Author: David Matney

I would say that the one word that can be used to describe successful people is ‘persistence.’

The road to success is filled with many obstacles, challenges and detours. You must be persistent if you want to be able to get through those challenges. Your mindset has to remain positive and optimistic, especially while you are going through the difficult times.

As I tell anyone coming into any new opportunities, the first year will be the most difficult. Everyone is starting from Ground Zero with determination and high expectations. Everyone learns that hopes, visions and dreams are important, but it takes more than that. There will even come to a point where you have crossroad moments. You will question yourself, “Do I really have what it takes or should I just throw in the towel?” This will be a turning point in your life. You have to decide that no matter what, you are committed to having success. You have to BE PERSISTENT.

Persistence is when you dig deep within yourself to remember why you started in the first place. This is why it’s important to constantly look at why you began this journey of success. Perhaps it was to earn top income, live a better life, or to simply have more freedom. You will never achieve any of these things if you decide to give up. All successful people have faced some very difficult times, but they continued marching forward because they were looking at the big picture. Their long-term success meant much more to them than the short term challenges.

When it comes to success, talent alone is not enough. Hard work will beat talent every single time. Every successful person will tell you that they achieved their goals because of their persistence and hard work. All of them had to overcome a lot of challenges on their journey. Remember that there are no shortcuts to success. You must commit to the cause and you must be persistent.

Along with being persistent, you must also have patience. It’s important to keep working towards your goals, but you must understand that accomplishing the big goals will take time. When you are writing out your big goals, break them down into small daily and weekly goals. This will allow you to see progress as you are working towards your big dreams.

Successful people ignore the instant gratification, and they understand that success is a long-term effort. You have to build those efforts over time which will allow you to accomplish your big goal. Remember that this is a marathon, not a sprint.

When looking at high level performers, most people think they are just lucky and gifted. The truth is we don’t see behind the scenes, what they went through to get to where they are at today. Nobody was born a Champion. They worked hard at it. They spent hours, days, weeks, months and years to get it right. They made many mistakes and failed, but they learned from all of those mistakes and improved.  Success is a journey. You must be committed to your dreams and, no matter what, never give up. Be relentless and be persistent.

There will be some days where you feel like you’re making great progress. There will be some days where you feel like you have not accomplished anything. Keep positive and keep moving.

Your consistency will help you to build momentum. The success will come.

Always remember that you were designed to do great things. Never settle for mediocrity. Never listen to the naysayers. Believe in yourself and your opportunities. Your dream is real and it’s time for you to go out and make it happen. It takes a lot of determination, a lot of hard work and consistency. Start today and no matter what, BE PERSISTENT!

Happy Selling,

David

It’s July 31st, How’s your EOM?

End of month mindset is often considered to be critically important for business people, especially those in sales. It’s typical for companies to have sales quotas and target goals, and employees are expected to meet them, resulting in extra pressure toward the end of the month. During that last week, business people can get pretty frantic as their deadlines loom, and they push themselves harder than usual to attain their goals. Most corporate individuals have an end of month focus.

But do we as individual sales professionals have a focus?

But might there be a better way?

What is mindset?

You know what mindset will help you achieve your end of month goals: your demeanor, focus, drive…that “eye of the tiger.” You’ve learned which activities are the most productive for you, and you focus more on those at month’s end. For many people, this means amping up the effort on around day 17, with a view to a strong close on the 31st.

But what if you could change your mindset and actually start the month amped up?

My challenge to you

Years ago, I started playing a mindset mind game with myself, and it gives me tremendous lift and momentum to kick off the month. Rather than feeling the pressure build up as the month progresses, I treat the first week like it’s the end, and I start my month in the black. I’ve even had the first day pay for the whole month!

Recently, I heard a phenomenal speaker who had the latest statistics on income: only 5% of people in America today make $100,000 or more a year, which breaks down to $8333.33 per month.

