Pauls sales tips

Meet nicer business people

2011-06-25T04:50:00.000-07:00

Essential tip for anyone in business.

Let me tell you what I do when I have an open sales, confidence or presentation course.
If I have a room full of strangers, I like to start my course by asking 2 questions.

1 Put your hand up if you don't know me. All the hands go up.

2 Keep your hand up if you like me. Most of the hands go down!

I then ask those who have put their hand down why don't they like me.
The usual answer is;
"I don't like you - I don't dislike you - I just don't know you yet. I only met you 2 minutes ago. I will probably get to like you."

I then ask those who have kept their hands up, why they say they like me - again having only known me 2 minutes or less - when their hand went up.
The answer to that one usually is;
"You haven't given me a reason to dislike you,"

If you adopt this attitude, and you begin by liking everybody you meet, a few things will happen. The first thing is, new people you meet will be a lot more likely to like you. This is of course going to make it easier for people to do business with you. Another consequence is that you are more likely to be recommended to associates of those we meet. The final thing of course is life and business will be a little sweeter.
Sometimes some of the most important things in business are the simplest.
I hope you find this helpful

How a bottle of Scotch ( which I never gave away or opened) and a thank you card ( which I never sent) made me thousands of pounds....................

2011-02-20T15:12:00.001-08:00

Amongst my many and varied sales roles, I have worked as a new and used car sales executive. I was on commission for selling the cars, as you would expect. I was also on commission for the upsell of other products. One of the products I used to sell was "Gap" insurance.
"Gap" insurance pays the difference between the payout you would get from your insurance company and what you actually paid for the car, in the event of your car being written off for any reason, for say a 2 year period. As with all good insurance, a waste of money if you did not have occasion to claim, but an absolute godsend if you do claim. Imagine getting the price you paid back 2 years later and being able to go out and buy another new car.
Now I was only averagely successful in selling this product, until I read an article on "social proof"
This article said if you see other people have bought and been pleased with a product, you are more likely to do so yourself. So here is what I did.
I bought an expensive bottle of Scotch Whisky. I bought a quality thank you card. ( You're probably ahead of me here).......
The whisky bottle went in the drawer I knew I would open often during the course of the sale. With the card under it. During the course of getting the various pieces of paperwork out the bottle would clank about. I would get it out and look a little bit embarrassed, saying "I'm not a drinker, particularly not Scotch, I wouldn't know if that was a good one or not." (if your customer knows his whiskeys he will tell you what a quality expensive one it is). "A customer Who I sold gap to about 18 months ago brought it in for me last week, with a lovely card. He said I persuaded him to have the gap - I don't think I did anything different to what I usually do. It's nice when people appreciate you doing your job properly." - "Anyway - lets get on with sorting the paperwork for your car............." Then later after the sale paperwork is sorted, and it come to explain - not push - gap insurance, you can show the thank you card, which says inside how grateful Derrick and Margaret are that that I sold them gap, and how it made up a difference of £4,826.32p between what they paid for the car and what the insurance company paid.
A tangible illustration like that is nicer, and easier than a pushy unpleasant sales pitch, where a customer feels he is being sold to. And - the salesman has done the job properly, explaining and illustrating the product fully, without being pushy and in a way the customer will fully grasp all the implications. Is it immoral? Well not if you truly believe the product is right for the customer.
I am running a one day seminar - "Improve your Sales - How to be Persuasive Not Pushy" on 16th March email paul@bespoke-sales-training.co.uk for more details of this very affordable one day workshop

The way to be Confident.......

2011-01-16T15:14:00.000-08:00

The way to be confident is to act confident.
I take it to another level. I get my "students" to pick a film star to play their life story. They are now going to do the scene the student has been dreading, eg the big presentation, or the cold call phoning, or whatever it is that makes the student nervous.
The student now has to imagine how the actor feels about playing them. The actor is not nervous. It's just part of the job, there is not the emotional baggage. It can be played without trauma, because the actor does not feel this is his life under the microscope.
Now all the student has to do is play the actor playing them.
That is often my starting point for nervous people. We then role play it out until acting confident starts to become natural.

Two Questions Every Business Owner Should Ask Themselves

2011-01-14T01:59:00.000-08:00

Two Questions Every Business Owner Should Ask Themselves.
When I was selling advertising space in a regional travel book, I used to visit a lot proprietors of Hotels, restaurants, cafes, pubs and guest houses. I used to, as part of my sales process ask them these 2 questions.

(1)Why would anyone want to come here?
(2)Why would anyone want to come back here again?

