Art of sale
Chapter 11. The Friendship Element
Think twice before you speak,
because your words
and influence will plant the seed of either success
or failure in the mind of another. — Napoleon Hill
In thousands of interviews,
when customers are asked to give the words
that best describe how
they feel about the top salespeople who call them,
the first and most important word is always “friends”.
“I consider her a friend,”
the client will say,
or “I feel like he cares more about me
and helps me achieve my goals than just selling.”
Earlier, we called this “relationship selling,”
referring to the importance of establishing a close,
trusting relationship with a potential customer
before making any efforts to convince him
to buy or use your product or service.
In this case,
as Shakespeare said:
“Don’t do something too haste – Make haste slowly“.
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Focus on friendship
Friendship is a key element
and foundation of professional sales.
It is based on the very simple conclusion
that people will not buy from you
until they are convinced
that you are their friend
and that you are acting in their best interest.
The first job you have to do in the sales process
is to build trust.
You do this by being on time,
being prepared,
and by focusing on the customer
from the beginning of the sales process.
From the foundation of trust,
you move gradually to the feeling of friendship.
The basic rule is that you can’t sell to someone you don’t like,
and conversely,
you can’t buy from someone you don’t like.
If we don’t like and trust the person we’re talking to,
no matter how appealing the product or service is,
we’ll rarely buy it.
Love,
trust,
and friendship are the cornerstones
of relationship selling.
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Selling “Doctor”
One way to build trust,
confidence,
and friendship with potential customers
is to use what I call “doctor selling.”
This method forces you to consider yourself a “sales doctor”,
a profession that requires high professional ethics.
If you visit a doctor for any reason,
anywhere in the world,
every legitimate doctor will always follow a three-step process:
examination,
diagnosis,
and prescription.
In videotaped sales conversations,
it appears that top salespeople
in every field follow the same process.
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Test
During the exam,
the doctor will spend a lot of time asking questions,
testing blood and measuring blood pressure
and other diagnostic parameters
to understand your condition.
During the examination,
the doctor did not give any treatment plan or prescribe.
They focus on only one thing:
Ask questions, do the tests,
and get a clear understanding of your situation and real needs.
In professional selling,
the testing phase occurs
when you ask well-prepared questions
that go from general
to specific about your needs,
wants,
concerns,
problems,
and goals of client.
The more time you spend on thorough testing,
or as we define it as the “needs identification phase”,
the more customers will like
and trust you and feel
that you are taking action to meet your needs.
in their best interests.
They will love you even more.
It can be done,
but you have to make it happen. ― Chris Gardner
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Diagnose
The second part of the doctor sales approach is the diagnosis.
This stage occurs when you summarize the test results,
like when a doctor receives the test results from the lab
and explains to the patient (client) exactly
what they determined
about the test person’s real problem or need.
Mindful physicians always take the time
to thoroughly explain their findings
and their potential.
Once the customer (patient) clearly understands
that they have a problem
or need that needs to be addressed,
the next part of the conversation is
to present your product or service.
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Prescription
In the third stage of doctor selling,
which we call prescribing,
you convincingly present your products or services
as a perfectly suitable solution to your problem
or problem needs that you
and the customer have jointly identified.
During this prescribing phase,
you present your product or service,
answer questions or concerns the customer may have,
show that your treatment plan
is the best and most effective.
The most effective solution is
to help solve the person’s problem,
then arrange for the necessary treatment
or in sales to get the customer to make a decision.
“Whatever you focus on is what you get.”— Tony Robbins
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Relationship is everything
If the relationship between you
and your doctor is strong enough,
you will usually accept your doctor’s suggestions
as soon as they make them and are really eager
to start treatment to solve your problem
or satisfy your needs bridge.
To develop a friendly and trust-based relationship
with your patients,
you should use a patient-centered,
professional,
and simple approach.
Focus on building trust and friendship
by thinking about your customers
and how you can help them solve a problem or achieve a goal.
The more time you spend understanding your customer’s real needs,
the easier it will be to show them
that your product or service is the ideal solution.
Success is simply due to luck.
If you don’t believe it,
try asking the losers. – Earl Wilson
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Caring, Courteous and Respectful
A truly friendly relationship is often based on thoughtfulness,
courtesy,
and respect.
You show your interest
by asking questions about the client’s life or work,
then by listening carefully
and empathically with the answers.
You show courtesy by being polite at all times,
not only to the client,
but to everyone in the client’s office or home
with whom you come in contact.
Finally, you show respect
by asking intelligent questions,
listening attentively to answers,
making recommendations,
and always asking customers
for feedback on what you’re selling.
The more you focus on “selling but not selling,”
the more friendship elements
you will build in your sales relationship,
and the more likely you are to make a sale
and maintain the relationship long-term trading.
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PRACTICAL EXERCISE
1. Build friendlier relationships faster,
imagine that your client
is an attractive person with a rich inner life.
Ask questions and listen patiently
as if the person is about to say something
very profound and moving.
Almost people like other listen and follow them
2. In your next sales meeting,
put aside any desire to make a deal
and focus instead on truly understanding your customer
on the product or your service,
the more detailed the better.
Because they think that they are very important person.
People will not create anything
if they do not first have an idea,
a breakthrough thinking. — Napoleon Hill
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Chapter 12. The Three Key Elements of Persuasion
Psychologists have identified a lot of things
that you can do to speed up the decision-making process
that leads to a sale.
During the normal buying process,
potential customers meet and talk
with salespeople,
often several times,
then carefully consider the pros
and cons of buying or not buying.
After the deliberation process,
the customer finally comes to the decision
to agree to buy your product or service.
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Use proven sales stimulants
However, researchers have found
that there are a number of psychological triggers
that you can influence into a sales conversation
to get customers
to buy from you almost immediately.
Agents are used in most of the most successful advertising
and marketing efforts to move people
from a position of complete lack of interest in wanting
to make a purchase,
sometimes in as little as 30
to 60 seconds a television advertisement.
You can also do the same in your sales process.
Many years of research in motivational psychology
have uncovered a number of reasons
why people behave the way they do,
especially in sales situations.
