INTRODUCATION
Once upon a time, at the beginning of the World, God created salespeople. And the salespeople went forth and multiplied in abundance and they took on all different shapes and sizes and colors. The salespeople flourished and diversified into many different fields and backgrounds and into all walks of life. They took on the roles of executives, sales managers, franchisees, business people, shop-owners and the self-employed, agents, assistants, representatives, consultants, advisers and a special breed of commission only. In short salespeople. And God saw what he had done, and he was pleased.
One on one: The Secrets of professional Sales Closing is a book for all those salespeople, and for anyone in business who wants to succeed and grow and prosper. Anyone can sell, but it’s closing that makes the sale, and One on One will teach you how to do just that – close the sale, day in day out, year after year. This is not a storybook, but a detailed, comprehensive sales closing manual that will show you not just what you should do but exactly how you should do it. Inside these pages you will find time-kept secrets, and techniques, tricks and tacties which are proven and work, and everything is written in an easy pick-up-and-put-down format, with examples, simple illustrations and light-hearted exercises.
The intention on this book is to teach you how to become a PRO-CLO (a pro9fessional sales closer), an honest, caring and very successful indri dual, and also to give you the means that will make you rich in both wealth and happiness.
The contents of these pages include many lessons examples and closes that can easily be adapted to fit any sales situation, anywhere, and to anyone. In part One you will be taken on a staircase of thirty-nine steps, starting with sure-fire techniques and preparation, leading on to the art of successful selling, and finally culminating in asking for the order. In Part Two you will learn how to deal with objections and how to overcome the forty-two most common ones there are, Part Three is an arsenal of sixty proven closes for everyday use, your ammunition for becoming a superpower. And finally in part Four, you will discover how to get to the top and stay there.
The techniques and closes in this encyclopedia on sales have not evolved overnight, they have been accumulated over years of success and first hand experience in sales, in business and in training salespeople. The path of proven success is always the best one to follow, and many of the techniques and closes in this book are either from a bygone age or adapted from some of the world’s greatest sales trainers of today. These, together with the secrets of a proclo, are now combined to create a book of such magnitude that your sales figures are guaranteed to increase.
The key to learning from this book is to make it work for you. As you read through the pages you will find that it talks to you. I urge you to talk back to it, fill it full of your scribbles and use a highlighter pen to make any important pieces stand out. Make this book yours personally and it will work for you. Refer to it time and time again, and re-read it at regular intervals. Take on board the lessons and techniques and adapt them into your everyday life. If you will do as I ask, this book will indeed make you rich.
The purpose of my writing this book is my sincere desire to pass on the secret techniques of the pro-clo. In my selling career I have personally closed in excess of $20 million of sales one on one, and I have trained thousands of salespeople from all over the world. My reason for telling you this is not to blow my own horn, but to convince you as best as I can that the techniques and closes in this book have been tried and tested and proven to work. From my experience, the most sought-after information by salespeople everywhere is information on closing the sale, and that is exactly what this book provides. It is unique because it concentrates on closing, not just on selling.
And finally, before diving in I would like to explain that for simplicity and case of reading I have restricted myself to the use of “he” or ‘him’ rather than using literally hundreds of times ‘he/she’ or ‘him/her’. The use of the masculine pronoun is simply for convenience, and is in no way meant to be derogative or chauvinistic. Also for ease of reading, I refer to ‘a product’ rather than continuously writing ‘product’ goods, or services’. And one last thing…… As this is a positive book, I have assumed in the many examples that a sale will be made and therefore the purchaser will become a customer. There are many different names for a customer- a prospect, a client, an up, a lead, a buyer, a purchaser, a consumer, and so on. I prefer the name ‘customer’ because (a) it assumes a sales will be made and (b) it suggests that regular sales will be made.
There are no ifs, buts, or maybes about it, the techniques and closes in this book will, if you apply them, take you to the top, the best of the best, a true pro-clo.
Now it’s time to go to it and begin your climb of the thirty –nine steps to success. Good luck.
Ian Seymour
PS The first thing you should do with this book is stick your name on it.
Showing posts with label trick. Show all posts
Showing posts with label trick. Show all posts
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Persistence conquers resistance
Persistence conquers resistance
As we take this first step together, I’d like to share with you the very first rule of closing –Persistence conquers resistance.
For an early age, children learn that if they persist and keep asking, they can and will overcome the resistance of parents. They learn that ‘no’ doesn’t really mean ‘NO ’it simply means that they haven’t convinced Mum and Dad enough yet. So they continue to put forward their case, they persist in asking until they get whatever it is they want.
This same principle applies in selling. If a pro-clo believes that his product or service will be beneficial to his customer then he will persist until his customer is also convinced. Very often a customer will say no, but a pro-clo doesn’t give up.Even when the going gets really tough, he will continue because he knows that eventually persistence will always conquer resistance and in the end both the pro-clo and the customer will benefit.
This profession called selling can be the best-paid, hardest job in the world or the worst-paid, easiest job in the world. The rewards are down to an individual’s ability and effort, and only the strongest survive. The profession of selling, of closing sales, has made more millionaires than any other. A pro-clo can make more money than the company chairman who runs the company, or more money than the prime minister who runs the country, simply because in the profession of selling there is no ceiling on what you can earn. What’s more, apart form achieving financial security, once you have proven yourself, once you become a pro-clo, you can benefit from working what I call Martini time- any time, any place, anywhere and for anyone, because your skills will always be in demand.
Professional closers have attributes such as enthusiasm, confidence, a positive mental attitude, and an appetite for success. Above all, they have continuity and persistence.
Calvin Coolidge wrote:
Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not – nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with taient. Genius will not unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not – the world is full of educated failures. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.
Remember, the brightest lights are always the first to fade. Don’t be a one-day wonder. Be consistent by being persistent.
As we take this first step together, I’d like to share with you the very first rule of closing –Persistence conquers resistance.
For an early age, children learn that if they persist and keep asking, they can and will overcome the resistance of parents. They learn that ‘no’ doesn’t really mean ‘NO ’it simply means that they haven’t convinced Mum and Dad enough yet. So they continue to put forward their case, they persist in asking until they get whatever it is they want.
This same principle applies in selling. If a pro-clo believes that his product or service will be beneficial to his customer then he will persist until his customer is also convinced. Very often a customer will say no, but a pro-clo doesn’t give up.Even when the going gets really tough, he will continue because he knows that eventually persistence will always conquer resistance and in the end both the pro-clo and the customer will benefit.
This profession called selling can be the best-paid, hardest job in the world or the worst-paid, easiest job in the world. The rewards are down to an individual’s ability and effort, and only the strongest survive. The profession of selling, of closing sales, has made more millionaires than any other. A pro-clo can make more money than the company chairman who runs the company, or more money than the prime minister who runs the country, simply because in the profession of selling there is no ceiling on what you can earn. What’s more, apart form achieving financial security, once you have proven yourself, once you become a pro-clo, you can benefit from working what I call Martini time- any time, any place, anywhere and for anyone, because your skills will always be in demand.
Professional closers have attributes such as enthusiasm, confidence, a positive mental attitude, and an appetite for success. Above all, they have continuity and persistence.
Calvin Coolidge wrote:
Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not – nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with taient. Genius will not unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not – the world is full of educated failures. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.
Remember, the brightest lights are always the first to fade. Don’t be a one-day wonder. Be consistent by being persistent.
Attributes of a professional closer(Pro-clo)
Attributes of a professional closer
(Pro-clo)
Professional closer have certain attributes that set them apart from everyday salesman. Most salesmen look the part and are professional in behavior and appearance and, like the pro-clo, they are punctual, well –groomed, courteous, reliable, smart and well -dressed. But I’m not talking about professional appearance or behavior here. I’m talking about something deeper, I’m talking about the force from within that makes the pro-clo shine and out-perform the rest. That inner confidence and absolute belief in himself. Here then, are the attributes that make the pro-clo the best of the best, an absolute out-and-out winner.
1. A pro-clo is ambitious for success. He has an insatiable hunger, a burning desire to achieve and succeed.
2. A pro-clo is always in command of the situation and always aware of what is happening around him. He is able to think on his feet and he demonstrates a lot of ingenuity when faced with an unexpected problem. A pro-clo is streetwise and shrewd. He is also honest and reliable, and always delivers what he promises.
3. A pro-clo is an excellent listener and a convincing persuader. He has an acute perception and instinctively knows what to do next. He is a natural leader- people listen to him, respect him and warm to him.
4. A pro-clo enjoys his own company as much as he enjoys others, and he often works alone because he prefers it that way. After saying that he is always there to help out his colleagues and train the new recruits, because a pro-clo loves what he does, he gets a real buzz from his work.
5. A pro-clo abounds with enthusiasm, he has masses of initiative and energy and he gives each call too per-cent effort. A pro-clo is the guy who after a long and difficult sale, when he is mentally sapped and drained of energy, is still somehow able to tap into his reserves and make that last call, when anyone else would have packed up and gone home.
