photo credit: Logan Antill

Marketing is the initial connection starting a conversation.  As a business owner you’ve probably felt exactly the way John Jantsch states, “I sure love to work with spreadsheets and do people’s taxes, holy crap, I’ve got to learn how to market.”  Yep, that’s the stark realization.

No matter how much you love doing what you do you don’t get to do it until you attract clients.  Now many of you are repulsed by the idea of marketing your services.  You think as a professional it’s beneath you, or you shouldn’t have to because people should just come to you because of your expertise.

As the bank account dwindles you face the fact that you have to market yourself, or you’ll have to go work for someone else.  Someone who’ll do the marketing for you.  The reason you’re marketing averse is because you’re focusing on what marketing isn’t.  Marketing isn’t:

• hypey communications that mislead people
• shouting louder than the competition about how great you are
• tricking people

Now there are definitely examples of people who market themselves exactly as I’ve described what marketing isn’t.  They do it because they don’t understand marketing.  They buy into a marketing scheme sold by some huskster.  And they’re desperate.

True marketing is:

• talking to potential prospects about their problem(s)
• quietly entering the conversation already in their heads
• genuinely giving and caring first

Does that change your perception?  I hope so.  You see everyone markets it’s how they do it that makes the difference.  Even when you do it well you can’t expect your marketing to do all the work for you and sell your services.  At some point you have to hold a one-on-one human to human genuine conversation with the other person.

I know that’s probably your next fear.  But that’s because you don’t understand that selling is really nothing more than a genuine conversation between you and the other person where you’re seeking to understand if you can help them and how.

photo credit: »Philo

What makes you push on placing one foot ahead of the other?  Kelly McLean recently shared a quote

“It’s better to look ahead and prepare than to look back and regret”

Jackie Joyner-Kersee

Sometimes you get in a pattern of making your life really hard.  Hey, I do it too.  Sometimes it seems like my personal motto is if there’s a hard way and an easy way by all means do it the hard way first.  At least I can laugh at myself about it, and because I know I tend to bend that direction I can be on the lookout and catch myself at it.

I have absolutely no tolerance or patience for people who are simply to afraid to take action or make a decision.  It drives me nuts.  I want to shake them and shout, “can’t you see your fears are keeping you from getting what you want ever!”

Your ability to succeed is directly proportional to the actions you take.  Wishing, intending, and dreaming won’t get you anywhere.  Action is the only road to success.

“Aim small, miss small, and fail forward fast.”

Cheryl A. Clausen

I own this statement deep down throughout my very being.  I know as long as I’m taking actions I’m headed in the right direction.  Even if I’m taking a wrong action I’m still better off because it’s far easier to make a correction when you’re in motion than it is when your dead still.

Aim small speaks to knowing exactly who you’re targeting.  One of the quickest ways to waste your resources is to cast a wide net.  Your wide net will come back empty.  When you cast a net for a very specific target you’ll get at least a few in your net, and you’ll learn how to get more.

Miss small so you don’t bet the farm on any one thing.  If you can’t afford to lose your entire investment on something don’t make it.  The easiest way to make an investment affordable is right size it to a size you can’t lose on.  Make it so affordable that if you get even one response the effort will pay for itself.

Fail forward fast by getting right back in the saddle of the horse that bucked you off.  When I was about 8 years old I begged my Dad for a horse.  One day he brought home this little black Shetland pony named Poncho.  I thought he was great until I got on to ride him.  Every time I got on Poncho he would ever so nicely walk over to the nearest sand burr patch and sit down causing me to fall off into the sand burrs.  He knew he had my number and he won every time.  This is a classic reminder that if you keep doing the same things you’ll keep getting the same results.

So what if what you tried failed.  You now know one more thing that doesn’t work and you’re one step closer to what does work.  Just keep at it until you get it right.  Be like the winner of the race.  Just keep taking one more step and pushing ahead until you cross the victory line.  As long as you aim small, miss small, and fail forward fast you’ll be headed in the right direction.

photo credit: jsc*

Theoretically all franchise restaurants are identical in food quality, service and cleanliness. Of course, you know that isn’t true. I say, “thank goodness that isn’t true.” Because if it were true I’d be missing out on a great experience.

I live in Iowa, and if there is one thing you can say about Iowa it’s food is important around here. Food is at the epicenter of nearly every social encounter in the state. Our state fair is touted as the best in the world in part because of the food experience that can only be had at our fair, but that’s another story entirely.