Research shows
that every customer has deep subconscious needs
that need to be satisfied
before a purchase decision can be made.
The effect of a purchase is like a trigger
for quick buying decisions.
They connect immediately
with subconscious needs.
Use these stimuli as a shortcut in the decision-making process.
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The Power of Reciprocity
The first and most powerful buying stimulus is reciprocity.
We have a need to be
“fair about everything” with others,
giving back whatever they do to us or do to us.
We want to repay others
when they do something nice for us.
We want to return kindness
or kindness that others give us.
The first type of return is emotional:
“If you make me happy,
I will make you happy too.”
You can stimulate this feeling by being kind,
asking polite questions,
listening attentively,
and making potential customers feel important.
Regarding material return, we assume,
“If you do something nice for me,
or give me something,
I will do something nice for you
or repay you somehow there.”
Always find ways to work well for your potential clients.
Send thank you cards every important occasion
to build credibility
with your potential customers.
When you show kindness,
consideration,
and courtesy to people,
and listen carefully as they speak,
so they feel more confident
and satisfied with themselves,
they’ll want to reciprocate you somehow,
and often carefully look
and even buy what you are selling.
If you don’t commit to a plan or a goal without enough enthusiasm,
you won’t achieve anything.
Because we are not rational people,
but emotional people. – Zig Ziglar
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Commitment and Consistency
The second buying stimulus
or emotional latch that drives a purchase
is called commitment and consistency.
The Law of Enhanced Commitment applies
to all customers in sales activities.
This means that they start with zero commitment
when they first meet and talk to you.
Then, they need a certain amount of time
to reach the absolute level of commitment,
when they decide to buy your product
or use your service.
You have to give people the right amount
of time to go from unfamiliar
to familiar.
People also often try to stand firm on
what they have done and said before.
When you ask customers detailed questions
about their condition
and then show them that your product
or service is the answer to those questions
and solves their problems,
Once the product is delivered,
selling becomes much easier.
People will not object to their own experiences.
People also stand firm in their self-image.
When you say,
“All the top companies are switching
to this product or service,”
you exert a certain force on the desire
to buy your product
or service in their mind
by they see themselves and think
of themselves as one of the “top companies” you just mentioned.
When you say
“All really successful people are using this product or service,”
individuals who associate themselves
with success are immediately interested in buying
what you are selling than before.
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What do others say and do?
The third purchase stimulus is called social testing.
It is one of the most powerful triggers
of the factors capable of influencing purchase action.
Humans are basically social animals.
They are greatly influenced
by what the people around them are doing and saying.
Potential customers are often influenced
by people like them
who have already purchased your product or service.
One of the first questions a customer asks,
out loud or not, is,
“Is there anyone I know and respect
who has purchased this product?”
Social testing is so powerful
that it can change a potential customer’s attitude completely,
from not interested to wanting to buy immediately.
Customers feel that if others like them have purchased the product,
it must be a good choice.
The customer assumed
that another smart customer suggested it to him.
The other customer must have considered the product or service,
carefully evaluated it,
and made a smart buying decision.
Therefore,
their purchase is not risky at all.
Another part of social verification are letters
of recommendation,
listings,
photos,
and, increasingly,
videos from satisfied customers talking about the quality
of your product or service
and how happy they are using them.
The more people test the quality of what you sell,
the easier and safer a potential customer
will feel buying from you.
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PRACTICAL EXERCISE
1. Identify one or two things you can do or say,
or even give as a gift to your prospect on the first call,
to stimulate his
or her desire to reciprocate
by listening to you and maybe even buy from you.
Almost people like receiving gift from others.
Our duty is do it well.
2. Give two specific examples of other people
who have purchased your product
and have been very pleased with the results
and benefits they have received.
Mention these customers throughout your pitch.
Talk more them
“You grow more when you get more people’s perspective.” — Mark Zuckerberg
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Chapter 13. Effective Sales Presentations
The presentation is the “psych game” in sales,
where the actual transaction takes place.
The presentation is also
when you turn a skeptical
or reluctant prospect into a real customer.
An effective presentation can increase sales many times
over than a poorly prepared
and coordinated explanation of your product or service.
Once you have determined that the prospect needs the product,
can use the product,
can profit from the products,
and can buy the product,
it’s time to convince the prospect to take action.
95% of presentations could be improved in some way.
Most of the time,
keep focusing on the presentation
until you’ve made a successful sale to a prospect.
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Follow a logical process
The presentation should be presented in an orderly
and logical manner
in order to go from the general to the specific.
Before you begin,
you’ll have to go through the process
of clearly identifying this person
as a potential customer for what you’re selling,
building a positive relationship based on friendship and trust,
and Timely analyze that customer’s needs carefully
so that the customer knows exactly how
they will benefit from your product or service.
Remember, out-of-order sales can kill sales.
Starting to talk about your product
before the customer clearly knows
that she has a need or problem
that your product can meet
or solve will cause the prospect
to lose interest and respond that :
“I’m not really interested in your product/service at this point,”
or “You just leave it alone.
I’ll see for myself,” or even worse,
“Let me think about it.”
Before you begin your presentation,
make sure that the environment is ideal
for you to present
and that your audience will notice and listen.
People can only focus on one thing at a time.
If there are distractions,
interruptions,
or noise, potential customers won’t be able
to focus on what you’re saying
and therefore won’t be able to make a purchase decision
at the end of your presentation.
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Presentation Formula
Plan your presentation carefully in advance.
Draw it out on paper.
Review your presentation before every client meeting,
no matter how much you’ve given it in the past.
Remember, preparation is the hallmark of a professional.
The best recipe for a sales presentation
is “show, present, and ask questions”.
Show potential customers what your product is
and especially how it can change or improve
the prospect’s life or work in some way.
Tell potential customers what they will benefit from.
Then ask questions to make sure
what you’re presenting is important
or relevant to their needs:
“Is this what you would choose to use?
Will it change what you are doing?”
Teach potential customers how they can benefit
from using your product or service.
Imagine a prospect smiling
and enjoying the benefits of your product:
“Imagine using this product or service every day.
What difference will it make in your life or work?”
