Following a System in Selling

There is a major reason why franchises have enjoyed success in the last 30 years or so. The best ones have a system that people follow. That is why successful people invest in a franchise. It's not because they wanted financial success alone. Successful people know their strengths and weaknesses. Following a system helps them insure success. Why not model success? That is what a system does.

The best system in selling is one that successful people are using over and over. 

Here is a suggested system to follow that I have been using for years in selling:

1. Use the Universal Law of Leverage. Develop a list of all the people you know and a list of where you can meet your ideal prospect. Contact all the people you know on the list and ask them for help. Ask "who do they know who might buy what you sell" or be more specific and ask if they know anyone at your ideal prospect. Make sure you have a target list you can speak about. Join the associations where your target lists belong. Get active and help others. Remember that visibility + credibility = profitability. Get visible, and then do what you say you will do to become credible and then profitability will come. Do not ask for business too soon, it will come as you become credible.
2. Become someone who is determined to help others succeed. Make sure that what you sell can do this. If you are helping others succeed with your product or service then others will seek you out. Also, you can determine who would be grateful for your help and reject prospects that will use you or want your "best price" only... accept only those that will be truly grateful for all that you do.
3. Detach from outcomes. You do your job and let the rest happen. Know who your ideal prospect is and be able to see if all those you call on are truly a fit for your organization. If not, be willing to walk away. Let them go as elimination creates the space for the ideal prospects to come in. No is good. And many a great sale in my life has actually started at no.
4. When you do meet prospects, spend time bonding. Match and mirror their style. Match their tone. Use some of the words and phrases they use. Selling is about them... in fact; help them buy at this stage. Listen. Take notes. Ask questions. Find out if you and they are really a fit. You should be talking only about 25 - 30% of the time initially.
5. Take the pressure off early on. Tell them that you are there to find out if you are a fit for each other. That you are there to help them buy and not sell them anything. Research has shown that people move in one direction from pressure... away from you. It is called the "Pendulum Theory of Communication." Call me for more facts on the Pendulum theory or email me and I will email my notes on it to you.
6. Determine the decision process. Ask what their process is for making a decision. I like to ask, "When you have made a similar decision in the past, what was the process that you used," "who will you have help you with this decision?"
7. Determine the budget. I like the bracket method the best. "If I said our product or service was between x and xxx... which is closer to your budget?"
8. Now make your presentation. Present now only to the needs and issues uncovered in you're questioning... remember when you were determining the fit? Only address those needs or issues... nothing else. Salespeople like to talk and usually they talk themselves out of a sale at this point. Control that urge to add anything. Stay grounded and watch for body language or words that signal that anyone is uncomfortable. If you see it... a sudden shift or wishy washy words, stop. Ask. Something like "I think I said something that made you uncomfortable" or "what does we are close mean, sometimes, when I hear that is really means that I made someone feel uncomfortable... did I?"
9. Ask at the end of your presentation, "on a scale of 1 to 10, if 1 was, you would not buy and 8 was you would move to the next step, where are you on that scale?" If they are below five, go back... ask "I must have missed something... what do you think I missed or what is missing that would help you get to a five on that scale?" If they are over five, say a 7 ask, what would they like to do next? You may have a sale and listen intently here because whatever they ask you to do next... do it... and then ask again after you have...
10. Closing is as simple as asking, if you get to an 8 on the scale in step 9, "what would you like me to do next"... no fancy closes to remember.
11. Post close... before you leave ask one more time after you have the PO or check...  "are you sure that we are all set on this... why don't you wait until tomorrow... why don't I leave you the check overnight?"

    If you really have the sale, they will say, "no, no issues, let's get going." If you have missed something they will tell you and you can solve it. How many times have you thought you made a sale only to find out they changed their minds the next day. Why do you think so many states have the 72 hour right of rescission law? Get the decision cemented in by asking one more time. This has worked for me EVERY TIME. I have never, ever, lost a sale using this. I have when I did not remember to ask.

You can follow this system or make notes on what is working for you and add what you like to that. If something you are using is working, do not change that. Add to it certainly.

Ask other successful salespeople what they are doing and build your own system.

Either way, follow a system and your success will follow. Ray Kroc did it with McDonalds didn't he?

Gratefully yours,
Steve

Upcoming Classes...
Men's Put up, Shut up and Wake up Weekend: A Gathering of Men's Wisdom - March 23rd
If you know anyone who is interested in working on themselves... please send them my way... 3/23, 5/25, 7/20, 9/14, 11/9, 1/25/08, 3/28/08.

Call 978-257-0610 or e-mail me at steve@prosperityinstitute.com for details......