I wondered if maybe it’s because people wait until the 17th day of the month to start producing. Over the years it has become very evident how much production occurs at end of month. It’s like people kick it up a notch during those later weeks as they evaluate their business and realize they have to kick it into high gear.

Choose a different week for end of month

What could happen in your business if you begin playing the mindset mind game?

Decide what it would look like for you. Maybe you’ll shift your end of month to the 21st instead of the 31st, and actually follow through on end of month activities ten days early. You can create new habits and attitudes that cause your momentum to swing toward the beginning of the month, resulting in higher overall productivity and less fluctuation.

To implement this plan, think of five things can you do right now to facilitate it. Maybe it’s having your call lists ready to roll, or focusing on clear, effective messaging, or fine tuning your core story. Make sure you have generated enough leads to give yourself a strong start, rather than scrambling for names. Whenever you decide your “last week” will be, pack it full of meetings and other high-producing MMA activities.

Analyze your time, knowing you can only do three things with it:

spend it

waste it

invest it

Make sure that your productive time isn’t wasted with busy work, but is filled with tasks that bring in results. Change your end of month mindset to a strong focus on preparation: rather than scrambling to meet your goals, those are done and behind you. Now you’re looking ahead to attack your first week with the same intensity that you formerly attacked the last one. Figure out the strategies that work best for you, and have them in place and ready to go.

Your time is NOW!

For some crazy reason, people seem to think they’re going to live forever. A guy once said to me, “David, someday I’m going to…”

I looked at my calendar and said, “You know, I can’t find someday on here. When is it?” We aren’t guaranteed tomorrow, but we get distracted by things that are nonessential in our lives.

This causes us to lose focus on what’s truly important. Look back at the things you said you wanted to accomplish by the end of last December. Did you achieve them?

Evaluate how many days you’ve taken off, and how many days were productive. Many, many years ago when the blue laws were first repealed, business owners rejoiced at the opportunity to stay open on Sundays. Unfortunately, many modern business owners have an opposite mentality, taking advantage of every little holiday created by Hallmark. It’s commonplace for businesses to close early, close on weekends, and take holidays. But if you really want to grow, you must have that entrepreneur mindset of “whatever it takes.”

For you to change your habits, you must change your mindset.

This is not difficult, but it does take some mental re-training.

First, decide when you want your new “end of month week” to be, and make it as productive as possible. After you’ve met those targets, set your sights on preparing for your next “first week.”

You’ll be amazed at how your productivity skyrockets, and at how much momentum you’ll carry into each new month!

Happy Selling,

David

The DOG DAY’s of Summer is in full swing, and while many people will spend their days relaxing by the pool, millions of salespeople will be on the phone, the computer, or in a business meeting somewhere. If you happen to be one of those salespeople, don’t get discouraged. Summer can be a great time to get things done and move your sales career forward, so that when the leaves begin to change you’ll be a step ahead of everybody else.

As usual, from the Home Office in Death Valley, California,

Here are the Top Ten Things

All Salespeople Should do this Summer to Succeed

10. Make one more call

I don’t mean to sound like an old sales manager, but longer daylight hours mean it still feels a bit early even when late. Make one extra call even when you think you’re done for the day and these calls will start to add up. And, your prospect won’t think you’re calling too late because it’ll still be light out.

9. Write down your goals

As we have talked about many times before, A goal without a plan is just a dream, so spend some time writing down what you want to accomplish and, more importantly, how you intend to accomplish it. Break down bigger goals into smaller, more attainable ones, and work backwards from there.

8. Take some sales training courses

You might already be a great salesperson, but even the most skeptical among us can always take something valuable away from sales training. Even if it helps you close one more deal a year, it’s probably still worth it.

7. Listen more

The best salespeople are excellent listeners, and even though the rest of us know that, very few of us are able to develop superior listening skills. If you want to close more deals, take the summertime to focus on becoming the best listener you’ve ever met.

6. Network

This is another area where many salespeople fall short. Networking events might seem insufferable, but a resourceful salesperson can walk away from any event with some valuable contacts and knows how to build on the relationship.