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Rule number 3
Another powerful presentation technique we call Principle #3.
By this (describe product features),
you can (describe the product benefits),
that means (describe the customer benefit).
For example,
if you were selling a flat screen television, you would say,
“Thanks to this new flat screen technology
[product feature],
you can mount this television on the wall
[product benefit],
which that means you can turn your living room
into a movie theater for the whole family
and friends
[benefit the customer gets].”
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Tell stories
Perhaps the most powerful tool
you can use to deliver a persuasive presentation
is “selling through storytelling.”
This is where you reinforce your presentation with stories
and examples of other customers
who have purchased from you
and were satisfied with them.
Tell many stories of satisfied customers
with your products.
This is a very powerful technique
because all purchasing decisions are made
by the right hemisphere of the brain,
which is activated by images and different stories.
When you tell a story about a satisfied customer,
your potential customers will automatically immerse themselves
in that customer story
and find themselves enjoying a great use of your product
or quality service.
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PRACTICAL EXERCISE
1. Make a list of “success stories” of people
who have purchased your product or service,
whether it’s yours or someone else’s.
Use these stories often.
People like following others,
and they also like listen other story.
2. Plan,
prepare,
and review your presentation carefully,
right before each sale.
Best art for sell is story
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Chapter 14. Practicing the Power of Hints
People are often greatly influenced
by the power of suggestive factors in their environment.
In the sales process this is more important than anywhere else.
By clearly identifying suggestive factors
that you can control,
and then applying them consistently in every sale,
you can have a positive
and lasting influence on buying behavior products
of potential customers.
As a salesperson,
you can do a number of things
that are sure to have a powerful
and immediate effect on your prospect’s behavior.
Remember the following rule,
“Everything matters!”
Everything that you do in a sales conversation
can have a negative or positive outcome.
Everything you do or say
in front of a customer can either bring you close to a sale
or can push you away.
Everything is important.
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Personality is very important
The first suggestive factor is your personality
and how you interact with customers.
When you’re proactive,
approachable,
friendly,
and fun,
you’ll have a suggestively positive influence
on your customers.
Customers will be more open to listening to you
and letting you convince them.
The degree to which you believe
in the goodness of your product or service
and in your company is also powerful
and positively evocative.
When you demonstrate a belief
in the effectiveness of a product
with a clear desire
to help improve a customer’s life or work,
they will be greatly influenced
and unconsciously persuaded.
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Voice is important
Clarity is also a powerful evocative influence.
Those who speak loudly and clearly
and raise their voice at the end
of each sentence have a greater influence
on their customers
than those who lower their voice at the end.
When you speak clearly and confidently,
it sounds like your product or service is appreciated
and superior to the product or service mentioned
by the person with a low voice.
Make sure your word choice and grammar are precise and clear.
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How do you appear?
Your visual impact on your customers is extremely important.
95% of the first impression you give your customers
is dominated by your clothes.
People tend to be more visual.
Experts say they make their first conclusions about
you within the first 4 seconds of seeing you.
Make sure you dress appropriately
when visiting a potential client.
You don’t have to be handsome or pretty.
Average-looking salespeople are often more successful
than handsome or pretty salespeople
who can distract potential customers in some way.
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Dress up for success
But the principle is that you must “dress for success”.
You have to look as neat as possible.
You have to look attractive but still be polite.
You have to look like a successful person working
for a company that develops
and sells a product that is well received.
Even people who are not well dressed
and in good shape enjoy socializing
with such people.
When I was a young salesman,
ill-dressed and oblivious
to the effect of appearance on potential customers,
I was employed as an assistant to a senior salesman.
He asked me
if I wanted a little advice about my appearance.
Luckily, I’m not narcissistic.
I told him
that I would be more than happy
to hear any advice
he could give me to make me even more successful.
He sat down and gave me some instructions
on proper business attire.
To this day,
I still remember how he “taught me”.
From then on,
I used to buy a matching shirt and tie,
wear polished shoes,
and look elegant in front of my clients.
In a very short time,
I have noticed that people treat me with more respect,
listen to me more,
and buy my products in larger quantities.
His lesson really “enlightened” me.
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First impressions
People have a first impression of you
in just the first 4 seconds
and then perfect their impression
of you within 30 seconds.
They then fall into what psychologists call “confirmation bias.”
They look for reasons to explain their first impressions.
If you don’t make a good impression
of how you look in the first 30 seconds,
you’ll find yourself struggling
to get your customers’ attention and respect.
This is especially true if you are dealing
with successful people.
They are more important
but also more critical than most.
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Make your product stand out
The fourth element of your evocative toolbox is the product.
Make sure you clearly show potential customers
all the advantages of your product.
Make sure all of your sales materials are coherent,
clear,
and engaging.
Potential customers say
the quality of your sales documents shows
the quality of the product you are offering.
Make sure they are “classy”.
Real estate is a booming market for those
who excel at “setting up homes”.
An expert walks into a home for sale
and offers furniture removal or replacement,
carpet and table additions,
as well as ideas for cleaning up
and making the home more beautiful.
Visual impression has a huge impact
on the attractiveness of the home,
the price and the time it takes to sell.
Remember, in terms of the power of cues,
everything a customer sees, hears,
or feels has a huge influence on the customer’s final decision
whether to buy your product or not.
Everything is important.
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PRACTICAL EXERCISE
1. Starting today,
keep an eye on your outfit
and present yourself as if you were a successful,
high-paying person in your industry.
How do you dress differently than usual?
First impressions are very important.
You don’t have any more time,
if customers don’t like you.
2. Organize your sales presentations
and sales documents so that they are clear,
easy to understand and stimulate the customer’s desire to buy.
Do it well for respect your customers
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Chapter 15. Building High Credibility
Customers receive an average of hundreds
and even thousands of promotional messages every day.
They are surrounded by many individuals
and organizations trying
to sell them their products,
of all kinds,
at all levels of quality and price.
As a result,
today’s customers are prone
to skepticism and mistrust of any sales attempt.
To be successful in sales,
you must have a method to overcome skepticism
and build in your customers an even higher level
of trust in you,
your company,
and your products and services.
