Sales Coaching

I Want To Think It Over Close

I have started a new blog dedicated to the ideas and work of Brian Tracy and I have just posted one of Brian's articles on the "I want to think it over" close.

Traditional hard sales approaches will force you to push the buyer off the fence, Yes or No when you hear those dreaded words "I want to think it over".

But we know from the work of Mitch Axelrod that some times, people are just not ready to buy and you need to maintain the relationship.

If you have closed when you thought the client was ready - perhaps you didn't have the Alignment and Agreement you thought, the "I want to think it over close" is very subtle.

It won't harm the relationship but it may get you the sale.

Well worth knowing.

I Want To Think It Over Close    

Origami Close

The origami close or to give it the full name, "The Japanese Folding Paper Origami Close" is designed to focus the prospective buyer's mind on the problems that delaying the decision can have because the buyer will forget the facts.

So if you have a prospect who is having difficulty making a decision, you can take an order form and fold it in half and say

"Studies have shown that 24 hours after being told important information, the person has forgotten half of it."

"So would you rather make your decision on this much information?"

Then you fold it in half again.

"Or this much information?"

Then you open up the order form.

"Or this much information?"

And smile.

You want the prospect to say "I guess on that basis, it makes sense that I make the decision right now. I will take it."

And that's another sale closed, this time with the Japanese Folding Paper Origami Close.

Is The Origami Close Manipulative?

It puts the pressure on the buyer to order now because the premise is right, we do forget information and we do get muddled.

The origami close is praying on this human weakness and can be damaging with people who are vulnerable and easily muddled like the elderly. It appears to be "caring" but the sales person is potentially more focused on helping themselves and not customer.

The buyer could respond by asking you to send in a quote with all the information, "so I don't forget" which gives you more work to do but doesn't necessarily move you close to the sale.

Have You Tried The Origami Close?

I would be interesting to know if you have used the origami close or had it used on you?

How did you feel?

For more traditional sales closing techniques, see sales closing techniques          

The New Game Of Selling

The New Game of Selling is a way for you to attract, convert and keep more customers without having to revert to manipulative sales closing techniques.

Assumptive Sales Close

The assumptive sales close is a simple technique designed to rush the buyer past the yes/no buying decision and without even consciously making the decision.

It's very simple.

What is the Assumptive Sales Close?

The salesperson acts as if the decision has already been made and asks questions that apply to the next level of questions.

• What colour do you want?
• When will you want delivery?
• When do you want to arrange the included training?

The assumptive sales close works on the principle that the salesperson is confident so the buyer feels reassured but it does put pressure on the hesistant, unsure person who doesn't have the confidence to argue.

On that basis the assumptive close can be seen as manipulating the weak and timid but ineffective against anyone who has the confidence to make their own decision unless the "argument" isn't worth the effort.

The assumptive sales close is the origin of many other varieties of sales closing techniques which take it one step further.    

Mistakes Opening A Sales Call

I won't pretend that it is easy make a cold sales call on the telephone.

If you try it, you are nearly always talking to someone who resents the interruption, has no interest in what you are selling, wants to get you off the telephone as quickly as possible and may be rude.

It can be effective done when the sales calls are done in the right way to the right people, but many believe telephone sales is the most disruptive of all interruption marketing techniques.

The key is to make it past those first few seconds and involve the prospective customer in a relaxed conversation instead of the terse "What do you want? Go away!"

I thought it would be useful to record the sales calls I receive to highlight good and bad practice.

On this page I will be recording:

Mistakes Made Opening a Sales Call

Professional Indemnity insurance (I think)

Me "Hello, Paul Simister speaking"

Caller "Could I speak to Paul Simister please"

Me "This is Paul Simister" (I think she wasn't listening so off to a bad start)

Caller "This is blah of blah" (difficult to understand accent, never heard of company)

Me "Yes"

Caller "Can you remember when your professional indemnity insurance expires?"

Me "Why do you want to know?"

Caller "It's for statistical purposes"

Me "I'm not interested in taking part in a statistical survey. Goodbye." (Where was the benefit or payback for the interruption.)

Phone call ended.