If you’re ever hungry for real food, great food, food prepared with love and care come to Iowa. In a small town near where I live there’s a Subway restaurant. Don’t cringe it isn’t like any Subway you’ve ever been to. You see the Subway in Denison, Iowa is owned and operated by “Subway Dave”. I can’t go to any other Subway anywhere because it’s a complete and utter disappointment when compared to “Subway Dave’s” Subway restaurant.

Dave took it to heart when the franchisor told him Subways mean fresh, friendly, and fanatically clean. Perhaps Dave is just a better listener or Subway needs to say it louder to all their franchisees. The aroma of fresh baked bread can be smelled clear down the street.

It literally sparkles with cleanliness when you open the door. And Dave, well Dave knows my name. Dave knows what my family likes. Dave always greets me with a smile and acts like he really cares that he gets to make our family sandwiches.

When Dave and his crew make you a sandwich they do so with care. You’ll never see Dave or his crew slap a sandwich together smashing your sandwich and throwing it at you with a sneer. Nope, Dave really cares!

Dave owns a position in my mind. When I think sandwich I think fast, fresh, and friendly Subway that can only be gotten from “Subway Dave”. I don’t just like Dave’s sandwiches…I LIKE DAVE! I appreciate how wonderful his sandwiches are and I appreciate how much Dave cares about his sandwiches and his clients. Dave earned this position the first time I entered his restaurant at his first location. And Dave is smart enough to make sure he never loses that position.

I know you don’t own a restaurant, but there’s an important lesson here for you to take to the bank in your service business. It doesn’t matter how large or how small your business. It doesn’t matter if you have a connection with a big company or not. You can carve out a position in your client’s and prospects minds. And once you do you can own that position.

When you own a position, provided it’s a positive position, it’s like money in the bank. Julie McManus wrote an article about her airline struggles recently we can all relate to. The airlines own a very negative position in our minds. You don’t want that position.

When you own a position it means you own a space in your clients mind. If I say cola most of you will think Coke because Coke owns that space in your mind. However, when I say Subway I only think of the restaurant owned by “Subway Dave” my experience is no other Subway even comes close to measuring up so they don’t exist. Wouldn’t you like your clients to feel that way about you?

What category can you own in your prospect’s and client’s mind? This is what is special or unique about you and how you do business. Why do your clients choose you over all the other options? If you can’t answer that now then identify what you can do that’s unique, special, and valuable to your clients?

Position yourself to win and then never surrender your position. Positioning is important and it shouldn’t change. It’s related to your values and beliefs. It’s related to your prospects values and beliefs. You have a position now although it may not be a strong one. Make it strong and make it clear in everything you do and say.

photo credit: cecilsav

Yes, selling insurance can be a fun and positive experience.  Contrary to your experience of being shunned and abused.  You may feel like you have a sign on your back that says, “take all your pent up frustrations out on me” because that’s how it seems people react to you.  Unfortunately, you’re getting the exact reaction you’ve earned because you haven’t figured out how to get people wanting to talk to you…until now.

Interrupt.  Whether you’re cold calling on the phone or in-person, networking, or utilizing marketing promotions you have a tiny opportunity to positively interrupt the person you want to communicate with.  And that’s exactly what you have to do.  You have to abruptly interrupt there current existence, and get them to pay attention to you.  Using the other persons name is one of the easiest ways to do that.  When you don’t know their name then the next best thing is to get their attention by calling out to the specific group they belong to such as: ladies, agents, small business owners in Omaha, Ne.

Engage.  Now you’ve been on the receiving end of more sales pitches than you’ve probably given, so what usually happens?

Hint, when it does you immediately and angrily disengage.

The sales person metaphorically pukes on you.  They immediately go into this big spiel about who they are and what they can do for you.

WHO CARES????

Questions are engaging.  Rather than telling try asking.  Use open ended questions to ask a about something relevant to what they want.  You like to ask questions like, “how long has it been since your last insurance review?”

NO, NO, NO.
Your question is about you.  If you want to engage them it has to be about them and something they’re interested in.

Attract.  I’ve yet to ever hear anyone say, “I just couldn’t sleep last night thinking about how I just had to buy life insurance first thing in the morning.”  And neither will you.  However, I have heard people express their concern about all kinds things that are important to them.  As soon as you provide a way to give people what they want they’ll be attracted to you.  One of the things they want is information about how to get what they want.