5. Clean up dead opportunities

Knowing what isn’t the right opportunity is just as important as knowing what is, so take some time this summer to clean up all of the junk in your CRM and in your mind. Stop wasting time with deals that won’t close and put your energies into ones that will.

4. Use some new technology

There are tons of new technologies being developed for salespeople. Even if you don’t tend to like trying new tech, give something new a shot this summer. In many cases, you’ll wonder how you ever went without it.

3. Take some time off

Working long hours can be a requirement in some sales jobs, but you need to give yourself some time off regularly as well. Taking a vacation allows you to recharge your batteries and come back to work well-rested and motivated.

2. Friday is for closing

Yes. I love Fridays, especially Friday afternoons. I love them for selling and especially in the summer. You get to close more deals on Fridays because people want to get this off their plate before the weekend.  

Sure, a lot of people are out Friday afternoons, and yet a lot of people are just a little more laid back. In fact, I get more conversations with owners during this time window! 

It’s also the time to be closing. You don’t want to allow a deal that is kind of hanging by a thread to sit there. “I’ll get to it next week.” could be that deal’s death sentence. You don’t know what’s going to happen from a vacation standpoint and everything else, so why not get it done on Friday?

And the #1 Top Ten Things

All Salespeople Should do this Summer to Succeed is….

1. Close deals on the beach

Well, it IS summer, so why not take a few days and work remotely? You have a phone and a laptop, right? use them! MMA’s (Money Making Activities)

We all know about the “DOG DAYS” of summer can be brutal, especially in the south. I’ve always hated the Dog Days of Summer excuse – it always felt like a cheap way for an underperforming sales reps to make an excuse for a slow month. There’s money to be made even in the heat.

Let me know how you deal with the late summer heat. Leave a message in the comments.

Have a great weekend,

David

New sales people often come to us asking how some of our top producers have done so well.  We end up talking about how to work your territory, asking questions, joining networking groups, and the usual steps you need to take to succeed…but…what is often overlooked and is more important than any of these is building relationships.  This means building a strong network of clients and referral partners throughout your area.  How do you do this? 

1. Take care of your clients and build trust.  One of the biggest issues new sales people have is that they sign a deal and then they rarely or never talk to the client after setting them up.  This is a huge mistake.  In the first 6 months after signing a client up you should check in with them often.  This could be walking in the door to say hello, calling  them, or even a friendly email to see how everything is going.  The client needs to know that someone is looking out for them and cares about their business.    When another sales person walks in the door you want that client to say”   I don’t care what you say – I’m not leaving my person.”  I am sure you have heard this from potential clients before – this is 100% due to their salesperson taking care of them and creating a solid relationship. 
2. Talk to people who work in similar businesses.   Think about the type of businesses you want to work with…whether its restaurants, auto repair, or any of the hundreds of business types we work with, someone else is selling something to them.  Who are their suppliers?  Who is their accountant?  Who do they turn to for financial help?  These are the people you need to meet and start to work with.  Call on them.  Invite them out to lunch or drinks.  One accountant or restaurant sales person could ending up sending you dozens of leads.  You need to send them back to them as well – but that’s how a good mutually beneficial relationship works.  Treat people the way you want to be treated by sending business their way and what you send will come back to you tenfold.

Remember  – working in credit card processing is a marathon – not a sprint.  You make your money over a long period of time.  The longer your clients are with you and the more of them you have then the more money you will make.  The stronger your relationships are with your clients then the longer they will stay with you and the more referrals they will give you.  The more you work with other people in similar industries then the more you will have the opportunity to help grow each other’s businesses.

Happy Selling,

David

The majority of sales people in merchant services work outside in door to door sales.  This is hands down one of the hardest and most rewarding ways you can build a book of business in any industry.  It is time consuming, exhausting, and the negativity that comes with being told “NO” many times daily can lead a person to look for a new career.  BUT  – The “YES’s” you get are what make it all worth while.

