Secrets of closing the sale!
PART 1: ANALYSIS OF SALES
You can have everything in life
if you know how to help other people get what they want. – Zig Ziglar
TARGET
Your success will be compromised by your need
to be liked by everyone.- Grant Cardone
“Sell” gives you an idea of the importance of trustworthiness in a salesperson.
“Selling” gives you an idea of the importance
of common psychological problems in the sales process.
“Selling” gives you the concept of why you have
to learn how to convince customers.
Help you understand
that sales training courses do not make a professional salesperson
but only help you sell more effectively.
Presents a portrait of a true sales professional
and a series of professional sales techniques.
STRATEGIES AND PROCESS FOR MAKING A PERFECT DEAL
Tactics of “putting into danger”
Tactics to hit the “wish to own” of the customer.
Tactic to hit the “confusion” of the customer.
Tactic “1902”
Tactics to make customers believe that they “can afford to pay”.
Tactics of “persuasion”
Tactics to hit the “I want that product” mentality of customers
The “story of a groom” strategy
Tactics of offering “more options for customers”
Tactics against the mentality of “buy now
or there is no other chance” “next sale” strategy
Tactic of “buying and selling”
Tactics to encourage customers to “make new decisions”.
Tactic of “changing intonation”
Tactics to relieve the “fear of being bought wrong” mentality of customers.
Tactics using the “cost” factor
Tactics using the element of “quality” Tactics of “reverse”
Tactics to hit the “disgrace” of the customer.
The “plus” tactic
“Additional” Tactics
Tactics against customer “rages”
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CHAPTER 1: A EXCELLENT SELLER “MY BELOVED WIFE”
The closer you can get to customers,
the better off you will become the best seller. – Aysa Angel
“HOW MUCH SHOULD WE INVEST?”
In 1968, we moved to Dallas.
Soon after,
I took up teaching courses on sales
and on personal motivation and inner inspiration.
I have never been so busy before,
I work continuously from 9am to 9pm
and from Monday to Saturday.
We needed to buy a house because obviously we couldn’t stay at the inn forever.
Redhead and I discussed it thoroughly
before deciding to invest a “reasonable” amount of money to buy a house.
After determining exactly how much money
she would use to buy a house, she said,
“If we find that dream home,
can we spend more to buy it?”
That question caused the two of us
to have a hard time arguing about how much to buy a house.
We talked and discussed with each other countless times
before coming to the final decision
that we could spend another 20 thousand dollars.
Perhaps at the present time the number
That 20k “additional” dollars was the equivalent of a medium-sized garage or yard,
but in 1968, for $20,000,
you could build some pretty epic things on a 200 square meter area.
After a long time of hunting everywhere,
Red Hair closed the list of remaining two satisfactory houses.
When she set foot in the second house,
she decided to stop the “hunting”.
No one is really served until you close the deal. – Grant Cardone
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“HOW MUCH FOR THIS HOUSE?”
Every failure is a blessing in disguise,
providing it teaches some needed lesson one could not have learned without it.
Most so-called Failures are only temporary defeats. — Napoleon Hill
That night, when I got home from work,
Red Hair happily announced:
“Darling, I have found our dream home.
There are four beautiful bedrooms
and there is a large backyard to build a swimming pool like we always talk about.
In each room there is a spacious bathroom and a bathtub too!”
I interrupted:
“Wait, honey! So how much does that house cost?
My lovely Redhead continued:
“You will surely love it because the private office is very spacious,
the ceiling is designed in the style of the church architecture,
and the garage is large enough for two cars.
You know, the best thing is that you can build a small
and beautiful isolated office like your dream
on an area of 3.5 x 3.5 (m) at the back of the house.
You will have a quiet space to write there.
One more thing, the master bedroom is so big I could dance there!
Oh, that’s the best house!”
Zig, it’s me (having to interrupt her again):
“Honey, how much is that house?”.
She said the price and you know what,
that price exceeded our $20k max reserve by $18,000! I gently said,
“Honey, we can’t afford that house!”.
Hair
Red gently replied, “I know, but don’t worry.
Since we don’t know much about real estate,
I have invited a construction contractor to come
with us tomorrow to take a look.”
In everyone’s life, you have someone you’re looking up to
or looking down to or looking sideways at. – Grant Cardone
****************
BE PERSISTENT WITH POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS
People who succeed at the highest level are not lucky;
they’re doing something differently than everyone else. — Tony Robbins
I reluctantly: “Okay, I’ll go, but just take a look.”
She cooed: “I know, don’t worry!”.
I was mesmerized when I saw the house.
