1. I Am a Salesman by Ron White

Do I see myself as a speaker? Nope. Author? Try again. Memory expert? No. World record breaker? Nah. Entrepreneur? Closer, but not exactly. Instructor? Getting colder. Motivator? Wrong. Salesman? BINGO!!

I am a salesman and very proud of that! This is how I see myself, and the question is, Why don't more see themselves as salespeople?

What about the talented musician who has the voice of an angel and can play piano better than Liberace but does not think that he is a salesman? I will tell you what—he will have to rely on getting lucky in a big break or hunt for a promoter. Or maybe the dentist who has opened up his shop and waits for the customers to walk through the door. Most people will invest all their assets in marketing before they invest one hour in cold calls, yet cold calls are where it all starts.


3. Ten Attitudes of Top Achievers by Brian Tracy

If you think the same way as the top achievers think, you can begin to get the same results they do. Here are ten psychological and practical ways to mirror the attitudes of top-achievers.

   See yourself as a consultant rather than a salesperson. Believe that you are a problem-solver with regard to your product and how the client can best use it.
   Become a doctor of selling. Act in the best interests of your “patients” and have a high code of ethics.
   See yourself as the president of your own sales corporation. Accept 100 percent responsibility for your results.
   Commit yourself to being the best in your field. Dedicate yourself to lifelong learning.
   Be ambitious, hungry and determined to use selling as a steppingstone to the success you want in life.
   Have integrity. Be honest with yourself and others.
   Engage in thorough preparation prior to every call.
   Be an excellent listener; be extremely customer-focused.
   Have tremendous courage. Be willing to face your fears of rejection and failure, and overcome them.
   Be highly persistent. Start your workday earlier, work harder, and stay longer.

To make these changes work you must walk, talk and behave consistently with them every hour of every day.

First of all, you must get the belief through your head that we are all salespeople. Whether you think that you are or not—you are! If you participate in capitalism, you better see yourself as a salesperson or be dependent upon others for your success.

Next, abandon the idea that being a salesperson is below your dignity. Do you know what is really below your dignity? Not fulfilling your potential because you didn't want to “lower” yourself to being a salesperson.

Realize that sales all begins with a cold call. Cold calling is not so bad. It is a great opportunity to get your foot in the door and at the very least open the prospect’s mind to your idea. After you do this for a few weeks, a ratio will emerge and you will begin to see how many cold calls it takes to get a sale. This is when it becomes fun and you work to improve your ratio. Make it a game!

Understand that the difference between making a living and making a fortune in sales starts with networking referrals. Brian Tracy tells us that the average person has a sphere of influence (people they see at PTA meetings, neighbors, family, friends, etc.) of 260 people. If you don't ask for referrals, you won't get them.

Close the sale! The salesperson who has a great presentation but can't close is a conversationalist and conversationalists don't get paid very well. At the end of your presentation give them an alternate choice close—“Would you like blue or red?” That is a nonthreatening close. Or simply ask, “Why don't you give it a try?”

Finally, remember that when people are sold to by a professional, they enjoy it! I once spoke at a real estate office in San Antonio. The sales manager stood up when I finished and said, “Wow! I don't think anyone who was trying to sell us something has made us feel so good in the process!” I yelled from the back of the room, “I am a salesman!” He enjoyed being sold and so did his group because it was professional. When done right, the sales process should be fun!

Are you a dentist, musician, author, speaker, doctor, lawyer or anything without the title of sales? If you are, do yourself a huge favor and begin to see yourself as a salesperson! Making cold calls is not below your dignity. Not fulfilling your potential is what is below your dignity.


2. Quotes of The Week

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