the fear of success. Some salespeople put off prospecting, since they feel that by reaching and beating sales goals, they’ll be expected to exceed higher ones each month. They’d rather not face the new demands success can bring.

Here are some ways to  deal with procrastination:

Use power-blocking. Break your prospecting day into 45-minute, one-hour, or other segments that work for you. Take breaks in between and do nothing during your power blocks but prospect.

Break huge tasks into manageable chunks. Prospecting an entire day could seem like a Goliath-sized task. But slicing it down into a series of bite-sized morsels makes the mountain easier to scale. ex. 3-5 cold calls per hour, till you reach 25.

Schedule unpleasant duties for your own “up time. Those parts of the day when your energy level is the highest. It’s easy to procrastinate when your energy is dragging, so find easy, mundane tasks to do during those times.

Don’t anticipate how prospects will respond. Often, procrastination is a result of saying, “Oh, this person won’t buy. I know they’re from someone else who is cheaper than us. They wouldn’t be interested, I won’t call them. Most successful merchant salespeople realize that by simply calling instead, they’re pleasantly surprised.

Schedule a specific time for tasks you’d usually rather avoid. For example, setting aside a certain day or morning can provide the motivation to dive right in.

Don’t let unpleasant jobs age and pile up. Just like rotten food, the longer it sets, the more foul it becomes, and the more you avoid it. Do these tasks the first thing in the morning. You’ll feel better knowing that you’ll quickly get them out of the way. Just get them done.

Make tasks you avoid more pleasant. If you fear prospecting, learn more and better ways of doing it. You’ll boost your confidence, and won’t avoid it.

Avoid procrastination, do it now, and you’ll watch your sales production skyrocket!

Are you a procrastinator?

In what ways do you deal with procrastination? Let me know.

Happy Selling,

David

So many salespeople could be GREAT salespeople if they could just master prospecting. I used to be one of those people when I started out that was like —ugggh—I did not want to prospect. Today’s blog is about overcoming that fear. The fear of rejection. Something that crosses jobs, industries, relationships. Everyone deals with the fear of rejection at some point. Today let’s look at six ways to overcome the fear of rejection. 

1. Believe in the outcomes you create. 

It’s not about what you sell, it’s not even how you sell, it’s the why you sell. To quote Simon Sinek, it is the outcomes you create. 

I want you to take a piece of paper and write down all of the ways that you’ve helped your customers in the past. Write that down, celebrate it. Keep that with you. You’re going to get rejected, but that’s okay, because you believe in the outcomes.

Read The Top 10 Reason’s Prospecting Is an Outcome Game

2. It’s only a moment in time. 

Rejection is never permanent. You have to realize that when you make a call and you get rejected, it’s only a moment in time. It’s never, “Oh, they rejected me and therefore they’re never gonna speak to me again.” 

I look at a rejection this way: I could be driving down the road, and the traffic light is green. I drive through the intersection and a car runs the red light the other way and hits me sideways. Although I was in the right, I just happened to be in the right place, wrong time. 

There’s always another moment in time. There’s always another prospect.

My whole goal is this: I am never going to let one cold call, one rejection, stop me from everything else. Even if I’m in a car accident, I’m probably going to be driving again. Sure, I might be shook up for a bit, but you know what? I’ll get back in the car. 

I never let a negative visit impact the next visit. 

3. You’re in the business of helping people. 

It’s not about what you sell, it’s not about price point or anything like that. You’re in the business of helping people. How can you not get excited to help people? 

I get it, they don’t know you can help them and that’s why they reject you. But this is why we have to keep coming back despite getting rejected three, four or five times from them. Eventually, we will either find them or other people who will say, “Hey, I want to hear your message.” 

In the business of helping people, that does mean you will intrude, jump in on them, interrupt them, but you know you can make a difference. So if I get rejected, that’s okay. I’m gonna come back and try again. My goal is this: I just want to earn the right, the privilege, honor and respect to be able to talk with you again. If I do, that’s great. 

4. Celebrate your wins. 

A win might simply be somebody calling you back, or somebody actually taking your phone call. Celebrate it! 

Too many times when salespeople are prospecting, they only celebrate the win when they actually get the sale. But prospecting is comprised of so many little activities, all along the way. Those smaller wins are worth celebrating.

5. Rejection is normal. 

Think about how many times you’ve had people call you and you’ve rejected them. Rejection is absolutely normal, there’s nothing wrong with it. Saying yes to everything is impossible. 

6. Even the best people face rejection. 

I don’t care who you are, everyone has faced rejection. Whether it be a major athlete, a scholar, or a business person, we all face rejection and that’s okay. 