Everything, from the design style to the layout,
was exactly as I dreamed it would be.
I wanted to buy that house right away but sadly
what we want and what we can sometimes are too far apart.
So I started pretending to my wife and the contractor in the way
that customers usually do with the sales people.
Although I liked the house very much,
I still acted as if I wasn’t very interested.
The reason?
Simply because I was afraid my wife
and the contractor would force me to do something I really wanted to do.
It was about buying a house that we certainly couldn’t afford.
So to protect myself from being swayed by my lofty desires,
it’s best to pretend I’m not very interested in the house.
Many times a client firmly refuses
to make an appointment with the reason
that he doesn’t want to “waste both you and his time”.
That is the most potential customer
because he knows he really needs the product
or service you provide.
However, at that time,
he felt that he did not have enough money to buy,
so he did not want to be influenced by seeing samples
or hearing you talk about the product.
He sends you an apology saying
“don’t want to waste your time and mine”
simply because he knows he can’t buy it yet.
80% of success is showing up. – Grant Cardone
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STRATEGY “PUSHED INTO A CORNER”
One of the things we know is that you cannot motivate other people,
but you can remove the obstacles that stop them from motivating themselves.
All motivation is self-motivation. — Brian Tracy
In order to avoid being “pushed into a corner” by customers,
you need to understand
that saying “I don’t care what your product is” is different from saying
“I really like this product,
but right now I don’t know how to use it.”
I can’t buy it, so I don’t want to hear you talk about it yet.”
A lot of times your client may be in a situation like the one
I walked through the door of his dream home,
and they are inclined to avoid those luxuries
by turning down your appointment.
Meanwhile, Redhead happily observed everywhere,
she joyfully exclaimed that the yard
in front of the house was very suitable
for building an arched road like I had always dreamed of,
and even had Another gorgeous chandelier in the living room.
She looked at the chandelier and smiled brightly.
She did the right thing.
She wanted me to see her pleasure
and I understood what she wanted!
Getting rich is mostly a game of offense, not defense. – Grant Cardone
****************
STRATEGY TO HIT THE CUSTOMERS’ “WANT TO OWNERSHIP”
As soon as you truly commit to making something happen,
the ‘how’ will reveal itself. — Tony Robbins
When we entered the office, she said loudly,
“Honey, this room is so big!”.
Before I could reply, she continued:
“Look, your fireplace is amazing!
The bookshelves too,
I’ll put your books here [suddenly everything is mine!
What a great psychological blow great!].
I’m thinking of you reading a book on a peaceful Sunday afternoon
and gazing at the flames flickering in the fireplace…”
Then she dashed towards the master bedroom.
“Look, it’s so big we could put a table and two chairs in there.
Every morning we will sip coffee together
and enjoy the quiet space of the morning.
Try looking at your built-in closet,
it can hold all your tools in there.”
Then she walked over to the garage and said,
“Oh! There’s enough room here for your two cars!
This land will be used to build his own office.
You’ve been wanting to have a room like that for a long time, haven’t you?”
When we went back into the house, she said,
“When Suzie goes to school away from home (about 2 years),
I will reserve this room for guests to visit, as we often dream.”
After seeing the whole house,
my cute Redhead squeezed my hand
and asked lovingly, “How do you like the house, honey?”
Raise your profile & brand by developing yourself as an authority. – Grant Cardone
****************
STRATEGY TO HIT THE CUSTOMER’S CONFUSION
It’s not over until you win. – Les Brown
How should I answer my wife?
Obviously I can’t say,
“I don’t like this house” because that’s not true.
So I said, “Honey, I love that house.
It’s beautiful, but you know well
that we don’t have enough money to buy a house like that.”
Will the things I say make her sad or not?
Absolutely not.
She looked at me with sparkling eyes:
“Honey, I know that,
but I just wanted to show you something beautiful
Now I will keep looking to see if there is a cheaper house.”
(Oh!!! She is confusing me by not choosing
to buy such a satisfactory house!)
That night Redhead said nothing about that house.
The next morning, while I was brushing my teeth,
she came in and asked,
“How long are we going to live here in Dallas?”
“Umm, it must have been quite a while.”
Complaining won’t get you a seat. – Grant Cardone
****************
AND HOW MY WIFE ASK ME BUY HOUSE
Know your gifts and share them. – Les Brown
Redhead asked hesitantly,
“Do you think we’ll be here for another 30 years?” I replied,
“Sure! Oh, how I like Dallas
because it’s so convenient for me.
But why did you choose 30 years?”.
She continued, “Darling, if we stay here for another 30 years,
how much will the extra $18,000 a year be divided?”
