SalesHQ

I told a story about where I had to challenged my decision maker's right to stand in the way of me doing business with Howard University Medical Center. I pressured him as much as I could  and even talked smack about his race. Maybe not the most professional way but I closed the deal.

I hope to hear stories about crazy closes that you have received and cases where you pushed the envelope to get the deal. BTW, I got thrown out of the account, called back a day later to beg forgiveness and later got the order.

In my early days of selling, I was taught, that if you did not get tossed out of an account on occasion, you were not closing hard enough. Is that still the case?

rich34232 says ...

 

 Jim I am glad you reopened this forum. Thanks.

 

 The past week I am re-training one of our staff. What I found the past week there is no plan. The old saying fail to plan you plan to fail is true. When I am ready to set off to a clients home or place of business I am formulating a plan of action depending on the history of the client. Our dispatcher is very good talking to clients. She has a way of receiving information that is very helpful with rapport building. Even the clients that have limited history I have enough to form a plan.

 While heading to an existing account that belong to the guy I was re-training I made a few statements from the information I was given. I sized up the client as a single mom, trying to do stuff to save money. She is home on Tuesday late morning so that means her hours have been cut. Normal times to attend to her problems in the past have been late in the day. My plan find out what is going on, introduce her to a way to save money and get everything taken care of. Sizing of the client was spot on and having a plan of action was easy.

   Today we discussed having a plan that involves asking questions to let the client tell us why they want a better product. We discussed questions to ask to guide them to informing us what they wanted and the reasons for wanting.

 Being prepared is the best way to overcome tough closings. It is the way the questions are presented and asked. It is the way a picture is painted with the client that visualizes ownership. It is how it is said and not what is said.

 I have found with me that closings are easy unless I do not follow my steps and ask the right questions. Discovering what is important to the client. It could be personal, business, keeping up with the Jones’s, tired, and it could be the problem. Find it and win the day.

 When I have a difficult closing it normally is my mental state and not the client.

 

 

Rich, your take is very true, I would always ask sales people during ride alongs, what is your objective for this call, is it realalistic? Are the right people available, how do we meet your objective, what happened last call, what are the potential objections, how do we over come.

This is just a sample of questions that help prepare for a call, you are right, you just cannot wing it, if you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail.

You were very astute to noticed her availability had changed and  to draw a corralation to  this opportunity. You have the gift of taking some information and turning it into dollars. How do you teach that skill?

rich34232 says ...

 Jim

 I believe everyone can have that skill. It is there for the taking. It is not free there is a huge cost. That cost is determined by  what you want to put in concerning time to develop.It is called preparation.

right on

Sell4U says ...

Yes Jim

In my early days of selling, I was taught, that if you did not get tossed out of an account on occasion, you were not closing hard enough. Is that still the case?

In my early days of professional motorcycle racing it was said that if you didn't crash at east 3 times a year you weren't trying hard enough. And to this day I live my life by that understaning. There are two postions; first & also ran.....

I love it, attitude, never say die, I use to wonder how it felt to be punched in the face by Mike Tyson. Go for it.

rich34232 says ...

That is a hug problem sometimes you are required to take that punch from tyson and leave your hands to the side.To many fear that punch and never take the risk and lose due to not taking the risk.

 The risk is putting yourself out on a limb or edge of the cliff without a railing or safety rope.

 Fear is diffcult and can have many faces. Fear of;

 pricing

product

mental state

failure

success

communication skills

looks

education ( lack of or too much)

 and many other fear factors

If you attack your fear and confront it with a strategy that is well practiced and you win, your confidence will soar. Early in my cereer I was intimadated by accounts like John Hopkins because of their rep in medicine. I schduled a demo, rehearsed it and lord and behold, got an order!

rich34232 says ...

Self inflicted perceptions create a far worse effect than the actual situation.Th fear of believing that a certain client will be tough makes them tough when in fact they are probably easier to sell. Putting too much pressure on yourself  takes away  from natural action.

Rich, that should be copyrighted and shared with all new sales people, self doubt and mind games can kill a career before it starts

Jim, this is something someone shared with me long ago, and I still use it today.  

False

Expectations

Appearing

Real

Isn't it the truth.  When we look at things we are afraid of, whatever it may be, and put it in perspective, we can do anything!  My little sister always said, :"Face your Fears, Why NOT?"  As an angel in Heaven now,  I still learn and gain courage from her daily!.   I'm reminded of her courage in life, and even though she is my "baby" sister, she taught volumes about overcoming and facing fear. 

 I use this quote to clients when I have solved a problem they have decided to live with due to others that could not resolve the issue.

 I guess it is better to be good looking and lucky.

  This works in other places too! LOL

jimdwalton says ...

I told a story about where I had to challenged my decision maker's right to stand in the way of me doing business with Howard University Medical Center. I pressured him as much as I could  and even talked smack about his race. Maybe not the most professional way but I closed the deal.

I hope to hear stories about crazy closes that you have received and cases where you pushed the envelope to get the deal. BTW, I got thrown out of the account, called back a day later to beg forgiveness and later got the order.

 

In my early days of selling, I was taught, that if you did not get tossed out of an account on occasion, you were not closing hard enough. Is that still the case?

-----------

Jim, Whatever It Takes!  And Yes, I too have been escorted out, many many moons ago. It was a riot, I was definately not leaving until I got what I went there for, the guy had lead me on for months, so, hey, I did what I, as a rookie, had to do, lol.  Needless to say, I lost the account, but it was ok, as the guy closed HIS doors 2 months later.  Guess he should of used my service!   lol.   I no longer use this technique, lol.  But then, I haven't had to! 

Bryson says ...

You guys are going to think I'm crazy with my story of creative closes.