You aren’t being singled out. You’re not, I get rejected all the time and that’s okay. In fact, prospecting is about being rejected far more than people say yes. That’s okay, I’m very comfortable with that.  

Remember, Prospecting Is About Helping People. 

I’m interrupting! I’m intruding! I’m catching them at a bad time! No, you can help them. And it’s your responsibility to reach out.

If I had a problem and I knew you had a solution, I’d want you to get in touch with me. If you didn’t I’d be upset. If I had a problem and I knew you had a solution, I’d want you to get in touch with me. If you didn’t I’d be upset. If you don’t get in touch with me, you’re doing me a disservice.

Our job, mission as sales people is to educate and offer assistance to our customers, both prospective and existing ones. We have the solution they need even if they don’t see it yet. 

Happy Selling,

David

Depending on what part of the country your reading this in school may have already started, maybe not.

I was in Texas on the 4th of July this year visiting my brother and spending some time on the beach. As with any trip you have to go to the Walmart to stock up on grilling food and beverages. While I was there I  observed several Walmart associates moving all the 4th of July stuff and putting up back to school displays.

Is it me or does that seem earlier then normal? I mean school starts back in August now! In my day as with many of you, I can remember school starting after labor day.  A few years ago, Staples ran a great commercial during the Back to School (BTS) season. It featured a dad happily shopping away, with the music of Andy Williams singing, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” The children in the commercial were anything but happy, and were obviously not excited about starting back to school.

The meaning of this commercial was clear. The first day of school is a day for parents to celebrate, while kids mourn the end of summer. (And of course Staples was there to help by providing low-cost school supplies, which makes mom and dad even happier.)

The Back to School season has a different meaning in the world of credit card processing. For us sales professionals it’s one of foreboding because it means that the holiday sales season is rapidly approaching. And for merchants, that season starts earlier and earlier each year, as evidenced by school supplies and holiday merchandise that is already filling the aisles.

Sure, throughout the past several months there have been holidays that traditionally bring sales, but no other time of the year generates the sales volume we typically see between mid-Novembers through the end of December. There is a reason they call the day after Thanksgiving “Black  Friday,” and it isn’t a negative connotation.

Yet, as payment processing professionals we are taught to remain in the here and now, to concentrate on one day at a time. This simple approach prevents focusing too much on the past or the future and helps us bounce back quickly if we have a bad day or two.

However, we all must acknowledge that once school starts, merchants aim full steam ahead toward the holiday season. Their preparations create a wealth of opportunity for us in our merchant processing business, providing we react accordingly. We must prepare as well, even in early July…

1. Start now to create your fall target list. On it should be those merchants who likely won’t talk to you once the holiday season is in full swing. General retailers and restaurants tend to be at the top of this list.

2. Once you’ve identified these merchants, the next step is to change your opening to reference the upcoming season. You could use something like, “Now that school has started, I am sure you are starting to think about the upcoming holiday season. This may be the best time to talk about your practices for credit card transaction processing.”

By leveraging the future, you create a sense of urgency, which means merchants will most likely be interested in what you have to say.

After you create your fall target list, think through the types of merchants that should be on your holiday target list. On this list you will have those merchants who are least affected by the holidays. Starting in November, these merchants will become your target and you will again need to change your message to something along the lines of, “Now that the holiday season is upon us, Mr. Merchant, this may be a good time to analyze your credit card transaction processing costs and look at how you’re managing your program.”

Examples of prime holiday merchant targets include those in the medical profession, home and auto repair businesses, lawn and garden, tanning salons, fitness centers and even B2B merchants. These businesses are typically slower during the holiday season, which means they will be more likely to talk to you now versus during their high season.

Remember, success comes when identify your targets and adapt your message accordingly. Pick a date when you will switch over from your fall to your holiday target list as well. This will help you maintain your sense of urgency during the next few months and truly make it the most wonderful time of the year.

I know it seems early for a blog like this. Just remember stores already are setting up for Halloween. 

Do you have any tips for growing your credit card processing business during the fall and holiday seasons? 

Let me know what helps your business thrive.

Happy Selling,

David

“You can do it” is definitely one of my all-time favorite movie lines, especially the way Rob Schneider says it in Adam Sandler’s Waterboy. It’s also one of my favorite motivations for life.

Big success does not come easy. If it did, everyone would do it. It takes an incredible, burning desire to accomplish massive success.

You have to start out by dreaming big and believing that you can accomplish any goal that you set for yourself. The key is to work hard and never lose hope.

Those who set ambitious goals, and consistently strive to reach them, will outperform those who do not. Top performers set high goals that motivate them to work harder and to continue achieving more.

