Things Harvard Doesn’t Teach You

Chapter 9. Follow principles of life to attract success

RIGHT ONLY

 I learned that courage was not the absence of fear,

but the triumph over it. – Nelson Mandela

The importance of a compelling sales scene is often underestimated.

If you need an exact time to make a deal,

there has to be a right place to do it.

The buyer’s office can be the worst location.

You should make a sale after a lunch break,

a game of tennis or on the golf course,

or anywhere where buyer reception is easier and vigilance is lower.

I know of a producer

that has secured a commitment

to a 65-hour home TV show on the basis of a half-hour pilot.

He showed the pilot program on Saturday,

on the big screen in the home office of the television station manager,

attended by his wife and two children,

watching while eating popcorn.

Can the host say,

“I don’t like this program.

Give me back my popcorn and get out of my house”?

One of our most effective services

is helping client companies put their sales efforts in the right place.

For example,

every year we organize a skiing excursion for the Times magazine,

and a golf excursion for Newsweek magazine

for the purpose of entertaining senior officials of the companies

that advertise in our newspapers

If you’re into skiing or golf,

where would you rather talk about business in your office,

at a ski inn in Sun Valley

or at the St. Andrew.

An unexpected encounter at a location outside

of the business area can be an opportunity.

Have you ever unexpectedly met a business partner at a beach or tennis club?

This unexpected meeting can leave both parties feeling awkward

and unwilling to talk about business.

However, no matter what,

just ask them the problem.

Not only will it help eliminate confusion,

but it will also begin to create opportunities for collaboration.

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PRECIOUS CONDITIONS OF A TRADE

Nobody counts the number of ads you run;

they just remember the impression you make. — Bill Bernbach

For many years we tried to sell services to Ford

and the Lincoln Mercury branch.

I raised the issue many times with Ben Bidwell,

then General Manager of Lincoln Mercury.

One day, perhaps out of frustration,

he called me over and said, “Mark, you don’t know

how to sell to the Ford Motor Company.

Please bring two employees here

and let me explain to you why,

then both sides will save time and effort.”

Me and two managers went to Dearborn Michigan.

There, we were given a thorough explanation of

what Ford Motor needed,

how we had to present the problem and to whom.

This meeting helped us sell our services to Ford,

whereby Ford agreed to sponsor the World Invitation Tennis Classic

and stream the tournament live on ABC television for several hours.

But most importantly,

I understood the two prerequisites for the success of any sales effort:

1/ Find out what customers want to buy.

If you don’t know,

ask and let them tell you.

Find out what the company’s problem is,

then show them “how you and them can work together” to solve it.

It’s easier to sell customers

what they want to buy than to convince them to buy

what you want to sell.

2/ Find out who is in charge of purchasing.

Each company has its own system,

its own procedures and its own regulations.

Don’t be in a hurry to predict anything.

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ACCEPT DECLINE

You should learn from your competitor,

but never copy.

Copy and you die. ― Jack Ma

Customers often say “No”. Please accept that.

If you have a list of products for sale,

add a few unnecessary products to it.

Accept the customer’s first objections before mentioning

what you really want to sell.

If you only sell one type of product,

make a suggestion

or hypothesis and let the customer say you’re wrong.

Let your customers feel they are smarter than you.

Several appropriate “No” answers set the stage for a “Yes”.

Hertzes, Arises,

Cokes and Pepsis are not the only companies in the world

that compete fiercely

and react strongly to their competitors.

In fact, 99.999% of companies do.

So find out who your customers hate.

This can help you reach an agreement with them,

especially if they are hesitant to choose a partner.

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SHOW MORE THAN SELL

Establishing trust is better than any sales technique. — JMike Puglia

In many cases,

the best sales method is to show the product to potential customers

and let the product present itself.

Customers will generate many calculations

and convince themselves in the product selection process.

This technique works very well for us in the sales process,

especially when combining with a special event

such as a Nobel Prize awarding event

and taking advantage of the prestige of these events.

Being the guest of the king and queen of Sweden

or of the All England Club is the most effective selling method.