This caller failed to engage me with her opening, I didn't know the company and I didn't want to pass out data unless I understood how I could benefit.

Your Experiences

Please share your experiences of poor telephone sales techniques and in particular, mistakes made opening a sales call.

I will be adding to this list and if I catch the company names, will be naming the guilty parties.
  

Mitch Axelrod 30 Years 30 Lessons

Last week I told you that Mitch Axelrod was holding a special conference call to celebrate his 30 years in business.

To say it was quite an event is an understatement.

It was expected to 90 minutes to two hours.

Mitch was on the call for four hours and it could have gone longer.

This is what one participant had to say

"Totally, totally mesmerizing. Absolutely fabulous. I could have stayed with you for another six hours. It wasn't just informational. It was transformational. You are incredibly sharing. It was one of the best lectures of any type I have ever heard in my life. Thank you so much." (Dr. Rob from New Jersey)

And this is part of what Mitch Axelrod has to say.

During the "30 Years, 30 Lessons" teleconference...

I explained exactly how I built millions of dollars of intellectual and educational assets, how I sold hundreds of thousands of dollars of them BEFORE I even created them, and how I used OPM....

Other People's $ -- to develop, package and pay for EVERY PRODUCT I EVER PRODUCED.

I shared three levels of listening and how deep "soulful" listening transforms relationships in minutes.

We demonstrated how the NEW Profit Model doubles your revenues, halves your marketing expense and turns customer service into profit.

We discussed how to get paid what you're worth by doing work that's bigger than you are, and how you can attract the best and brightest people by expanding the job rather than shrinking the person.

I said why it's essential to be an "Alchemist" today, how to enhance your "Alchemic" ability, and why you want to partner with someone who is an Alchemist.

I told how I grew $25 into $1.2 million in seven years, lost $3.4 million in the next two years, made another million in the next five years, and what I learned you can use to boost your net worth and prevent you from losing your shirt.

We revealed the proven and predictable NEW Game strategy that makes YOU the ompelling, chosen, pre-eminent service provider in your marketplace.

You'll hear how you can get at no charge my "21 Ways to Double Your Sales" course and
GIVE IT AWAY TO OTHERS to expand your audience and build your tribe.

I can go on but I'm sure you can see:

Specifics beat superlatives. 

The beauty of making the rules is breaking the rules.

When a message is authentic, credible, heartfelt, truthful and an honest expression that comes from someone other than you, it can be powerful.

I shared Dr. Rob's 43-second voice mail message above despite a superlative word or two because, it was a heartfelt expression of his experience being part of the "30 Years, 30 Lessons" conversation.

Rob is a nationally acclaimed speaker, a Ph.D., a college professor and a guy whose feedback and wisdom I respect. I know Rob for 15 years, which enhances the meaning and value of his words.

You've probably heard the story of how Liza came to another seminar of mine three days after her first, and when I asked her why, she said because....

"I want more of you."

Do you think I was "on" that day? :)

"I want more of you" is my performance standard. It should be yours, too.

What kind of business or career will yours be if the people you serve want NO more of you?
 
What kind of relationships will you have if people have had enough of you?

When we got two hours into the call, I asked if we should stop or keep going.

They said keep going. They wanted more.

So "30 Years, 30 Lessons" went for four hours. Rob said he could have listened for six more.

I could have gone six more because sharing knowledge, wisdom and experience is a privilege.

Why am I telling you this?

Because thanks to Mitch's amazing generosity you can get yourself a copy of the recording for the bargain price of...

Nothing.

It's free.

These four hours of content are just a small proportion of the material Mitch Axlerod is giving away to promote the launch of Player For Life.

Player for Life     

If Mitch Axelrod can give away such high quality content as part of the Player For Life launch process, just imagine the treasure he's got lined up behind the Player for Life doors.

Do yourself a favour.

Introduce yourself to Mitch Axelrod by clicking over to Player For Life.

If you are worried about being overwhelmed with content, Mitch is putting together a proper membership site library which he says will make it easy to find what you need when you need it.

Otherwise if you just want sales training, I don't believe you can do better than the New Game of Selling.    

Contrarian Selling Strategies

What's a contrarian?

Someone who goes against the flow and does the opposite to everyone else.