Increase sales through your communication.  The purpose of communication isn’t helping others to understand you and what you do.  The purpose of communication is to produce an action.  However, you can’t communicate with anyone until you interrupt them, engage them, and give them what they want.

photo credit: Rob Lee

Yes, attitude is important.  A salesperson with a poor attitude won’t ever experience the success they could.  However, a super duper ever so positive attitude alone won’t make you successful.  These are what Robert Ringer refers to as the “all show and no dough” folks.  Strive for a confident positive attitude that makes you a pleasant person to be around.

Attitudes drive your behaviors and your behaviors drive your results.  And that’s why a bad attitude is so dangerous to you.  When you’re thinking to yourself, “I don’t know why I’m even meeting with this person they’ll never buy anyway” you’ve just determined the outcome of that appointment before you even shake hands.  All throughout the appointment your behaviors will shout your attitude so loud it will be as though you’ve actually said it to the prospect.  Consequently the prospect won’t buy and you get the result you predicted.

Sales requires knowledge.  In many cases you can’t even legally speak to a prospect until you’ve demonstrated you have the minimum required knowledge.  But once you’ve got that knowledge you need to run with it.  When you spot a sales person who has to know everything before they can possibly meet with a prospect you’ve just met a sales person who will never get off the ground.

Sales is a highly rewarded skill.  Observing an average sales person and a top producer doing the same thing is like listening to a piano recital in contrast to a concert.  It’s hard to even tell the same thing is supposed to be happening.

Combine your attitudes with your knowledge and developed skills and you’ll increase sales.  Knowledge is the easy part.  It’s the attitudes and skills that take time and experience to acquire.  And it’s easier to acquire those attitudes and skills with personal help spaced over time than it is on your own.

It never hurts to have a few tools to make things easier.  Jill Konrath is sharing some tools  for presentations and cold calling.  Take a look.

photo credit: Thunder Thumbs

My father was the quintessential salesperson. He believed completely in his product. He was confident but not arrogant. He truly cared about the well-being of his prospects and clients. And they knew it. It was a pleasure to watch him interact with his customers.  Needless to say, he was very successful.

Let’s explore each of these aspects of the successful salesperson in more detail.

1. Belief in one’s product or service.

If you are going to sell something, you should believe it is the best thing out there. Understand what makes it stand out; what its benefits truly are. Be realistic. If there is something better on the market  - know what it is and what makes it better. Then ask yourself – can I really sell my product?

I don’t know about you, but I would find it difficult to sell something I didn’t believe in completely.  What you believe emanates from you. If you aren’t completely sold, people will know it. Then they won’t want what you have to sell.

On a separate note, your knowledge of and belief in your product will provide you with your marketing message. What you know and believe about your product or service is what you want to share with others. Small business owners have an advantage here. They believed so much in something that they were compelled to start a business around it. All that is left for them to do is share.

2. Confidence not arrogance

This is critically important. Being confident – in yourself, in your product or service, in your message – is essential. However, being overly confident or arrogant will destroy you. Arrogance leads people to ‘sell’. To talk instead of listen. After all, they believe they know best.

You simply have to think about your experiences with arrogant people to know this is true. They’re self-absorbed but not self-aware. A confident person doesn’t have anything to prove. They possess a depth of belief so they don’t feel the need to convince anyone of anything. You see, arrogance is born from insecurity – it’s overcompensating for what one doesn’t know or believe.

3. Truly care about the well-being of your prospects and clients

It is this caring that creates an environment where you are actively listening, and processing what you are hearing. You are realistic, honest, and capable of seeing things from the client’s point of view. It’s basic respect. You aren’t trying to ‘sell’ them. Rather, you are trying to help them solve a problem.

You care about their well-being when you:

            -Care that they get their problem solved – whether YOU can solve it or not

            -Care that they pay a fair price

            -Care that they make an informed (not coerced) decision

You can see how when you believe in your product or service, are confident in yourself, as well as your message, and care about your client’s well-being, you will develop outstanding relationships. It is those relationships that will bring you quality business for years to come.

Copyright© 2007 Seize This Day Coaching

Diane Helbig is a Professional Coach and the president of Seize This Day Coaching. Helbig works with salespeople, small business owners, and entrepreneurs, helping them realize success as they define it. Diane is also the Co-Founder of Seize True Success, a coaching practice dedicated to working with franchisees. Diane is a Contributing Editor on COSE Mindspring, a resource website for small business owners, as well as a member of the Sales Experts Panel at www.topsalesexperts.com. To learn more or schedule a complimentary discovery session, visit www.seizethisdaycoaching.com or www.seizetruesuccess.com.

photo credit: visualpanic

Click on this link and read the wonderful article by Clayton Makepeace.   I’m serious I want you to read his article first.  Not only will you get a good chuckle, but you’ll learn a valuable lesson.  Go read his article, and then come back here to read further.