(She forgot, or deliberately ignored the original value of the house.
She “forgot” the sizable $20,000 extra on top of our initial agreement
when we discussed the money
to buy the house and interest,
insurance,
and taxes!)
I do the math “$18,000 divided by 30 years,
you spend $600 per year”.
She pressed:
“So how much a month?”.
“50 dollars a month”.
My wife continued:
“How much is it? how much a day?”
“Come on, I know. 1 dollar 70 cents a day,
but why are you asking me that?”
She was very resolute:
“Can I ask you one more question?”.
Looking at her pleading face,
I couldn’t refuse:
“What’s that?”.
Just waiting for that, she immediately said:
“Brother, can you spend 1 dollar
and 70 cents a day
for your wife to be completely happy?
Or do you want your wife to be just an ordinary happy person like now?”.
I believe you can guess where we live right now.
This story contains a lot of remarkable technical and psychological developments.
At first, I knew well that my wife was trying to convince me,
but there was nothing I could do to avoid that uncomfortable feeling.
Just like me, customers could not be treated differently
from enthusiastic salespeople like my beloved wife.
Really, it’s hard for anyone to resist this technique,
especially because a person wants to bring good to others
(my wife analyzed it for me, and by doing so,
I am bringing great happiness to others).
Thinking big takes the same amount of effort
as thinking small. – Grant Cardone
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APPLY TO YOUR SITUATION
STRATEGY “1902”
Goals help you channel your energy into action. – Les Brown
After listening to my story,
the first thing I want is for you to apply it to your actual situation.
I call the strategy my wife used on me the “1902” Strategy because in
1902,
Frederick Sheldon presented this strategy in one of his books.
The irony is that my wife learned this tactic
while attending my sales training classes
and successfully applied it to one of her “potential customers,” me here.
Stop dreaming about life being easy.
Go out and earn it. – Grant Cardone
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DON’T HEAR EVERYTHING FROM CUSTOMERS
Life has no limitations except the ones you make. – Les Brown
The second note through this story is to “listen” to Redhead.
She never “heard” me whining, “How did we get all that money?
We can’t buy that house!”
At that time, I suddenly suspected that my wife had hearing problems?!
She wanted that house and didn’t want to hear any talk about not buying it.
I think salespeople should also pretend to have hearing problems
when customers say they don’t care about their products.
Every time a customer says “The price is too high” or “I don’t care”,
they are probably just implying
that they won’t pay a “big” amount for such a “small” profit.
In such cases, learn how to “hear” Redhead to become a person with “hearing problems”.
Another thing that is equally important is
that Redhead never shows any discomfort,
meaning argue or confront me.
When she persuaded me,
she always believed that she would eventually succeed.
She never argues when I talk about not having enough money
and that is very necessary
because arguing only creates invisible opposites
and you will certainly have a greater difficulty in easing the conflict
against moderate impact on your customers.
Successful entrepreneurs are givers
and not takers of positive energy. – Grant Cardone
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STRATEGIES TO MAKE CUSTOMERS BELIEVE THEY CAN PAY EASY
If you don’t program yourself, life will program you!” – Les Brown
Redhead is an optimist and she knows I am too.
She believes that I will try to get a few more lessons
or try to do a few more sales to make that additional “$1 70 cents a day” income.
Therefore, the third note drawn from this story is
that the salesperson must optimistically think
that the customer can pay for that product or service.
One thing is for sure, in many cases,
the salesperson’s expectations have a direct relationship to the customer’s decision.
In any meeting with your client,
show them that you’re looking forward to the success of the deal.
The fourth note is that you can sell more easily by asking leading questions
than by simply talking.
With his questions,
Redhead gradually made me “enlighten”
that not only could we afford to buy that house,
but we should also buy it.
This is also the Socratic strategy that many doctors,
lawyers,
accountants,
counselors,
pastors,
detectives and countless other successful people have applied
and achieved much success along their careers and their lives.
Working to earn more money isn’t greedy, it’s your duty. – Grant Cardone
****************
CLEAR OBJECTIVES
No one will take better care of your dream than you. – Les Brown
The fifth note is that Redhead understands she needs
to convince me of that $18,000 increase.
Before she went looking for a house, she made me agree on
how much money I would use to buy a house.
She even forced me to agree to pay another twenty thousand dollars,
if necessary.
Like an excellent salesperson
she knew well that we didn’t need to discuss anything
that had already been decided.
If you’re working in real estate,
when a client says he’s looking to buy a $200,000 home,
you’ve got a $200,000 order in hand.