In short, you must learn to build even more credibility
what we call super trust in everything you do,
which has a primary influence on customers
and their purchasing decisions.
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Dispel the fear of failure
The big obstacle to buying today
is the fear of failure in the mind
of the customer.
Customers are afraid to buy “smack”.
They fear the product does not meet their needs
or is criticized
by others for not buying the right product
or buying it at too high a price.
Customers fear being stuck with a product
for which they receive no service or repair.
Clients have these fears
because they have had these negative experiences in the past,
often many times over the years.
They are determined not to make the same mistakes again.
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Faith reduces fear
The good news is that the more customers trust you
and what you say,
the less fear of making a mistake
in the buying-selling relationship.
As customer confidence increases,
so does the fear of making a mistake.
Therefore, the important thing you can do
is increase the trust and credibility
of your customers for you.
This increases the likelihood that customers will accept
what you say and buy what you sell.
Everything you do in a sales relationship can make
or break trust and credibility.
Everything either adds to or diminishes the credibility
you need to make a sale.
Customers are very nervous and upset
when they make a wrong decision
and will therefore see things in a negative light,
if you allow them to do so.
Your main job is to position yourself
as a low-risk supplier
with the lowest risk,
not selling for the lowest price.
Customers will pay more to reduce risk
in purchasing decisions;
If they have to choose between high risk
with lower cost or low risk with higher price,
they will always choose the latter.
Five factors associated with high credibility
There are five key elements of high credibility
that you need to make a sale:
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1. Salesperson.
Your appearance, behavior, attitude, clothing,
and grooming all increase
or decrease customers’ trust in you and your company.
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2. Your reputation.
The most valuable asset your company has is the reputation
for quality products and services provided
to other customers in the market.
It is said that 85% of purchasing decisions
are based on word of mouth information.
This means that someone,
directly or indirectly,
says that your product or service
is good and that you,
as a customer, should buy it.
Tell your potential customers about the size of your company,
how long you’ve been in the industry,
and what percentage of the market share you hold
because of your quality and customer service.
Make sure your brochures,
flyers,
sales brochures,
and business cards all look classy.
Make sure you and your phone staff respond
to customer inquiries quickly.
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3. Verification from society.
Perhaps nothing is more convincing
than the stories of other customers
in similar situations who have purchased your product
and are satisfied with their decision.
Customers always want to know,
“Did anyone else buy it?”
And “what was their experience
with your product or service?”
Use cover letters,
listings,
photos,
and even videos that show how satisfied your customers are.
The best verification comes from the stories of customers
who were hesitant to buy your product
or service at first,
but after making a decision,
how satisfied they were with their decision.
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4. Prestige.
Any reputable third party
that speaks positively about your product
or service makes it easier for someone
to make a buying decision from you.
A reputable voice is often the deciding factor.
Publications, magazines,
and up-to-date stories that cover your product
or service all help build credibility.
Celebrities with expertise
and knowledge of using your product
or service also help build your credibility.
Symbols of wealth and power,
such as your dress,
briefcase,
watch,
and even the quality of the pen you use,
increase your credibility.
It proves that you are someone
who succeeds in selling an attractive product
at a reasonable price.
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5. Products or services.
When your products provide the specific benefits your customers
are looking for, they are more trustworthy.
When you show that the value
the customer gets is more than the price,
you instill credibility and desire to buy.
When you back your products
with warranties and guarantees,
you increase the credibility needed to make it easy
for your customers to make a buying decision.
The most successful salespeople are those
who work continuously
to build credibility in these five areas with their customers.
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PRACTICAL EXERCISE
1. List 3 things you can do to curb the fear
of failure in your prospect’s mind.
You are the best seller
You are self-made millionaire
You provide the best quality service to customers
2. List three key elements of high credibility
that you can incorporate into your sales activities.
You make customers fell friendly,
comfortable and pleasure
You know everyone like helping others
You are deserver with your incomes
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Chapter 16. Handle Criticism Effectively
Criticism is natural and inevitable in the sales process.
However,
many salespeople become discouraged
when customers start disparaging their products
because of their high prices,
better products from competitors,
and many other reasons.
The reality is that today’s customers are bombarded
with hundreds and even thousands of ads every day.
As a result,
they are skeptical,
suspicious,
and cautious with their time and money.
No matter what you’re selling,
customers have questions
and concerns that you need to address
before making a sale.
Your ability to handle criticisms and concerns
is an important skill required for successful sales.
The good news is that criticism also has a positive connotation.
It shows that they are interested
in your product or service.
Criticism often shows
that you’ve touched their feelings
and that you’ve connected
with the prospect in some way.
It turns out that successful deals are criticized twice
as often as unsuccessful deals.
Rule number 6
The Rule of Six is one of the most powerful principles
you can use to identify and remediate criticism.
This rule dictates
that the number of complaints about your product or service,
whatever they may be,
usually does not exceed 6.
Identify the six major disapprovals
by asking yourself this question:
“We could sell to everyone we talked
to if our prospects didn’t…”
Make a list of all the criticisms
you receive in a week or a month,
then divide them into six categories.
These 6 categories will vary by product and market.
Once you’ve identified your six main types of criticism,
your job is to provide responses in response
to these common criticisms.
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Important question
The key question in response to such criticism is:
“Why don’t potential customers buy our product?”
Your job is to identify the answer to that question
and then come up with a valid reason
to remove the objection from the prospect’s mind.
Treat a denial as a request for more information.
For example,
a potential customer says,
“Your price is too high.”
You answer by saying,
“That’s a good question.
Why are our prices higher
than our competitors’ prices for this item?
Let me explain it to you.”
Accept criticism.
Actively encourage them to bring up their dissatisfaction.
By responding,
“That’s a good question!
Let me explain it to you.”
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Make it easy to criticize
Every potential customer has dissatisfaction points
that you have to deal with.
If the customer has a single point
of dissatisfaction in mind,
he may say nothing,
but also not buy.
For this reason,
no matter what a customer says,
no matter how often you hear it,
you should listen to their criticism.