6. A pro-clo never seems to get sick, and even when he feels under the weather he still turns in for work. He is eager and has a great attitude.
7. A pro-clo is well-organized, he is possessive about his tools and equipment, he is meticulous in his preparations, his records are bang up – to- date and he is forever updating his figures. A pro-clo always knows where he is at.
8. A pro-clo has an air of authority about him that radiates confidence to his potential customers- he becomes their shepherd and they his flock.
9. A pro-clo is a masterful actor who is superb at creating emotion and at expressing himself. He is also an artist who paints pictures that are so life-like they become real.
10. A pro-clo never knocks the competition. He isn’t in the slightest afraid of it, instead he welcomes competition, he enjoys the challenge. A pro-clo is too per cent sold, right down the line. In reality, if he thought the competition was better, that’s where he would be working.
11. A pro-clo is always learning new material, he is always trying to better himself and is constantly striving forward, towards his goals. He is a winner who constantly says to himself: I can, I will, I am.
12. A pro-clo motivates himself. He is a go-getter with determination, drive and a burning passion for success. When he pumps himself up ready for action, he radiates a glow, a force from within that creates a gut feeling, a surge of power in the pit of his belly that cases butterflies to flutter, sends tingles up his spine and puts goose bumps on his arms. Because he’s invincible, he’s going to win he knows it and he feels it, from the inside out!
Recap
So far we have looked at the importance of having persistence, a positive attitude, enthusiasm, and some of the many attributes of a pro-clo. Before we move on to find out exactly how a pro-clo sells his product and closes the sale, here are a few reminders.
Step 1 – Persistence always conquers resistance, eventually.
Step 2- Without a PMA (Positive mental attitude) you will always be
DOA (dead on arrival).
Step 3- Enthusiasm comes from the heart and it’s highly contagious, Enthusiasm sells.
Step 4- Take on board the attributes of a pro-clo
(Pro-clo)
Professional closer have certain attributes that set them apart from everyday salesman. Most salesmen look the part and are professional in behavior and appearance and, like the pro-clo, they are punctual, well –groomed, courteous, reliable, smart and well -dressed. But I’m not talking about professional appearance or behavior here. I’m talking about something deeper, I’m talking about the force from within that makes the pro-clo shine and out-perform the rest. That inner confidence and absolute belief in himself. Here then, are the attributes that make the pro-clo the best of the best, an absolute out-and-out winner.
1. A pro-clo is ambitious for success. He has an insatiable hunger, a burning desire to achieve and succeed.
2. A pro-clo is always in command of the situation and always aware of what is happening around him. He is able to think on his feet and he demonstrates a lot of ingenuity when faced with an unexpected problem. A pro-clo is streetwise and shrewd. He is also honest and reliable, and always delivers what he promises.
3. A pro-clo is an excellent listener and a convincing persuader. He has an acute perception and instinctively knows what to do next. He is a natural leader- people listen to him, respect him and warm to him.
4. A pro-clo enjoys his own company as much as he enjoys others, and he often works alone because he prefers it that way. After saying that he is always there to help out his colleagues and train the new recruits, because a pro-clo loves what he does, he gets a real buzz from his work.
5. A pro-clo abounds with enthusiasm, he has masses of initiative and energy and he gives each call too per-cent effort. A pro-clo is the guy who after a long and difficult sale, when he is mentally sapped and drained of energy, is still somehow able to tap into his reserves and make that last call, when anyone else would have packed up and gone home.
6. A pro-clo never seems to get sick, and even when he feels under the weather he still turns in for work. He is eager and has a great attitude.
7. A pro-clo is well-organized, he is possessive about his tools and equipment, he is meticulous in his preparations, his records are bang up – to- date and he is forever updating his figures. A pro-clo always knows where he is at.
8. A pro-clo has an air of authority about him that radiates confidence to his potential customers- he becomes their shepherd and they his flock.
9. A pro-clo is a masterful actor who is superb at creating emotion and at expressing himself. He is also an artist who paints pictures that are so life-like they become real.
10. A pro-clo never knocks the competition. He isn’t in the slightest afraid of it, instead he welcomes competition, he enjoys the challenge. A pro-clo is too per cent sold, right down the line. In reality, if he thought the competition was better, that’s where he would be working.
11. A pro-clo is always learning new material, he is always trying to better himself and is constantly striving forward, towards his goals. He is a winner who constantly says to himself: I can, I will, I am.
12. A pro-clo motivates himself. He is a go-getter with determination, drive and a burning passion for success. When he pumps himself up ready for action, he radiates a glow, a force from within that creates a gut feeling, a surge of power in the pit of his belly that cases butterflies to flutter, sends tingles up his spine and puts goose bumps on his arms. Because he’s invincible, he’s going to win he knows it and he feels it, from the inside out!
Recap
So far we have looked at the importance of having persistence, a positive attitude, enthusiasm, and some of the many attributes of a pro-clo. Before we move on to find out exactly how a pro-clo sells his product and closes the sale, here are a few reminders.
Step 1 – Persistence always conquers resistance, eventually.
Step 2- Without a PMA (Positive mental attitude) you will always be
DOA (dead on arrival).
Step 3- Enthusiasm comes from the heart and it’s highly contagious, Enthusiasm sells.
Step 4- Take on board the attributes of a pro-clo
Find a want or need
Find a want or need
When I was a 15-year-old schoolboy, I had a Saturday job working for a local businessman, David wood who owned a milk round and small chain of green grocer shops.
One Saturday morning David gave me a box of oranges and asked me to go outside the shop and build tow pyramids of oranges, one each side of the window. After completing the task, I was then asked to display price stickers by each stack of oranges. One price tag said 8 pence each, the other 12 pence each. I immediately said this couldn’t be right- as all the oranges were from the same box, they couldn’t be different prices! In reply I was told: ‘There is always more than one market for the same product.’
It was then that I first realized that customers don’t necessarily choose the cheapest options (more of this in step 6), and that a little daring can often pay big dividends. Here was a single product displayed in two stacks within a few feet of each other for different prices, and some people actually purchased the more expensive of the two! Why? The answer is, people see what they want to see. Some customers saw the 8 pence oranges as a better buy, because you got three oranges for the price of two of the more expensive ones. Other customers perceived the 12- pence oranges as the best buy because they must have been fresher and sweeter and they would probably last longer.
The moral of this little story is, you must learn to flow with the tide and gibe the customers what he wants. Ask your customer what he finds the most attractive, the most important, the most appealing, the most beneficial, and so on, and when he tells you, give it to him with both barrels.
Note:
Although, on the face of it, selling a product to different customers for different prices isn’t fair, this practice has been in existence since the year dot. One of the first rules of commerce is, wherever possible, cut your costs and increase your profits. That’s one of the reasons why David is such a successful businessman.
When I was a 15-year-old schoolboy, I had a Saturday job working for a local businessman, David wood who owned a milk round and small chain of green grocer shops.
One Saturday morning David gave me a box of oranges and asked me to go outside the shop and build tow pyramids of oranges, one each side of the window. After completing the task, I was then asked to display price stickers by each stack of oranges. One price tag said 8 pence each, the other 12 pence each. I immediately said this couldn’t be right- as all the oranges were from the same box, they couldn’t be different prices! In reply I was told: ‘There is always more than one market for the same product.’
It was then that I first realized that customers don’t necessarily choose the cheapest options (more of this in step 6), and that a little daring can often pay big dividends. Here was a single product displayed in two stacks within a few feet of each other for different prices, and some people actually purchased the more expensive of the two! Why? The answer is, people see what they want to see. Some customers saw the 8 pence oranges as a better buy, because you got three oranges for the price of two of the more expensive ones. Other customers perceived the 12- pence oranges as the best buy because they must have been fresher and sweeter and they would probably last longer.
The moral of this little story is, you must learn to flow with the tide and gibe the customers what he wants. Ask your customer what he finds the most attractive, the most important, the most appealing, the most beneficial, and so on, and when he tells you, give it to him with both barrels.
Note:
Although, on the face of it, selling a product to different customers for different prices isn’t fair, this practice has been in existence since the year dot. One of the first rules of commerce is, wherever possible, cut your costs and increase your profits. That’s one of the reasons why David is such a successful businessman.
Prejudging
Prejudging
This next step relates to a qualified prospect. For example, someone who has answered an advert, responded to a marketing campaign, looked at the competition, or walked into your shop, office, or showroom with a genuine interest. It does not relate to unqualified prospects or leads which we will look at in step 13.
The saying ‘you can’t judge a boo by its cover is never truer than in the sales industry. Regardless of where people live, what colour they are, how old or how young someone is, what a person does for a living, what religion or sex they are; regardless of appearance or dress, and regardless of whatever excuse or objection is voiced, nobody, and I mean no single person, is able to determine beforehand which prospects are buyers and which are not. If it were possible for a person to determine which prospective customers were going to buy, there would be no such thing as a pro-clo, simply because there would be no need for them.