The scene of the event will make them feel confident

and will start buying your product.

If you trust your product and know

that in the end your customers will feel

satisfied,

an equally effective sales method is to give them products.

When we convince companies to use our golf

and tennis players to promote

and promote their companies,

we often provide campaigns for them

without asking for anything,

because we knowing that the personalities

and personalities of the athletes

we have selected will help us convince those companies.

I have always believed in the effectiveness of inviting customers

to try a product or a service

and telling them a price will be set later,

and asking them to price the product based on their perceived value of the product.

Products.

Again, you need to understand your customer.

There are customers

who will increase the price of the product,

while others will decrease it.

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MAKE CUSTOMERS THINK

If you are not taking care of your customer,

your competitor will. — Bob Hooey

When a company shows a genuine interest in your idea,

product or concept,

get them to think about the product.

Get their opinions on the deal

and use them to build your opinion or presentation:

“We’re wondering about…”,

“Is it better to emphasize this or that? no?”,

“We want to know how you feel about the following points…” etc.

It is better to collect this information in writing

because it requires them to think before answering.

Also, avoid questions that can yield a “Yes” or “No” answer.

If you can get detailed answers,

it means that the customer has committed themselves

to the agreement with you but is not aware of it.

Similarly, you must first identify goals that are mutually satisfying,

which can be precisely defined and clearly stated.

Any offer, concept, or idea

that meets these goals will make you half the sale.

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CONSULT OTHER OPINIONS

Please think about your legacy,

because you’re writing it every day. — Gary Vaynerchuk

Our broadcaster invited me to a meeting.

He intended to close a deal,

but it was a complicated case involving many sides.

All parties involved are interested in this deal,

but have not yet determined exactly

what linkage actions are needed

between the parties meaning

who will do what and at what cost.

He felt that my presence could help “our side”.

I didn’t feel the same way

and decided not to attend.

I think the best way to handle this deal is to apply a crisis management approach.

The first reaction is no reaction at all.

If I attend it means I will have to react.

I would like to reserve the option

until we have had a chance to analyze the outcome of that meeting.

I want the manager to consult with others (in this case, me)

before making a final commitment.

People always use the word “they”

to refer to those who are absent.

In many cases,

we need to consult others;

and “these people”

or “them” can always help us with problems.

When I go out to trade,

almost everyone assumes

that I have the final say in the company.

In practice, however,

I rarely make commitments on my own

until I have “consulted” with upper management

or the appropriate department heads.

Doing the opposite can also benefit you.

In any business situation,

when a person introduces himself

as “I am the decision maker here”

it means that he has stripped himself of his first line of defense.

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MEETING CUSTOMERS AND ARRIVING ON TIME

The story is the heart of the sale. — Matthew Pollard

Twenty years ago,

I met the manager of my fashion department.

At that time,

he was the director of a large clothing manufacturing company.

While I was in Cleveland, he called

and expressed his intention to invite Gary Player

to represent a fashion model of his company.

We decided to meet at 9 a.m.

the next morning at his office in New York.

Years later,

he told me that this very meeting was one of the main reasons

why he accepted the offer to work for our company.

He was so grateful that I flew to New York to meet him

and thought it would be interesting to work for our company.

Now, my schedule is always so packed

(and I sometimes plan for the next six months)

that I can’t do such things as much as I’d like.

But one of the greatest selling arts I know is asking

when we can meet and when as soon as possible

and on time.

Usually, the farther you go to the rendezvous point,

the stronger the impression you make.

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DIVIDE AND RULE

Set peace of mind as your highest goal,

and organize your life around it. — Brian Tracy

This may be more appropriate to call it “matching

and conquering,”

although the people you work with don’t always agree.

Propose the same idea to two key leaders of the same company.

If you can get them to agree that your idea is good,

then when you meet both of them,

you’ll get the deal done.

What you’re doing here is acting like an intermediary

(“Bob, Bill loves this”;

“Bill, Bob likes this a lot”).

