My Notes on “The Sales Bible – The Ultimate Sales Resource” by Jeffrey Gitomer:
The new rules of selling
- Say it (sell it) in terms of what the customers wants, needs, and understands (not in terms of what you’ve got to offer)
- Gather personal information (and learn how to use it)
- Built friendships (people want to buy from friends, not salesmen)
- Build a relationship shield that no competitor can pierce
- Establish common ground (issues and things in common will draw us closer)
- Gain confidence (once you have motivated them to act, you’d better have built enough confidence to buy, or they’ll buy from someone else)
- Have fun and be funny (laughter is tacit approval which leads to contractual approval)
- Never get caught selling – sound like a friend who is trying to help
- The best sales people have the best attitude, best product knowledge, give the best service
How the customer wants to be treated
- Just give me the facts, I don’t want a long, drawn-out spiel. After you get to know me a little, get to the point
- Give me a good reason why this product/service is perfect for me
- Show me I’m not alone. Tell me about a similar situation where someone like me succeeded
- Show me a letter from a satisfied customer
- Listen to me when I talk – I’m trying to tell you what I want to buy, and you’re too busy trying to sell me what you’ve got. Shut up and listen
How to find the hot button, ask questions about:
- Status and situation (vacation, kids college, business status, history)
- Pride (biggest success in business, biggest goal this year)
- Personal interests (free time activities, sports, hobbies)
- What should he do if he didn’t have to work – real dreams and ambitions
- Goals – objective for the company this year, plan to meet that objective, what’s the biggest barrier in the way?
- Look at everything in the office of interest – the bigger, more prominent the better
How to ask a Power Question
- Make a factual statement that can’t be refuted
- Make a personal observation that reflects your experience and creates credibility
- Ask an open-ended question that incorporates the first 2 stages
Eg:
- You know, Mr. Jones, document processing is an integral part of the operation of any business
- My experience has shown me that many business fail to put enough emphasis on the quality and cost control of their documents. They fail to realise that every time a copy is sent to a customer, it reflects the image and quality of their business
- How are you ensuring that the quality of your copies reflects the quality of your business?
How to make Power Statements
- The objective is to persuade and motivate the prospect or customer to act.
- Just think of what will benefit the customer.
- Not a boring description, but a vivid, energetic, benefit filled picture that has the prospect wanting more
- Power statements are memorable opening lines
- Mindset:
- Don’t’ sell drill bits – sell the perfectly smooth holes they create
- Don’t’ sell printing – sell brochures that will reflect your prospects image and impact sales
- Don’t sell cars – sell prestige and status and smooth ride
- Don’t sell insurance – sell safe, financially secure families protected from tragedy
- Don’t sell eyeglasses – sell better vision and a stylish look
How to write a 30 second personal commercial
- State who you are
- State who your company is
- Creatively tell what you do
- Ask one or a series of Power Questions
- Make a Power Statement that shows how you can help others
- End with why the prospect should act now
How to cold call door-to-door
Hi, my name is Sheldon and I was wondering if you could help me [everyone wants to help]. I want to leave some information about [my product/service]. Who decides on that type of thing?
Great, now I know the decision maker, time to double qualify “What would his position be?” “Is there anyone else he works with on this type of decision?” If I get questioned: “We usually mail two packages of information if there are two people involved in the decision”
Bold move time: “I’m leaving this information and a note for him. I wonder if I could get his card?”
“When would be the best time to call him?”
“Thank you so much for helping me. I really appreciate it. What was your name?” “Thank you [name].”
How NOT to follow up by phone
- Don’t ask “did you get the information I sent you?”. Say this instead: “I’m calling about the information I sent. It wasn’t completely self-explanatory, and I’d like an opportunity to discuss it with you personally for about 5 to 10 minutes.”
Weak, door-closing opening lines:
- Could I have a few minutes of your time?
- I was wondering if maybe you would be interested in…
- Is the boss in?
- I have an idea that can save you money.
Strong, effective opening lines
- I need your help
- I know you actually run the place, but could I speak to the person who thinks they do?
- Is the king in?
- I need a loan for $50,000. I wonder if you could help me
- I was just next door with ____, and she thought I might be able to help you the same way I helped her company
- (In summer on a scorching day) I just friend an egg on my car and was wondering if you have any salt ad pepper?
How to make a cold call hot: Focus on negative prevention.
- Get them to share what dissatisfies them. Motivate them to show discontent with their current situation. Tell them how they’ll safeguard profits, eliminate worry, overcome fear and avoid the terror of customer complaints. Prospects are just as motivated to avoid losing something they already have as they are to buy something new.
How to deal with objections
- Listen carefully, let the prospect talk it out completely
- No matter what, agree at first (to avoid an argument)
- Ask if it is the only reason he or she won’t purchase
- Confirm it by rephrasing “In other words, if it wasn’t for ____, you’d buy my service. Is that true, Mr Jones?”
- Qualify the objection to set up the close “So if I were able to ___, would that be enough for you to make a decision?” or “Would you buy it from me now if the price were lower?”
- Resolve the issue
- Ask a closing question
- Confirm the answer and the sale (“when do you want it delivered?”)
When you answer a prospect’s question, avoid two words – “yes” and “now”
- “Do you have this model?” “Yes.” Mistake!
- Instead, use the prospects question to confirm the sale:
- “Do you have this model?” “Is this the model you want?” or “How soon can someone be here?” “How soon do you need someone here?”
Classic technique to use when leaving voicemail
- Leave a partial message that includes your name and number, then pretend to get cut off in mid sentence as you’re getting to the important part of the message. Cut it off in mid word. It works because the prospect can’t stand not knowing the rest of the information or thinks his voice mail is broken.
- Eg: “… they were talking about you and said…” “…I found your…” “…your competition said…”
More Tips
- Customers and prospects always have time for valuable information and new ideas to help them build their business. Does your customer need another brochure or would they rather have a hot sales lead? Send them a newspaper or magazine article about their business. Send them something about their competition.
- With existing customers, give a referral a month, get a referral a month
- The most effective sales call is 25% questioning/talking and 75% listening
- Don’t focus on how much money you can save them. That approach seems to be wearing thin
- Tip for sales letter: State your objective or purpose of your letter in the first sentence. Use headline or subhead