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Earn the Right to Help Your Prospects With a Solution
It is well known that people buy for their own reasons, not for the seller's. In fact, their motivation to buy may have very little to do with the reasons why the seller thinks they should buy. When it comes down to it, people buy something to meet their needs, or to resolve the problems they are facing. According to Neil Rackham, author of SPIN Selling, people decide to buy when, "the pain of the problem and desire for a solution have been built to the point where they are greater than the cost of the solution."
Counterintuitive as it sounds, the top salespeople are the ones that ask the most questions. And, not just any questions, but smart questions posed in a systematic way. Then armed with the answers to their questions, they have gained better insights into the buyer's world and will have earned the right to help them with a solution.
"It's not the answer,
it's the quality of the question."
Lew Nason
insuranceproshop.com |
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Attitude
There are two kinds of people in this world: those who think they can, and those who think they can't. And they're both right.
The psychologist, William James, once wrote that the greatest discovery of his generation was that people could change their lives by simply changing their attitude of mind. Our definition of attitude: Positive thoughts produce positive results, and negative thoughts produce negative results.
If you're looking for success in your selling career, its vital to maintain a positive attitude. How? By feeding positive information into your mind: read good books, listen to positive audio and video-cassettes, and associate with positive people.
Find yourself a quiet place. Sit back, relax. Make yourself comfortable. Close your eyes... Now think about a sales call or presentation that went really well.
Focus on every little detail: what you did, said, and what the prospect did, and said. Get in touch with the feelings that you had about the prospect and yourself. Re-experience those positive feelings now, and carry them with you the rest of the day.
Your mind understands that if you've been successful in the past, you can do it again. If you visualize a past success before each important call or presentation, you will find that you can generate the same positive thoughts in the present. This will reduce your anxiety, and increase your confidence.
Max Sacks
maxsacks.com |
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What We Have Here Is
Failure To Communicate!
The cable movie channels have been showing lots of Paul Newman (R.I.P.) movies these days, which suits me because in my opinion they are nearly all eminently watchable. In fact, one of my favorite movies of all time is Cool Hand Luke and I seem to enjoy it more every time I watch it. I must be up to 100 or more viewings of some portions of the film since it first came out in 1967. My very favorite scene is where Carr, the floor walker, walks through the bunkhouse and informs the newly arrived inmates what the rules are and that violations of any one of them will invariably lead to "a night in the box," which is a little building without insulation and no bigger than an outhouse which would surely afford a very, very uncomfortable and no doubt sleepless twelve hour stay. A night in the box is a rather harsh penalty for the minor infractions mentioned in Carr's staccato presentation.
I mention all this because after I watched it the other night I realized that in my heart of hearts I would love to get to be there in charge of that Cool Hand Luke Southern chain gang as one of the really mean and pitiless "bosses" who ran that little fenced-in prison. However, my daydream is that I would be exclusively addressing members of the insurance profession sitting up attentively on their bunks hoping to find out the new rules that were in place for them now that I (Boss Ford) was in charge of all matters relating to policies and premiums.
Of course, like so many other agents around me, I have long held this thought that the insurance profession needs a really stern "boss" to restore order in these latter days. And not some benevolent dictator type either, but a real Strother Martin "one mean sumbitch" kind of boss who would see to it personally that everyone in the insurance industry once again was forced to get "their mind . . .right."
Anyway, it would go something like this:
BOSS FORD: Men and women, there's rules in this insurance profession and there's a penalty for not obeyin' them rules. Now any agent fills out an application with even one dishonest answer on it spends a night in the box. Our reputation with the clients is all we have of real value and any agent caught bad-mouthing another agent or a competing company for any reason spends a night in the box. You got a grudge against another agent, you take it to one of the bosses. If a client asks you a question and you don't know the answer, you say you'll get back to 'em. Any agent just makes it up in front of a client spends a night in the box. Any FMO caught not returning an agent's telephone call within 24 hours spends a night in the box. Any company regional director caught actin' like they're any better'n the agents they're paid to recruit spends a night in the box. Home office employee makes even one comment about how much money those "lazy agents" make spends a night in the box. You got questions, you come to me. I'm Boss Ford, the floor walker. I'm responsible for order in here. Anyone don't keep order spends a night in...