One person will feel reassured

because the other wants the same.

Everyone can trust their own opinions and feel less uncertain.

You’ll speed up the deal by forcing the customer

to make a decision but still pretending not to force them.

We have used this method effectively in our company.

We call this the “Fila Manipulation”.

Fila is an Italian sportswear company

that manufactures tennis apparel under the Bjorn Borg brand.

In the early days,

Fila employees questioned our company about

what Borg would or wouldn’t do during the commitment period.

Since they are dealing with us in many parts of the world,

they are well versed in this tactic.

They use what they know in Australia

to their maximum advantage in Japan,

and they use what they know in Japan

to their maximum advantage in the UK and so on

until they become a worldwide brand combines the best parts

of each answer into a perfect answer.

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SELLING PER PERSON

To build a long-term, successful enterprise,

when you don’t close a sale,

open a relationship. — Patricia Fripp

I hate pitching to a group of people

and I avoid that situation whenever possible.

To me, two or more people mean a crowd.

Find the most important person and sell to him alone.

If you try to sell to many people at once,

you will complicate the deal because of the interaction

between customers,

which does not bring benefits

but also deflects the purpose of the customer. friend.

You don’t know who is there to impress whom,

who only cares about making a good image of themselves

or creating a bad image for others.

You may have doubts,

but you can’t tell unless you’re an employee of that company.

Sell ​​directly to the key person

and if he likes what you’re offering,

he’ll know what’s the best way to convince the company to buy from you.

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MULTIPLE SOLUTIONS TO ONE PROBLEM

If you’re not willing to promote yourself

why should anyone else. — Grant Cardone

Often, there are many ways to solve a marketing problem,

and it is up to the salesperson to find the most effective method,

focusing on one and eliminating the others.

Don’t put yourself in a situation

where you have to choose between the two.

If you let the customer choose,

you’ve created more difficulty in the decision-making process.

In many cases,

we have presented potential customers with multiple ways

to solve their problems.

Usually, they will like some part of each solution.

This sounds very interesting, but it is not.

By giving the customer a choice,

you’re helping them focus on

what they don’t like about each solution.

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LET YOUR CUSTOMERS KNOW YOUR SUCCESSFUL

The golden rule for every business is this:

Put yourself in your customer’s place. — Orison Swett Marden

In business negotiations,

I often mention Arnold Palmer,

even when the negotiations have nothing to do with Arnold or golf.

Because Arnold’s financial success

and our role in Arnold’s success brought our company’s reputation.

For me, when it comes to business negotiations,

people often recognize me in relation to Arnold than to myself.

They often say,

“Oh right. This is Arnold Palmer’s agent.”

Most entrepreneurs want to do business with successful people.

Letting your current customers know about your

or your company’s great successes in the past can help.

Bragging doesn’t work,

but tactfully mentioning success can be beneficial.

Talk indirectly about the achievements of you

or your famous clients

and show your customers

that you want to bring the same success to them.

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USE OF LETTERS

Become the person

who would attract the results you seek. — Jim Cathcart

Standard business correspondence,

when used with caution and tact,

can be an ideal sales tool.

Send an open letter to the client’s leader

In doing so, you will certainly get an answer,

and possibly faster than usual.

Letters give managers the impression

that you know them even when you actually don’t.

Open letters should be written in a way

that makes the manager really want to close the deal.

An open letter to a client’s managers can be very valuable,

especially if you know the recipient makes the final decision.

However, I usually only use open letters

when all the usual approaches have been exhausted and still fail,

and when I’m sure the recipient will continue to ignore the phone calls.

and regular letters.

Send a separate copy to the client’s manager

A personal letter to a client’s leader can be very effective.

However, in this case you must know the person

and know for sure that he will discuss

the content of the letter with your client.

This is most effective in situations

where you have been in contact with or discussed with the leader,

and the matter has been delegated to the client.

Therefore, sending a copy to your boss

he is completely legal.

Since it’s a private copy,

it’s no longer possible for the recipient to know

who you can send a copy to,

and they will carefully review the contents of your letter.