Wasn’t that article a delight?  Have you noticed Top Producers always seem to have a smile on their faces and something positive to say about just about everything?  Have you also noticed that those in the bottom 20% have a similar reaction to something good as the little girl in Clayton’s story?  Did you know that pessimism and optimism are both habits?

Yep, pessimism is a bad habit that you can break.  Even though it may be an ingrained habit you can change it by simply:

• identifying how acting like and responding like a pessimist is rewarding to you
• identifying what you’d get out of being optimistic instead of pessimistic
• carefully watching out for those pessimistic behaviors and actions, and immediately changing them mid-thought or mid-act into a positive form 

All this takes place in that critical 6 inches between your ears.  As long as you can’t see yourself as a Top Producer you won’t be.  However, once you sell yourself on the idea that you can be a Top Producer you will be.

Get your head in the game before you go out on the field.  Sell yourself on:

• why and how you add value to your clients
• why your ideal clients should want to work with you and only you
• why your solution is exactly right for them
• why your clients are cheating themselves if they don’t take action now
• how you’re cheating both yourself and your best prospects by not helping them to become clients

So, given your new optimism…

• how can you turn your current situations into an advantage for you?
• how will you help yourself become a Top Producer?
• how will you help others to help you become a Top Producer?

photo credit: bbaunach

How many times have you walked away from an appointment and wanted to just kick yourself in the behind.  You got to the end of the appointment, the point where you needed to ask for the sale and your mouth was full of cotton your throat was so constricted you couldn’t breath and your heart was pounding so hard in your ears not only couldn’t you hear but you thought your ears would catch on fire at any second right there in front of everyone.  Now you think the trouble started at this point, however, the problems really started from the beginning.

What is the first thing you need to do in any appointment?  Introduce or re-introduce yourself to the prospect and establish rapport.   The purpose of establishing rapport is to help the prospect to like you.

When you don’t take the time or make the effort to establish rapport you become an adversary rather than a trusted adviser.  Have you ever been to a used car dealership?  When my oldest son was shopping his first car we had an experience that demonstrates this perfectly.  We drove on the lot, got out of the car, and walked over to a car that might have been an option.  The sales guy walks up to me as we’re looking at the car and asks, “why don’t you buy it?”

What a stupid way to introduce himself and try and establish rapport.  For some reason he thought he could start with the close.  I was highly offended by such a ridiculous question, and immediately left the lot.  I realize you don’t have this problem because you aren’t asking for the close at all, however, one reason you can’t ask for the close is because you know you haven’t established rapport with the prospect.

As you establish rapport you want to position yourself to partner with the prospect not to sell them.  Let’s go back and revisit my son’s car buying experience and examine the sales experience with another sales person.  This time we pulled into the lot, got out of the car, and started walking around looking for a potential car.  The salesman comes over to my son and says, “I realize you’re probably just looking around at this point, however, I can help you narrow your search and save you some time if you can tell me what you’re looking for in a car.”  He then says, “I’m pretty familiar with the inventory of the surrounding dealers, so if I don’t have what you need I can probably point you in the right direction.”  Wow, what a difference!

This “salesperson” did not position himself as a salesperson at all, but rather as an assistant buyer.  I’d suspect the first guy has skinny kids and this guy’s kids are well taken care of.   Throughout the buying experience it was simply a matter of this not that, and when it came time to close it was another this not that choice.  The salesman says to my son, “am I correct that this is the car that best suites your needs?”  To which my sons responds positively.  The sales person has established small agreements throughout the conversation, it’s obvious the buyer is highly motivated to buy, and their is trust and understanding between them.  So, the sales person wraps it up with a bow by asking, “would you like to drive the car home with you now, or would you prefer I deliver it at a time and location convenient for you tomorrow?’  Final sale.

This not that works just as well with services as products. 

• You start the relationship as the helper.
• You guide the prospect to make best choices.
• You clearly define the desired outcome.
• You establish a strong motivation to act and act now
• You provide choices for the “yes” decision

There isn’t any need to feel uncomfortable because you’re working together.  They may reject a choice, but they aren’t rejecting you.  You may discover they aren’t a match for you, however, when they are a match they aren’t afraid you’re going to push them into doing something they don’t want to do.   Both you and the prospect are comfortable closing the sales because you’re helping them to get what they want.
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