It’s not fair to pick on an entire industry yet I’ve had this experience repeatedly with Real Estate agents.  It happens in every industry.  However, it is one of the easiest things you can do to increase your sales and make your buyers feel a whole lot better about their buying decision.  It’s a win-win.

Stop Leaving Your Buyers Hanging

Each time you contact or engage a potential buyer never EVER end that connection without spelling out next steps.  Both you and your buyer should know who is going to do what, when you will reconnect, and what the next contact is suppose to achieve.

This is top of my mind right now because I am in the process of buying some property.  The first agent I contacted never got back to me.  This agent just left me hanging even after I made follow up contact.  Gee, guess that agent doesn’t want a commission.

The agent I am currently working with regularly ticks me off because he fails to meet those 3 criteria every connection.  Come on… it’s not that tough.  At the end of each contact we both need to know…

• The expected day and time to reconnect
• Who will be bring valuable information to that connection
• What we are trying to accomplish and what we need to do next

 Shut the F@#! Up and Listen

Plus the agent makes another fatal mistake all too many people make.  The agent talks entirely too much and fails to listen to critical information I tell him.  Yet again another sales person who loves the sound of his own voice so much he can’t bring himself to listen for information that directly impacts his income.

If you are making these mistakes you are getting what you deserve.

Don’t be surprised when you don’t get referrals and previous clients want nothing to do with you when it comes to future business.

Take responsibility and make these simple little changes and avoid the negative consequences of these poor sales habits.

Coach Cheryl

Think back to the last time you went out to purchase a product you knew just enough about to be dangerous but not enough about to feel confident you could make the right choice.  This might have been a technology based product.  I realize you probably aren’t selling a product.  You are selling a service.  Yet this example is just as relevant to you as it is to the sales rep selling products.

In reality no matter what you are buying you have a mental checklist of the things you think you want, and the things you think you don’t want before you go to the store.  When you get to the store you start comparing products against that mental checklist.  You are able to determine whether or not a particular product fulfills the items on your checklist on your own.

However, there are usually at least a couple things you can’t seem to find the answer to on your own.  So you search out a sales person for help or perhaps a sales person notices you might need help.  At any rate you ask the sales person a question.

Here’s what usually happens.  The sales person simply answers “yes” or “no”.  It’s too bad their guardian angel doesn’t immediately whap them upside the head with a nerf bat.

That “yes” or “no” response presents a 50-50 chance the sales person has just lost the sale.  You allow that to happen to you when you are talking with a prospect too.  Wait… it gets even worse.

All too often you not only respond “yes” or “no” you then follow that up by trying to tell the prospect their objection isn’t valid.  At that point you have really blown it.  You have probably made a none recoverable mistake and lost the sale.

Worse yet this mistake is entirely avoidable.

Let’s say a prospect asks you a question about whether your product or service has a certain feature.  It doesn’t.  Rather than simply responding “no” ask these questions…

• Is that important?
• What do you want to accomplish?
• How will you use that?

When you ask questions like these rather than just responding “yes” or “no” you now engage the prospect and find out exactly what the prospect wants and why.  You then have the ability to focus on what the prospect really needs.  You and the prospect may find out they don’t really want that feature they want to achieve something else and they need another feature to do what they want.

There may be another way to do what they want and complete the sale.

Bottom line ask more questions and listen.

Coach Cheryl

photo credit: Xtreme Xhibits

The words you use and the way you use those words has a big impact on your ability to get clients.  The words you use may leave a potential client flat, turn a potential client off and end the conversation, or…

When you use the right words in the right way those words can:

• Evoke curiosity
• Open a conversation
• Generate interest
• Spark questions
• Make a positive impression

When the U.S. Hockey team, a rag tag group of amateurs and collegiate players; took the gold from the Soviet team, considered the best hockey team in the world, in the 1980 Lake Placid, NY Winter Olympics Sports Caster Al Michaels  could have simply said, “and the U.S. wins gold.”

Those words would have conveyed the end result in an accurate and truthful manner.  There would have been no flaws in his phrasing their win in that manner.  Yet Al Michaels said…

“Do you believe in miracles? YES!”

What a tremendous difference in the impact those words had on the audience.  Those simple words said it all in such an inspirational and quotable manner that even 30 years later this quote is one of the most often repeated quotes in the history of Sports Casting.

Al Michaels might have been lucky when he blurted out those words.  Yet, with his countless hours experience as a Sports Caster he has had a lot of practice at using words and phrasing things for a powerful impact.