If you are a rookie in sales I’m going to give you some bad news right now – you WILL need to start off with a lot cold calling in order to build up a pipeline 25-30 door pulls per day- but you won’t have to forever. So – what is the magic plan to grow your business and sell more deals than your local competitors.  Its all about scheduling and time management. I

Traditionally sales people have been taught that they need to leave their office and go grind.  Spend 8 hours walking door to door.  Hit every door and every floor.  Talk to everyone.  This is not the answer though – working hard is not always enough to make someone successful  – you need to work smart as well.

You need to set up your day so part of it is spent cold calling (This part will get smaller and smaller as you grow your database of potential clients), part of it is spent at appointments, and part of it is spent on referrals.  This is what a typical day should look like for any outside sales person.

1.  8AM – 10AM Spend the morning reaching out to potential customers that you have not had a chance to sit down with yet via the phone.  You have spent time collecting their information  – most likely cold calling and pulling their business card or just their name and when the best time is to contact them.  Now you are going to reach out to them to try to set up an appointment to sit down with them.  A typical script would be: ” I was in the other day to speak to you about X.  I helped some of your neighbors with X and I would like to come in and speak with you for 5 minutes on Tuesday at 3pm.”  Then handle any rejections or rebuttals that come your way.  Always offer them a time when you are going to be near them – NEVER ask them what time is good.  They will always say they have no time.  You are going to suggest either 11 am or 3pm.  Hit those calls for 2 hours and start setting as many appointments as you can.

2.  11AM  You are going to have your first of 2 -4 daily appointments at this time.  Hit the area before and after in any spare time you have to do some cold calling/collecting of information so you can reach out to people the next day during you phone session.

3.  1PM.  The middle of the day – lunch – a great time to sit down with an existing client and ask for referrals. Bring them something to eat  – and most importantly – ask for referrals!  The most important part of your day will be getting those referrals and then calling them to set up a meeting.  Nothing is more powerful than calling someone up and saying that their friend told you to call.  People will give you their attention twice as often on a referral than they will on a cold call.  Once you have enough clients you should be constantly going to these lunch meetings and working on referrals.  Just to be clear – his does not mean asking who they know – ask for a very specific type of person or business that you are trying to work with. For example: “I am looking to work with people in the medical field, who is your doctor or dentist, and can I reach out to them”

4.  3PM  This will be another appointment you have set. Spend time after cold calling around this appointment and information gathering.

5.  5PMish .  Get out of the field.  Go home and wrap up your day and start organizing and preparing for the next day.  In sales your day does not truly end at 5pm.  

You should spend time after the “work” day getting ready for the next day.  This is what makes the difference between someone earning $30,000 a year and someone earning $100,000 a year.

If you follow this simple plan you will effectively cut your time cold calling down from 8 hours a day to maybe 3-4 hours max. There will be days where you wont even be doing any.  You will eventually hit a point where almost all of your business will be coming from appointments and referrals.  Stick to this schedule and keep track of your daily activity and sales will be much less stressful, you will be happier, and you will make a ton more money.

Happy Selling,

David

When you are out in the field to sell credit card processing you most likely are running in to the same 2 or 3 merchant services companies at almost every business you walk in to.  This typically happens for 2 reasons 

1:  A sales rep worked the territory for a long time and either quit or is still going strong in the area. 

2.  There is a local bank who contracted out processing to a national credit card processor.    

So you keep seeing the same companies processing credit cards for your potential clients.  What do you do to combat this? 

How do you convince all of these people to start working with you? 

Sun Tzu in the art of war said:  ( paraphrasing here…)   Know thy self, know thy enemy.  Essentially you need to know all about who you are selling against if you are going to succeed in flipping over their clients. 

How do you do this?  Start off with the easy stuff.  Look them up on the BBB and rip-off reports.  Find out about complaints against them.  Have they caused issues for their clients?  Do they overcharge their clients?  If you can get your hands on even one of the statements from a client near you then you can get an idea of what they are charging people and where they are overcharging people.  If you are going up against a local sales person start with the obvious question:  Are they still working?  When is the last time your local sales person even walked in the door? 