Whenever a customer protests
or makes a negative comment about a product,
you should use your excellent listening skills.
Do not forget to listen attentively,
do not interrupt;
pause for a moment before answering;
clarify the question;
and finally,
respond your way,
to make sure you understand
what the customer is saying.
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Respond to criticisms
There are a number of responses
you can use to respond to any objections.
Remember,
the person asking the question is in control.
Always try to respond to criticism
with a question instead of an answer.
You might say,
“Obviously you have a reason to say that;
but do you mind if I ask what the reason is?”
And then just keep quiet.
Often the prospect has no good reason,
and this will be revealed
by the silence following your question.
Another way to respond to criticism is to ask,
“What do you mean?”
Or, “What exactly do you mean?”
And then keep quiet.
Always treat criticism as an opportunity
to build trust by listening attentively
to the other person’s responses.
The more attentively you listen
to your potential customers,
the more they like and trust you and the easier
it is to buy your products or services.
******************
Clarifying vague understandings
Most of the criticism comes from unclear understanding.
The problem your product will solve is not obvious
to the potential customer.
Potential customers aren’t clear
on what needs your product will fulfill.
The benefits of your product
or service to potential customers,
relative to price, are also unclear.
The unique selling proposition of your product
or service is also unclear.
And finally,
there’s no prompting the prospect to act,
or they see no reason to act right away.
These are all factors that contribute
to the “lack of understanding”
that leads to
The customer says,
“Let me think about it.”
******************
Handling the situation of dissatisfaction with the price
There are a few proven ways
you can handle price dissatisfaction,
which comes up in nearly every sale.
When a prospect says,
“Your price is too high,”
you can respond by asking:
a. Why do you think so?
b. Why do you feel that way?
c. Is price your only concern?
d. Please tell me how high is it?
If the prospect insists on knowing your price
before identifying their needs
and articulating the benefits you can bring,
postpone the price conversation by saying,
“I I know price is important to you
but can we get back to that in a minute?”
Remember, dissatisfaction is the ladder to sales success.
The more disparaging comments you receive,
the more interested customers will be in your product or service.
When you hear a bad word,
you should thank them,
then start looking for ways to turn
that criticism into reasons for them to buy.
******************
PRACTICAL EXERCISE
1. Identify the two or three most common types of disparagement
you receive from a potential customer
who is likely to buy your product or service.
Customers want to contribute their idea
Customers want to help your sell service
Customers want you listen and follow them
2. Identify the two or three best answers you can use to respond
to the most common criticisms
that will allow you to continue making the sale.
Tell them your story
Smile and listen
******************
Chapter 17. Asking Customers to Make Decisions
When you have reached the final stage of the sale,
you should know very well that the customer wants your product,
needs your product,
can use your product, and can buy your product.
It’s time to ask the prospect to make a decision.
Once a potential customer has made it clear
that they trust you and have expressed a desire to own
or use your product or service,
you can complete the transaction using one
of the following closing techniques.
****************
Ask for confirmation questions
Before closing a deal,
there are two confirmation questions you can ask
to make sure the client is ready to answer your closing question.
The first is,
“Do you have any questions or concerns that need to be answered?”
If potential customers say “no,” chances are they’re ready to buy.
The second question you can ask is,
“Does this choice make you feel right and confident?”
If potential customers say “yes,”
then they are ready to make a buying decision.
******************
5 questions to close the deal
There are 5 important closing techniques
that are used mostly in big deals
by high income sales professionals.
They include:
******************
1. Option trading closing.
Let customers choose between different things.
Just ask, “Which one do you prefer, A or B?”
It is easier for a potential customer to choose
between a set of options than
to give a “Yes” or “No” answer.
Even if you’re offering a single product,
you can let potential customers choose payment terms,
shipping methods,
or specific features your product offers.
For example, you might ask,
“Do you want to pay in cash
or in installments over 12 months?”
******************
2. Close the deal with an invitation.
This option is considered by many
to be the most effective closing technique of all.
At the end of a sales conversation,
when it’s clear the prospect likes
what you’ve shown them,
simply suggest,
“Why don’t you give it a try?”
Even if you’re selling large or expensive items,
you can close the deal by saying,
“If you like it, why don’t you give it a try?”
“Do you want to bring it?”
“Do you want us to start it up too?”
“Is it what you think it is?”
Always include an invitation
at the end of your sales presentation.
Ask potential customers to make a buying decision.
****************
3. Directional closing.
With this type of close,
which is often referred to
as a “hypothetical close,”
you can simply assume
that the other party has decided to buy and say,
“If you have no other questions,
Then the next step is…”
For example, start by saying,
“Ladies and gentlemen,
are you satisfied with
what I have presented to you so far?”
The prospect says,
“Yes, it looks good.”
You say,
“Yes, then the next step is…”
You then go into detail
to describe the action plan
what the customer does next
to get your product and start using it: “
Yes, the next step is that we will fill it out this form,
I received a payment from you,
and we will begin to produce this order
to deliver to you
by next Wednesday.
How do you feel?”
****************
4. Closing the authorization type contract.
You have come to the end of the pitch.
Customers seem to like the products
or services you’ve recommended.
All you have to do is say,
“Yes, if you agree to this order,
we will start immediately.”
You then take the order form,
sign it,
and pass it on to the customer to sign.
You say, “I’ll take care of all the details.”
You say to the customer,
“I will fill in all the information here based on our discussion.
I will receive additional payment from your assistant
and will complete the transaction next week.”
****************
5. Close the secondary transaction.
This method is very simple and quite effective.
It is often referred to as “small point closing”
because you close the trade at a smaller point instead of a critical point.
For example, you may be selling an expensive house.
You raise a question about a secondary provision,
which accepting it means the customer has decided to buy.
For example,
you could ask,
“Do you want to get married on the 1st or 15th of this month?”
Whatever option they choose,
they have already decided to buy a house.
The arrival date is a secondary issue.
Choosing or deciding
to buy a new home is the main issue.
Also, this is not an attempt to manipulate
or confuse potential customers.
It’s a way to help reduce the stress of making a big buying decision
by giving potential customers a smaller spot to focus on.