What might happen in your business if you chose your words carefully and paid close attention to phrasing?

Might you start to gain appointments easily?

Would it be easier to help potential clients understand why they want to become clients now?

You have experience and knowledge in the service you provide.  Perhaps you could benefit from a little help with the words that convey your message.

Coach Cheryl

photo credit: quinn.anya

There are times when you want to move forward so bad.  You don’t lack enthusiasm, motivation, or commitment.  However, there is something that has you stuck and you can’t move forward until you figure out how to get unstuck.

There are three ways to get unstuck.

1. Find an alternative approach
2. Learn how to do it yourself
3. Pay someone else to do it for you

Depending on what has you stuck each approach is entirely appropriate in different situations.

Sometimes there is an alternative approach.  The challenge is either you are too close to the situation and can’t see it or you are completely unaware another approach exists.

There are some things you simply have to know how to do yourself.  When that is the case it is time to pony up the time and money, search out the right source(s), and get to work learning how to do it.

Then there are certain things YOU really don’t need to know how to do.  Perhaps you don’t even want to know how to do them… ever!  What you really want is someone who understands your objectives to use their already existing skills and knowledge to do it for you so you can move on to other things.

Things like the things you get paid to do;-)  Wow, what a novel idea.

Recently, thanks to many of you, I came to realize a lot of you are stuck in a holding pattern because there are certain things you don’t know how to do.  Plus you want someone else to do it for you.

If that sounds like you then perhaps it’s worth talking about how I might help you get unstuck by doing some of the things listed below for you.

Coach Cheryl

P.S. If you don’t see what has you stuck listed go ahead and let me know what it is.  I might either be able to help you with that or direct you to someone who can.

One thing I have clearly learned through personal experience is an important lesson that impacts all areas of your life.  The lesson I have learned is this…

Run in the Opposite Direction of the Herd

When you need help rather than screaming “help”.  Police will tell you to yell, “Fire!”

In a fire Firemen tell you never to run to the main exit because that’s where everyone else runs.

I have to chuckle when I see all these commercials on TV telling you to buy gold.  They are advertising because they want to SELL you gold.  Gold is at an all time high making now the time to sell not buy.

As it gets tougher and tougher to gain new clients most people think of what they can cut back on when you should be thinking about what you should be spending more on.  Now is the time to adapt then ramp up your marketing not cut back on your marketing.  There will be fewer competing messages in your ideal clients mail box now making your message more likely to get read.

The same is true when it comes to investing in yourself.  Now is the time to gain new skills, improve the skills you have, and adapt the way you get clients to better fit their needs.

I found a perfect example of this while on vacation.  Everyone is hemming and hawing about whether the real estate market has hit bottom.  Everyone wants to buy at the bottom.  Yet, that almost never happens.

Now is the perfect time to buy investment real estate.  In fact, I discovered a fantastic investment opportunity on the West coast of Florida.  In reality, you want to buy when real estate is on the way up not down.  Plus if you want to play in real estate right now you need two things most people do NOT have patience and…

CASH

While everyone else was leveraging themselves up to their eyeballs you should have been squirreling away a hefty nest egg.  It’s never too late to get started on that nest egg.  However, your first priority should be investing in things that make money now so you have more money to set aside now and forever moving forward.

Another thing I know for certain.  If you insist on doing what everyone else does you lose.  You have a lot riding on your business.  Does it make sense to risk everything because you insist on following the herd rather than stepping out and taking the lead?

There is nothing stopping you from becoming the top dog, the pack leader that everyone else wants to follow.

Coach Cheryl

photo credit: kevindooley

Most people trying to sell are afflicted with a terrible disease.  The disease is tunnel vision.  It’s a particularly harmful disease because it keeps you from seeing the opportunities that are around you.

People are creatures of habit by nature.  We like routine ways of doing things, so when we find something that works for us we tend to do the same things over and over and over.  In fact, we continue doing things well past when they no longer work just because we are so comfortable doing them.

Because we like routines and habits we are uncomfortable when we go outside of our routines and habits.  So uncomfortable in fact, we often miss important information and clues.  We miss these clues because our focus is on getting ourselves back to a so-called “normal” routine.

Vacations are a time when we voluntarily step outside of our routines and habits and expect something different.  Here’s what I want you to realize.  Your vacation isn’t just a time to refresh and relax…

Vacations are a Time to Recharge

When you plan a vacation you intend to have fun.  You intend to do different things in different places with different people.  Could there be a better place to discover what you need to recharge your efforts to sell your services?

