| Buy what you sell. Do you sell a product or service | | | | wing it". |
| that is used my most people? Then you need to buy | | | | Use company visual aids. Company visual aids, if |
| what you sell. Very soon after you start selling, you'll | | | | provided, establish a credibility in the mind of the |
| be asked by prospects what you use. You'll be asked | | | | consumer. You look more solid if you have company |
| if you own what you sell. In every instance, your | | | | visual aids. A presentation with visuals will keep you |
| answer will either help or hurt your chance at a sale. | | | | and the prospect on track toward the sale. It will |
| And don't lie. There are a thousand signals you give | | | | make sure most of the prospect's questions are |
| off when you lie. And most are visible on your face | | | | answered before they become objections. A |
| and in your body language. If your lucky, buying what | | | | company prepared presentation adds credibility to |
| you sell may even count in generating sales | | | | your company and in you. Sharp looking visual aids |
| commissions and count for contests. If not, your | | | | create a sense of "Permanence" to your customer's |
| brother needs one. Buy it for him and borrow it | | | | vision of your company. They look more "Official" |
| forever. | | | | than a presentation without visual aids. Not using your |
| Listen to your sales manager. Your sales manager has | | | | visual aids is like having a hammer and saying " I can |
| the experience to save you lots of time in your | | | | put that nail in better myself" and just throwing the |
| learning curve. Do what she says until you know | | | | hammer away. Your visual aids are tools. They make |
| more than she does. Her job is to help you make | | | | your job easier. |
| more money. So it's a win-win. | | | | Track your sales and sales activities. Keep records of |
| Ask to ride with an experienced rep. Make sure that | | | | what matters to you. I used to keep records of my |
| this person is the most successful person in the | | | | sales commissions. I knew where I was by the day, |
| office. A week should do it. Offer to carry things, | | | | week, and month. I knew if I needed to work |
| buy the coffee, and promise to keep quiet while | | | | harder, or if I could take a day off. This income |
| they are selling. Nothing you add will help them in a | | | | schedule included the sales calls and presentations. |
| sales presentation. The benefit you get is that you'll | | | | Wouldn't you like to know how much money you |
| see that selling isn't unpleasant, nobody really yells at | | | | earn for every sales call you make, whether they |
| you, selling is a completely natural act, and you'll pick | | | | buy or not? How much you earn for every hour of |
| up pointers on how to make sales. | | | | sales activity? Just never lie to yourself. These |
| Don't offer to go with the losers who aren't making | | | | records are far more powerful as sales motivation |
| money. They can't help you and will kill any drive you | | | | than any motivational sales meeting. What you |
| have at the beginning. If you hear them say "Oh, | | | | measure, you can improve. |
| that doesn't work" it's a tip off that they aren't going | | | | Sell to your warm market. Who else would you trust |
| to be of help to you. | | | | to take care of your friends and relative's needs? |
| Don't hang out with the losers. You'll be able to spot | | | | People want to deal with people they know and |
| them right away. They don't work hard, and they | | | | trust. Wouldn't you want to buy from someone you |
| always blame someone else for their failure, usually | | | | know? If you get referrals from relatives, even close |
| the company. They hang out together, and will do | | | | ones, you'll very quickly be talking to people you |
| activities all day that have nothing to do with selling. | | | | never met. |
| The unpopular guy, the one that's always out selling | | | | Get rid of the Beginner Myths. These vary by |
| and breaking company records...that's who you talk | | | | industry and type of selling. In my industry (I sold in |
| to. | | | | prospect's homes), the myth's were 1) They would |
| Stay with the company you are with. The grass is | | | | buy later and 2) You didn't need to see both husband |
| always greener on the other side of the fence. Why? | | | | and wife together. I couldn't break new people of |
| Because you aren't looking closely. As long as your | | | | these beliefs. I just had to let them find out for |
| company keeps it's promises to you, and provides a | | | | themselves, and remind them after a few weeks of |
| great product or service, you will always be better | | | | selling. Your industry myths may be different. |
| off staying with that company. Legends aren't born | | | | Be a selling student. I was asked once about my |
| by moving from company to company. Reputations | | | | education. I finished high school. That's it. |
| are killed by moving around. The longer you stick | | | | Here is a reality that I like to point out. When most |
| with a company that keeps it's word, the more | | | | people graduate from high school, that means they |
| momentum you build with your customers. Longevity | | | | stopped reading and studying when they were 18 |
| with a company builds trust in the mind of customers. | | | | years old. A college education means you stopped |
| Starting over, always starts with Zero. Bloom where | | | | reading and studying when you were 22 or 24 years |
| you are planted. | | | | old. That's the main difference. |
| Practice your prepared presentation. As long as the | | | | Study books about selling from people who made |
| company has a planned presentation, you should use | | | | their fortunes selling, not books by people who think |
| it. Soon you'll begin to see how every part of the | | | | they know what selling should be like. A hundred |
| presentation works to build the sale and speed up | | | | dollars invested at can build you a great sales library. |
| the selling process. Eventually, you may not use the | | | | After a year of studying your sales craft, and |
| company presentation. But to discard it because "It's | | | | applying what you learn, you'll be ahead of the rest |
| just not me" is like an actor saying "Shakespeare? I'll | | | | of the pack, I promise. |