The Sales Professionals Blog

Have you ever heard the famous movie quote: “You had me at hello“?

You haven’t heard it before?

Ok, grab some tissues, this is going to be emotional:

Jerry Maguire: I love you. You… complete me.
Dorothy: Shut up. Just shut up. You had me at “hello.”

Many see this as a piece of cinematic history, but as a sales guru, I see it as a sales example.

You see, Jerry Maguire was about to go into some rant about how much he loved Dorothy, but she was already sold, and she probably just wanted a nice snog.

This is something that happens a lot in sales… no, not juicy snogs… I mean not knowing when to stop and close the deal.

It may be tempting to give your 45 minute demo and presentation every time, but you could save valuable time by knowing when to stop and focus on closing the sale.

So often I see customers showing a genuine and forceful interest in the product, but the sales person continues to blabber on about how many suction nosels the product has.

This can lose you the sale, but even worse, it can lose you a longterm customer.

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Today we are going to continue our sales training guide, and we are going to look at the qualification process.

Qualification? Don’t worry, I am not going to ask you to take some exams… instead, I want you to focus more on a popular sales area that is often overlooked.

Qualifying the customer.

This is a fairly simple process… it goes a little something like this:

Hero: Good afternoon Mrs Jones, may I ask if you own a car?

Mrs Jones: No I don’t

Hero: Ok, thanks for your time.

See how our hero saved valuable time by using a qualifying question to learn about the customer. Ok, to be fair, in this instance the hero was selling peanut butter, but it was his first attempt, so I don’t want to be too harsh on the lad.

You can qualify a lead without being too direct simply by trying to blend it into the conversational opener. Combined with some good rapport skills, you can often qualify the customer without putting them on guard.

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Welcome to our sales training guide. Today we are going to discuss rapport.

Rapport may sound like a cheap perfume, or perhaps a bolognese sauce, but it is one of the arts of not only the world of sales, but also any form of human interaction.

You see, rapport builds trust - trust builds more sales - more sales builds more money - more money builds… well, it can build almost anything.

There are thousands of articles on the net that can show you how to build rapport, go and have a read, make the time to know the basics, and above all… take the time to get to know your customer a little. If you jump straight into a presentation then you are going to be facing an uphill battle from the very first second.

Rapport - bring people together.

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“scuse me missus, is your fella in or owt? I have some gizmos I am looking to get rid, they ain’t knocked off nor notin”

Would you buy from this person?

I would personally beat him around the head with a frozen fish… yes, you heard me, a frozen fish.

Which leads us to today’s sales training guide. Today we are going to look at speaking all good n proper.

You see, a good grasp of the English language may seem like something for your local book club, but it is all part of the perception you are giving off as a human. You can look like Brad Pitt, but if you speak like the example above, then you will have the door shut in your face on a regular basis.

Now please don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that you should tickle the nether regions of the eloquent vocab structures, nor should you use hippopotomonstrosesquipedalianism words to sound impressive…. yes, hippopotomonstrosesquipedalianism is an actual word, and yes, I did use it in the correct context………

Where have you gone?

Ah, off to Google to search for hippopotomonstrosesquipedalianism are we?

Ok, I will wait for you to get back…….

Back?

Happy now?

Ok, let’s continue.

Being able to speak in a manner that doesn’t sound like a plumber from Essex (no offense plumbers from Essex), is a skill that should be practiced.

Remember, it is not what you say it is how you say it.

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Welcome to our sales training guide.

Today we are going to look at one of the most common yet fatal sales mistakes…

Talking too much.

Some people go on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on…. annoying isn’t it?

When you are selling, you need to be asking questions. Questions are the key to discovering the needs and worries of a potential customer.

If you are not asking, then you are telling, and people don’t always like being told, especially by a complete stranger.

So try this rule… for every sentence you speak, the customer speaks two. If you can maintain this average, then you have succeeded in opening up the customer’s defenses.

If you speak more than the customer… well… you my friend are going to struggle to make a sale.

Remember, there is no sweeter sound to a person than the sound of their own voice!

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Welcome to our guide to making a sale

Today we are going to discuss appearance.

Have you ever heard the phrase “perception is eveything“?

Well it is true!

People are never going to get to spend enough time with you during a sale to really get to know you, so they are going to go off their perception of who you are as a person. This will affect whether they trust you, like you, and are willing to buy from you.

So how do we give a good appearance?

Well, the easiest and often most overlooked method is your appearance.

It may sounds shallow, but people will judge you based on your appearance. I mean, we all do it, every time we go to a bar, or out in public, we use appearance as a guiding tool.

So there are three quick fixes to have you looking like a slickster in no time at all:

1) Dress well - This is an obvious one, but you would be amazed at how many people don’t so simple things like wear a suit or polish their shoes.

2) Groom properly - You may wish to look like Tom Hanks in the Castaway movies during your time off, but at work you should look presentable and well groomed.

3) Walk with confidence - Some people walk like their pet dog has just been shot through the head with a crossbow. If you don’t project confidence then the customers may think you are a bed wetter, and frankly, bed wetters are not good sales people. Ok, probably not the best, or visually appealing example, but you get the message.

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Top UNDERGROUND TIP from a Super Seller

All of us in selling realise the importance of building rapport with clients – how often have you sold anyone anything with out rapport being present? Almost Never.

Would it aid rapport building if you could find out more about your prospect/s before meeting?

So often in selling, especially in Direct Sales of Home Improvements or Financial Services, you will know relatively little about your prospect prior to an in home meeting.

Next time you go to see a new client – try doing what the CRAFT SUPER SELLER does first:

Google Your Prospect

Search online for your customers name, address, and email address - in a high percentage of times you will discover information on your prospects.

For example, where they work? What their interests are? Hobbies? What discussion forums they post on (Very useful if their USERNAME is included within the EMAIL address, which it often is)

With this info - you know more about their triggers, passions and the prospect as a Human Being and with that info it will be easier to build rapport with the prospect, appear really interested in them, CONNECT with them and BECOME their FRIEND.

(Some people might think this TIP is a little underhand - but done with the right intentions and for the right reasons it is perfectly OK in my opinion)

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“You have some good news and some bad news, which would you like first?”

This is a common question that you have probably been asked numerous times.

Here is the thing… it is a poor question!

A far better way of wording it would be: “I have some good news for you, but later I also have some bad“.

There is a good reason for this, and it is this rule that you need to use in your sales speak: People will focus on the bad news and will be so distracted that the good news will be wasted.

For example, a doctor calls you on the phone and utters those immortal words: “You have some good news and some bad news, which would you like first?”

You say: Bad news first.

Doctor says: We got the results from your scan, and you have 48 hours to live…

You drop the phone and run to be with your family, you get drunk, you try and say your goodbyes, and you try and squeeze everything into those 48 hours.

Doctor says: Unless we operate this afternoon, in which case you have a 99% chance of a complete recovery.

At which point you are halfway down to road to go and see your parents.

I am not saying DON’T use bad or negative news or info in your sales pitch, in fact, it adds honesty and believability to a pitch… but do not use it first.

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Have a look at this outrageous yet funny sales training guide: sales training guide.

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There have been numerous studies and experiments of late, all designed to find optimum data to help you convert leads into sales.

I have gone through them and summarised the best parts to create some lead generation tips and secrets.

1) The follow-up MUST occur within the first 24 hours, no exceptions, no excuses.

2) Contact rates and qualifications are highest between 3-6 p.m

3) The peak time for conversions is between 3:30-4:25

4) However, peak time for contact is 5:15-5:25

5) Best contact rates are found on Friday

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