You just need to focus on the opportunities you can expect anywhere you go.  Opportunities come in the form of…

• Opportunities to get new clients
• Opportunities to meet new partners
• Opportunities to connect with potential clients or partners
• Opportunities to generate cash

Realistically these opportunities exist every day no matter where you are or what you are doing if you just focus on finding them.  You should perceive every person you meet as an opportunity to gain a client, connect with a partner, or make money now.  There are opportunities in nearly everything you do.

Turn Off Your Autopilot

If you’re ever going to take advantage of the opportunities that surround you the first thing you must do is turn off your autopilot.  Start asking yourself these questions…

1. How could this person or situation open the door to potential clients?
2. How could I partner with this person or this business and open doors for both of us?
3. How could I create a connection here that could open the door to a relationship?
4. How could I take this situation and create cash?

On my recent vacation I came across an opportunity to create cash.  I don’t have to tell you the importance of cash.  Cash creates other opportunities in and of itself.  I’ll tell you more about this opportunity in another post.

In the meantime, start asking yourself where are your opportunities?

Coach Cheryl

photo credit: Sylvain Raybaud

My husband was taking a picture from the balcony of our cabin on the cruise we took in the Eastern Caribbean.  As he placed the camera back in it’s bag he announced it was definitely time for a new camera bag.  I had to admit this poor little bag looked pretty ratty.

The camera bag had earned it’s tattered looks.  That bag has been on a number of vacations from Brazil, to the Netherlands, to Tortilla and many other destinations.  Unfortunately, I try to cram everything no one else wants to carry in that poor little camera bag.  As a result the fabric was a little grimy.  The zipper was a little misshapen.  And one of the pockets ripped from too many over-stuffing events.

We happened to come across an outlet mall in Sandestin, Florida.  As we browsed the stores we found a store I thought might have camera bags.  So I grabbed the camera bag with contents from the car and entered the store.

Every Store Clerks Dream… a Prepared Shopper

When the helpful store clerk approached I could not only tell him exactly what I wanted I could also show him.  I wanted another bag about the same size.  Only this time I wanted a leather one.

The store clerk was a little taken aback.  He said most people don’t come so prepared to make a purchase.  Because I was fully prepared it only took a couple minutes to identify a good potential.  Then because I had my existing bag and contents with me I could actually take everything from my old bag and transfer it to the new bag to make sure everything fit.  The bag he showed me fit the bill and my purchase immediately followed.

Setting Yourself up for Success

The store clerks comment struck a chord reminding me of the importance of setting yourself up for success.  How many times have you made a purchase based on what you thought would work from memory only to find out your memory wasn’t nearly as good as you thought it was?  Then you were left with the hassle of returning the item, or you were stuck with something that didn’t work like you thought it would.

Some Common Things that Help

Whether you are selling a service or a product there are some common things that will help.  First, until or unless the potential client communicates they have a need you can fulfill there’s no reason to attempt helping them buy.  You can help potential clients by having a clear message that makes it easy to understand what you can do for them.  Once they say they need something then there’s the match up process.

While I was very specific and vocal about what I wanted and the criteria required potential clients aren’t usually that clear about their own needs.  Quit often they are confused and unsure about things.  They need you to help them gain clarity about their specific needs.  When you ask good questions and listen closely you help them pinpoint what they want and the best way they perceive getting that.

The Keys to Your Success… Good Questions & Listening

All the store clerk had to do was give me what I wanted from his existing inventory.  The same is true for you.  When you help potential clients state what they want, how they want it, and then you help them identify how they would choose the best option.  You can then present them with the exact solution they want the exact way they want it.

When you successfully prepare to sell your services price becomes a none issue.  Rarely will a potential client have previous experience with a service provider who listened as well as you did, who understands what they want and need like you do, and who gives them exactly what they asked for like you did.  Why search elsewhere when everything you already want has been perfectly demonstrated right here right now?

Coach Cheryl

photo credit: Mahesh Khanna

My big brother taught me this lesson years ago.  I have three big brothers and I have to confess I’d probably have turned out a sissy if it wasn’t for them.  Trust me, they cut me no slack for any reason.  They were firm believers that daily beatings were essential to my survival.

My big brother Wayne is one of the best story tellers around.  I could listen to his stories for days on end.  I don’t think he has a clue how good he is at story telling.  That’s probably for the best because if his head got any bigger his neck couldn’t carry it;-)  As you can tell those beatings were never merited.