You can, and will, accomplish your big dreams in life as long as you make a 100% commitment and you never give up. The secret to your success will come in your belief in yourself and knowing, deep in your heart, you can do it!

On your success journey, there will be times where you may doubt yourself. You may even ask questions like ”Am I really cut out for this?” This is when you have to dig deep down inside and remember WHY you began in the first place. Keep this in mind, if you want to get into the 1% club, you have to be willing to do what 99% of others won’t do. So whenever you doubt yourself, you must say “I CAN DO THIS!

You are gifted with great abilities and talents. It’s important to be confident in yourself. Always remember that you can accomplish great things. There is no goal that’s too big to achieve as long as you never give up and never stop working hard to achieve it.

You have a dream that’s inside of you and it is there for a reason. As Walt Disney said “If you can dream it, you can do it.” You must absolutely believe that your dream can come to fruition. If you do not believe that you can achieve it, then you have no chance at all. Success begins with your belief. If you believe that you can do it, you certainly can.

Have a clear vision in your mind and put together a plan on what it’s going to take to reach your goal. It’s important to visualize it first in your mind before you do it. Once that is clear, go out and make it happen.

There may be people close to you who will tell you that your dreams are not realistic. Do not allow yourself to listen to those who are not encouraging you. Your dream is real and it is there for a reason. Believe in yourself and your opportunity. Never allow anyone to steal your dream. You can do this, and you can make it happen. Nothing is unrealistic if you believe that you can do it. You have the power within you to go make it happen.

Life is way too short to be just mediocre. Choose to be awesome and magnificent. Go out there every day and work hard at it. You’ve got this! Take the risks and persist through all the challenges that come your way. Nothing is going to stop you as long as you believe in yourself and your abilities 100%.

Now is your time! Push away everything that is negative. You know what you need to do. Don’t look back! Just believe that you can do it and you will do it. You will fail along the way, but remember that’s part of the process. No matter what, do not quit. Never give up on your dreams. You are worth it! Your dreams are worth it. The people that are counting on You are worth it. 

You can do It! Now go out and make it happen!

Happy Selling,

David

The modern salesperson does so much more than just close sales. Success in today’s sales environment is all about having a transparent strategy and strong pitch to gain your client’s trust. It’s about building ongoing relationships, doing your research and personalizing the client experience based on the data you have.

That’s why salespeople today need a different playbook and set of best practices than the ones sales professional relied on a decade or two ago. To help budding sales professionals thrive.

As usual, from the home office in Toad Suck, Arkansas,

Here are The Top 10 Fundamental Tips For The Modern Salesperson

10. Think Relationally

A salesperson needs to think relationally instead of transactionally, as selling is now a journey, not an action. A market is no longer a place for selling; it is where you help your customer achieve their goals conveniently and with positive emotion. They will spread the word, and then it sells itself. Customers will also spread the bad experiences you create. Then, no matter how good your skills are, you won’t be able to make sales.

9. Always Add Value

Add value with every transaction. Potential customers need to trust you to buy from you. If you provide value when interacting with them, that will build trust. However, it is important to walk the line here. Too little value, and customers don’t trust you; too much value given for free, and they don’t have a reason to buy from you anymore.

8. Understand Prospects As Human Beings First

It’s not about you or your product. Every moment you spend with prospects should be focused on understanding them first as human beings, and then as buyers. Before you even fix your lips to pitch your product, you should be very clear on how your products can help solve their pain points. Sales are simply a byproduct of the value you delivered first.

7. Listen To Your Customers

Two ears, one mouth. When you listen to your customers and clients, they will not only tell you what they need, but also how to solve their problems. Then, solve it.

6. Invest In Self-Awareness

Invest in a journey of self-discovery. A deeper awareness of self allows you to remain in congruence with your values and beliefs. When one’s integrity is experienced by clients, they are more willing to reveal important information about themselves and their company. This allows you to see what is often not spoken about their real versus perceived needs and aspirations for the future they desire.

5. Ask Great Questions

Any modern sales professional should be putting their time toward asking questions and listening. These skills were valuable 1,000 years ago, and they will still be valuable 1,000 years from now. Curiosity is the spark for great questions, and questions beget empathy and authentic interest in other people. On that foundation, a sales professional is well-positioned to build trusting relationships and find success.

4. Be Your Authentic Self

There is no one that can sell our product or services more authentically than you. When “selling,” you are showcasing who you are to potential clients. Clients gravitate to connection, and they look beyond a solution when choosing to invest their time and money into a business. The relationship you cultivate and foster with yourself and your clients will be your successful sales strategy.