Then, your job is just to lead him
to a specific home and talk to the seller
to get them to agree to sell at a lower price than the asking price.
At that time, you were just a very ordinary salesman.
To receive the title of “excellent salesman” you must identify the needs
and wants of the customer.
In the above case,
you have to convince the customer to buy a $250,000 house,
instead of the $200,000 house he can afford.
To make things feel easy,
think that you just need to convince him to pay $50,000 because in fact,
he has already “agreed” to pay 200,000 dollars
and you don’t have to work unnecessary effort to convince them to spend that money.
In fact, he has a real need for housing that’s why he came to you.
The same goes for other products,
if a customer wants to spend an amount of X dollars
but in the end the product that meets his needs is X plus one more amount,
then your “main” task is to convince him to agree to pay the extra amount
and you have a successful deal.
Like I said, Redhead’s “job” at the time was to convince me to pay an extra $18,000 to buy the house.
She knew that when it came to $18,000 plus $20,000 plus initial home purchase plus taxes,
insurance premiums, and interest,
I obviously wouldn’t “accept” it.
So, she just mentioned the final add-on of $18,000
and split it up to the maximum.
She knows that in my heart
I will buy anything she likes and she also knows
that I believe I can work a little harder to get more money
to pay for a happy home for her
and she went out of her way to prove
that that extra payment is ultimately about serving the basic needs of life.
She’s so smart that she doesn’t give a reason
why we should buy houses overwhelms the way we buy houses.
Let’s break down the price so that customers can easily accept your products and services.
Go the extra mile; there’s no one on it. – Grant Cardone
********************
FIND OUT WHAT CUSTOMERS WANT
If it’s hard, do it hard! Nobody said it would be easy. – Les Brown
Because you can’t know your customer
as well as Red Hair knows about me,
her client,
the sixth note is that you try
to learn about your customer as thoroughly as possible.
My wife knows very well what I want.
For example, she always remembers that,
when I was a kid, I was quite angry
when I announced that I was going to build a big swimming pool.
This is what happened:
When I was a kid, while living in Yazoo City, Mississippi,
my best friend called me once
and asked me to go swimming at a country club,
which was the only place in town that had a swimming pool.
I rode my bike to the club in the scorching summer sun,
hurriedly changed into my swimsuit
and just waited to jump in the water.
I waited a long time and still did not see my friend coming.
The pool was so attractive that I decided to jump in.
An employee in the club saw me and realized
that I was not a member of this club,
so he immediately kicked me out of the pool.
The next day, he even “invited” me to his office to talk.
I have never felt so scared.
He told me about the club’s rules and regulations
and used unpleasant words.
As soon as I walked out of the office,
I couldn’t hold back my tears
and made a eloquent statement like children do
when angry about being touched, I “swore”:
“One day I will going to build a pool bigger
than the club pool in Yazoo City, Mississippi.”
Because of my pride, I made such a “loud” statement.
However, later, when there was a certain success in life,
the childhood dream resurfaced.
In 1969, we built a swimming pool in the backyard.
It’s exactly 0.3 meters longer than that club’s swimming pool!
Find out all the information related to the customer,
break down the price of the product,
convince the customer with all your optimism
and pretend not to hear their objections.
Ask lots of questions to identify the problem
and lead the customer to make a final decision.
Find out what can solve a customer’s problem
and show them that the product you offer is the solution they are looking for.
10 times the actions, 10 times the goals,
and you’ll get everything you ever dreamed of. – Grant Cardone
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THREE THINGS CUSTOMERS WANT TO HAVE
You have the courage and power to live your dreams. – Les Brown
When I moved from Columbia, South Carolina to Dallas,
I told Redhead in advance that she would decide everything from style,
placement, materials to accessories to make it her dream home “of the two of us,”
minus three things:
it was a huge arrow-shaped swimming pool
for me to make my childhood “declaration”,
a small study room where I could write my favorite book talks about it
but take no action, and an arched driveway.
Of course, none of these three things were built,
but the excellent sales “housewife,” my Red Hair,
thoughtfully set aside places
where I could build a swimming pool,
set up my own office.
Or make an arched driveway in front of the house.
This is indeed a very important point.
There are times when customers will ask you about very detailed things.
If you can give them what they want,
there’s no point in the deal.
But you also need to remember that many people don’t know
what they want because they don’t know what options they have.
So, take note.
The seventh is that if you can’t exactly meet the needs of your customers,
don’t rush to think that they are too fastidious.
Many times when we go shopping,
we often predetermine what we need to buy,
but end up buying something else that we like better.