 Use all the information available to you. Let them your local, you offer support locally, paper and supplies, Offer referrals, and that you are always a phone call away.  Then go close those deals!

How do your competitors stack up in your area? Let me know.

Happy Selling,

David

If you really want true success in your life, you have to be willing to take some major risks. The most successful people in life have dared to be risk takers

Life is very short, and you have wonderful visions and dreams inside of you. You have to ask yourself what is stopping you from going after those dreams. A big part of it could just be fear. If you’re afraid, that’s good. We don’t grow when we stay inside our comfort zone. Be afraid, but do it anyway. If you want something in your life that you’ve never had, you will have to do something that you’ve never done.

Most people, when presented with an incredible opportunity in which they have the potential to achieve great things, would rather choose something different which may provide so-called security. Sadly, they settle for something less rather than taking a risk and going after their dream.

There is more to life than just getting by or living by the status quo. You can have a life filled with abundance. You have been presented with great opportunities. You have a choice. You can play it safe and not achieve your full potential or you can take that risk and just go for it. I want to encourage you to stop playing it safe with your dreams and your goals. Instead of just testing the waters, dive in!

Go all out 100% and trust that all your dreams will come true.

Do not allow the fear to stop you. Fear is a liar.

Fear can stop you right in your tracks if you allow it to. Fear will remind you of all the things that will happen if you do not succeed. However, fear always forgets to mention how miserable you could be if you don’t even try to follow your dreams. Do not live with the pain of regret. Take advantage of your opportunities and go out and make it happen.

Keep in mind, you will have struggles, especially in the beginning. You will fail. If you didn’t have failure, it would be a sign that you’re playing it too safe. The closest people to you in life will question you and some will think you are crazy. You have a choice. You can listen to them and not chase after your dream or you can make that commitment and grind forward. You will have crossroad moments when you feel like throwing in the towel. That’s when you have to remind yourself why you began in the first place. No matter what, do not quit! Your dream is worth it. I promise you that your future self will thank you for never giving up.

I cannot stress enough how important it is to surround yourself with some great mentors. Take a look at your circle of influence. If you are the smartest person in that circle, you are in the wrong circle. Surround yourself with those who will lift you up, inspire you and help you to get to the life you desire.It’s time to stop playing it safe. So many people have the misconception that if you play it safe, you will have security. However, playing it safe means you have basically decided that you don’t want to grow anymore. Nobody has achieved anything great by playing it safe.

The great philosopher Ferris Bueller once said “Life moves pretty fast.” You have some incredible dreams and goals inside of you. You are designed for greatness. It’s time to stop playing it safe. Step out of your comfort zone. Take that risk and don’t look back. Celebrate your success, and celebrate the life that you desire.

Your future looks incredible! Jump on the Success train, and go out and make it happen!

Happy Selling,

David

I’ve been wanting to update or revisit this older post for a while now. This is a long overdue follow up to 2017’s The Top 10 Sales Movies. So I went back to the drawing board and re-watched all of the movies from the original post and ones I was asked to watch and I’ve compiled what I would say is the definitive list of the Top 10 Sales Movies of all times, and a couple that may surprise you.

I always enjoy watching stories that help me grow professionally, by providing me with perspective, applicable lessons, or simply inspiration.

These 10 films, in my opinion, all have something to offer for today’s sales pros. They cover a vast assortment of genres and time periods and subject matter, but at the end of the day, these are all movies about sales, one way or another. I’ve also added what I call the “Money Quote” from each film.

From the Home Office in Center of the World, Ohio, Here are the

Top 10 Sales Movies Revisited

10. Death of a Salesman

While not on the 2017 list this movie based on the classic play by Arthur Miller, this movie was made for the small screen (it premiered on CBS in August of 1985) but offered Hollywood-caliber drama and performances (from Dustin Hoffman and John Malkovich, among others.)