At the end of the day, no salesperson alive can tell (and be too per cent sure) whether or not he has a sale until the money is on the table. To prejudge that customers aren’t going to buy before giving a full presentation is suicide. If your product were free, everyone would have one, wouldn’t they? Therefore, the only thing that stops people from buying is money, and until the price is on the table, you can never tell. For that reason the pro-clo always gives it his best shot he gives too per cent effort to each customer, and his sales figures speak for themselves.
The pro-clo knows that every customer or prospect he sees has been sold to before by someone. All he has to do is be as good as, or better than, that someone. The pro-clo also emphatically believes that each qualified client he sees should buy his product. The reason for this belief is that every pro-clo is that every pro-clo is completely sold himself.
Once again…………….. only the persuaded are able to persuade.
For my money, there isn’t a salesperson anywhere who hasn’t experienced the situation where he thought there was no chance of a sale, than lo and behold, from nowhere the client became a customer.
One more time- if you have a qualified client or customer, never assume that they’re not going to buy.
Let’s now look at an example of a salesperson prejudging his potential customers.
Supposing a couple respond to a marketing campaign from a timeshare company and they go along to have look. After a while the salesperson, who has now prejudged the couple, says: ‘ I can’t sell to this couple. He’s 45, she 20 and a different colour they’re not married, they don’t own a house and have only been in their rented accommodation for four months. He’s market trader with no accountant and she’s unemployed with bad debts, and to top it all off, they’ve seen the competition and didn’t buy because they couldn’t afford it. I just haven’t got a change with these people!
If you look for negatives, guess what you find? Obviously the above example is an extreme one, but let’s now look at how a pro-clo would handle the same situation.
First of all, the pro-clo listens to the information from his customers but what he hears is not negative, it’s positive. He knows that his customers have responded to an advert or marketing campaign.
Second, the pro-clo knows that a market trader with no accountant deals in cash and quite possible has black money (undeclared earnings/cash from under the table)
Third, the pro-clo knows that if his customers have seen the competition and didn’t buy, it was probably because the competition prejudged the customers and didn’t allow them the opportunity to buy. Instead of treating the customers like time-wasters, or outcasts the pro-clo treats them like a king and Queen.
Finally the pro-clo knows that where there is a will there is a way and with and with his special kind of treatment, he will find that way. After all, who is to say that the customers don’t have a nice little nest egg tucked away somewhere? Until the price is on the taste, you never know!
We have said before that customers come in all different shapes, sizes ages, colours, creeds, and so on but all human beings have certain characteristics in common. All our desires, needs and wants are very similar, and as emotions and we all think very similarly. Zig Ziglar, in his excellent book Zig Ziglar’s Secrets of Closing the sale, demonstrates this point superbly. The following exercise is an extract from his book, which I have added to and adapted slightly.
To prove how similarly we all think, answer the following questions as quickly as you can and don’t change your mind.
1. Think of a number between one and ten.
2. Think of a colour.
3. Think of a flower.
4. Using our writing hand, hold up three fingers.
5. Think of a fruit.
6. Think of a vegetable.
7. Think of an item of furniture.
8. Think of an animal.
Now let’s see how your answers compare.
1. Seven
2. Red
3. Rose
4. Held up all but your thumb and little finger.
5. Apple or orange
6. Carrot
7. Chair
8. Dog or cat.
It doesn’t matter how many answers you agreed with. I didn’t say we were all exactly alike. I said we were all very similar.
The point I am trying to hammer home is, all your prospects are similar too. So don’t prejudge because you never can tell!
Recap
It’s time we had a little refresher to make sure that you remember to use each step on the staircase, so that you don’t trip and fall over.
Step 5 Find a want or need and them satisfy it.
Step 6 Using customer benefits, build value into your product so that price will
never be a problem
Step 7 Radiate confidence and control.
Step 8 Never prejudge that a qualified prospect isn’t going to buy, because
then you will be right.
This next step relates to a qualified prospect. For example, someone who has answered an advert, responded to a marketing campaign, looked at the competition, or walked into your shop, office, or showroom with a genuine interest. It does not relate to unqualified prospects or leads which we will look at in step 13.
The saying ‘you can’t judge a boo by its cover is never truer than in the sales industry. Regardless of where people live, what colour they are, how old or how young someone is, what a person does for a living, what religion or sex they are; regardless of appearance or dress, and regardless of whatever excuse or objection is voiced, nobody, and I mean no single person, is able to determine beforehand which prospects are buyers and which are not. If it were possible for a person to determine which prospective customers were going to buy, there would be no such thing as a pro-clo, simply because there would be no need for them.
At the end of the day, no salesperson alive can tell (and be too per cent sure) whether or not he has a sale until the money is on the table. To prejudge that customers aren’t going to buy before giving a full presentation is suicide. If your product were free, everyone would have one, wouldn’t they? Therefore, the only thing that stops people from buying is money, and until the price is on the table, you can never tell. For that reason the pro-clo always gives it his best shot he gives too per cent effort to each customer, and his sales figures speak for themselves.
The pro-clo knows that every customer or prospect he sees has been sold to before by someone. All he has to do is be as good as, or better than, that someone. The pro-clo also emphatically believes that each qualified client he sees should buy his product. The reason for this belief is that every pro-clo is that every pro-clo is completely sold himself.
Once again…………….. only the persuaded are able to persuade.
For my money, there isn’t a salesperson anywhere who hasn’t experienced the situation where he thought there was no chance of a sale, than lo and behold, from nowhere the client became a customer.
One more time- if you have a qualified client or customer, never assume that they’re not going to buy.
Let’s now look at an example of a salesperson prejudging his potential customers.
Supposing a couple respond to a marketing campaign from a timeshare company and they go along to have look. After a while the salesperson, who has now prejudged the couple, says: ‘ I can’t sell to this couple. He’s 45, she 20 and a different colour they’re not married, they don’t own a house and have only been in their rented accommodation for four months. He’s market trader with no accountant and she’s unemployed with bad debts, and to top it all off, they’ve seen the competition and didn’t buy because they couldn’t afford it. I just haven’t got a change with these people!
If you look for negatives, guess what you find? Obviously the above example is an extreme one, but let’s now look at how a pro-clo would handle the same situation.
First of all, the pro-clo listens to the information from his customers but what he hears is not negative, it’s positive. He knows that his customers have responded to an advert or marketing campaign.
Second, the pro-clo knows that a market trader with no accountant deals in cash and quite possible has black money (undeclared earnings/cash from under the table)
Third, the pro-clo knows that if his customers have seen the competition and didn’t buy, it was probably because the competition prejudged the customers and didn’t allow them the opportunity to buy. Instead of treating the customers like time-wasters, or outcasts the pro-clo treats them like a king and Queen.
Finally the pro-clo knows that where there is a will there is a way and with and with his special kind of treatment, he will find that way. After all, who is to say that the customers don’t have a nice little nest egg tucked away somewhere? Until the price is on the taste, you never know!
We have said before that customers come in all different shapes, sizes ages, colours, creeds, and so on but all human beings have certain characteristics in common. All our desires, needs and wants are very similar, and as emotions and we all think very similarly. Zig Ziglar, in his excellent book Zig Ziglar’s Secrets of Closing the sale, demonstrates this point superbly. The following exercise is an extract from his book, which I have added to and adapted slightly.
To prove how similarly we all think, answer the following questions as quickly as you can and don’t change your mind.
1. Think of a number between one and ten.
2. Think of a colour.
3. Think of a flower.
4. Using our writing hand, hold up three fingers.
5. Think of a fruit.
6. Think of a vegetable.
7. Think of an item of furniture.
8. Think of an animal.
Now let’s see how your answers compare.
1. Seven
2. Red
3. Rose
4. Held up all but your thumb and little finger.
5. Apple or orange
6. Carrot
7. Chair
8. Dog or cat.
It doesn’t matter how many answers you agreed with. I didn’t say we were all exactly alike. I said we were all very similar.
The point I am trying to hammer home is, all your prospects are similar too. So don’t prejudge because you never can tell!
Recap
It’s time we had a little refresher to make sure that you remember to use each step on the staircase, so that you don’t trip and fall over.
Step 5 Find a want or need and them satisfy it.
Step 6 Using customer benefits, build value into your product so that price will
never be a problem
Step 7 Radiate confidence and control.
Step 8 Never prejudge that a qualified prospect isn’t going to buy, because
then you will be right.
The Do’s
The Do’s
1. Leave your work at work
Don’t take work home with you. Every pro-clo needs to relax and recharge his batteries, so that he is at his best for the following day. No matter how much we enjoy our work, the rule is: ‘We work to live, not live to work’. Spending quality time and relaxing with our family is the key to real happiness and prosperity. A true pro-clo knows how and when to turn off.
2. Take regular exercise.
It is a well-known fact that a healthy body leads to a healthy mind. If you read this and say to yourself ‘I really must do some exercise. And then end up doing nothing about it, you haven’t got what it takes to be a true pro-clo. On the other hand, if you don’t feel you should take regular exercise, I urge you to consider the following.