The house doesn’t have what I want at the moment,
but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t fit.
Redhead has shown me that we can build three more things I’ve always wanted.
This involves the salesperson’s imaginative ability
to help the customer get what they want. Remember:
You can have everything in life if you know how
to help other people get what they want.
If people don’t know you for your work ethic, you ain’t working. – Grant Cardone
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Chapter 2: CUSTOMERS IS “GOD”
EVERYTHING IS NOT SIMPLE!
A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds. — Francis Bacon
There’s a lot to be done if you want to become a seasoned salesperson
or want to dramatically increase sales
while still building strong customer relationships.
If you want to fully develop your sales ability then work and work harder.
Deep understanding of psychology will help you understand
why potential customers “react”
or “react” to certain sales techniques or tactics.
These psychological insights are especially important
because if you know how to do something competently you will always get a job,
but if you understand the why, you will be the boss.
Most people are dying at 20 and making it official at 80.
Most people are living their life with nothing to brag or talk about. – Grant Cardone
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AWARENESS FIRST, CONSCIOUS AFTER
No matter how bad it is or how bad it gets I am going to make it. – Les Brown
Perhaps nothing frustrates a salesperson more than a customer’s rejection
of a product of good quality,
cost-effective,
affordable,
that fulfills wants,
needs,
and financial capabilities.
Customer’s main!
That shows that customers have believed
but are not completely convinced to make a purchase decision.
Despite being considered one of the greatest thinkers of all time,
Aristotle also had a theory that was completely wrong.
He suggested that if two bodies of the same mass
with different masses fall from the same height,
they will fall at different speeds.
Aristotle’s doctrine was taught at the University of Pisa.
Years later, Galileo challenged Aristotle’s doctrine
by stating the opposite.
The professors and students of Pisa were so amazed
that Galileo dared to refute the great Aristotle’s argument,
they challenged him to prove his argument.
Galileo proved his point by climbing to the top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa,
dropping two objects of the same material with different masses from a height,
and he saw them land at the same time.
He proved to professors and students that he was right and Aristotle wrong.
In your opinion, do the professors of the University
of Pisa teach students the new theory of Galileo?
The answer was that they continued
to teach Aristotle’s doctrine because Galileo proved
to them that his theory was correct,
but he did not convince them.
So, the question is:
(a) How to persuade others? (b) What is persuasion?
The answer is:
(a) To persuade others, you should not tell them, but ask them.
(b) Persuasion comes from the French word,
which means “to give good advice”.
Throughout the principles and tips covered in this book,
we’ll explore the role sales professionals play in the process of becoming a “consultant”
or buying guide the can give really useful advice.
In the process of learning the basics of sales,
you will encounter more than 700 different questions,
and here are the questions for you.
Be great because nothing else pays. – Grant Cardone
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STRATEGY “MORE NEW INFORMATION”
You don’t get in life what you want;
you get in life what you are. – Les Brown
You may think these questions are too simple,
but answering them will clear your mind
and set the tone for the course of this book.
Now pick up your pen and answer these simple questions in turn:
Question: Is the product you are offering relatively good quality? Yes No
Question: Is the product you are offering exceptionally good quality? Yes No
Question: Can the product you’re offering solve one
or more customer problems?
One problem Many problems
Question: Do you think you deserve a profit
for selling a product that can solve a customer problem?
Yes No
Question: Do you feel you deserve double the profit
for selling two products that solve two customer problems?
Yes No
Most likely you will choose the answer “yes” to the above questions.
Obviously your mentality is that the more problems you can solve
for your customers, the more profit you will expect.
That’s not wrong.
Question: Have you been in sales for a year? Yes No
Question: If so, have you saved all your earnings
during these twelve months in this sales job?
Yes No
In my opinion, the “safe” answer to this question is “no”.
Question: Are there any of your customers,
even though they bought a product a year ago, but now?
Still using and getting benefits of the product offered by you?
Yes No
If your answer is “yes” in most cases,
the next question would be:
Who “benefits” the most, you or the customer?
If the customer is the biggest beneficiary,
who should thank whom when a deal is closed?
It is possible that you will quickly spend all
or most of the profits
or commissions received after closing the deal.
But the benefits that customers get from the product they buy are likely
to last even years into the future.
So if your product helps customers solve problems
and has a reasonable price,
the customer will benefit the most.
Question: Are the necessary work
that you have to do “for” the customer or “for” the customer?
This is one of the most basic and important issues.
If you think you’re working “for” a client, you’re a “trick”.
The word ‘trick’ is defined as ‘using some ‘trick’
to control an action sometimes for the sake of fraud
or because there is always a thought to do so”.