Look for the Full Parking Lot

 It was around lunch time as my husband and I were driving north on Florida-1 from Key West.  I spied this nice looking restaurant just off the highway that looked like it had killer views, so we pulled off.  Now we should have gotten our first clue when we drove in the parking lot.  I even commented they must not be open for lunch.  Then I noticed their door was wide open and their wooden butler was there to greet us.

We were seated in a great spot.  Oddly enough there were almost no other diners even though it was almost noon.  We ordered our lunch and enjoyed the view as we waited.

Now I have to say the view was worth the price of admission.  However, I doubt my dog would have eaten the food.  As both my husband and I picked at out lunches I started laughing and said, “I guess I forgot Wayne’s rule for picking a restaurant”.  My husband got a chuckle out of that.  Oh well, there’s always another meal around the corner, but you don’t find views like that just anywhere.

Did I mention my big brother Wayne is 11 years my senior?  Sometimes he got stuck hauling the kid around.  I was always the kid because my siblings ranged from 9 years to 16 years my senior.

I first learned this lesson from Wayne as a child.  He got sent on an errand and he had to drag the kid along.  I was probably whining about being hungry or something because he decided to stop and get us lunch.  As we drove around Wayne told me to look for a parking lot with a lot of cars.

You see Wayne’s rule for dining was simple.  Find a place to eat with a full parking lot and you know the food will be good.  It didn’t matter what the place looked like, if the locals ate there you could count on something decent to eat.

When we got to the Clearwater area we followed Wayne’s rule.  We found a place that looked like your local dive.  It was so packed you had to wait for a parking space.  True to Wayne’s rule the food was among the best we came across.

 But I Don’t have a Parking Lot…

As service providers we need to remember that people are looking for the full parking lot.  I don’t mean that literally I mean your potential clients want to know they aren’t your first or only client.  They want to know others trust and respect both you and your work.

Many service businesses don’t have or need a physical location.  So how do others find their full parking lot?

There are lots of subtle ways you can let others know they aren’t alone.  For example, did you know over 4,000 other service providers and sales professionals are regular readers of this blog?

You can also host events where clients and potential clients can have fun and get to know each other.  They don’t even have to be face-to-face.  I’ve held a number of events via phone and the internet where subscribers could engage with me and each other.

The full parking lot represents your street cred for a restaurant.  You can earn your street cred other ways when you don’t literally have a parking lot.  For example, I’ve published nearly 700 articles and half a dozen or so books and ebooks.

There are lots of ways you can demonstrate your cred by becoming a good resource for others.

Sales Coach Cheryl

Boarding an airplane creepily makes me think about Nazi Germany.  TSA and the airlines line you up.  They strip you of your personal dignity.  They poke, prod, and scan both you and your belongings.  Then in spite of everything they do to dehumanize and supposedly protect you, you may very well be settling into a death chamber rather than a means of transportation because all this activity actually does almost nothing to protect you.

It makes me angry both with the people who have caused this mass hysteria and the governmental agencies who are supposed to protect us.

In the process of “keeping us safe”.  The airlines have taken their already poor customer service and created an atmosphere completely devoid of customer service.  Each paying passenger is treated like an enemy combatant.  No wonder air travel is down.

With my previous airline experiences in mind you will understand my shock at the contrast in customer service I experienced on my recent cruise.  I almost wonder if every cruise employee is a graduate of the Disney school of customer service.  Each employee I encountered made eye contact, they smiled, and they spoke to me.

Yes, they spoke to each and every passenger.  They greeted you every time your paths crossed.  They made sure you knew they really wanted to make sure you have the best time ever.  If there was any question you needed answered, something you needed help with, or anything they could do “for you” they did it.

Within a few minutes of boarding the ship I wanted to locate the on-ship internet cafe so I could purchase an internet package to use during the cruise.  However, I couldn’t figure out where it was or how to get there.  I happened to encounter the hotel manager for the ship and he personally walked me to the internet cafe.  Then he introduced me to the staff member there.  Can you believe it?

I was almost speechless.  Yet, this wasn’t some isolated event.  Time and time again I saw cruise employees go out of there way to do things for passengers to make certain there needs were met ASAP.

Most of the other passengers I met on the cruise were NOT first time cruisers.  I met people who were on cruise number 45 cruise… cruise number 60.  I met people who take a cruise 2 and 3 times a year.