As its name suggests, Death of a Salesman is not the most uplifting of affairs — its protagonist is a failed traveling salesman whose life more or less falls apart — but ultimately there are good takeaways here about setting realistic goals, and accepting ourselves for who we really are.

Money Quote: “Walk in with a big laugh. Don’t look worried. Start off with a couple of your good stories to lighten things up. It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it, because personality always wins the day.” — Willy Loman

9. Glengarry Glen Ross

This still hold the number 9 spot on both list. The early scene in which Blake, an arrogant hotshot sent from downtown to motivate a lagging collection of real estate salesmen, arrives and verbally berates the embattled team is unforgettable. Alec Baldwin’s vitriolic, profanity-laced takedown is riveting, hilarious, and heartbreaking all the same time. “Put that coffee down! Coffee’s for closers!” he barks at Shelley Levene (Jack Lemmon) as he meekly tries to pour a mug.

Levene is one of the classic salesman archetypes in cinema, personifying the pressure and rejection that can be incumbent to the profession. (The character became something of a pop-culture stereotype in and of itself.) The movie is a fun throwback to a bygone era, with salesmen dialing up prospects from phone booths and desperately yearning for that coveted stack of Glengarry leads. (If only they had Sales Navigator to generate their own!)

Money Quote: “A-B-C. A: Always, B: Be, C: Closing. Always be closing.” — Blake

8. The Big Kahuna

Welcome The Big Kahuna to the list. Most B2B salespeople know about the thrill of chasing that huge, game-changing deal. The one that makes your month, or even your year. That’s the focus here, with the titular “Big Kahuna” being the CEO of a large company who is targeted by a trio of industrial lubricant sales/marketing reps at a trade show.

The interplay between these three characters, and the many reflective moments, make this comedy a worthwhile view even beyond the laughs.

Money Quote: “It doesn’t matter whether you’re selling Jesus or Buddha or civil rights or ‘How to Make Money in Real Estate With No Money Down.’ That doesn’t make you a human being; it makes you a marketing rep. If you want to talk to somebody honestly, as a human being, ask him about his kids. Find out what his dreams are — just to find out, for no other reason. Because as soon as you lay your hands on a conversation to steer it, it’s not a conversation anymore; it’s a pitch. And you’re not a human being; you’re a marketing rep.” — Phil Cooper

7. The Pursuit of Happyness

Number 4 on the 2017 list it lands # 7 on this one. A career in sales can be a struggle, requiring us to look deep within ourselves. No film epitomizes this truth better than The Pursuit of Happyness, in which Will Smith plays a medical equipment salesman named Chris Gardner who finds himself homeless after a run of bad luck. He tries to dig his way out of destitution and provide a better life for his son.

Gardner’s sad plight turns into an uplifting resurgence as he employs a variety of savvy sales tactics during an unpaid internship at a brokerage firm, focusing on the highest-value prospects and relying on his strong interpersonal skills. Through impressive performance, he earns a paying job and eventually starts his own successful company. I dare you to watch this film and not feel utterly inspired.

Money Quote: “Walk that walk and go forward all the time. Don’t just talk that talk, walk it and go forward. Also, the walk didn’t have to be long strides; baby steps counted too. Go forward.” — Chris Gardner

6. The Wolf of Wall Street

Landing at number 6 from #7 from the 2017 list here we have the flip side of the coin. Leonardo DiCaprio’s Jordan Belfort rises from humble beginnings to Wall Street kingpin thanks to his ability to execute (and teach) the hard sell. Once he gets on the phone, his persuasive abilities are divine as he convincingly paints worthless stocks as can’t-miss opportunities.

Belfort quickly climbs the ladder as he builds his company Stratton Oakmont into a powerhouse, all while he spirals out of control amidst drugs and debauchery, and things eventually unravel in rather spectacular fashion.