With over fifty years of experience in the business,
I have never met a single person
who has used this “trick” successfully in a professional sales career.
And if you think you’re working “for” the customer,
this book will be a powerful support tool
because it enriches your sales knowledge.
Your concern and desire
to benefit others will bring you many benefits
– tangible and intangible.
Salespeople should understand the needs of customers
to provide suitable products or services
and convince customers to buy for their own benefit.
Leaving your comfort zone is hard.
Staying broke is hard.
Pick your hard. – Grant Cardone
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CUSTOMER IS GOD, SELL IS SERVICE
Act the way you want to be and soon you’ll be the way you act. – Les Brown
The above questions are asked to form in your mind a thought
that customers
is the one who benefits the most
(in case the product is reasonably priced
and of good quality,
of course).
So what if we assume that the customer is always the one
who has to receive the most benefits?
Let’s put ourselves in the customer’s shoes.
Before your proper analysis,
the customer is actually convincing himself.
Then you will have more chances to “lead” him
to the action of buying
because there is nothing he can refuse anymore,
that is your goal.
Don’t wait for the right opportunity: create it. — George Bernard Shaw
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WHY DO CUSTOMERS DO NOT BUY BOTH NOW AND IN THE FUTURE?
The people that want to step into their greatness are hungry. – Les Brown
There are five basic reasons
why customers refuse to buy, including:
(1) no need,
(2) no money,
(3) no motivation,
(4) no desire,
and (5) ) distrust.
Even if the customer doesn’t want to buy for any reason,
you will lose a sale and of course
that customer will not receive the benefits
that the item brings.
Because a failed sale will cost both parties,
you need to thoroughly understand
why customers won’t buy your product.
The probability of success will be much higher
if you know the reasons
why customers refuse and deal with them appropriately.
One of the five reasons
why customers don’t want to buy is
because they see themselves
as having no need for that product.
Salespeople will face a lot of difficulties
if everyone has a “conservative” mindset:
“We should only buy what we need”.
I want to mention this aspect because human needs are limitless.
We ourselves or our customers always buy
what we want or desire to have.
This is the main reason why “wants” (the fourth reason)
influence customers’ purchasing decisions.
Now we will return to the question of need
and find out what the customer means
when he says there is no need.
In many cases, if not most,
customers say “no need”
because they themselves don’t know that they are in need.
“Money” is the second reason
why customers refuse to buy.
There are many people
who really don’t have money
or don’t have enough money and above all,
the sales person must be the one to know if their customers have money or not
because some people often don’t tell the truth
when they say they have no money
or not have enough money to buy this or that product.
You will never be admired without being criticized first. – Grant Cardone
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STRATEGY TO HIT THE CUSTOMERS’ “I WANT THAT PRODUCT”
Live out of your imagination instead of out of your memory. – Les Brown
The following little story will shed light on this point.
Years ago, when I was just getting into sales,
I called the Funderburk family in Lancaster, South Carolina.
Their main job is to raise chickens and sell eggs.
I introduced them
as well as a few people around about the cookware set.
The presentation took place at their house
and I also had the opportunity
to observe the kitchen and the pots and pans they did not have.
Apparently they had a need for kitchen utensils
so I spent two hours trying to convince them but it all went nowhere.
Ms. Funderburk kept saying:
“They’re too expensive, I can’t afford to buy them!”.
After a while someone spoke of the excellent quality of porcelain.
When I just mentioned
When she reached the porcelain, her eyes lit up.
And the conversation goes like this.
Mrs. Funderburk:
“Do you sell porcelain?”
Zig (smiling):
“We have the best porcelain in the world.”
(Of course that’s from my point of view.)
Mrs. Funderburk: “Did you bring any?” Zig
(stands up and punches the car hard):
“You’re lucky!”
A few minutes later I left Mrs. Funderburk’s house
with an order for many times more expensive porcelain
than the pots and pans
I had tried to convince her to buy.
My problem at that time had nothing to do with sales,
but to ask her what model of porcelain she would choose
and proceed with the payment procedures.
Question: Was Mrs. Funderburk lying that she didn’t have enough money
when in reality she ordered much more expensive porcelain
than the kitchenware I recommended?
That’s an interesting question.
The answer was “yes”,
she lied and I am one of the purists
who believe that a lie is unlikely to be a lie.
However, the purpose of this book is
to help you persuade your customers
to act in their own interest.
So let’s think like customers,
have the same feelings
as them and become their buying advisor.