When they had answered those questions, I had a pretty good idea of how successful they were or would be. Let me illustrate with a typical type of answer - say for a country pub...

(1) Because it is a charming old 17th century coaching inn with beautiful hanging baskets outside, a lovely location on the edge of the village, with a view down to the lake. We do an extensive range of fresh locally sourced home cooked meals, freshly prepared on the premises, all at a reasonable price.
Good answer don't you think?

Now we come to the second question, and this is where I could determine who was going to be a long term success, and who was going to have "tried everything but had such bad luck"
her are the two types of answer to question (2) - can you tell who will thrive and who will struggle?

(A) (2) Because it is a charming old 17th century coaching inn with beautiful hanging baskets outside, a lovely location on the edge of the village, with a view down to the lake. We do an extensive range of fresh locally sourced home cooked meals, freshly prepared on the premises, all at a reasonable price.

(B) (2) Because we make people feel welcome,look after theme, make sure they have a good time while they are here, and give them a great experience. We like to make customers into friends.

Those who give answer (B) realise they are not just in the "food and drink" business, but the customer experience business.
No matter what business you may be in, always remember if you have customers you are in the customer experience business.
There are more goods and services than there are clients with money to buy them. Customer choice has never been wider, are you delivering a good customer experience?

how touching

2009-11-02T14:08:00.001-08:00

How touching - can increase the number of positive responses people give you.

I am not going to go into the science of this - we all know the value of a touch - yet we so seldom use this powerful tool in business.

All I am going to do in this topic is to tell you the results of an experiment that was conducted a few years ago. You can guess when it was by the fact that the experiment in volved a pay phone box - in the days when people used to use them (yeah I know you're too young to remember those).

Well here's what happened.

Coins were left in the return chute of the phone box, and researchers were hidden and able to observe. Without exception, people using the phone box took the money out of the chute and either used it for their call or pocketed it.

Upon leaving the phone booth, they were approached and asked had they found any money in the booth, as the asker had thought they had left some change in the chute. They had a 42% positive response.

Then the researcher repeated the above - except with one minor difference.On asking the question the researcher touched the arm or shoulder - it didn't matter where very briefly when asking exactly the same question.The positive response went up to an amazing 87%.

Some people in the second experiment were even prepared to admit that they had used the money to make a longer call, and they were sorry. This never happened in the 1st group.

Another experiment carried out by a group of researchers - where again the only difference was a simple touch, found that waiters increased their tips by over 50% just by that touch.

Powerful stuff. And it's a lot easier to do than you imagine, a simple touch on the forearm whilst you're talking to someone can make you appear more friendly - not creepy.

I run half, and one day sales psychology courses - so I may well treat you to some more of theselittle gems in the coming weeks

Keep smiling - keep selling - Paul

Turning weakness into strength

2009-08-15T13:41:00.000-07:00

have had a varied and interesting sales career. I will tell you more about the unusual roles I have undertaken in future tips.
One job I had was as an RAC sales agent. It was my job to sell membership. I was paid commission only. I was working at a show on a Bank Holiday Monday. I had a "trekker" with me which was a little trailer 4ft x 3ft x 6ft high. It was a display unit only. A couple of hundred yards away was the AA display. It was quite grand. 2 patrol vans and a walk in and sit down trailer. It put my little effort to shame. I was thoroughly outclassed.
So how did I turn my rivals strength into a weakness? A few potential joiners commented on how pathetic my RAC display was compared to the 2 van and caravan set-up of the AA. It was time for some good salesmanship - or work a bank holiday for no pay.
What could I tell my customers to make me look good and give me the edge over my rivals? It was easy after I put a little thought into it.
"Sir, I can see you're not impressed with our little one trailer display compared to the 2 van AA display. Well let me tell you why there are no RAC vans here. It's Bank holiday Monday - the busiest day of the year on the roads. That means more breakdowns and incidents than any other time of the year. We care passionately about our members. Every RAC van is out on the road waiting to respond to our members' needs. Would you like to join an organisation that is passionate about service to it's members, or one that is passionate about making money for it's shareholders?"
Using this strategy I had a very sucessful and profitable day. Keep smiling - Keep selling - Cheers Paul
ps - for some reason my wife thinks the phrase "we care passionately about our members" is amusing.

Sales Equation

2009-08-10T03:59:00.002-07:00

A few days ago I gave you the sales equation
(S + K) x A x T = R
or
Skater for short

So what do the symbols stand for?
S = skill*
K = knowledge
A = attitude*
T = time spent
E = equals
R = Results
* These are areas I can help you with.
Think about it - this is essential if you are to get sales results. Skill and attitude are closesly allied, but getting them both right is essential.