Regular exercise increases your stamina, and makes you sharper and more alert. Regular exercise makes you healthier. It makes you less prone to common ailments such as colds or influenza as well as major illnesses such as diabetes or heart conditions. Regular exercise makes you feel good about yourself. It makes you feel fit and alive and it keeps you younger than your years. Regular exercise increases your metabolism, which burns up calories and thus keeps your weight down. Most important of all, regular exercise increases your chances of a longer, healthier life which means you will have more time to enjoy your blessings and your spoils.
I’m not saying you should become a health freak or a fanatical athlete, but a minimum exercise programmer should be 30+ minutes three times a week. Obviously, if you have any doubts about taking exercise, you should seek medical advice first. The rule is don’t not do it, just don’t overdo it.
3. Create list of things to do.
In order of importance, and as you complete each task, cross that item off the list. This is an ‘oldie’ and do9wadays you can even buy pads with ‘Things to do’ pre-printed on them. When his mind is buzzing in a confused state, trying to remember all the things that he must do, a pro-clo doesn’t get into a flutter. He simply creates his “Things to Do’ list and relieves himself from the pressure to remember. He can them concentrate on tackling his work in order of importance. In doing so the pro-clo is able to see, in black and white, just where he is going and what he has accomplished. It also gives him a great sense of achievement when he gets to cross off the last item.
4. Do what you don’t want to do.
If you are scared of something (maybe cold calling or a specific objection), you become insecure and lack confidence. This causes procrastination, so that you’re indecisive about what you should do. Always do whatever you are scared of , whatever you dislike, whatever you fear, and you will eventually learn to overcome it because ‘Familiarity breeds contempt’. There is only one sure way of never failing, and that in never to try. If you don’t try, you won’t lose, but you won’t win either. Winners do what they fear to do.
5. Dress like a professional
Here, I am not just talking about dress in the clothes sense, but everything from personal hygiene to the wearing of jewellery, even to the condition and appearance of your sales aids. A pro-clo knows that appearance is of paramount importance to portray a confident, successful and professional image. Ask yourself, am I dressed like somebody I would want to do business with?
6. Be courteous and smile
Suffice it for me to say ‘Actions speak louder than words’. Here’s a little poem I wrote about being courteous, followed by another from an unknown author explaining the wonders of smile.
Courtesy
Always be there when you say you will,
Don’t move around when you should be still
Open a door, Pull out a chair,
Say please and think you, and show that you care,
Offer help whenever you can,
Never offend a no-smoking ban,
Ask if they’re comfortable, offer a drink,
Little things mean more than you think.
Do this, and respect their point of view,
And success will always come to you.
(R.I.S)
A Smile
A smile costs nothing, but gives you much
It enriches those who receive
Without making poorer those who give
It takes but a moment, but the memory of it lasts forever
None is so rich or mighty that he can get along without it.
And none is so poor but that he can be made rich by it.
A smile creates happiness in the home,
Fosters good will in business
And is the countersign of friendship.
It brings rest to weary,
Cheer to the discouraged
Sunshine to the sad
And is nature’s best antidote for trouble
Yet, it cannot be brought, begged, borrowed or stolen
For it is something of No value until it is Given Away
Some people are too tried to give you a smile.
Give them one of yours, as none needs as smile so much
As he who has no more to give!
(Author unknown)
7. Accept when you’re wrong
When you make a mistake or you’re in the wrong, don’t shy away from it. Instead, accept it and learn from it. A pro-clo will always admit when he is wrong. He knows that no-one ever choked swallowing their pride.
8. Motivate yourself
Each morning and before each call, motivate yourself, give yourself that edge that buzz, that force from within that tells you you’re good, you’re very good. Let the confidence ooze out of every pore, let the butterflies fly in your stomach and the tingles run up your spine. The pro-clo switches himself on, he psyches himself up, and it,s easy, because he instinctively knows ‘he’s gonna win’.
Professional closers motivate themselves, they don’t need others to do it for them. They listen to great motivational music or inspirational tapes, they psych themselves up in front of a mirror, they pace up and down drumming positive thoughts into their subconscious minds and they read good motivational material, just as you are down now with this book.
Motivation stimulates excitement and enthusiasm and the winning attitude needed to succeed.
9. Set yourself goals
It is important to have something to strive for. Otherwise you end up wandering around without a destination, like a piece of driftwood on the ocean. People become state when their goals and dreams equal their present being. They lack desire and ambition, and end up existing instead of thriving. A pro-clo sets himself goals end, as he nears or attains them, he sets himself new desires, new goals, and off he goes again. Always thriving (This is discussed in depth in step 39)
10. Give more then you need to
Always give the customer more than is expected, that little extra, that complimentary add-on, or going the extra mile when it comes to service. Not only does this solidify a deal, but it gives you repeat business, referral business and a reputation that will create new business.
1. Leave your work at work
Don’t take work home with you. Every pro-clo needs to relax and recharge his batteries, so that he is at his best for the following day. No matter how much we enjoy our work, the rule is: ‘We work to live, not live to work’. Spending quality time and relaxing with our family is the key to real happiness and prosperity. A true pro-clo knows how and when to turn off.
2. Take regular exercise.
It is a well-known fact that a healthy body leads to a healthy mind. If you read this and say to yourself ‘I really must do some exercise. And then end up doing nothing about it, you haven’t got what it takes to be a true pro-clo. On the other hand, if you don’t feel you should take regular exercise, I urge you to consider the following.
Regular exercise increases your stamina, and makes you sharper and more alert. Regular exercise makes you healthier. It makes you less prone to common ailments such as colds or influenza as well as major illnesses such as diabetes or heart conditions. Regular exercise makes you feel good about yourself. It makes you feel fit and alive and it keeps you younger than your years. Regular exercise increases your metabolism, which burns up calories and thus keeps your weight down. Most important of all, regular exercise increases your chances of a longer, healthier life which means you will have more time to enjoy your blessings and your spoils.
I’m not saying you should become a health freak or a fanatical athlete, but a minimum exercise programmer should be 30+ minutes three times a week. Obviously, if you have any doubts about taking exercise, you should seek medical advice first. The rule is don’t not do it, just don’t overdo it.
3. Create list of things to do.
In order of importance, and as you complete each task, cross that item off the list. This is an ‘oldie’ and do9wadays you can even buy pads with ‘Things to do’ pre-printed on them. When his mind is buzzing in a confused state, trying to remember all the things that he must do, a pro-clo doesn’t get into a flutter. He simply creates his “Things to Do’ list and relieves himself from the pressure to remember. He can them concentrate on tackling his work in order of importance. In doing so the pro-clo is able to see, in black and white, just where he is going and what he has accomplished. It also gives him a great sense of achievement when he gets to cross off the last item.
4. Do what you don’t want to do.
If you are scared of something (maybe cold calling or a specific objection), you become insecure and lack confidence. This causes procrastination, so that you’re indecisive about what you should do. Always do whatever you are scared of , whatever you dislike, whatever you fear, and you will eventually learn to overcome it because ‘Familiarity breeds contempt’. There is only one sure way of never failing, and that in never to try. If you don’t try, you won’t lose, but you won’t win either. Winners do what they fear to do.
5. Dress like a professional
Here, I am not just talking about dress in the clothes sense, but everything from personal hygiene to the wearing of jewellery, even to the condition and appearance of your sales aids. A pro-clo knows that appearance is of paramount importance to portray a confident, successful and professional image. Ask yourself, am I dressed like somebody I would want to do business with?
6. Be courteous and smile
Suffice it for me to say ‘Actions speak louder than words’. Here’s a little poem I wrote about being courteous, followed by another from an unknown author explaining the wonders of smile.
Courtesy
Always be there when you say you will,
Don’t move around when you should be still
Open a door, Pull out a chair,
Say please and think you, and show that you care,
Offer help whenever you can,
Never offend a no-smoking ban,
Ask if they’re comfortable, offer a drink,
Little things mean more than you think.
Do this, and respect their point of view,
And success will always come to you.
(R.I.S)
A Smile
A smile costs nothing, but gives you much
It enriches those who receive
Without making poorer those who give
It takes but a moment, but the memory of it lasts forever
None is so rich or mighty that he can get along without it.
And none is so poor but that he can be made rich by it.
A smile creates happiness in the home,
Fosters good will in business
And is the countersign of friendship.
It brings rest to weary,
Cheer to the discouraged
Sunshine to the sad
And is nature’s best antidote for trouble
Yet, it cannot be brought, begged, borrowed or stolen
For it is something of No value until it is Given Away
Some people are too tried to give you a smile.
Give them one of yours, as none needs as smile so much
As he who has no more to give!
(Author unknown)
7. Accept when you’re wrong
When you make a mistake or you’re in the wrong, don’t shy away from it. Instead, accept it and learn from it. A pro-clo will always admit when he is wrong. He knows that no-one ever choked swallowing their pride.
