BRCbuilders e-zine

Dear Reader,

Last week I talked to an insurance salesman named Frank. Frank is somewhat successful but he tends to be pushy.

The funny thing about Frank is he knows he's pushy and proclaims the reason for his success is because he "doesn't take no for an answer".

Frank got me thinking about the psychology of sales - which happens to be one of my favorite studies. I've always liked learning why people buy; what motivates them; and what turns them off.

In this issue I'm going to talk about what most people hate to do - sell, and along the way demonstrate that the word "salesman" shouldn't be a "four letter" word.

To start this exercise, when you think of the word "salesman", what words and visions come to your mind?

If you're having trouble thinking of a few words, try thinking of a salesman you know or have met. It could be a car, insurance, or even a door-to-door salesman. Now what are some words that come to mind?


Pushy?
Desperate?
Foot-in-the door?
One who hawks his wares?
Confounding?
Poor Listener?
Unreasonable?
Self-Centered?
Scare Tactician?

All of the terms above have negative meanings and connotations, don't they? Did you happen to think of any positive words? Words like:

Consultant?
Enjoyable?
Good Listener?
Beneficial?
Agreeable?
Problem Solver?
Negotiator?

Probably not. Salesmen get a bad rap, but much of it is self-induced. For the average person to think so negatively of the term "salesman", the term had to have been long-ingrained in our heads as a bad word - almost on par with the dreaded four letter variety.

Let's not kid ourselves. Are we salespeople? Of course we are. Everyone who sells a product or service is a salesperson and is viewed as such, at least initially, whether we like to admit it or not.

We're seemingly stuck with the stigma of being labeled a "salesperson", aren't we? When our prospects and clients call us, many times they initially expect to be pushed or pulled into a sale they don't necessarily want.

Prospects and clients are preconditioned by their experiences and the experiences of their friends, peers and family members. The worst salesman usually bring out the worst buyers.

Most business owners and staff want the sale and they'll do whatever they can to get it. And our prospects and clients know it.

But there's good news. While people generally hate to be sold, they LOVE TO BUY.

How can this be? How can the very people who know we're salesmen and know, through experience, that they'll likely be pushed into a sale actually love to buy?

No, it's not that they're psychotic; deep inside qualified prospects and customers know they want or need the product or service we're offering. That fact is, the turning point between prospect and client most often hinges on our answers (and reactions) to their questions.

Sometimes, even, the questions they haven't even asked!

Here's an example:

Prospect: "How much do you charge?"
Salesperson: "We charge $XXX"

How do we know the prospect even knows what to ask? Bad salesmen always assume the prospect has done her research and, in this example, believes the prospect to be totally price-oriented. Let's review how a good salesman answers the same question.

Prospect: "How much do you charge?"
Salesperson: "Before I get to our pricing, do you mind if I ask a few questions?"
Prospect: "Sure"

Now the salesperson asks relevant questions to prequalify the prospect. I call this "Objection Management" and we'll cover this important topic in a future edition.

The ability of the salesperson to overcome objections is often the turning point from what the prospect views to be a "salesman" into the view of a "consultant".

Let's get something out right here and now. Not everyone is a qualified prospect or client. No matter if we do the best dog and pony show we've ever performed, dropped our price in half, and did 2 dozen backflips in a row for them; we simply cannot be all things to all prospects and clients.

Unfortunately, bad salesman further the stigma by trying to be all things to all people. They say things like, "are you sure you're not interested?" or "hold on a second, if it's low price you're after how about I give you a discount?", or GASP! even ask for the sale 5 times.

Bad salespeople bring all of us good salespeople down with them. Bad salespeople condition prospects and customers to believe that we work for everyone no matter the circumstances.

When you talk to your prospects and clients, how do they view you? Are you (and your employees) viewed in list A or B above? Please note not all is lost due to bad salesmen. From the first call to the acceptance of payment, we have an opportunity to become consultants, otherwise known as "good salespeople".