If you’re selling an expensive car,
you might say,
“Do you want Michelin tires or regular tires?”
When a potential customer says,
“Yes, I want Michelin tires,” he
I decided to buy a car.
The most powerful word in sales
The most important word in the process
of closing an order is the offer.
Ask the customer to make a purchase decision.
Ask the customer
if you can move on
to the next stage of the sales process.
At the very least, ask:
“What do you want to do now?”
The most important quality involved
in developing closing skills is courage.
You get courage through practice.
At the very least,
at the end of the sales conversation,
if you can’t or haven’t been able
to close the deal and get the order,
agree to move on to the next stage.
“What should we do now?”
Set a specific date for your next meeting,
when you can present more information
and talk to others to push the offer further.
****************
PRACTICAL EXERCISE
1. You definitely have to do something
before the customer makes a purchase decision?
I think and sure that customers will buy it
2. Prepare,
practice,
and further perfect a closing question
that you can use at all times in your sales activities.
Why customers buy your service?
What benefit customers get?
How they get?
**********************
Chapter 18. Providing Excellent Customer Service
Peter Drucker wrote that
“The purpose of business is to create and retain customers”.
How can you tell if your business is fulfilling
its purpose in a satisfactory way?
Very simple. Customer satisfaction.
Real business success lies in having your customers happy
with their purchase decision
and looking forward to continuing to buy from you.
The most successful individuals
and organizations are obsessed
with customer service.
Each customer is the most important individual in their mind.
Everything they do is curated
to satisfy their customers even more.
Sam Walton once said,
“We have only one boss, the customer.
And he can fire us at any time simply
by deciding to spend the money somewhere else.”
****************************
Maintain excellent service
The ability to develop and maintain a reputation
for excellent service is key
to your company’s growth
and prosperity as well as your personal career success.
The success of your business in the future
will be determined by your quality rating in today’s market.
According to Harvard University studies,
the customer’s definition of quality includes the product
or service you sell along
with the way it is sold and provided.
The question is:
What is your Quality Rating?
On a scale of 1 to 10,
where would you rank yourself relative
to your competitors in terms of the quality
of the product and the quality of the product
or service provided?
******************
Four levels of service quality
There are four levels of customer service for any company:
1. Satisfy your customers.
A satisfied customer with the product or service you have sold
or provided is the minimum requirement for a company
to exist in the market.
But if all you do is please your customers,
your customers will open up to competing products,
they will have minimal loyalty,
and will rarely recommend your product to them.
****************************
2. Exceeding customer expectations
This is when you do something beyond your customers’ expectations
and beyond what your competitors can do,
to differentiate you from them.
The ability to deliver services or products
that exceed customer expectations
is the bare minimum required
for your business to grow.
And remember, anything you do
that exceeds customer expectations today will soon be copied
by your competitors tomorrow.
****************************
3. Make your customers happy
This is when you start to step
into the arena of fast-growing companies
in your industry.
You do something that not only exceeds expectations,
but also truly delights and delights your customers.
A very successful high-end restaurant chain always
lets their staff come
to your table after a meal to offer a drink
or a free glass of wine.
This offer was both a surprise
and a show of their generosity.
The impression left on people
after leaving a restaurant is one of great customer service.
And they kept coming back after that.
Often,
after a sale,
a company senior manager will call
to directly thank the customer
for choosing to use the company’s product or service.
This is a very simple way to please your customers
and create goodwill that motivates them
to continue buying or using your services.
****************************
4. Surprise your customers.
This is when you do something that completely exceeds expectations
and even exceeds customer satisfaction.
You really surprise them enough
to tell others or their friends about you.
Several years ago,
the Denver branches of FedEx,
with the promise that,
“When you need it, we need it,
we ship it right away,”
experienced a blizzard that shut down major roads.
Denver was blocked and the FedEx express trucks were unable to deliver.
They have done impressive things.
****************************
Personal initiative
Because the blizzard had locked down the passes,
the manager sent a helicopter,
which cost about $8,000,
over the snow-covered highways to deliver FedEx packages
to customers in Colorado Springs,
landed in the parking lot of a large mall.
This is a great testament to FedEx’s commitment
to keeping its promises
to its customers,
which has been covered by newspapers,
radio and television stations across the country.
To this day,
customers in Colorado are still talking about the “gift”
of renting helicopters to deliver packages overnight.
After-sale service
As a salesperson,
you can exceed expectations
and surprise and delight your potential customers
with after-sales services.
******************
There are four important points in after-sales service:
1. Once you’ve closed the order,
process the paperwork and ship as quickly as possible.
2. Update information for potential customers.
If there are any delays or problems,
immediately contact the customer
and let them know what is going on.
Customers will understand and sympathize with you,
as long as you let them know.
Practice the principle of “No surprises”.
****************************
3. Send your thank you cards,
notes or e-mails to the after-sales customer.
If it’s a large order,
send any gift,
whether it’s just flowers,
a box of chocolates,
or my favorite choice a gift basket from a local company.
This action is very effective in encouraging subsequent purchases
or use of the service.
****************************
4. Make sure the last interaction a customer has
with you is always positive.
The last contact always leaves the deepest impression.
It’s one of the things they miss the most.
Once you’ve closed the deal,
take the time to thank the customer for purchasing your product
or service and assure them
that they’ll be pleased with your product
and service and that you will.
Do everything you can to ensure that.
Ask your customers to call you
whenever they have any questions or concerns,
and give them your personal cell phone number.
These are the ultimate impressions
that can leave your customers happy and surprised
and returning to buy from you for a long time.
******************
PRACTICAL EXERCISE
1. Determine what actions you can take
to keep your customers happy
and then keep coming back to buy.
Welcome, smile and silent
2. Determine what actions you can take
to make the customer’s shopping experience even better.
Let them give their idea and their contribution in shop
******************
Chapter 19. Keeping Customers For Life
A direct selling ad today costs more than $400 in terms of time,
travel, advertising content,
new forms of customer acquisition,
and other costs.
Acquiring customers at this cost can make a company lose money
unless that customer continues to purchase
or use your product long-term.