When Mrs. Funderburk says she has no money
and can’t afford a set of pots and pans,
she means:
“I didn’t pay for that set of pots and pans simply
because I didn’t want it.”
So, in her mind, she thought she was telling the truth,
even if only a very small part of the truth.
The key in situations like these is how
to uncover the real reason
why Ms. Funderburk isn’t buying.
In this case, the real reason wasn’t lack of money,
but because she didn’t have the “wish” to own the product.
Throughout this book I will cover probing techniques for finding out
what other people are thinking.
Ms. Funderburk bought porcelain for several reasons:
(1) she really wanted it;
(2) she trusted me;
(3) I really persevered in my role as a purchasing consultant
and during the conversation,
she expressed her desire to own fine porcelain,
not a set of pots and pans.
Quit sharing bad news and gossip;
you aren’t a garbage truck. – Grant Cardone
****************
CUSTOMERS BUY WHAT THEY WANT
Opportunities are presented to us each and every day, but do we see them.
To see a opportunity we must be open to all thoughts. — Catherine Pulsifer
In fact Mrs. Funderburk needed a set of kitchen utensils used in her daily life and
that porcelain set was probably only used
a few times a year but she WANT A Porcelain set.
The bottom line in sales is:
Customers buy what they want,
even if that desire outweighs the money they have to spend.
In all cases, customers buy what they really want
– not necessarily what they need.
Your opportunity and mission is to bring them benefits
from your products and services.
Surely customers will continue to want to buy your products,
not just once but many times.
No economy, no matter how bad,
can hold down a goal that is followed by enough action. – Grant Cardone
****************
WHEN CUSTOMERS REFUSE
Never let someone’s opinion become your reality.
Never sacrifice
who you are because someone else has a problem with it.
Love who you are inside and out. – Les Brown
The third reason customers don’t buy a product is
because they don’t feel the need to buy right away,
so you shouldn’t worry too much about timing.
Customers sometimes ask the seller,
“Why do you keep trying to convince me
to buy that product today?
I am thirty-nine years old and have lived years without this product.
Did you only come to see me once?”
or “Will I see you again?
So why are we in such a hurry?”
One of the biggest obstacles is the “There is no rush” reason.
Therefore, the most difficult task of the salesperson is
to get the customer interested enough
to make a purchase decision at the moment you convince them.
You get rich connecting with opportunities
that can produce and multiply money.
You don’t get rich saving money.
Missing opportunities is
what costs people money. – Grant Cardone
****************
STRATEGY “STORY OF A GUFF”
In every day, there are 1440 minutes.
That means we have 1440 daily opportunities
to make a positive impact. – Les Brown
The most effective trick to get customers out of the “rigid” mindset is
to agree with them
instead of constantly persuading them to buy.
In situations like these,
I usually just smile and say,
“Sir, based on my own experience,
I think you’re probably right
and you don’t need to buy right now.
Looking back on my own life,
I think that getting married with my wife was a financial mistake.
Weddings cost a lot, if we waited another twenty years,
we could have had the most memorable honeymoon of our lives!
It was also a mistake for us to start a family life
because if we had waited another ten or fifteen years,
the children would have had a better life.
The decision to buy our first house was really a mistake
because as long as we waited patiently
for another twenty
or thirty years,
our house would probably be many times bigger and more beautiful.
But sir, there is a problem that if you wait
until everything is perfect you will be like the two characters in the following poem:
Gray hair, hunched back,
hands on cane,
bride entering the cathedral
Sneaking in the footsteps of the children
Smiling mouth
By the aisle, the groom slowly approached in a wheelchair
It’s them, the old couple
Do you notice the “miracle” as they get closer?
That the lovers ” most persistent”
Waiting for each other, silver heads,
“enough” money to become husband and wife.
Excerpt from Timid Salesmen Have Skinny Kids,
Judge Ziglar” After reading the poem,
I will be silent for a moment and then continue to say:
“I believe there is no time.
Which point is most appropriate?
There is a Chinese saying that:
a journey of a thousand miles always begins with the first step.
You and I both know that ownership of this product is established
as soon as the purchase decision is made.
In fact, now you only need to care if the price
I offer is suitable for your financial ability
and what we have discussed also shows to you,
price is not an issue.
What made you decide not to buy an item
that will surely benefit you and your loved ones?”
A little imagination combined with massive action goes a long way. – Grant Cardone
****************
TARGET TO GIVE “MANY CHOICES FOR CUSTOMERS”
You are the only real obstacle in your path to a fulfilling life. – Les Brown
Always give customers a choice
between one add-on and another,
such as “Do you want us to deliver
as soon as possible or within the next two weeks?”
or “Do you want to pick up this product now
or will we deliver it to your door?”.