8. Motivate yourself
Each morning and before each call, motivate yourself, give yourself that edge that buzz, that force from within that tells you you’re good, you’re very good. Let the confidence ooze out of every pore, let the butterflies fly in your stomach and the tingles run up your spine. The pro-clo switches himself on, he psyches himself up, and it,s easy, because he instinctively knows ‘he’s gonna win’.
Professional closers motivate themselves, they don’t need others to do it for them. They listen to great motivational music or inspirational tapes, they psych themselves up in front of a mirror, they pace up and down drumming positive thoughts into their subconscious minds and they read good motivational material, just as you are down now with this book.
Motivation stimulates excitement and enthusiasm and the winning attitude needed to succeed.
9. Set yourself goals
It is important to have something to strive for. Otherwise you end up wandering around without a destination, like a piece of driftwood on the ocean. People become state when their goals and dreams equal their present being. They lack desire and ambition, and end up existing instead of thriving. A pro-clo sets himself goals end, as he nears or attains them, he sets himself new desires, new goals, and off he goes again. Always thriving (This is discussed in depth in step 39)
10. Give more then you need to
Always give the customer more than is expected, that little extra, that complimentary add-on, or going the extra mile when it comes to service. Not only does this solidify a deal, but it gives you repeat business, referral business and a reputation that will create new business.
Tips for selling on the customer’s home turf
Tips for selling on the customer’s home turf
The following tips are directed at selling on the customer’s home base, that is, his house or place of work. However, as with all lessons in this book, these tips can and should be adapted to fit any sales situation, anywhere.
1. If a call of nature is imminent, relieve yourself prior to meeting your customer! Now, before you drop this book in surprise at this tip, let me explain why.
If possible you should stick to your customers like glue, from the first moment you meet them until it’s time to wave goodbye. You should marry them, stay with them and don’t give them an opportunity to scheme up ways of saying no when you’re not around.
2. Don’t be late for an appointment, not even by a minute. A first impression is a lasting impression, so make a good start by being punctual. If you are held up, or a delay is unavoidable, always phone your customer before the pre-arranged time to apologize and reschedule.
3. Never park your car in a reserved snace it might belong to the MD! If you are in any doubt, ask where you can park. Alternatively park at the far end of the car park, the end that is farthest away from the building. (One of the status symbols of anybody who is anybody is that they get to park nearest the building.)
This same principle applies at the customer’s home. Appreciate that there are certain places the customer reserves for his own parking or that of his family. To avoid any possible irritation, don’t park on the customer’s drive, don’t block the driveway and don’t park in front of the window or garage. Not only is this being courteous but it means that you won’t be disturbed during your presentation (or closing) when the customer’s son arrives and wants to put his car away.
4. Leave all your Sales equipment in the car and be empty-handed when you
Greet your customer. If you are carrying all your sales material, samples and equipment, apart from the fact it will be difficult to shake hands, you will appear too impersonal and too ready for action. Think how you would feel, if immediately upon opening the door of a tailor’s shop, the sales assistant said hello and began measuring you with his tape.
(Once you have greet your customer you should then excuse yourself whilst you go and get your things.)
5. When you greet your customers, always shake hands with them- you might
As well get them used to it from the start.
6. As you enter the customer’s domain, make an exaggerated effort in wiping
Your feet. The customer will notice this mark of respect and will warm to you more easily.
7. Always ask wait to be seated. Remember a man’s home (or his office for
That matter) is his castle. If you are invited into his castle you are a guest, so make sure you act like a guest, not an intruder.
8. If we invite someone round to our home, most of us make an effort to make
Ourselves and our home more presentable. We dust and polish and tidy round, we spray a little air freshener, put flowers into a vase and bring out the best chinaware.
If you notice, tidy, clean home, then mention it- compliment your customers sincerely and they will love you for it- because that effort was made on your behalf. Likewise you should compliment a tidy and well –organized office.
9. Don’t jump in with both feet. Don’t move straight into your sales
Presentation. Instead, settle things down and induce a receptive atmosphere. (This subject will be discussed in more detail in step 18)
10 If you come from a different ethnic or cultural background from your
customer, always accept and consume and offer of food or drink. This will
put your customer at ease and show him that you are not prejudiced.
11. Look around and you will see photographs, paintings, certificates, trophies,
Books, plants, record collections, cats ,dogs, model planes, musical instruments ………the list goes on and on. These items are memorabilia or passions to your customer, so mention them. Ask and be sincerely inquisitive and your customers will love you for it. Let them go on and on about the things they have a passion for and they will feel so appreciative – because they’re enjoying themselves and it’s very rare that they get the chance to show off to a willing audience. That appreciation will turn to obligation and they will end up saying: ‘Well enough of that –show me what you’ve got-how much is it? OK, I’ll have one,’
11 .Never ignores the customer’s children. Instead recruit them to your side and they’ll be your biggest ally (In an office you might not recruit the spectator but you should never ignore him.)
12 Don’t invade a customer’s desk with your ‘things’ without asking first. Likewise don’t use a customer’s furniture or floor (as in carpet) without asking. This is especially pertinent when it comes to glasses, cups or plates. Many customer’s are too polite to ask you to move something but the offending object remains on their mind and it festers. When this happens they won’t be giving you their undivided attention – so always ask first.
13 Always get the customer involved in the presentation, not just verbally but physically. Get the customer to help set up your demonstration, get him to compare colour co-ordination or help you measure up. Get the customer to look, touch, smell, taste and listen. (This subject is discussed in depend in step26.) The more involved he is, the more enthusiastic he becomes, because he starts to envisage what it would be like to own your product. Take him, as it were, for a test drive and let him feel what it’s really like to be behind the wheel!
14When you are in the customer’s home or office you are less in control of outside events. Such as an interruption by another member of the family, a knock at the door, or a telephone call. When this happens, stop your presentation and make small talk until everyone returns-then backtrack slightly to refresh their memories.
15It is always a good idea to leave something (of no intrinsic value) behind when you leave. For example you could accidentally on propose forget your folder, which must have fallen under the table, or maybe your calculator, that slipped down the side of your chair. This little trick gives you a legitimate excuse to call back again tomorrow. At the same time you can consolidate the deal or sell them some more, or if you failed the first time, have another go!
Reap Step 10
1. Stick to your customers like glue. Marry them
2. Don’t be late. If it’s unavoidable, phone before your appointment time
3. Park your car with care
4. Leave your equipment in the car until after the greeting
5. Shake hands- get them used to it.
6. Wipe your feet well
7. Ask or wait to be seated
8. Compliment a tidy abode
9. Don’t jump in with both feet
10. Accept an offer of tea or coffee.
11. Encourage talk about passions
12. Don’t ignore the spectators.
13. Ask before you put down your things.
14. Involve your customers, physically.
15. Wait out any interruptions.
16. Leave an object so that they can’t object to a second visit.
The following tips are directed at selling on the customer’s home base, that is, his house or place of work. However, as with all lessons in this book, these tips can and should be adapted to fit any sales situation, anywhere.
1. If a call of nature is imminent, relieve yourself prior to meeting your customer! Now, before you drop this book in surprise at this tip, let me explain why.
If possible you should stick to your customers like glue, from the first moment you meet them until it’s time to wave goodbye. You should marry them, stay with them and don’t give them an opportunity to scheme up ways of saying no when you’re not around.
2. Don’t be late for an appointment, not even by a minute. A first impression is a lasting impression, so make a good start by being punctual. If you are held up, or a delay is unavoidable, always phone your customer before the pre-arranged time to apologize and reschedule.
3. Never park your car in a reserved snace it might belong to the MD! If you are in any doubt, ask where you can park. Alternatively park at the far end of the car park, the end that is farthest away from the building. (One of the status symbols of anybody who is anybody is that they get to park nearest the building.)
This same principle applies at the customer’s home. Appreciate that there are certain places the customer reserves for his own parking or that of his family. To avoid any possible irritation, don’t park on the customer’s drive, don’t block the driveway and don’t park in front of the window or garage. Not only is this being courteous but it means that you won’t be disturbed during your presentation (or closing) when the customer’s son arrives and wants to put his car away.
4. Leave all your Sales equipment in the car and be empty-handed when you
Greet your customer. If you are carrying all your sales material, samples and equipment, apart from the fact it will be difficult to shake hands, you will appear too impersonal and too ready for action. Think how you would feel, if immediately upon opening the door of a tailor’s shop, the sales assistant said hello and began measuring you with his tape.
(Once you have greet your customer you should then excuse yourself whilst you go and get your things.)
5. When you greet your customers, always shake hands with them- you might
As well get them used to it from the start.
6. As you enter the customer’s domain, make an exaggerated effort in wiping
Your feet. The customer will notice this mark of respect and will warm to you more easily.
7. Always ask wait to be seated. Remember a man’s home (or his office for
That matter) is his castle. If you are invited into his castle you are a guest, so make sure you act like a guest, not an intruder.
8. If we invite someone round to our home, most of us make an effort to make
Ourselves and our home more presentable. We dust and polish and tidy round, we spray a little air freshener, put flowers into a vase and bring out the best chinaware.
