SALES SELLING, PRODUCTIVITY, Mysticism, reading, forums, Numerology, Sun Signs, Divination

Posts: 5109 · Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2010 5:44 am

Former U.S. Secretary of State, renowned diplomat and Nobel Peace Prize winner Henry Kissinger once said, “Whatever must happen ultimately, should happen immediately.” I read that quote a few weeks ago, and it provided a wakeup call for me. It was a wakeup call for me to not keep dragging out things in my life that I need to change, but might not have the heart to change. It was a wakeup call to realize that this life isn't permanent, and every day is precious—too precious to stay stuck in a rut.

Probably one of the best-known quotes is: “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.” We have all heard that quote a million times, and the reason we have is because it is true. Do situations and people change? Sure they do, but rarely will things change while you are in the comfort zone of how things currently are. In other words, if you have a business relationship that must end ultimately but you are just hoping things will change, they may change, but not until you first make a change by ending the business relationship or taking a step back.

Life is way too short and too precious to live in the cycle of the definition of insanity. So, in the words of Henry Kissinger, “Whatever must happen ultimately, should happen immediately.” Good luck and make it happen!

1. If Selling, Listen to the Symptoms by Ron White

“Doc… I got this cough.”

“Is it a light cough?”

“No, Doc. It’s a deep hacking cough, like this… KUUH… KUUH.”

“Okay, anything else?”

“Yeah, I’ve got the shivers and this red bumpy rash.”

“Oh, well, you’ve got the jungle hemoglobin neuro-cardio virus. Take these pills for two weeks and you will be as good as new.”

Isn’t it amazing how a doctor can listen to the symptoms and then accurately diagnose what is ailing you? Well, if you are in sales, you should be able to do the same. Listen to what your customers are telling you and it will tell you where you are going wrong in your presentation.

I recently heard a speaker say, “Yeah, I didn’t sell but one package of CDs. The owner stood up and said he was going to buy one package of CDs for the office library and everyone could share.” The speaker then shook his head as if there was nothing he could have done to sell the group. I never heard that speaker’s sales pitch; however, I know exactly what he did wrong by listening to the symptoms.

In his sales pitch, he sold the value of his products, which he should have done. But he did not pitch the value of building your own personal development library. If he would have closed this way, the owner would have never stood up and said he would buy one for the group to share because he would have been contradicting the value that was just discussed of having your own personal library.

I didn’t have to hear his sales pitch. Listening to his symptoms, the diagnosis was easy.

What about you? What are the objections you are receiving? Listen closely because they are the symptoms that will diagnose your problem:

Sounds great! I will definitely get this product one day! (Diagnosis: You didn’t establish the benefits of purchasing today. You did not make it clear that inventory was low, the special price of purchasing today or other incentive.)

I need to think about it. (Diagnosis: 50 percent of the time this will be because you didn’t show them how to purchase—i.e., where to sign—or ask for the sale. The other 50 percent of the time it is because they have a hidden objection that you did not answer. Your response: “Is there something in particular I can answer for you as you think about it?”)

Let’s buy one and share! (Diagnosis: You didn’t establish the value of this being a personal purchase.)

It costs too much. (Diagnosis: Price is rarely the objection. You failed to build value and didn’t demonstrate how this product will actually save you money over a period of time because it is durable, or it will save you time, and time is money.)

Just as a doctor, listen to your symptoms and they will tell you where you are failing. Do not blame the symptoms on your prospects’ incompetence. Instead, listen, diagnose and treat by altering your presentation the next time. The answer to catapult your sales success is in the symptoms. Listen carefully!

Now, if you will excuse me, I have to run. I have the jungle hemoglobin neuro-cardio virus and I have some pills I need to take.

SALES/SELLING

“Home Depot knows ‘the more they help, the more they sell.’ Oh by the way, for the ‘bottom liners’ who disagree, it’s also vice versa.” —Jeffrey Gitomer

“Demonstrate to your customer the difference between price and cost. The price is what it takes to purchase the item. The cost is the amount the customer eventually pays. They are not the same.” —Brian Tracy

“To succeed in sales, simply talk to lots of people every day. And here’s what’s exciting—there are lots of people!” —Jim Rohn

“Life is a series of sales situations, and the answer is NO if you don’t ask.” —Patricia Fripp

“Now, if you want to get rich, you have only to produce a product or service that will give people greater use value than the price you charge for it. How rich you get will be determined by the number of people to whom you can sell the product or service.” —Earl Nightingale

“In sales there are going to be times when you can’t make everyone happy. Don’t expect to and you won’t be disappointed. Just do your best for each client in each situation as it arises. Then, learn from each situation how to do it better the next time.” —Tom Hopkins

3. Productivity by Zig Ziglar

I worked in a grocery store as a youngster. The Depression was on, inventories were limited and merchants frequently ran out of stock items. As a result, the merchants would borrow from each other until their next shipment came in. I was the “runner” for our store and Charlie Scott was the “runner” for the store across the street. On countless occasions Charlie would run into our store and call out to our boss, “Mr. Anderson, I need to borrow half a dozen cans of tomatoes.” Mr. Anderson would always respond, “Well, Charlie, you know where they are. Go get ’em!” Charlie would run back, pick up the cans of tomatoes, dash back to the checkout stand, scribble his name on the receipt and rush out.

One day I asked why Charlie Scott was always in such a hurry. Mr. Anderson responded, “Charlie is working for a raise, and he’s going to get it.” I asked him how he knew and Mr. Anderson replied, “I know he’ll get a raise because if the man he’s working for doesn’t give it to him, I will.” How true that was!

Many years later while speaking at Mississippi State University I told this story. A tall, redheaded gentleman came up to me and said, “You probably would not recognize Charlie Scott today if you saw him, would you?” I responded that no, I wouldn’t, since he had left for the military before I did, and I hadn’t seen him since. He smiled and said, “I didn’t think you would. I’m Charlie Scott.”

Later, Charlie’s friends told me that Charlie had been able to retire at age 50 because he had followed that lesson of hustling throughout his life. Consequently, he had become so enormously successful that he was able to spend the rest of his life in service to his fellow man. Yes, the extra effort does pay. Buy that idea and I’ll SEE YOU AT THE TOP!