Sales Equation solution

2009-08-10T03:59:00.001-07:00

(S + K) x A x T = R

2009-07-21T12:40:00.000-07:00

(S + K) x A x T = R

email me if you think you know what the letters represent
Answers next week

Referrals

2009-07-12T12:49:00.000-07:00

If you want referrals just ask! Heard that before? Does it work? The client says yes I'll certainly pass your name on. If you don't get a name and phone number straight away, you probably won't. So what is the best way of getting referred? It's quite easy really.
When you have concluded a deal with a client, or done a piece of work for them, tell them that you have enjoyed working with them. Tell them that they are the sort of client that you like best. Tell them that you appreciate having their business.
We all like compliments. We all like to be appreciated. We like people who pay us compliments. People we like are people we recommend. I have had a great many recommendations over the years on the various jobs I've done, however, none of them because I've asked.If you want referals just ask! Heard that before? Does it work? The client says yes I'll certainly pass your name on. If you don't get a name and phone number straight away, you probably won't. So what is the best way of getting referred? It's quite easy really.
When you have concluded a deal with a client, or done a piece of work for them, tell them that you have enjoyed working with them. Tell them that they are the sort of client that you like best. Tell them that you appreciate having their business.
We all like compliments. We all like to be appreciated. We like people who pay us compliments. People we like are people we recommend. I have had a great many recommendations over the years on the various jobs I've done, however, none of them because I've asked.

buyers remorse

2009-07-08T12:01:00.000-07:00

We don't want our clients to suffer from buyer's remorse do we? - so what steps can we take to avoid it. A single word answer springs to mind - Consolidation.
So how and why do we consolidate, and indeed what is consolidation? The process comes after the sale, the order is taken, and most importantly - where appropriate - the NON returnable deposit taken. (More on this in another article). Consolidation is a process of both checking the client is happy with his / her purchase, and that they understand what they have bought - and most importantly what the product / service is going to do for them.
When we were selling the product we were majoring on the BENEFITS that the product will give the client. In consolidation the ideal process is to list the FEATURES and get the client to tell you the benefits, that the product will give him. So whats the best way of going about this? Here is a simple method.
"Mr Client, congratulations on your purchase of an ACME 128C Gizmo. To make sure you get the best out of it for the next 43 years - that's how long a client in Stoke has been using his old 121c model - I just want to check your understanding of all the features of it to make sure you derive the full benefits and savings it will give you."
When you have run through this recap it should be safe to ask "So, Mrs Client - are you happy with what we have done today?" Hopefully the answer is YES and it is given without hesitation or reservation. If its not then you need to ask the client "What is it you're unsure of ?"
Once you have got the client to agree the product or service is the right one, then you have the right to ask for a recommendation or introduction.
Happy Selling Guys n Gals. Have your tried Paul's Sales Tips forum ? I think its rather good.

2009-07-06T15:29:00.000-07:00

Always answer the question truthfully but never........................... until your ready।

So how does that work. Let's go up market today and sell Ferrari's. Your client comes in and tells you the want a blue one. You haven't got one,you can't get one they don't make one. What next?
You tell your client you can't get one but they do look nice in yellow or red. The client tells you it was a toss up between a blue Ferrari or a blue Masserati, thanks for your help - Goodbye.
You tell your client the car is available in the full range of Ferrari colours, lets go and have a look at some cars and see if the Ferrari is right for you. Have you driven the latest model yet Madam?
After the test run and when the client is buzzing about the car, you tell them something like this...... I've just checked and blue is not a current colour - and there are no plans to deviate from the current colour scheme. Now having driven it and loved it, and seen just how absolutely right it looks in red or yellow, can I ask you madam, do you honestly think any other car in any other colour, could have the stunning headturning effect of this beauty?* Particularly with you driving. (sorry that was me flirting) You cannot not buy this car! - (note the positive use of a double negative - very effective when used in the right place - but potentially dangerous - another forthcoming article - you cannot not subscribe to this forum).
So if not answering the question will buy you the time to be able to present the other features and benefits of the product or service then that is what you must do. How else can you defer an unwanted question? a couple of other methods
I'll answer all your questions at the end a lot of what you may have asked me will become clear after it's been covered in my presentation.
If you then get a welcome question you can still say - I'll deal with that now, as that may not be obvious later
Let's just park that for now - you'll see why later. Yes they will see why later - because it's not possible / available / not in the price etc.- but when you've had a chance to show the other benefits the original question - which may have been a deal buster if answered earlier may now not be such a big issue.
Coming very soon - how to turn your weakness into a strength, and more importantly how to turn you rivals strength into a perceived weakness.
* Yes I've concentrated on the visual aspect - but that was because the visual was the client's priority - another topic, another day. Keep smiling keep selling - Paul

Small Businesses and the recession

2009-06-10T11:14:00.000-07:00

Cutting costs needs to be done - but never on EFFECTIVE marketing and advertising.