So what are contrarian selling strategies?

Selling strategies which conflict with the traditional sales methods so in some ways this entire sales coaching blog is about contrarian selling strategies.

I have just read "The Contrarian Effect" by Michael Port and Elizabeth Marshall when takes apart the traditional selling ideas and the New Game of Selling seems the obvious solution to me.  

Ben Franklin Close

One of the most famous sales closing techniques is the Ben Franklin close or Benjamin Franklin close.

It seems to have become traditional to make fun of the Ben Franklin close, but done ethically, I quite like it because it fits in with the way that many people think and helps them make the decision, one way or another.

The Problems With The Ben Franklin Close

 First, the Benjamin Franklin close can be used to manipulate buyers.

Second, experience buyers are very familiar with this sales closing technique and know that it can be manipulated.

Third, if you use it, experienced buyers won't play the game and will mark you down as another typical, sleazy salesperson, destroying any rapport you may have established.

How The Ben Franklin Close Works

When you are making a decision, have you ever taken a piece of paper and drawn a line down the middle and written at the top of the left hand column "reasons to go ahead" and at the top of the right hand column written "reasons to not do it"?

If so, you will have then brainstormed on your own or with someone else and tried to identify all the reasons for the decision and against the decision.

Then when you had all the "facts" in front of you, it was easier to make a decision. You could balance up both sides and see which was in your best interests.

This simple technique which is so natural was picked up by early salespeople in America  who traded on Benjamin Franklin's reputation for wisdom and took their prospective sales people through the exercise.

When all the issues are on the paper, good and bad, the prospect can decide whether to go ahead and order, thus helping the sales person close the sale.

How The Ben Franklin Close Is Manipulated

Using a technique which the buyer may have already used successfully in their decision making processes doesn't sound manipulative does it but the problem is, you don't get an objective list.

Working on the "for buying" points, the sales person will write down, or encourage the prospect to write down all the points the prospect can think of and then the sales person adds some more points covered in the presentation.

Then turning attention to the "against buying" points, the buyer is on their own. The sales person certainly won't bring up points and when the prospect writes down the "against buying issues", the salesman is likely to say something like "I'm sorry. I didn't cover that issue in my presentation (or I didn't explain it well) and then proceed to knock back the objection."

So the salesperson manipulates the buyer with the Ben Franklin close by creating more points for buying and few points against buying. Then when the salesperson is happy with the list, the emphasis for the decision is focused on the number of the "fors and againsts" and not the importance.

There may be 12 trivial reasons for buying, 3 important reasons fro not buying, but the manipulative sales person will use the Ben Franklin close to show that buying clearly makes sense. "You have four times as many reasons for buying as not buying. I can't remember the last time I saw such a convincing case for going ahead so when do we start?"

The deal is closed but later on the buyer feels duped when the purchase wasn't such a good idea after all.

Your Experience Of The Ben Franklin Close

I would be interested to hear about your experience of the Benjamin Franklin close. Have you used it or has it been used on you?

Do you tend to make bigger decisions by listing all the good and bad issues either on paper or mentally stacking up the sides? 

For more information on alternative sales closes, see sales closing techniques

The New Game Of Selling

The New Game of Selling is a way for you to attract, convert and keep more customers without having to revert to manipulative sales closing techniques.

Mitch Axelrod Celebrates 30 Years

On October 31, 2008 Mitch Axelrod celebrated 30 years in business.

It's been quite a journey.

From life assurance sales to selling Brian Tracy's training products. From being a Jay Abraham protege to being asked by Jay to teach the other proteges how to sell marketing consultancy.

And then in 1991 Mitch started developing his own products and he has become one of the leading sales coaches and trainers in America.

To celebrate his 30 years in business, Mitch Axelrod has come up with a special scheme which he calls Player for Life.

This gives you a chance to buy much of Mitch's intellectual property at a bargain price and you get another copy to give away to someone under 25 years sold.

That's the kind of man Mitch Axelrod is.

He has been very successful, he has taught many more people to be very successful and now he wants to make a lasting contribution to develop the right entrepreneurial skills in young people.