Here’s the point.  When it comes to getting clients and keeping those clients the more personal you make their experience the easier and more successful the entire process.  We all want to be treated like human beings.  We all want someone to care about what we need.  Plus finding someone who puts your needs ahead of their own is absolutely refreshing.

I know you do really care about your clients and the people you want to become clients.  Just make certain you don’t allow yourself to get too comfortable with routines and procedures to the point your relationships suffer.  If you have employees make sure they truly demonstrate kindness and respect in EVERY client or potential client encounter.

If you’ve had an especially great example of a business making it personal for you please tell us about it below.

Coach Cheryl

photo credit: 111 Emergency

For the past 3 weeks I’ve been having the time of my life.  While I was off frolicking on the beaches on both coasts of Florida and cruising a few Caribbean Islands my business continued like clock work and my bank account grew.  Just like I planned…

What I hadn’t planned on were the valuable sales lessons I was reminded of along the way.  I’d like to share a few of those lessons with you this month because they are priceless.

When I was a corporate big shot I spent far too much time on air planes.  Consequently, I grew to absolutely hate flying.  Then the terrorists came along and made things even worse.  Finally, the airlines themselves completely forgot the concept of customer service treating their passengers like enemy combatants.  So I will go to great lengths to avoid flying.  In fact, if I never had to get on a plane again it would suit me just fine.

If the Airlines go Bankrupt They Have Themselves to Blame

So rather than flying my husband and I drove and cruised.  The first lesson I want to share with you came about because we drove.  We took interstates to get to Savannah, Georgia from Iowa.  We were going to Savannah simply because I wanted to eat at Paula Dean’s restaurant The Lady and Sons in downtown Savannah.  Then we took the interstate down to Florida.

At that point we got off the interstate because you can’t truly experience this great nation from the interstates.  Interstates are specifically designed to get you to your destination quickly.  You get on make as few stops as possible until you get to your destination then you get off.  However, you know almost nothing about the areas or the people in those areas you drive through.

You have to get off the interstate to really experience this great nation.  There is so much beauty, so many wonderful places, and so many great people to meet in this country we forget just how much there is to see right here in the U.S.  Once you get off the interstate you begin to realize everything can change in as little as 80 miles.  The people, the scenery, and the business environment.

We often overlook or forget this when we approach acquiring clients.  We try to gain clients from the interstate, so to speak.  That just doesn’t work.

You try to gain clients from the interstate when you rudely interrupt the person you want to work with, you spew a bunch of information about you all over them, and then you ask them to help you by buying from you right now.  If you are acting like this you are coming off like a spoiled brat that needs their butt warmed.  The person you want to work with is wondering just who the heck you think you are.

It so easy to get locked into this fast moving, gotta get it done now mindset, and completely forget about what it feels like to be the other person.  It’s so easy to forget that no one is going to hire you until they have at least some form of a relationship with you first.  Ideally, you want to make a friend first and then earn a client.

Try This…

I want you to try a little experiment.  I want you to go to a local sit down restaurant you haven’t visited before.  From the moment you enter the restaurant I want you to make eye contact with the hostess and your waiter.  I want you to pay close attention to what they say.  I want you to smile at them and use their name.  I want you to say, “Thank you” when they bring your drink and your meal.  I want you to engage them by asking them something about them or about the area.

I’ve always done this without even thinking.  I didn’t start thinking about it until I began to notice how other people were treating their servers.  If you don’t already treat these people with the same respect and consideration you would treat any important person you’re meeting for the first time you might be a little surprised to find out just how well you get treated.  You might be surprised just how much these people begin to care about your experience.  You become important to them because you’ve demonstrated they are important to you.

Now translate this concept to the people you want to hire you.  What if you placed this much attention on them, what they need, on learning about them from the first moment of contact?  They should feel good about having an experience with you.

They should feel open to the idea of having other experiences with you because you made their first experience so pleasant.  They should feel they are important to you because they are.  They should feel they can talk to you because you’ve demonstrated you really listen to what they say.

This little experiment is so important because it will help you see how important it is to focus on others, to really connect with others, and to actually hear what they say.

Stop trying to cram your services down others throats practicing interstate selling techniques.  Start creating positive experiences, making beneficial connections, opening the door to making new friends.  The clients will follow.  When you change the way you approach earning clients you can make the process of getting a client shorter than it is when you approach getting clients like a typical sales people.

Coach Cheryl

photo credit: dougtone