Money Quote: “The only thing standing between you and your goal is the [BS] story you keep telling yourself as to why you can’t achieve it.” — Jordan Belfort

5. Boiler Room

A Huge jump from #10 to # 5 Boiler Room, Like Wolf of Wall Street, depicts aggressive brokers peddling junk stocks with inflated promises in search of hefty commissions, albeit in a very different style. Compared to most other movies listed here, this one takes a somewhat more serious look at the impact and consequences of dishonest sales tactics.

Money Quote: “There is no such thing as a no-sale call. A sale is made on every call you make. Either you sell the client some stock or he sells you a reason he can’t. Either way a sale is made, the only question is who is gonna close? You or him?” — Jim Young

4. Jerry Maguire

Dropping from #1 to #4 is Jerry Maguire. After dramatically breaking off from his sports agency to go it alone, Maguire (played by Tom Cruise) has to sell himself to clients to remain viable. The decision that sent him down this path is one that resonates in today’s digital sales world: quality over quantity. He wanted to work with fewer clients in order to deliver better and more personal service.

Ultimately, Maguire is only able to convince one client to stay with him at his new solo venture, but the strong relationship he builds with Rod Tidwell (Cuba Gooding Jr.) eventually gets noticed by others, opening new opportunities and saving his career.

Money Quote: “The key to this business is personal relationships.” — Dicky Fox

3. Moneyball

Money Ball moved down from #2 to the third spot on our updated list. Diving into the sports realm, we come to the story of Billy Beane (Brad Pitt), who transformed the way baseball front offices operate with his innovative approach as Oakland A’s general manager back in the early 2000s. This film (based on a book of the same name) shows how Beane built a small-market contender by identifying and capitalizing on market inefficiencies. In this case, his data-driven approach points him toward on-base percentage as an undervalued asset.

You are (probably) not in the business of constructing an MLB roster, but the takeaway for sellers is this: What’s your market inefficiency? Where is the untapped opportunity in your space that competing salespeople are overlooking?

Beane’s attempts to sway traditional mindsets in the organization toward a new, unfamiliar way of thinking might help inspire any sales pro who faces a firmly established status quo.

Money Quote: “We are card counters at the blackjack table. And we’re gonna turn the odds on the casino.” — Billy Beane

2. A Christmas Story

Okay, this one’s a little outside the box but hear me out. You won’t find this cherished holiday staple on many “Best Sales Movie” lists, because it’s not about sales in any way. Or is it?

Throughout the entire movie, young Raphie is trying to sell his parents on the Red Ryder Carbine Action 200-shot Range Model air rifle that he so desires, playing up the benefits (a compass in the stock, and this thing that tells time) while downplaying the widespread objections (one is liable to shoot his eye out). Eventually his resolve wins out.

It’s an epic tale of tenacity and persistence.

Money Quote: “It was a classic, mother BB-gun block. ‘You’ll shoot your eye out!’ That deadly phrase, honored many times by hundreds of mothers, was not surmountable by any means known to Kid-dom, but such was my mania, my desire for a Red Ryder carbine, that I immediately began to rebuild the dike.” — Ralphie Parker

And the # 1 SALES MOVIE REVISITED is….

1. Tommy Boy

Really, Oh yes. As we looked at Tommy Boy previously, Tommy Boy is about two contrasting sales philosophies – David Spade’s data-driven yet cold approach, Chris Farley’s relationship-driven yet… unique approach.

Both fail in spectacular fashion. Farley makes friends but can’t make a strong business case, Spade can build the business case but is hated.

But what works is when both sides come together — Spade’s logic, Farley’s passion. And that saves Callahan Auto, and keeps it away from the evil villain duo of Bo Derek and Rob Lowe.

What a movie, what a lesson.

Money Quote: “Brothers don’t shake hands. Brothers gotta hug.” ― Tommy Callahan

Honorable Mention – Bonus – Used Cars

“Kurt Russell plays a hotshot used car hustler who dreams of running for state senate in Robert Zemeckis’s outrageous sales satire. Personifying every crooked cliché of the trade, Russell’s quick-talking charm and effortless charisma gives this hilariously raunchy comedy an energy that’s as effective today as it was 35 years ago. With little more than a high-wattage smile and a bucket of auto primer, Russell turns his character’s often-repeated motto “Trust me!” into a mantra that every good salesperson would do well to perfect.”