To become good salespeople or consultants, we should strive to lift the stigma attached to the word "salesman" by prequalification, being truly concerned with what our prospects and clients want or need, becoming good listeners, identifying their problems through troubleshooting, and then something beautiful often happens.

The PROSPECT asks for the sale.

That's the way it should be, isn't it? A prospect qualifies herself through your consulting and ultimately leads herself to the best logical conclusion - which is your product or service.

I don't know about you but I'd rather not be like Frank the pushy insurance salesman. I'm sure his "not taking no for an answer" has created a sale or two for him, but at what expense?

Not even Frank knows the answer to that but I truly believe his adversarial salesmanship adds to the stigma that we GOOD salespeople face.

The term "Salesman" shouldn't be and doesn't have to be a four letter word at all. By applying good salesmanship (consulting) we can break free of the stigma and further become the lone "Top Banana" amongst the bushel of "oranges".

As your prospects and clients become more internet savvy, it's becoming increasingly important for your company website to be listed on the front page or two of the major search engines.

In the world of internet, being listed on the first two pages of a search engine is EVERYTHING. The higher up the better. Through the proper use of keywords, backlinks and other strategies, virtually any website can command prime Search Engine real estate.

Unfortunately, too many web builders don't know a thing about Search Engine Optimization (SEO). There are a few that do, however, but how do you know they know? SEO is not an area where you merely hope and pray they know. Would you blindly cut a check for a marketing piece that was delivered shotgun-style?

In a previous issue of BRCbuilders e-zine I told you I was working on a comprehensive guide on getting your website to the top of search engines like Google, Yahoo, and MSN.

About 10 hours into the project, while doing some research, I stumbled on a guide that not only was FAR ahead of what I knew about SEO but is also completely free of charge. Forgive me but right then and there I scrapped the idea of re-inventing the wheel. How I wish I could get those 10 hours back...

Anyway, just so you know, the authors of this free e- book DO sell something. What good salesman (consultant) wouldn't help their prospects determine the best logical answer is their product?

Regardless of whether you decide to purchase or not, the free guide is PACKED with great advice and strategies to get your site to the top without having to spend a dime. Their software definitely makes some of the techniques they describe easier, but everything the book describes can be done without their software.

How do I know? I bought it!

After studying the free e-book and using the software I can easily say it was a no-brainer purchase. But you don't have to buy it if you don't like - it just makes optimizing your site easier. The free e-book tells you everything you need to know.

Get your totally free copy by clicking on the book image:

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This site belongs to a friend of mine - Dick Larkin. Dick is a "retired" Yellow Pages book executive and is one of a handful of Yellow Pages professionals that "gets it". He's charming, witty, and offers some doggone good online and offline marketing advice. Be sure to sign up for his free e-zine.

So you want to take your business to the next level - REAL QUICK - and you're tired of making the same mistakes over and over again?

Tire no longer, potential Top Banana, I'm here to help! With over 15 years of cleaning and restoration business building experience and 25 years of systemization, I'm ready to teach you everything necessary to get from point A to point B in record time. When you sign up we'll work on dozens of strategies to skyrocket your business quickly, I'll teach you how to "give good phone", negotiate your way to major cleaning profits, and teach you why doing quotes, demos, and presentations are a MAJOR waste of YOUR valuable time! You'll learn the many strategies on how to get a qualified person from a no to a yes - right over the phone - with NO pushy salesmanship, no sneaky tactics, and no bashing.

Of course there's more - MUCH more. Together we'll work on your finances, your marketing, your employees, your customers, your dreams, your goals, and most important, your TOTAL success as a business owner and person! And if that wasn't enough, I'll teach you one simple strategy (out of the dozens we'll work on together) that will pay your entire tuition to Cleaningmentor University.

Are you ready to take off now? If so, I can be reached @ 877-549-7715. I even answer my own phones whenever possible. (what a guy, huh?)