You're Going To Be Great At This!

We all have a specific market that we would like to aim our attention to, be it business owners, single moms, realtors, or some other group of people. For me, as an example, I prefer working with small business owners, but I also do a lot of work with realtors. I didn't go looking for them, but we just have so many realtors in my area that it couldn't be helped. There are times, however, when you find yourself working in a totally different market, That's fine because in the end a sale is a sale. I'm not going to turn away business because the client was not in my business plan. And neither should you. When you do have someone approach you that you had not planned on helping, it's important to remember they may have different needs and budgets than what you are used to. Your usual banter may not be applicable or appropriate when talking to a new group of clients either. A good example of this is when I recently found myself getting referred to several school employe...

Why do veteran salespeople have a reputation for being jaded and curmudgeons? Because after years of dealing with people who don't keep appointments, return phones and generally are flakes, it takes a toll on them. As mentioned previously, my old manager used to say, "If it weren't for people it would be the easiest job in the world." Those old grizzled salespeople were not always like that. Many started off as hopeful, confident and ready to make a buck. I know my first sales job offered a training course that was comprised of an even split between product knowledge and motivating us. The motivational part was important because all the product knowledge in the world won't help unless you can find the reason to get out of bed in the morning. Coming out of that sales school I was eager to see people and set the world on fire. Then reality set in. Getting rejected over and over was brutal, especially to a 23 year old kid who was told how easy it would be to sell. Bu...

One of the most important life lessons I've shared with people is to know when to shut up. Seriously, people talk entirely too much. They want to share their opinions, political beliefs, recipes and personal drama because they either think that others want to hear this or that we need their valuable information.  This happens in sales also. There are sales people who give out all kinds of information about their product or service, from the features of the product to the long list of names of satisfied customers. But there comes a point in the sales process when you have to stop selling and close. And when you close you need to stop talking.  When it comes to closing, there's an old sales adage that says, "The one who talks first loses." For example, let's say you have been working on a customer for about twenty minutes. Now it's time to close and you go with something like, "So what do you think? Would you like to start filling out the paperwork?" (...

For anyone who is a business owner, entrepreneur or otherwise in sales, you need to know people. Even if you haven't gotten your business going yet or if you are still in school, networking can pay off for you in spades. Getting your name out there and building relationships is one of the best ways to grow your business. How you do it is up to you, but making it part of your daily routine is of utmost importance. There are several reasons why you should be networking. The most obvious one is to get referrals. Word of mouth recommendations don't cost a penny but are so much more effective than paid advertising. Having someone in your corner as an advocate for you lets others know that you are trusted and good at your job.   Of course, it's important to make sure that the person speaking on your behalf has a good network to refer you to. Sure, it's great to meet the new person in town, but if they don't know anyone their recommendations of you will be limited.  Then t...

Let's face it, when it comes to selling products and services to people, not everyone is going to be happy. Our job is to make sure that people are satisfied with their purchase, but there are those people out there who, know matter what you do for them, will never be pleased. The root of all of this is the adage that says "The customer is always right." We know that this is not the case. Telling people they are wrong or "misinformed" is hard to do, especially when the customer sincerely believes they are right. When I sell insurance I go over a lot of information, maybe too much. That is part of the job because the majority of my clients really are not insurance experts. They know what they have been told by their family or friends.  For instance, I had a grown man, probably in his 40's, who only bought whole life insurance because "that's what my father bought". We did the math and figured out how much coverage he needed. When I looked at his...

As a member of several sales groups on Facebook and LinkedIn I have noticed that the question that is asked the most is "Where do I find clients?" When it comes to selling, this is the proverbial conundrum wrapped in an enigma inside a puzzle. If you haven't read my book , one of the themes is that many companies are offering full commission sales jobs, which means that they can hire anyone and everyone at minimal risk because if these new recruits don't sell anything, the company doesn't have to pay anything. That puts a lot of the responsibility for finding prospects on the shoulders of the new hire.  As I state in my book, my first real sales job was selling insurance door-to-door in rural North Carolina. In the hiring process we were told that we would pick up renewals from people who had the policy and "they will give you the names of people to see". The implication was that when I showed up to get a renewal check there would be several names on a s...

Have you ever met someone and just felt uncomfortable around them? Say, for instance, that you just met this person and the vibe was one of sheer creepiness. When we work with the public, this happens often. Some of these folks will give off an aura of eccentricity while others almost feel threatening.  More often than not, I usually meet these people through referrals and introductions.  Imagine someone saying, "I gave your name and contact information to some friends of mine because they are in the market for (whatever you're selling) and need some help." Then you remember that the person giving you the referral just got out paroled from prison, and if your recall correctly, it had something to do with murder.  A day or so later you get a phone call from new client, who somehow transmits a sense of dread over the phone. Sure, maybe it's all in your head, you tell yourself, until you meet this person and their family. The Addams Family meets the Munsters, but withou...

Growing up in North Carolina, we were like most kids on April 1, who would carry out mildly dumb jokes and pranks on our friends and teachers. "You're shoes are untied!" was a classic to use. The other person would naturally look down to see that their shoes were tied just fine, only to get "April Fools!" yelled at them. It was even funnier when the other person had shoes with no laces, like loafers.  In my opinion, the best jokes were simple and harmless, like the above example. No one got hurt and it was over in a few seconds, so we could move on with the rest of our day, or to the next victim. And the most important rule was that if you were going to dish out a joke, you better be prepared to take one as well.  However, there were those people who just couldn't take a joke very well. For instance, there was a tightly wound kid (I'll call him Bill) who lived in the dorm room next to me. I spoke to him rarely because I always sensed he had all the attri...