This is a frequently used technique
and has proven to be quite effective.
Note that it should not be given a situation
where customers choose between any solution
and a solution not to buy, guys!
Think about it!
What’s the worst thing that can happen
to you if you just totally go for it? – Grant Cardone
****************
CUSTOMERS WILL BUY IF THEY REALLY WANT
You must remain focused on your journey to greatness. – Les Brown
The fourth reason so many customers don’t buy your product is
because they really don’t want to.
Most of the salespeople and me of course found it rather strange
that none of us wanted to buy the items we were selling!
This is real. If the trust you have in your product is too great
you will not be able to understand
why someone would not want to buy those items
and it will be difficult for you to accept this fact.
So, keep in mind that customers are only rejecting your offer to buy,
not they’re rejecting you personally.
Success is not something that happens to you;
it’s something that happens because of you
and because of the actions you take. – Grant Cardone
****************
STRATEGY “BUY NOW OR NO OTHER OPPORTUNITY”
People inspire you or they drain you.
Pick them wisely. – Les Brown
When she was introducing the cookware set
to a widow living in a small town in Elgin,
South Carolina, she groaned incessantly
when she heard me talk about the price of the cookware,
which was,
“Oh my god.
Oh, I can never afford that set of pots and pans.
I’m just a widow, I have to support myself.
Every morning I have to eat with my son
and daughter-in-law at their house.
It only cost me 1 cent for lunch
and I didn’t have dinner.
I go to work every day,
maybe only Sunday is the only day I use that set of pots and pans.”
She continued:
“I was nearing retirement age,
when I only received a meager pension.”
After giving me a bunch of reasons
why she couldn’t buy my product,
she looked at me again and smiled shyly:
“But Zig, I’ve only wanted to have a set of pots and pans all my life.
If I don’t buy it now,
I won’t have a chance.
I guess I’ll have to buy your pots and pans.”
Along with her desire was the fear of losing an opportunity
she would never see again,
the fear of missing out on something very important.
It is a purely psychological fact,
the fear of losing something is
stronger than the desire to own it.
I was fortunate to be in the right place at the right time
and with the exact product the woman was dreaming of.
In addition, I always kept quiet
and listened to her “rapidly” talk about my difficulties.
This makes her feel more comfortable
and assumes that the purchase decision comes from her own will.
I don’t have time is the biggest lie you tell yourself. – Grant Cardone
****************
CUSTOMERS WILL BUY IF THEY TRUST YOU
When your why is big enough you will find your how. – Les Brown
The fifth reason is probably the most important reason
why customers don’t want to buy your product:
they don’t trust you!
It is difficult to identify
and identify this reason
because few customers directly say:
“Hey, you know you are lying to me!
Why can’t you admit it?
More than anyone, he knows that this product is not
as good as what he is advertising.”
Customers don’t directly say that you are a liar,
but if they think or feel that way,
the situation is no different.
They won’t buy from you.
The feeling of doubt is often vague,
but once it does,
it can cost you a deal.
Research results of the New York Sales
and Marketing Association show
that up to 71% of customers decide to buy
because they like, trust and respect the seller.
The bottom line here is that you
the salesperson cannot contradict who you really are.
Be consistent in all aspects of your life
if you want to achieve great success in building a professional sales career.
This is also one of the “no small” reasons to help you make
a strong impression in the minds of customers.
Numerous evidences have been proven such as:
research by Connecticut Mutual life insurance organization,
research by Professor Robert Coles of Harvard University,
Corporate Bigamy by Mortimer Feinberg and Richard Dempewolff;
reports of affiliate forums,
Cox reports and other studies have shown that feeling is something powerful.
Companies always give certain preferences to job seekers
who have professional ethics, honesty,
and determination to build their own career.
Professional ethics requirements are necessary
for any profession or field
– especially sales.
A salesperson who has the ability to persuade
but has no work ethic can “fascinate” customers,
causing them to buy useless products
or services at a “heavenly” price.
But what happens next?
Firstly, customers have lost money unjustly
and lost a certain amount of trust in people.
Second, salespeople have lost their self-esteem
and chance of achieving real career success
by focusing only on immediate benefits.
Finally, the sales profession also loses credibility
and public trust.
I strongly believe that success in sales will come
to you faster and easier,
even that success will be brilliant and lasting
if you know how to put work ethic first.
That’s why I always emphasize that the most important thing
in the sales process is the salesperson himself.
If you don’t like how things are,
change it!
You’re not a tree. – Jim Rohn