If you notice, tidy, clean home, then mention it- compliment your customers sincerely and they will love you for it- because that effort was made on your behalf. Likewise you should compliment a tidy and well –organized office.
9. Don’t jump in with both feet. Don’t move straight into your sales
Presentation. Instead, settle things down and induce a receptive atmosphere. (This subject will be discussed in more detail in step 18)
10 If you come from a different ethnic or cultural background from your
customer, always accept and consume and offer of food or drink. This will
put your customer at ease and show him that you are not prejudiced.
11. Look around and you will see photographs, paintings, certificates, trophies,
Books, plants, record collections, cats ,dogs, model planes, musical instruments ………the list goes on and on. These items are memorabilia or passions to your customer, so mention them. Ask and be sincerely inquisitive and your customers will love you for it. Let them go on and on about the things they have a passion for and they will feel so appreciative – because they’re enjoying themselves and it’s very rare that they get the chance to show off to a willing audience. That appreciation will turn to obligation and they will end up saying: ‘Well enough of that –show me what you’ve got-how much is it? OK, I’ll have one,’
11 .Never ignores the customer’s children. Instead recruit them to your side and they’ll be your biggest ally (In an office you might not recruit the spectator but you should never ignore him.)
12 Don’t invade a customer’s desk with your ‘things’ without asking first. Likewise don’t use a customer’s furniture or floor (as in carpet) without asking. This is especially pertinent when it comes to glasses, cups or plates. Many customer’s are too polite to ask you to move something but the offending object remains on their mind and it festers. When this happens they won’t be giving you their undivided attention – so always ask first.
13 Always get the customer involved in the presentation, not just verbally but physically. Get the customer to help set up your demonstration, get him to compare colour co-ordination or help you measure up. Get the customer to look, touch, smell, taste and listen. (This subject is discussed in depend in step26.) The more involved he is, the more enthusiastic he becomes, because he starts to envisage what it would be like to own your product. Take him, as it were, for a test drive and let him feel what it’s really like to be behind the wheel!
14When you are in the customer’s home or office you are less in control of outside events. Such as an interruption by another member of the family, a knock at the door, or a telephone call. When this happens, stop your presentation and make small talk until everyone returns-then backtrack slightly to refresh their memories.
15It is always a good idea to leave something (of no intrinsic value) behind when you leave. For example you could accidentally on propose forget your folder, which must have fallen under the table, or maybe your calculator, that slipped down the side of your chair. This little trick gives you a legitimate excuse to call back again tomorrow. At the same time you can consolidate the deal or sell them some more, or if you failed the first time, have another go!
Reap Step 10
1. Stick to your customers like glue. Marry them
2. Don’t be late. If it’s unavoidable, phone before your appointment time
3. Park your car with care
4. Leave your equipment in the car until after the greeting
5. Shake hands- get them used to it.
6. Wipe your feet well
7. Ask or wait to be seated
8. Compliment a tidy abode
9. Don’t jump in with both feet
10. Accept an offer of tea or coffee.
11. Encourage talk about passions
12. Don’t ignore the spectators.
13. Ask before you put down your things.
14. Involve your customers, physically.
15. Wait out any interruptions.
16. Leave an object so that they can’t object to a second visit.
A dozen little tricks of the trade
A dozen little tricks of the trade
Before you jump into this ‘fun’ section, I would like to make one point absolutely clear. Never burn your customers. A pro-clo would never do anything detrimental to a customer – it’s not in his nature. If you cheat, lie, misrepresent, or mislead to hurt or harm a customer for your own gain, then you are a con-man. Make no mistake about it, there is a world of difference between the ‘honorable’ intentions and ploys of a pro-clo and the ‘dishonorable’ conduct and seams of a con-man. When a pro-clo uses a little pressure or some sort of ploy, he does so because he believes it’s in his customer’s (and his own) best interest. On the other hand, when the con-man is in action, there is only one person’s interest on his mind!
I can’t really put my finger on it, maybe it’s the power from above, but con-men don’t seem to enjoy health, wealth, happiness, or security for very long. I hope this point sinks in: DON’T BURN THEM.
Here, then are a dozen little ticks of the trade and how to apply them.
1.How to stop the rot.
If a customer loses interest. If he starts to wander or to lean away from the table and sits back in his chair, to lean away from the table and sits back in his chair, don’t inch forward, don’t climb up on to the table and push your material under his nose. If you do he will back in your chair and continue talking……… but so quietly that it’s impossible for the customer to hear you… the customer will instinctively come forward, back into position again.
If it happens a second time, then lower your voice, pull your material towards you and, pointing to something, enthusiastically say to the customer: ‘Just read that’. This will bring the customer back into action again.
If it should happen a third time, stop in your tracks become concerned and say to the customer: Was I talking too loudly for you?’ The customer will become uncomfortable and deny it, but from now on he will pay a lot more attention.
2.Taking immediate control
Always move your customer as soon as possible after the preliminary greeting. This technique puts the pro-clo in charge immediately because it allows him to choose the turf, rather than the customer. This changing of positions makes the customer somewhat disorientated and subrnissive, which automatically puts the instigator, the pro-clo control.
Changing the position or the turf must be done in an affable manner and there are various ways of accomplishing this. For example, changing rooms for more peace and quiet, changing chairs because this on is more comfortable, or changing to a different position for more light, heat, breeze, and so on. If you are in the customer’s home or office you might suggest that you move from the lounge to the kitchen table. Or ask if the customer wouldn’t mind sitting here instead of there, as you are slightly deaf in one ear and are finding it difficult to hear him. Just how of where you move your customer isn’t important, as long as he moves from where he chooses to be to where you choose him to be.
3.One way to overcome procrastination
I once heard of a salesman who used melodramatics to overcome customer procrastination. He would set the alarm on his watch to go off ten minutes after he met his customers. When the alarm activated, he would apologize and explain to his customers that it was imperative that he take his tables. He would even request a glass of water. He then went on to explain that he suffered from a serious complaint and that the pills ( vitamin tablets in an old prescription bottle) stopped him from becoming overstressed or excited and allowed him to lead as normal a life as possible.
Of course, throughout the presentation, the salesman’s ‘illness’ was completely forgotten, and it was never mentioned again unless the customers began to procrastinate. The salesman would be enthusiastic and excited when attempting to actually close the sale, and if he ever encountered any real indecisiveness, he would stop suddenly, frown and tap his chest once or twice, then continue a if nothing had happened. Apparently, his customers always decided very quickly after that!
This salesman’s antics may be controversial and I don’t wholly recommend them, but I was told that his intentions were always honorable and he always got more referrals than of his colleagues.
4.An ‘oldie’ to create urgency
Although this one has been over-used the years, and many customers are now skeptical, the impending price increase can still be very effective in creating urgency. Here is an example which demonstrates just how effective this closing tool can be.
My neighbor recently purchased some replacement windows. He had originally intended to shop around and compare prices but he ended up buying on the first quote. Afterwards he explained to me that the reason he had been so impulsive was because he was getting such a good deal. Amongst other things the salesperson had produced a price list, dated two days before, showing a to per cent increase in prices with immediate effect. The salesperson offered to backdate my neighbor’s quote by three days if he decided there and then to go ahead.
My neighbor in now the proud owner of some beautiful double-glazed windows, a new front door and new patio doors!
5.Customer guidance from above
When it’s time to close, if possible, sit higher than the customer so that they have to look up to you. (Use a different chair or a cushion or simply straighten your posture.) By sitting slightly higher than the customer you become dominant- the customer looks up to you, he respects your knowledge and becomes a little submissive, he looks to you for reassurance and guidance. From this position the pro-clo simply guides him home. (This is the same reason why a bank manager or a sales manager’s chair is often higher than the other chairs in the office so they can dominate their captives.)
6.The deliberate mistake
A beautiful little ploy to test the water, to find out how the customer feels about the product and to see if he is thinking ownership thoughts yet, is to use a deliberate mistake. For example, the customer has said earlier that he didn’t like the large one, it was too bulky. When the pro-clo feels the time is right, he makes a deliberate mistake to see if his customer corrects him. For example.
PRO-CLO: ‘ I personally prefer the smaller unit, but you said earlier that you thought the larger one would best suit your needs.
Customer: ‘No, I’m sorry- so it’s the smaller unit you’d like to have?’
If the customer says ‘Yes’, get out the order form and start writing it up. If the customer says ‘I haven’t decided anything yet,’ you carry on from where you left off.
7.Trick or treat with the wrong price
Here’s another adaptation of the deliberate mistake. This one is best used with the pushy customer.
Give the customer the correct price, then after a minute or two, apologize and tell the customer you’ve made a mistake, you’ve used an old price list. The prices have gone up since then and now it should be . The customer will object and say ‘I’m not paying that for it……. You made the mistake; I want it for the old price.’ (I think your sales manager might just give in!) Be very careful with this one, you don’t want the customer to think you’re incompetent, or that you’re trying to pull the wool over his eyes.