Following up all leads is essential. Reviewing sales process is essential. Can people find you, and when they do - how do you nurture that relationship?

Also think about this. If the spend in your line of business is down 30% and you carry on as before, your take will be down 30% - WRONG.

Your take will be down even more because some of your competitors are taking action to preserve their market share. Having put in that effort they may even INCREASE their market share.

Sales skills are easily learned. Just think about the things you have bought recently, good sales people don't have to be particularly charismatic - although that can be taught as well - they do have to be knowedgable, well trained, and helpful. A good sales process will help keep you or your staff on the right lines.

2 questions to ask yourself about your product or service.

Why should anyone buy that off me
Why would anyone want to come back or recommend me.

Good luck - but that comes with good effort and good focus. Paul

Treat other people as you would like to be treated. A potential recipe for disaster.

2009-06-09T15:11:00.001-07:00

We like to deal with, or buy off, people we like. So who do we like, and who gets on our threepenny bits.
When it comes to doing business - Who annoys you most - People who:
· Would rather chat than get down to business
· Are too interested in facts and figures
· Are just too eager to do business – with no time for people
· Are looking for a deeper meaning to everything – want to know why about everything

Well, the answer to that question would be different for all of us.
Not surprisingly though, people in one group, will tend to annoy, offend, or upset people in one of the other groups.
So if we want to sell to, or hit it off with other people, then we must at least initially, try and match out energy and style with theirs.
This doesn’t mean that we abandon our sales process or more importantly, let the client lead the process, or we will just get dragged along behind them, never quite getting into our stride. But what we do is this. We initially match the price, style and energy with the client.
If they come in, and quietly ask you for some facts and figures, get your brochure out, and sit with them, and circle the relevant figures and facts.
If they come in and say – “It’s nice to see a bit of sunshine. I see they’ve still not finished the roadworks on Water Street yet”. Then don’t even think about talking of products or services, until you’ve asked them how far they’ve come, how many kids they’ve got and how long they’ve lived there and so on.
So what we’re doing is matching or mirroring them. And guess what happens – they like us. “Hey that Guy’s ok you know.” Then we can start slipping into our style and process after a few minutes - taking the client with us. We show we still understand the client by using phrases like (depending on the client type) –
Maybe - Oh I could chat all day – but I want to do a proper job for such a nice lady as you so I’ll just get a few facts off you......
Or perhaps – I know you’re a busy man but to save time in the long run, and to get it right first time – I’ll just need to.....
Or perhaps – I know getting the right specification is absolutely crucial, but let’s have a look a what the product can do for you – then if you like we can make sure it fits your spec.............
This really works - giving them a little time in their style – will gain their attention and respect.
Happy selling . If you are interested incoming to one of my sales seminars in your area please email me - Paul

Buyer’s Remorse Blog

2009-06-07T13:27:00.000-07:00

Buyer’s Remorse Blog

We don't want our clients to suffer from buyer's remorse do we? - so what steps can we take to avoid it. A single word answer springs to mind - Consolidation.

So how and why do we consolidate, and indeed what is consolidation. The process come after the sale, the order is taken and most importantly - where appropriate - the NON returnable deposit taken. (more on this in another article). It is a process of both checking the client is happy with his / her purchase, and that they understand what they have bought and most importantly what the product / service is going to do for them.

When we were selling the product we were majoring on the BENEFITS that the product will give the client. In consolidation the ideal process is to list the FEATURES and get the client to tell you the benefits, the the product will give him. So whats the best way of going about this. Here is a simple method.

"Mr Client, congratulations on your purchase of an ACME 128C Gizmo. To make sure you get the best out of it for the next 43 years - that's how long a client in Stoke has been using his old 121c model - I just want to check your understanding of all the features of it to make sure you derive the full benefits and savings it will give you."

When you have run through this recap it should be safe to ask "So, Mrs Client - are you happy with what we have done today?" Hopefully theanswer is yes and it is given without hesitation or reservation. If its not then you need to ask the client "What is it you're unsure of ?"

Once you have got the client to agree the product or service is the right one, then you have the right to ask for a recommendation or introduction.