“Read to write but not review”

The most appropriate use of the phrase above is

when you cannot review a letter

you have read for someone else to type.

This will also come in handy in case you send out a probe ball

or write something more powerful than you have,

because that will give you a “chance” to calm the situation.

Even if the recipient feels offended

or has a strong reaction to the letter,

you have expressed your opinion

and can still withdraw the letter.

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NOT FROM HERE

To be successful,

you must act big,

think big and tall big. — Aristotle Onassis

The complexity of people thinking things “don’t come from here,”

or that they disregard an idea or concept

because they didn’t initiate it,

is one of the biggest sales challenges we face.

I have to deal at most departments in the company.

Companies often contact us directly

to inquire about the service of a sports promotion program.

When we’re done with a program that

everyone seems to be happy with,

the agencies that didn’t initiate it feel compelled to destroy it.

In the past,

I used to believe

that the “don’t come from here” mindset was unique

to our line of business.

However, I have talked to many people from all walks of life

and have come to understand

that this mindset is not just widespread,

it is an epidemic.

People have a tendency, even a need,

to overturn opinions that are not their own.

People often assume

that the effective solution to this problem

is to make them think it’s their opinion.

This is absolutely true sales advice,

but it is completely impractical

and useless in dealing

with the “don’t come from here” mindset.

Any attempt to solve the problem in this way

is too obvious and superior, superior.

Therefore, the practical solution to this problem is

to make them see their own interests.

For example, for me,

if an idea goes to a company’s advertising department,

it means that someone

(usually a number of people)

in the client’s advertising department

is interested in the this idea.

But I found the illusion to be so overwhelming

that the advertising department was ready to snuff out the offer

without asking sensitive questions,

such as who in the client company liked what and why.

Of course,

if this is obvious to me,

it is my duty to make it as clear to the reviewer

as I am to show him his own interests.

Not long ago,

I met the president of a Fortune 500 company in a similar situation

to a business negotiation.

During our conversation,

I brought up an idea we were developing

that I thought would be a good fit for his company.

I found him very interested in the matter

but he said it was up to the advertising department

and let me know who I should contact.

A few weeks later,

I contacted the person he recommended.

However, they were very indifferent to my above idea.

I then recounted my meeting with the president of the company,

his reaction,

and suggested

that the advertising director learn more about our idea.

In the end,

both me and the above company were successful,

we sold the idea to them,

the idea was successful

and although it was not the advertising director

who came up with the idea,

the company considered him as a person create this success.

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USE PICTURES

Never give up.

Today is hard,

tomorrow will be worse,

but the day after tomorrow will be sunshine. ― Jack Ma

Rock Resorts,

a luxury resort owned by the Rockefeller family,

is under construction to become one of the most luxurious resorts in Hawaii,

called Mauna Kea. Laurence Rockefeller and staff flew from New York

to Hawaii for a meeting.

They need to make decisions on critical issues involving millions of dollars

in costs and commitments.

At the beginning of the meeting,

one person brought in samples of different colored fabrics

and laces to decide on the appropriate style

and color for the tablecloth.

Everyone in the meeting room was so interested in these colored fabrics

each giving their opinion

that by the time Rockefeller had to fly back to New York,

most of the major issues were still unresolved.

I’ve never seen a bad idea sell for a visual aid or a good idea

that couldn’t sell for lack of visual aids.

Furthermore, if not used properly

and at the right time,

visual aids

(anything from diagrams

and charts to elaborate demonstrations in a variety of media)

can serious consequences for you.

First, people tend to comment and evaluate things.

So, if you’re not careful,

your negotiation will turn into a critique of visual devices rather

than a discussion of the products you sell.

Second, if visual imaging devices are

Introduce too early in the presentation,

it will distract the audience.

People will consider visual devices

and so your sales tactics

and work plan will go up in smoke.

Leave visual aids outside the meeting room

until you really need them.

The single biggest financial mistake

I’ve made was not thinking big enough.

I encourage you to go for more than a million. – Grant Cardone