8.Make a spectacle of yourself when you mean business
This technique belongs to a very successful closer and an old colleague, Barbara.
Now Barbara is the sort of salesperson who really befriends her customers, she has a great personality and she gets very close to the people she is selling to. However, this presents Barbara with a rather unique problem. You see she gets so close to her customers, that it can be and very often is, difficult to get down to business, without being rude or abrupt. To overcome this dilemma, Barbara doesn’t say a thing; she simply takes out a pair of spectacles and puts them on. Her customers immediately feel the tactful change and respond accordingly.
This ‘putting on the spectacles’ trick works every time because it forces the customer to look at things in a different perspective.
9.Win the wife and you’ll win the husband
If your customers are a married couple, concentrate the most effort in selling to the wife, because 99 per cent of the time if she’s sold the husband will follow suit.
Most men follow their wives, decisions and they will do almost anything to please them, so win the wife and you’ll win the husband.
10.An ace up your sleeve called obligation.
Giving the occasional gift is a gesture which often produces excellent results. This practice is sometimes known as gifting, and the art of making it work is to offer a plausible explanation of why you are giving the gift. Every customer knows that ‘there is no such thing as a free lunch,’ so don’t be obvious about it. The customer should never feel you are trying to bribe him or buy his business. Generally speaking, the gift should be inexpensive, and if possible it should be a personal gift – it is not the cost but the thought that counts. For example, the gift could be a box of cigars which were given to you for Christmas (but you don’t smoke cigars); two tickets for the match on Saturday (you’ve now got to go to a wedding); a case of wine that a customer gave to you (you’ve tee-total but didn’t have the heart to tell him); or even a couple of t-shirts with your company logo on them, for his kids.
Some of the big companies really go to town when it comes to gifting established accounts and would be customers. Crates of booze at Christmas, private boxes at the races, conferences and dinners at the call it expenses or perks that go on their entertainment allowance. But in reality it’s ‘speculate to accumulate’, and the companies recoup these expenses many times over.
Gifting creates gratitude, but when it’s time to close that gratitude turns into obligation. A pro-clo firmly believes that every penny spent on a customer is worth a pound, so don’t be afraid of putting your hand in your pocket.
11.The best little ringer in town
The telephone is one of the best closing tools around, and more sales have been closed through pretend telephone conversations than through bona fide calls. A telephone can be used quite genuinely to check inventory, receive authorization, check delivery schedules and so on –and when the need arises, a little invented call can work wonders at creating urgency.
Here are a few examples.
Is it still available?
‘What do we have left, if anything, in this range?
‘What do you mean, it’s sold? When? Is the other one still there?’
‘So you would need to know now for delivery next Thursday?’
‘Could we possibly see our way to allow them……..?
‘Ok, I understand the answer is no……… but what if?
‘By the way, can you send six more to Johnson’s for tomorrow morning?’
‘Listen, Jim, I was wondering if I could call in that favour……’
12.The deal of the decade
The ‘golden oldie’ is to build the extra discount into your price, so that you can offer added incentives and entice the customer to buy without deviating from the original price, or making a loss. A gentleman I know (now a multi-millionaire) used to own a second –hand car lot. In his younger days, his customers would snap his hands off because he would offer up to 1,000 more on the trade-in value of their old car.(He simply used to add 1,000 on to his asking price.)
The reason he is now a millionaire is because he always gave the customer the extra 1,000 trade –in value, even when he knew he didn’t have to. As a result, Jack always had more referrals than all the local competition put together.
If the cause is just, a pro-clo is definitely not fainthearted about using ploys or pressure to convince his customers of the right decision –but he never pushes his customers, he pulls them.
Before reaching this section, I have already shared with you some of the many tips, tactical moves of the pro-clo, and throughout the remainder of the book you will find literally hundreds more. However, before we move on I would like to reiterate my opening remarks to this section. Never burn your customer and never do anything detrimental to a customer.
Before you jump into this ‘fun’ section, I would like to make one point absolutely clear. Never burn your customers. A pro-clo would never do anything detrimental to a customer – it’s not in his nature. If you cheat, lie, misrepresent, or mislead to hurt or harm a customer for your own gain, then you are a con-man. Make no mistake about it, there is a world of difference between the ‘honorable’ intentions and ploys of a pro-clo and the ‘dishonorable’ conduct and seams of a con-man. When a pro-clo uses a little pressure or some sort of ploy, he does so because he believes it’s in his customer’s (and his own) best interest. On the other hand, when the con-man is in action, there is only one person’s interest on his mind!
I can’t really put my finger on it, maybe it’s the power from above, but con-men don’t seem to enjoy health, wealth, happiness, or security for very long. I hope this point sinks in: DON’T BURN THEM.
Here, then are a dozen little ticks of the trade and how to apply them.
1.How to stop the rot.
If a customer loses interest. If he starts to wander or to lean away from the table and sits back in his chair, to lean away from the table and sits back in his chair, don’t inch forward, don’t climb up on to the table and push your material under his nose. If you do he will back in your chair and continue talking……… but so quietly that it’s impossible for the customer to hear you… the customer will instinctively come forward, back into position again.
If it happens a second time, then lower your voice, pull your material towards you and, pointing to something, enthusiastically say to the customer: ‘Just read that’. This will bring the customer back into action again.
If it should happen a third time, stop in your tracks become concerned and say to the customer: Was I talking too loudly for you?’ The customer will become uncomfortable and deny it, but from now on he will pay a lot more attention.
2.Taking immediate control
Always move your customer as soon as possible after the preliminary greeting. This technique puts the pro-clo in charge immediately because it allows him to choose the turf, rather than the customer. This changing of positions makes the customer somewhat disorientated and subrnissive, which automatically puts the instigator, the pro-clo control.
Changing the position or the turf must be done in an affable manner and there are various ways of accomplishing this. For example, changing rooms for more peace and quiet, changing chairs because this on is more comfortable, or changing to a different position for more light, heat, breeze, and so on. If you are in the customer’s home or office you might suggest that you move from the lounge to the kitchen table. Or ask if the customer wouldn’t mind sitting here instead of there, as you are slightly deaf in one ear and are finding it difficult to hear him. Just how of where you move your customer isn’t important, as long as he moves from where he chooses to be to where you choose him to be.
3.One way to overcome procrastination
I once heard of a salesman who used melodramatics to overcome customer procrastination. He would set the alarm on his watch to go off ten minutes after he met his customers. When the alarm activated, he would apologize and explain to his customers that it was imperative that he take his tables. He would even request a glass of water. He then went on to explain that he suffered from a serious complaint and that the pills ( vitamin tablets in an old prescription bottle) stopped him from becoming overstressed or excited and allowed him to lead as normal a life as possible.
Of course, throughout the presentation, the salesman’s ‘illness’ was completely forgotten, and it was never mentioned again unless the customers began to procrastinate. The salesman would be enthusiastic and excited when attempting to actually close the sale, and if he ever encountered any real indecisiveness, he would stop suddenly, frown and tap his chest once or twice, then continue a if nothing had happened. Apparently, his customers always decided very quickly after that!
This salesman’s antics may be controversial and I don’t wholly recommend them, but I was told that his intentions were always honorable and he always got more referrals than of his colleagues.
4.An ‘oldie’ to create urgency
Although this one has been over-used the years, and many customers are now skeptical, the impending price increase can still be very effective in creating urgency. Here is an example which demonstrates just how effective this closing tool can be.
My neighbor recently purchased some replacement windows. He had originally intended to shop around and compare prices but he ended up buying on the first quote. Afterwards he explained to me that the reason he had been so impulsive was because he was getting such a good deal. Amongst other things the salesperson had produced a price list, dated two days before, showing a to per cent increase in prices with immediate effect. The salesperson offered to backdate my neighbor’s quote by three days if he decided there and then to go ahead.
My neighbor in now the proud owner of some beautiful double-glazed windows, a new front door and new patio doors!
5.Customer guidance from above
When it’s time to close, if possible, sit higher than the customer so that they have to look up to you. (Use a different chair or a cushion or simply straighten your posture.) By sitting slightly higher than the customer you become dominant- the customer looks up to you, he respects your knowledge and becomes a little submissive, he looks to you for reassurance and guidance. From this position the pro-clo simply guides him home. (This is the same reason why a bank manager or a sales manager’s chair is often higher than the other chairs in the office so they can dominate their captives.)
6.The deliberate mistake
A beautiful little ploy to test the water, to find out how the customer feels about the product and to see if he is thinking ownership thoughts yet, is to use a deliberate mistake. For example, the customer has said earlier that he didn’t like the large one, it was too bulky. When the pro-clo feels the time is right, he makes a deliberate mistake to see if his customer corrects him. For example.
PRO-CLO: ‘ I personally prefer the smaller unit, but you said earlier that you thought the larger one would best suit your needs.
Customer: ‘No, I’m sorry- so it’s the smaller unit you’d like to have?’