YOU: ...the box.
BOSS FORD: I hope you ain't gonna be a hard case.
David DouglasFord http://www.daviddouglasford.com/
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Passion Produces Profit!
Passion is mandatory! There must be a fire in your belly, a passion in your gut, a sense of excitement in your sinew. You must have a missionary zeal, along with a relentless pursuit to satisfy your customers, clients and prospects.
Your passion has nothing to do with phony smiles, clever phrases and hanging banners with slogans. It means your ability and desire to compete profitably now and throughout the 21st century.
Passion is burning the midnight oil. It's going the extra mile. It's doing the unexpected. Passion is your positive attitude in a world of negativity. It's finding the extra fuel when you thought your tank was dry. It's an unwillingness to accept second best or "it's good enough." Passion, somehow, lets you execute, even when you're exhausted. Passion confidently pits you against your toughest competitor-you.
Passion converts suspects into prospects. Prospects into customers. And customers into friends for a lifetime. Passion turns successful salespeople into superstars!
Jeff Blackman, J.D., CSP jeffblackman.com
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America's Business Foundation
There is a lot of talk today about Main Street, Wall Street, and small business. The term ‘small business' often evokes an image of a very traditional kind of American business landscape. In our mind's eye, we see small businesses serving their local communities, keeping alive the spirit of independence and entrepreneurship. We see a kind of business in which a personal touch and personal relationships are still very important.
Certainly, America's business landscape has changed dramatically over the past few decades. Big box retailers and national chain stores have taken a large piece of market share. The good news is small businesses are still the engine of American growth and employment.
To a large degree, independent businesses are the economic "face” of main stream America. More than 95% have only one location. Almost 90% have sales of less than $2.5 million and more than 98% have fewer than 100 employees. Locally owned businesses have a far greater positive economic impact on their communities, contribute more to local charities, and are largely responsible for our towns and cities retaining their unique characteristics.
Don't discount this potential market – carve out your niche in a specific type of small business – they are under-served and are seeking advice!
Richard Weylman
richardweylman.com
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What's In It From Me?
It is tempting to only look at life from the perspective of "What's in it for me?" not that we shouldn't consider the benefits to ourselves. However, there is another perspective as well. That perspective is "What's in it from me?" What you get from life is what you give. It is simply the Law of Cause and Effect. To truly realize what is in it for you requires you to give of yourself.
You can actually predict the answer to "What's in it for me?" by what you do contribute. If you give little of yourself you will get little back. If, instead, you give 100% of yourself, you will get that and more back. That is the wonderful part of the equation. What you give actually multiplies before it comes back to you. If you want there to be a lot in it for you, I suggest you make sure that life is getting a lot from you.
The really interesting thing that I have noticed from this process is that what you get doesn't necessarily come back directly from where you give it. Let me give you an example. Say that you help perform a random act of kindness to a stranger. Later, you find yourself in need and receive help, not from the person who you helped, but from someone else. You received back what you gave, but from a different source. This is how it works more often than not. Don't worry about how you will get paid back. Just know that you will.
Coach Lee
365daysofcoaching.com
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"...Find Your Natural Niche"
Did you know the word "niche” is derived from the French se nicher, which is translated as "to build a nest?” Finding your niche in the business world is exactly that: building your nest. Some of the most successful professionals in the financial services industry are entrenched in a niche or two. They focus on a corner of the market rather than trying to be all things to all people.
If you already know what your niche is, great! You‘re ahead of the game. If you don't, just look at your current clients and pinpoint the ones you most enjoy doing business with, or the ones that are most lucrative. Get involved in their organizations and charity affiliations. Invite these clients and their friends to unique educational seminars that would be of specific interest to them. Invite them out for small group dinners. Build your way into the niche. It may take some time and focus, but the results are worth it!
Once you know your niche, you'll be able to use your time more effectively and efficiently and you'll automatically set yourself up for a stream of qualified referrals.
Maribeth Kuzmeski http://www.redzonemarketing.com |
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Quote of
the Month
Everything that can be counted does not necessarily count;
everything that counts cannot necessarily be counted.
--Einstein, Albert |
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