The best salespeople
and the most successful companies implement strategies
to attract customers and keep them for life.
Your goal should be to develop a lasting relationship
with your customers and then keep them
in the face of ever fiercer competition.
When launching a customer acquisition
and retention campaign,
work harder to build
and maintain lasting customer relationships than ever before.
By constantly thinking about “customers for life”,
your success in sales is guaranteed.
******************
Focus on the second sale
The first sale to any customer
is always the hardest and most expensive.
You can make this sale through discounts or promotional offers.
But the second sale is the most important.
A new second sale is proof
that you have provided your customer
with a service or product
that exceeds the promise you made in the first sale.
In reality,
you go out every day
and make promises to people in exchange for their money.
You promise that your product or service
will provide them with certain benefits
that they are not currently enjoying.
When they come back and buy from you again,
they’re stamping your service and confirming
that you’ve kept your promise.
******************
Sell repeat and sell to referred customers
Repeat selling to satisfied customers is up to 10 times easier
than selling to new customers.
A repeat sale requires only 1/10 of the time and effort.
This is why most successful companies measure their success
by the number of times customers return to purchase.
Selling to a referral
from a satisfied customer
is 15 times easier than selling
to a randomly called customer.
Selling to a referred customer requires
only 1/15 of the time,
cost,
and effort to execute.
In fact, with a good referral,
90% of your order success is in your hands
before you even walk in the door.
******************
Create a chain of golden customers
Once you’ve closed the deal and your customer is happy,
form a “golden referral chain”
by asking people
to refer you to other interested leads.
Feel free to suggest.
Patiently recommend.
Suggestion schedule.
But always ask customers and non-customers
to see if they can recommend anyone else to you.
When asking people for referrals,
assure them that you won’t cause trouble
for the referrer.
People are often hesitant
about making a recommendation
until they believe their friend
or partner will be pleased
or happy for them to provide a name.
******************
Create word of mouth
The most effective method for you
to get referrals in today’s competitive market is
by enabling word-of-mouth from satisfied customers.
Your goal is to make customers part of your sales force
by getting them to actually sell
to you
when they talk to other potential customers.
The way that you use to push your customers
to sell to you is by providing them
with excellent customer service.
The most important factor
in great customer service has always been speed.
Quick response to questions, concerns,
and requests is another important measure of
how many referrals you are likely to receive.
Acting quickly on complaints is also important.
Regular follow-up and ongoing customer care are essential tools
to receive referrals.
Practice the golden rule of sales:
Serve your customers the way you would want other vendors
to serve you if you were a customer.
Serve your customers the way you would treat your spouse,
parents or loved ones.
Always deliver more than what customers expect.
“Just having satisfied customers isn’t good enough anymore.
If you really want a booming business,
you have to create raving fans.”– Ken Blanchard
******************
Last question
Bain & Company’s Fred Reichheld studied the elements
of great customer service for years
before concluding
that a single question is more geared
toward customer satisfaction
nd business recommendations than any other,
any other questions.
He calls it the final question:
“Based on your experience with us,
would you recommend us to others?”
A customer’s willingness to refer you to others
is their highest level of satisfaction.
Usually, if you form a good relationship with potential customers,
they will
like and trust you enough to recommend you to others
even if they themselves don’t buy from you.
Never assume you understand.
Ask the questions. — Brian Tracy
******************
Always ask questions
At the end of each sales conversation,
you can ask this question:
How would you recommend us to others on a 10-point scale?
Of course,
your goal is to get 10 points.
This means that this customer will become a “crazy fan”.
They will become the promoters of other customers.
They will tell all their friends to buy from you.
But what if you get less than 10 points say 7 or 8?
You can say,
“Thanks for your answer,”
then immediately ask,
“What can we do to get 10 points from you in the near future?”
Keep asking your customers,
“What do you think about us right now?”
And “How can we do better next time?”
The highest earning
and most successful salespeople have a steady stream
of orders a string of satisfied customers
who keep coming back to buy from them,
they deliver fast goods or services easier,
less price-sensitive
and provides the basis for the growth of any business.
This is also your goal.
*********************
Your customer service strategy
Develop a sales and customer service strategy
that allows you to attract
and retain customers for life.
This idea of customer service didn’t come about by accident.
It requires you to carefully plan,
discuss,
and train all the employees who come into contact
with your customers.
All successful salespeople and businesses are known
for their excellent customer service.
This should always be your goal.
******************
PRACTICAL EXERCISE
1. What action can you take with all your customers
and prospects to get them to refer you to other potential customers?
Talk them as friend
2. Identify an action or behavior
by anyone in your company
that could reduce customer satisfaction
or hurt customer referrals for your business.
How can you remove it and how fast?
Don’t smile, don’t welcome customers
“You only know yourself when you go beyond your limits.” – Paulo Coelho
********************
Chapter 20. Effective Time Management
Over 100 years of research
and millions of dollars have been invested
in finding the causes of sales success and failure.
Finally, we have the answer.
They are simply:
People earn high income by spending more of their time
doing things of higher value.
Low-income people often spend a lot of their time
on low-value activities.
Salespeople who spend every minute
of each day focusing on high-value activities
will move to the top of their field,
make a lot of sales,
and make a lot of money.
Salespeople who waste their time on low-value activities
rarely accomplish anything important,
even when they represent the most successful companies
with the best products in the industry largest markets.
***********************
Practicing the Pareto Principle
The Pareto Principle is the most important time management principle
in professional sales.
This principle states that 80% of the value of what
you make comes from 20% of your activities.
This 80/20 rule applies to all aspects of sales
and to all activities.
Apply this rule to your leads,
customers,
and products.
Divide your customers and leads by value,
with A-lists of high-value customers/leads
who can represent 80% of your sales.
List B would be average customers/leads
and List C would be low value customers/leads.
Practicing “creative procrastination” at 80% of the tasks
only gives 20% of the value of what you do.
Creative delay is what you use when you consciously
and deliberately decide not to do certain things of low value
in order to focus your attention on high-value activities.
********************
Describe your job
The job description of a salesperson is similar
to the purpose of a business.
Your job is to create and retain customers.