When I was a younger man, I was becoming a Masonry Contractor. Finding clients to sell work to was no problem. But I had a personal situation that my prospective clients often confronted me with openly. I would drive out to the site or offices to look over the prints or the job. Inevitably my prospect would say something to the effect of, "You don't look like a bricklayer". I would assure them I was a bricklayer and I was met with disbelief. What was bringing this on was my looks as a young man. I was gorgeous. I was told things like, "You look like a model" or "You belong on GQ Magazine". It was really frustrating because people just didn't but it that I was a real mason and I got resistence to even talking about a job.

The solution: I decided that somehow I had to dress for success. Now how should a young Mason dress to sell work? Here is what I did to get the right look. I imagined the customers were looking for a raw individual who looked like an artisan from some small crossroads in the country. So I let my beard grow out in a scruffy manner. I let my hair get shaggy instead of nicely styled. I wore rough heavy clothes that had a lot of wear on them. Big boots were an essential. I tried to look like a character from Grizzley Adams. I didn't feel good dressing so way down, but it worked. Customers resistence vanished over this issue and I started getting contracts as much as I could do.

Is that crazy or what? It was just a matter of looking like a guy who really worked with his hands that gave the clients confidence in me.

Bryson, was gorgeous? what about now? I never had the problem of being gorgeous, but I did grow a beard to look older, I wore it for over 20 years, then i saved it to look younger. The look for you provided credibility,  and no I do not think that makes you crazy, it makes you astute. Thanks for sharing.

HiringExpert says ...

Bryson, 2 points

One, It is very possible, that because you "looked" like "them" that more people felt more comforatble buying from someone like "them": (OF COURSE, they also want someone that is more knowledgeable than them about the product,  AND is successful in their industry, so they can feel comfortable in purchasing,   possibly just taking off the tie MIGHT have had the same effect.

Two, Is it also possible, that because YOU felt (and thought, it's  about attitude of course) that you looked looked like them, that YOUR confidence also improved, and this INCREASED confidence projected tp the prospect? 

By the way, WELCOME Bryson!  It's awesome to get other peoples fresh ideas, thoughts and ways of selling. As you know, there is no one way, it's all about people, communications and Attitude!   Go Attitude!

Claudia, thanks for bring up the fact that our attitude and confidence plays a huge part and maybe more so than the look!

Bryson, funny thing; we were talking about what happened to you at work today.  This fellow in the crane business showed up one day looking really rough, shaggy beard and old plaid shirt , etc.  Anyway,  a month goes by and today he showed up shaved, clean cut, beard thoroughly trimmed and looked 10 years younger.  I asked what the new image was for and chuckled.  He said he found that when he showed up for prospect visits he wasn't getting any work and now he does.  I guess presentation is everything whether it is how you write, present or dress.

smile says ...

Bryson, funny thing; we were talking about what happened to you at work today.  This fellow in the crane business showed up one day looking really rough, shaggy beard and old plaid shirt , etc.  Anyway,  a month goes by and today he showed up shaved, clean cut, beard thoroughly trimmed and looked 10 years younger.  I asked what the new image was for and chuckled.  He said he found that when he showed up for prospect visits he wasn't getting any work and now he does.  I guess presentation is everything whether it is how you write, present or dress.

Hi Smile, nice to meet you. Yes presentation is the first major factor. Everything is a message to people. I think it's important to be less concerned with the question of what people think of me, and ask instead of what people think of who I appear to be. While this kind of idea might be offensive to idealist who loath insincerity or facade, selling is itself a form of drama and the message is the character role, When you finish work, just get back to being the regular you. Musicians and comics often complain with feeling phoney while they are performing, that what they are doing just really isn't them. You have to remind them it is and ACT, and that it really isn't intended to be who they are. They are expected to just do the ACT and entertain. I have found this idea seems to apply in sales.

Another area that I think is important in being creative in sales, is the psychological makeup of the prospect. Contrary to the cliche', people are NOT all the same everywhere. There are four basic personality types each with their unique main desires in life. The four basic desires are these: Security, Beingness, Capabilities and Performance. How would you taylor your emphasis for these various types? For the Security driven, you might emphasize how the product brings stability, safety, health and well being.  for the beingness persons, you might emphasize the person seeing himself with your product. For the capabilities type, you might emphasize capacities and efficiencies. For the performance driven you might emphasize carefreeness, fun, sensation, being a player.

Just for fun one day, I told some car salesment about my wife's personal concerns in life when they tried to sell me a car. I told them they would have to sell it to her. She came from the service area and they were loaded for bear. They understood precisely her temperament and evn started describing her back to me, which I confirmed for them. They pulled up to the front door the biggest prettiest Doge Dually Diesel truck and made her come look at it. While she was resistant to being sold anything, they absolutely spoke to the person she was inside like masters. Is was a joy to behold. After we left, my wifes gears were really churning and those eyes were thinking of the possibilities of how this vehicle was able to be utilized for some practical need. I had to laugh. She laughed too of course.

rich34232 says ...

 How is this for creativity  with closes;

 Include a long term solution that fits the clients needs while introducing them to more wants that improve their standing.

That is always the mission, and when you are successful with it, your client closes themselves

Today was a fantastic day. I worked with a new client today. She told me of the last two comnpanies she has worked with in the past. We started talking and she asked what the difference between me and the others. I smiled and asked her if she wanted to go where it was more comfortable.

  After the task was completed and payment received I asked one last question. : May I ask you one last question. Client replied absolutely. When we started  today you made it vey clear that price was an issue however I know the other company's you spoke about. Why did you choose me today. She stated that I was more than each of them by quite a lot. The major reason she switched to us. She said I cared about her and communicated with her on the same leve.

Have some fun........., replace the word "companies" & "company's" in the above comments with "male prostitutes"