Goodies that will be available from the Player for Life program include the recordings of the training program he did for Jay Abraham's proteges and a $1,200 two day workshop in 1997 called "How to generate more sales, higher sales and better sales."

I couldn't resist - Player for Life - and there are already a lot of resources that Mitch is giving you for free so that you can see buying Player for Life and getting to know more about Mitch Axelrod will be one of the wisest business decisions you make.

I had better make it clear that Player for Life doesn't include the New Game of Selling which was so good it persuaded me to buy the sales coaching rights and a few other things.

But I know that Player for Life will be stacked with value and if you buy it, you will learn many of Mitch's techniques for attracting, converting and keeping more customers.     

Hard Sell: Why It Causes Problems

There are two types of selling - the hard sell approach where closing the sale is all that matters and the soft sell approach (also known as consultative selling or relationship selling) which focuses on building a long term win-win relationship.

I know which I prefer when I'm buying and I know which I use when I'm selling.

Here is a nine minute video from Mitch Axelrod which introduces the Stimulus-Response model and shows why hard sell techniques can be self defeating.

Stimulus Response



It is crazy when you stop and think about it.

Why train prospects to react in a traditional way with obvious, sleazy sales tactics which scream "All I care about is me, me and me" which immediately creates a barrier?

Guess what.

Your prospective customer doesn't care about you and if you don't show that you care about him or her, you will be met with resistance.

The more you push with hard sell tactics, the more your prospects will push back.

Hard Sell Or Soft Sell

So do you want to continue to use hard sell tactics and manipulative closing techniques which jar your prospect back to a bad experience?

Or do you want to change the stimulus and learn how to approach your prospects in a new, caring way?

This is just one of the reasons why I was so impressed when I started listening to Mitch Axelrod and why I promote the New Game of Selling.

It puts an end to those hard sell tactics that scare away prospective customers and instead engages them in the buying process. Even better if you were never happy using the traditional techniques you see in many sales books, the New Game of Selling gives you a new toolbox to help you to win the game.

Remember "People love to buy but they have to be sold."     

Welcome To The New Game of Selling

Welcome to my Sales Coaching blog where you will discover how to attract, convert and keep more customers.

While I will cover many different sales topics in this Sales Coaching blog, the main focus is on the ideas of Mitch Axelrod and his New Game of Selling.

I am one of Mitch's Rainmakers in the UK authorised to provide New Game Sales Coaching.

The New Game of Selling is a selling system for people who don't want to rely on the hard-selling tactics which manipulate customers into buying and cause most people to hate "being sold to."

The Old Game Is Based On Manipulating Customers

It is fun to play word association games with "sales representative" or "salesman".

Many of the words that come back are not pleasant but "making the sale" is what brings in the revenue.

Here are a few film clips that remind you of the Old Game of Selling based on hard sell tactics.

Glengarry Glen Ross

Alex Baldwin lectures his sales team with the classic ABC - always be closing (beware - there is bad language).




The Boiler Room

More bad language from Ben Affleck motivating his team of stockbrokers to sell, sell, sell.



Or this clips of a telephone call from the same film duping a doctor into buying non existent shares.



The New Game - It Doesn't Have To Be Like This

The good news is that you don't have to see sales in a sleazy way.

Instead you can genuinely help people to buy what is right for them.

That's the way I like to think of the sales process.

In general people love to buy and they want to buy but often the salesperson gets in the way.

You don't believe me?

Think About A Time When You Were Going To Buy But Didn't

What stopped you?

Was it the salesperson who was much more interested in "closing the sale" than helping you buy what would give you the benefits that you wanted?

What is the natural reaction if someone tries to close you before you are ready?

You push back and object.

The more objections that are knocked down, the more reasons you create for not buying.

You finally lose patience and make it clear that you are not going to buy.

The Right Selling Approach

But what if the salesperson had been interested in you and what you wanted?

What if the salesperson had your best interests at heart and helped you to find the best product for you needs?

What if the salesperson became your trusted adviser?

Would you want to buy?

Perhaps you were still not ready and you wanted to look at more options but when you do, you run into the old game, hard sell techniques.

Do you give in or, provided the solution is right, go back to your trusted adviser?

Welcome to the New Game of Selling