Happy Selling Guys n Gals.

How to get your Prospects to Tell the Truth

2009-06-07T13:25:00.000-07:00

How to get your Prospects to Tell the Truth

So how do to get your Punters to Tell the Truth? Give them something to do. Get them busy. Lying or being guarded requires a lot of brain power. You need to take away some of that capacity to help get to the truth.

I used to use this principle a lot when selling cars. The questions I needed truthful answers to, I always used to ask at a strategic point on a test drive. The client is driving a strange car so he is a bit distracted anyway. Then you send him up a street he doesn't know. As you pull out of the junction you ask the question you need to know the answer to. You may have asked them this question before it doesn't matter - you will get the truth this time

Not in car sales? The technique is easily adaptable. Anyone can do it, if your bold enough. You need to occupy your prospect's hands. Give them a cup of coffee and a brochure. Be a little awkward when you do it. Now here is the real secret, ask the question as you offer the coffee / brochure, but don't let go of it until you have had the answer.

If you think it won't work, secretly try it out on a partner or a collegue. You will be amazed how well this works. No prospect will ever turn round and say "let go of the brochure dammit" subconsciously they know you are swapping the coffee / brouchure for their answer, and it is probably this that makes it work.

Have you ever noticed how you get to know and like someone so much better when you engage in an activity together, walking - working - sport -whatever. It is a similar sort of principal. Get your client doing something and you increase your chances of a sale.

Finally when I used to work as a financial advisor, and also when I was calling on small businesses, if they offered me tea or coffee I always accepted.I always used to say "I'll come with you and we'll chat while you make it" again this informal time when the're busy you can get some truth.

Good Luck and Good Selling Paul

2009-06-07T13:03:00.000-07:00

When cold calling on small business, and I mean in person, here is a tip I have found to be most effective.

ALWAYS BE LEAVING.

What do I mean by this? Well it goes something like this. Say for example you walk into a small workshop or unit where you can expect the owner to be doing some work. You look like another rep who is looking to talk to *him/her for an hour and tell him how much money you're going to save him, and how much your better is better than the last man's better. He doesn't want it, whatever it is, so he is not listening. He's just looking for the way to make you go away. If only he would give you ten minutes to show him what you've got - you could do so much for this person if only they would let you.

So this is what we do.

Primary objective - make an appointment, when he will see you and listen.

Secondary objective - permission to call again to try and acheive Primary objective.

I have often sold on the spot using these objectives, but only because the client has asked me for more information, and not felt hemmed in.

So how does it work. Your opening phrase and your body language are crucial at this point. When you enter the work area you have your business card or flier held up in front of you. When you approach your target you are facing side on, holding your card in front of you, arm extended, (you are definately not looking to offer a handshake), and you say " I know you're a busy man - can I just leave you a card / flier." When the client takes the card unlike all the other sales people he has had in, you take a step backwards, as if you want to leave, having accomplished your mission (which of course you haven't yet). This prospect is now wondering what you've got - not how do I get rid of him. The prospect feels empowered, not threatened and he likes it. He may well ask you what's it about.

Tell him, "I'll need about 5 Minutes of your time - maybe 10 if you've a load of questions, as most people do - when you're not so busy." If he hasn't already asked you what's it about. he will now. What happens next will of course vary greatly depending on how busy the client is, how relevant your product is, and all the other variables that go into a sale. The prospect may well give you some of his time now. What happens next is up to you, if it normaly takes a couple of hours to sell your product use your 5 mins to engender interest and to arrange and consolidate an appointment.

Nothing is foolproof but this method has worked well for me. If the hostility is high, I have just left my card, and said I'll pop in next time I'm seeing one of my clients here, and hopefully you won't be so busy. Leave, but not in a dejected manner. You may have to do this on a number of occassions, but the client will see you eventually. Oddly enough these usually turn out to be the people who buy. Then never tell you, but they do admire your persistance, as long as you use the above method, and thus are not percieved as a nuisance. I know this from having worked a defined territory, with a limited number of prospects available.

Try to think of sales as a game of chess, so you have an armoury of opening gambits, depending on the situation. If you can start to enjoy it, you will start to win more.

Good Luck and Good Hunting - Paul Blake McGouran.

* I have only used the male gender for ease of writing

are you in sales

2009-05-15T14:58:00.000-07:00

Are you in sales?
Do you practice you skills?
Do you analyse your performance?
Who trains the world’s best?
Do athletes need to practice?
Do actors rehearse?
The best regularly train and practice – can this be part of the reason they are the best?
Results = effort x skill
Sales is a performance art