Spend 80% of your time acquiring customers
and only 20% on retaining them.
Always ask yourself,
“Where is my next order coming from?”
Whatever your answer to that question is,
make sure it’s what you’re focusing on every minute of the day.
So spend 80% of your time engaging with customers
and presenting your product or service.
Spend only 20% of your time closing orders
and providing after-sales service.
Don’t mix them together.
Stay focused on meeting customers
and presenting your product or service.
“The only limit to your impact is your imagination and commitment.” – Tony Robbins
********************
Do better
One of the key ways to steadily increase your income is to get better
at what matters most
– customer acquisition,
presentation,
follow-up and closing.
Every investment in self-improvement,
whether it’s in books,
tapes,
videos,
or seminars,
will give you a 10,
20 or even 50 times “return” times the money spent
to capture the original ideas.
Many salespeople have gone from nothing,
from poor to rich,
thanks to a single sales seminar
or even a business idea
that is ideal for them, their product,
their market and their customers at that time.
********************
The minute rule
To double your sales,
apply the “Minute Principle” to your sales activities.
According to this principle,
you are filling
every order today using the minutes you spend meeting
with customers and prospects in person.
When you increase your face-to-face minutes,
you are increasing your sales
and your income by the rule of averages.
You can use this principle in this way:
Get a stopwatch to measure the current level of sales activities.
Each time you go to see a client,
set the timer,
and at the end of the meeting, turn off the timer.
A stopwatch will measure the number of minutes
you spend with your customers each day.
Write that number down to better understand it.
********************
Improve your achievements
Look for ways to increase your meeting time
with your clients by 10% per week.
If you are on average spending 90 minutes a day meeting
with customers
and increasing by 10% each week,
then you will spend another 9 minutes with them.
You will immediately see an increase in your sales and income.
Continue to add 10% each week
until you double the time up
to 180 minutes interacting with customers face-to-face.
It can be concluded
without exception that by doubling your face-to-face minutes,
you will double your income,
sometimes faster than you think.
********************
Real work during the time you spend working
Tackle every task within the time set aside for each day’s work.
Do not waste time.
Don’t spend time on e-mails or chatting with your co-workers.
Don’t allow yourself to be distracted
by electronic interruptions like phone calls,
texts, and voicemails.
Take advantage of every time.
This decision alone is enough
to turn you into one of the most successful salespeople
in your field in a very short time.
******************
PRACTICAL EXERCISE
1. Choose a time management activity
that can help you increase your productivity,
and start practicing it every day for the next month
until it becomes a habit.
Focus on 80% your ability,
your time and your mindset make customer happy.
2. Pick a time-wasting activity
and try to eliminate it for a month,
until it becomes a habit too.
Always think positive,
don’t worry it will be heavy rain,
or don’t have customers in a while.
“Sometimes, the best way to learn is to go beyond limits and set your own rules.” – Aysa Angel
********************
Chapter 21. There Are No Limits!
Right now, you have the skills and abilities
to sell and earn double today,
and perhaps more.
It is said that
“It is your attitude,
not your ability,
that determines your success or failure.”
If you want to be in good shape,
you must exercise every day.
If you want to be mentally refreshed,
you have to practice mentally every day.
There are 7 things you can do to motivate yourself
and keep yourself energized throughout the day.
Those things are:
***************************
Be number 1
Decide to be a great person in sales.
Pay any price, sacrifice anything,
invest the necessary amount of time,
until you are in the top 10%
or 20% of the earners in your field.
People don’t make the top 10% of salespeople
because they never decide to do it.
They think about it,
dream about it,
and wish that they make that much money,
but never make the life-or-death decision
that they must pay any price to excel in sales.
The good news is that all sales skills can be learned.
You can learn any skill needed
to achieve any sales goal you have set for yourself.
There’s no limit at all.
***************************
Learn key skills
Identify your limited skills
that have prevented you from achieving greater success in sales.
Imagine you could wave a magic wand and overnight
you could excel at any skill in sales.
But what skill, mastering it,
will help you increase your sales and income the most?
The reality is that you can only need
one skill to double your income
and become one of the highest earners in the industry.
And by answering this question,
you can know what that skill is.
***************************
Make friends with the winners
Always associate with the most positive people.
The choice of people you can associate with at work,
after work,
and during evenings
and weekends will have a huge impact on your influence,
character,
and achievement.
***************************
Take care of your health and energy
Take care of your physical health.
Life expectancy and quality of life today are higher
than at any time in human history.
And most of what you do in regards
to health is within your control.
***************************
Improve your inner image
Practice positive visualization:
See yourself as the best in your field.
Remember that the person you see inside of you
is the person you really are in the future.
Any improvement in your results on the outside starts
with a change in your inner image.
When you picture yourself as a confident,
positive,
and absolutely brilliant person in your field,
your thoughts,
words,
feelings,
and actions will reflect that image.
***************************
Positive thinking
Always think about yourself in a positive way.
Take control of your inner dialogue.
95% of your emotions are governed
by how you talk to yourself every day.
Positive, happy people always talk to themselves in a positive
and constructive way.
***************************
Continuous action
Become action-oriented in everything you do.
As Einstein once said,
“Nothing happens until something moves.”
That’s right,
in sales,
nothing happens until you move.
Let’s start earlier.
Work harder.
Be more persistent.
Take the step.
Busy.
Move fast.
Increase your speed and activity level.
Remember, the faster you move, the more people you see.
The more people you see, the more your sales will increase.
The more sales, the bigger your income.
The bigger your income, the more motivated you’ll be to meet more people,
earn more sales, and increase your income.
Once you start practicing these ideas,
hourly,
daily, non-stop,
your sales will increase continuously.
In a few months or even a few weeks,
you will become one of the most successful
and earning people in your field.
And I hope you do.
There are no limits at all!
******************
PRACTICAL EXERCISE
1. From today, continuously do an activity
that has the potential to make you the best in the field
of sales of your choice.
Update knowledge
2. Practicing an activity,
such as visualization,
affirmation or continuity,
can help you stay positive
and motivated throughout the sales day.
Thin customers are your members family