Money Quote: “- Big Jim: I ain’t never sold no damn cars before.
– Rudy: It’s easy Jim. All you have to do is get them in that car. Nothing sells a car better than a car itself. Now remember this you have to get their confidence, get their friendship, get their trust.”

Not all of these movies cast the sales profession in the best light. Few of them tie directly to the work we do today of engaging prospects and building relationships in the digital space. But as you watch these heralded classics, you’re bound to come away with some insight and food for thought.

Is there one I missed? Let me know in the comments .

Have a great weekend,

David

For all of us in the sales world we know better than anyone that the process goes much deeper than just closing a sale. The sales path to closing a new business varies based on industry, but it is rarely a straight and clear-cut path. A Successful sales professional is someone who hits the ground running, does their due diligence on industry standards, and is up to date on all changes in the merchant services industry, maybe.

1. Someone Who Is Passionate About What They Do

Going the extra mile for a client is a sure way to build client trust and grow your business at the same time. By continually providing superior customer service to your clients and going above the status quo, people will take notice of your level of dedication, and to most

2. Invested In Their Customers and Their Education

A truly talented merchant services sales professional or sales individual in any industry knows that knowledge is power. By having a strong understanding of your industry as well as your clients, a sales rep can better position themselves to highlight pain points and issues that may leave certain business owners hesitant to switch Merchant Services.

By being able to inform your client on what POS systems, products, and services will benefit their business best you are becoming a resource for that business owner. This can differentiate you from other Merchant service companies as you are devoting time to help the business owner on a professional level, but on a resource level as well.

Since the Merchant services industry and all other industries can change dramatically over time regarding a change in laws, new regulations, and new disruptors; it is important to do continuous research so that you can serve your customers best by being up to date on all things ISO.

3. They Listen

While it is important to have at least a basic understanding of your client’s industry, understanding your client’s needs and addressing them will put you in a better position to make a sale, and grow your business through referrals. This tactic not only shows good faith as a salesperson but shows that your dedication goes deeper than just the sale.

Why We Sell Merchant Services?

By providing merchant services to a client you are giving your customers access to the most competitive prices possibly eliminating a huge amount of those fees without sacrificing great service. This allows businesses of all sizes a chance to lower their monthly overhead, increase employee benefits, and grow their business with infinite possibilities.

Happy Selling,

David

We all know that cold calling is the hardest yet potentially most rewarding way to succeed in our industry.  It can be frustrating trying to get in touch with the decision maker – but – it does not have to be.  There are resources available to you that will allow you to make your approach much more successful.

When you walk in to a cold door and ask to speak to the owner typically you are going to be told that he/she is not there or that they are not interested.  This is what gatekeepers are trained to do: keep you out. 

The best way to get around this is to ask for the owner by name.  When you do you are showing familiarity with the owner and you have a much better chance of actually speaking to them.  So all you need to do is find the owners name before you cold call the business. 

Below you will find the 3 best places to locate this information:

1.  Your state’s Corporation Database.  Google your state and the words “corporate database” (Usually that states Secretary of states office) This is goldmine of information – and it is usually free.  All you need to do is search for the business name and you will find the names of the owners, phone numbers, and more. 

2.  Social Media.  Facebook, Twitter, and Yelp are great places to look if you are trying to find out who is in charge.  Most of the time you will find the owner replying to posts on their company pages – especially when they have a bad review they will be the person replying trying to rectify the situation. 

3.  The companies website.  Typically they would have an about us or contact us page.  It is pretty easy to find what you are looking for right there!

Use these resources to get your foot in the door.  If you know you are going to be in a certain area study it the night before.  Find out what businesses are there and then find out who owns the place.  Walking in and asking for them by name is going to make your job much easier and will help you easily double your sales!

Happy Selling,

David