3. Let The Client Sell You

Let the client sell you versus you selling them. Ask about their pain and challenges. Ask about their dreams and goals. Ask how the client’s life will be different once they achieve their dream solution. Allow them to see how wide the gap is between their pain and their dream solution. Ask what it’s really costing them not to solve their pain. Share your solution, which is the bridge between their pain and their dream solution.

2. Develop Your Capacity For Empathy

Again, As mentioned before the best advice for a modern salesperson is to know precisely how to listen to customers. The great sellers are those who have an extreme ability to listen and the empathic capacity to understand the client’s needs firsthand, and are thus able to satisfy them in the most professional way.

And the #1 Top 10 Fundamental Tips For The Modern Salesperson is…

1. Make The Sale About Your Prospect

In today’s salesforce, it is the duty of every salesperson to make the sales experience about the customers. We must consider the interests of the customers before making the sale by exploring how the product or service benefits the customers before the sale is finalized.

Selling merchant services is not your job, It’s your business! Be the CEO and COO of your own business. Any person in a sales position should have an executable strategic plan, just as a company would. They should have a mission, purpose, values and vision aligned with their company. They should have long-term goals, annual objectives, quarterly initiatives and daily actions that meet their vision. Use these tips to grow your business and see sales soar!

Have a great weekend,

David

It’s Hot outside, very Hot. The Dog day’s of Summer have arrived.

The definition of the ‘dog days of summer’ is usually an indicator of, well, you know, something blah.  Becky Little of National Geographic explains the literal meaning … “The “dog days,” I always thought, were those summer days so devastatingly hot that even dogs would lie around on the asphalt, panting…Instead, it turns out, the dog days refer to the dog star, Sirius, and its position in the heavens. To the Greeks and Romans, the “dog days” occurred around the day when Sirius appeared to rise just before the sun, in late July. They referred to these days as the hottest time of the year, a period that could bring fever, or even catastrophe.”

So, we’re not so far off, are we?  Salespeople in particular can be negatively affected by the environment. Meaning, many wait for the inspiration, energy, confidence, and sometimes the right temperature (just the right conditions) to jump in and do their job. As they see it, their job is everything from making cold calls, dealing with rejection, and reaching out to people who just don’t care. In other words, they allow outside factors and fears to determine their actions instead of just owning up to it themselves. These salespeople allow how they feel to determine how they will act.  We have a term for these type of salespeople, ‘at-leasters’ (at least I tried). 

We find over 60% of salespeople suffer from this self- induced affliction.  Truly successful salespeople (20%) understand the human condition of fear, and choose to move past their comfort zones and just do the behavior.

To accomplish this you have to first change your belief system, meaning changing your outlook of limitations to an outlook of possibilities. So, to get that started, please enjoy my favorite quotes about ‘dog days’ and perhaps you’ll think about 110 degree August forecasts a little differently. Good selling. Scott…Enjoy…

• “I have never met a dog I couldn’t help; however I have met humans who weren’t willing to change.” ~ Cesar Millan
• “Don’t accept your dog’s admiration as conclusive evidence that you are wonderful.” ~ Ann Landers
• “Bite us once, shame on the dog; bite us repeatedly, shame on us for allowing it.” ~ Phyllis Schlafly
• “Be the person your dog thinks you are.” ~ George Eliot aka Mary Ann Evans

Which is your favorite dog quote? Let me know or share one of your own in the comments below.

Happy Selling and stay cool,

David

Today I want to talk to you about a very important skill.  Do you know how to be broke?  Yes, I’m going to talk about how to be broke!

I’ve had people ask why I would go from making $100,000 a year to $30,000 a year? 

Making sacrifices is part of the building phase of building your own business.

I have been reading and studying about business for 20 years at least. I have not found any material that talks about being broke in business.  

Most successful business people want to focus on their achievements which presents an illusion of a smooth ride to success! This is not the case for most of us. What do we do? Let’s talk about some specific tips I have for you today.

1. Always make a plan.

• Learn to live on less by trimming unnecessary expenses.
• Understand that things may not be as bad as they seem. Good things can come from difficult times.
• Know that this is a sacrifice being made for a specific purpose with a goal in sight.

2. Communicate your plan.

• Explain your goals to your family. Help them understand the sacrifices you plan to make.
• Communicate with your creditors. Ask how they can work with you in time of crisis.
• Know your breaking point. A successful business is not worth more than a happy marriage or a close family relationship.

I’m here to tell you, “I have not had a smooth ride to success.” Success is hard! Going through difficult times will help you know that you can make it no matter what you go through!

Have a plan and work your plan and success will come. 

Happy Selling,

David