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.
******
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