If the customer says ‘Yes’, get out the order form and start writing it up. If the customer says ‘I haven’t decided anything yet,’ you carry on from where you left off.
7.Trick or treat with the wrong price
Here’s another adaptation of the deliberate mistake. This one is best used with the pushy customer.
Give the customer the correct price, then after a minute or two, apologize and tell the customer you’ve made a mistake, you’ve used an old price list. The prices have gone up since then and now it should be . The customer will object and say ‘I’m not paying that for it……. You made the mistake; I want it for the old price.’ (I think your sales manager might just give in!) Be very careful with this one, you don’t want the customer to think you’re incompetent, or that you’re trying to pull the wool over his eyes.
8.Make a spectacle of yourself when you mean business
This technique belongs to a very successful closer and an old colleague, Barbara.
Now Barbara is the sort of salesperson who really befriends her customers, she has a great personality and she gets very close to the people she is selling to. However, this presents Barbara with a rather unique problem. You see she gets so close to her customers, that it can be and very often is, difficult to get down to business, without being rude or abrupt. To overcome this dilemma, Barbara doesn’t say a thing; she simply takes out a pair of spectacles and puts them on. Her customers immediately feel the tactful change and respond accordingly.
This ‘putting on the spectacles’ trick works every time because it forces the customer to look at things in a different perspective.
9.Win the wife and you’ll win the husband
If your customers are a married couple, concentrate the most effort in selling to the wife, because 99 per cent of the time if she’s sold the husband will follow suit.
Most men follow their wives, decisions and they will do almost anything to please them, so win the wife and you’ll win the husband.
10.An ace up your sleeve called obligation.
Giving the occasional gift is a gesture which often produces excellent results. This practice is sometimes known as gifting, and the art of making it work is to offer a plausible explanation of why you are giving the gift. Every customer knows that ‘there is no such thing as a free lunch,’ so don’t be obvious about it. The customer should never feel you are trying to bribe him or buy his business. Generally speaking, the gift should be inexpensive, and if possible it should be a personal gift – it is not the cost but the thought that counts. For example, the gift could be a box of cigars which were given to you for Christmas (but you don’t smoke cigars); two tickets for the match on Saturday (you’ve now got to go to a wedding); a case of wine that a customer gave to you (you’ve tee-total but didn’t have the heart to tell him); or even a couple of t-shirts with your company logo on them, for his kids.
Some of the big companies really go to town when it comes to gifting established accounts and would be customers. Crates of booze at Christmas, private boxes at the races, conferences and dinners at the call it expenses or perks that go on their entertainment allowance. But in reality it’s ‘speculate to accumulate’, and the companies recoup these expenses many times over.
Gifting creates gratitude, but when it’s time to close that gratitude turns into obligation. A pro-clo firmly believes that every penny spent on a customer is worth a pound, so don’t be afraid of putting your hand in your pocket.
11.The best little ringer in town
The telephone is one of the best closing tools around, and more sales have been closed through pretend telephone conversations than through bona fide calls. A telephone can be used quite genuinely to check inventory, receive authorization, check delivery schedules and so on –and when the need arises, a little invented call can work wonders at creating urgency.
Here are a few examples.
Is it still available?
‘What do we have left, if anything, in this range?
‘What do you mean, it’s sold? When? Is the other one still there?’
‘So you would need to know now for delivery next Thursday?’
‘Could we possibly see our way to allow them……..?
‘Ok, I understand the answer is no……… but what if?
‘By the way, can you send six more to Johnson’s for tomorrow morning?’
‘Listen, Jim, I was wondering if I could call in that favour……’
12.The deal of the decade
The ‘golden oldie’ is to build the extra discount into your price, so that you can offer added incentives and entice the customer to buy without deviating from the original price, or making a loss. A gentleman I know (now a multi-millionaire) used to own a second –hand car lot. In his younger days, his customers would snap his hands off because he would offer up to 1,000 more on the trade-in value of their old car.(He simply used to add 1,000 on to his asking price.)
The reason he is now a millionaire is because he always gave the customer the extra 1,000 trade –in value, even when he knew he didn’t have to. As a result, Jack always had more referrals than all the local competition put together.
If the cause is just, a pro-clo is definitely not fainthearted about using ploys or pressure to convince his customers of the right decision –but he never pushes his customers, he pulls them.
Before reaching this section, I have already shared with you some of the many tips, tactical moves of the pro-clo, and throughout the remainder of the book you will find literally hundreds more. However, before we move on I would like to reiterate my opening remarks to this section. Never burn your customer and never do anything detrimental to a customer.
The plan of action for Sales
The plan of action
A pro-clo always works to a plan action. He has a strategy, a sequence of events, a proven formula that he follows with each presentation.
Depending upon the product or service there are many adaptations of this plan of action, but a typical sequence of events will run something like this (assuming the appointment has been made.)
1.Meeting/ greeting
I think it is enough for me to say that nobody gets a second chance to make a first impression. Smile, be friendly, be polite and courteous. Shake hands- get the customer used to it. Remember to take control as soon as possible. Ask the customer to do something: ‘Would you come this way?, ‘Would you mind turning the television off, ‘ Is it all right if I sit here?’ and so on.
ii. Setting the scene
When you first meet a customer, his defense shield, that protective
Barrier, will be in place to product him form being sold, to protect
him from the unknown. The pro-clo chips away at this barrier until
it eventually comes down, until the customer is relaxed and
receptive. The best way to start this process is to put your cards on
the table and tell the customer what you are going to do. Once you
have done this the customer will no longer be afraid of the unknown
You will have made him aware of what is going to happen, and he
will start to relax.
If you give the customer an escape route, if you tell him in so many words that you’re not going to try and sell him anything and it’s OK if he doesn’t buy, he will relax that much quicker. I’m not suggesting you let the customer off the hook, I’m suggesting that you imply to the customer that this is what will happen if whatever it is you are selling is not for him. The pro-clo always makes the customer want the product, but the customer doesn’t know that. The technique of setting the stage will be covered in more detail later in this section (Step 16).
2.Building rapport
Warm the customer up before moving in to pitch him (Step 18, covered in depth on page 84). This is the crucial stage, the time when the sale can make or break even before the actual presentation. Here, through relaxed conversation (usually with a tea or coffee), the pro-clo builds common bonds, friendship, trust, credibility, warmth and makes the customer receptive.
3.Presentation
Short and simple (covered in step 20)
4.Recap
Once you have made your presentation, recap before you close to make sure your customer understands everything and to make sure there are no last-minute doubts or questions. First, we tell them what we are going to do, then we do it, then we tell them what we’ve just done.
5. price /close
If you don’t work from a published price list, hold back the price until the end. Sell them on what they are going to get first, then tell them the price. When you go into a shop to buy a pair of shoes you don’t walk in and ask ‘How much are your shoes?’
A pro-clo always works to a plan action. He has a strategy, a sequence of events, a proven formula that he follows with each presentation.
Depending upon the product or service there are many adaptations of this plan of action, but a typical sequence of events will run something like this (assuming the appointment has been made.)
1.Meeting/ greeting
I think it is enough for me to say that nobody gets a second chance to make a first impression. Smile, be friendly, be polite and courteous. Shake hands- get the customer used to it. Remember to take control as soon as possible. Ask the customer to do something: ‘Would you come this way?, ‘Would you mind turning the television off, ‘ Is it all right if I sit here?’ and so on.
ii. Setting the scene
When you first meet a customer, his defense shield, that protective
Barrier, will be in place to product him form being sold, to protect
him from the unknown. The pro-clo chips away at this barrier until
it eventually comes down, until the customer is relaxed and
receptive. The best way to start this process is to put your cards on
the table and tell the customer what you are going to do. Once you
have done this the customer will no longer be afraid of the unknown
You will have made him aware of what is going to happen, and he
will start to relax.
If you give the customer an escape route, if you tell him in so many words that you’re not going to try and sell him anything and it’s OK if he doesn’t buy, he will relax that much quicker. I’m not suggesting you let the customer off the hook, I’m suggesting that you imply to the customer that this is what will happen if whatever it is you are selling is not for him. The pro-clo always makes the customer want the product, but the customer doesn’t know that. The technique of setting the stage will be covered in more detail later in this section (Step 16).
2.Building rapport
Warm the customer up before moving in to pitch him (Step 18, covered in depth on page 84). This is the crucial stage, the time when the sale can make or break even before the actual presentation. Here, through relaxed conversation (usually with a tea or coffee), the pro-clo builds common bonds, friendship, trust, credibility, warmth and makes the customer receptive.
3.Presentation
Short and simple (covered in step 20)
4.Recap
Once you have made your presentation, recap before you close to make sure your customer understands everything and to make sure there are no last-minute doubts or questions. First, we tell them what we are going to do, then we do it, then we tell them what we’ve just done.
5. price /close
If you don’t work from a published price list, hold back the price until the end. Sell them on what they are going to get first, then tell them the price. When you go into a shop to buy a pair of shoes you don’t walk in and ask ‘How much are your shoes?’
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