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Overview
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780692259122 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Executive Books |
| Publication date: | 03/03/2015 |
| Pages: | 319 |
| Product dimensions: | 6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.00(d) |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
Selling Value
Key Principles of Value-Based Selling
By Don Hutson
Tremendous Life Books
Copyright © 2014 Don HutsonAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-936354-44-3
CHAPTER 1
The Mental Profile of a Sales Champion
"One cannot directly choose his circumstances, but he can choose his thoughts and indirectly, yet surely, shape his circumstances."
James Allen
ATTITUDE MAKES THE DIFFERENCE
Congratulations for embarking on this learning experience. You have demonstrated that you have an attitude that is receptive to the improvement process, and that's huge—you are in the minority! We all experience a nice bump in self-esteem when we learn new skills that work. A person with high self-esteem naturally seeks the inspiration that comes with learning and growing through such skills as Selling Value, Goal Setting, and the many others we'll cover. I'm convinced this book will help you stretch, grow, and earn more, and I am delighted you have joined us in this experience. My promise is, if you immerse yourself in this content, and learn the skills, more success and prosperity are on the way.
The premise of this chapter is relatively simple but profoundly important. Important enough that it is often the difference between success and failure, or even modest success as compared to magnificent success. Here it is: The attitude you project to others during the sales process influences the response you get, and that attitude is your responsibility, your challenge and your choice. I want you to see this as an opportunity to be seized, not just a task to be accomplished.
The first principle I would ask you to buy into is that attitude is a decision you make many times a day – it is entirely up to you how you handle it. It can be your biggest burden or your greatest opportunity! Every day our attitude is based on the mental programming we individually subscribe to. It is our job to present ourselves in the best way possible.
WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET
Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, the late author of The Power of Positive Thinking, told me over dinner one night years ago in Calgary: "Don, I have spent half my life trying to convince people that if they will just think positively and nurture positive expectations that they WILL get more positive results!" He was totally convincing, and his life's work validated his philosophy.
In sales and in life, there is an axiom known as "The Law of the Self-Fulfilling Prophecy." One application of it might well have been on the first page of the first sales book you ever read which goes like this: "Whether you think you are going to make a sale or you think you're not, you are usually right!" Is the power of our own expectations that critical to our success? I'm convinced the answer is an unequivocal yes.
Your attitude will normally be perceived in one of three ways: positive, negative, or apathetic. Great salespeople display an optimistic, hopeful, positive attitude about life and the solutions they are presenting. If you don't believe in your products and solutions, believe me, your prospect won't either.
Do you know what causes salespeople to fail? I spear-headed a survey for Sales and Marketing Executives International, while on their board of directors, in an effort to find out what caused salespeople to fail. The first two items on the list that we learned from our exhaustive search for the answers were very illuminating: The number one failure factor of salespeople was that they failed to properly organize their time and/or their efforts – more on that in a later chapter. It's the second factor that got my attention: The number two failure factor of salespeople is that they negatively, unjustifiably, prejudge the quality of a prospect or the outcome of a sales call. The implication is that many of us shoot ourselves in the foot with a weak attitude or negative expectations, then limp in to make the half-hearted sales call. Let's be sure we NEVER negatively prejudge—give it your best shot every time.
Success in selling is dependent upon having several different critical skill sets, but the foundation of a successful sales career begins with an optimistic attitude. With it, you have a great shot at success; without it you are trying to build a career on an unstable foundation. Remember, it's rare to see whiners winning, or winners whining, in sales organizations today. This is the reason the "Head Game" is so critical to our success.
Greet others with a positive opening. Focus on possibilities and the potential of your business relationship with them as your foundation for success. It was once said that success can only occur when opportunity and preparation meet. I concur. And part of our preparation for achieving great success in selling is to create a mental framework that will position each of us for exceptional results. Without a strong "head game", we are building our career on a shaky foundation.
THE ADVANTAGES OF OPTIMISM
It is my hope that you have now accepted the fact that you make your own decision on the attitudes you possess. Study the subject and make conscious decisions that are in your own enlightened self-interest, and you will be positioning yourself for a life of higher achievement. Much research has indicated that optimistic thinkers achieve more, do better in school, and enjoy more career-related successes than their pessimistic counterparts. Pessimists tend to display a shallower belief in themselves, with lower levels of confidence, and tend to get depressed more often.
In his excellent book The Optimism Advantage, Dr. Terry Paulson talks about the practicality of turning your attitudes and actions into positive results. He says that a decision to be an optimist results in you being your own best supporter, while pessimism will result in you being your own worst enemy.
It is really easy to adopt the victim mentality today. Things go wrong many times a day and the easiest thing to do is blame others, get defensive, and go into "poor me" mode. A disciplined optimist refuses to succumb to the temptation to go negative. They know that the positive thinkers tend to get more positive results and they persist in making possibilities become realities. Paulson says the choice is yours. You can trade in your victim mentality and learned helplessness for the optimistic attitudes and actions that will help you develop your own brand of resilience and resourcefulness.
Dr. Martin Seligman, the former president of the American Psychological Association, has challenged psychologists to focus more on positive psychology. In his best-selling book Learned Optimism, he asserts that, "Pessimists believe that all misfortunes are their fault, are enduring, and will undermine everything they do." That kind of thinking would do anyone in. The way we think about things can actually diminish or enlarge controls and outcomes. I've never seen a great sales professional who was a devout pessimist. The greats have made the choice for a positive mindset and are largely busy enjoying the fruits of their decision.
Seligman further suggests that, "Our workplace and schools operate on the conventional assumption that success results from a combination of talent and desire. When failure occurs, it is because either talent or desire is missing." His thesis is that when you factor in optimism, better outcomes are on the way.
The famous trial lawyer Edward Bennett Williams was once asked by an interviewer, "Are you a pessimist?" He said, "Of course I'm a pessimist; I'm smart."
I don't buy the assumption that smart people are necessarily negative thinkers. If anything, I believe the reverse is true. Smart individuals have the capacity to consider positive outcomes and possibilities, and strategies to make good things happen. If someone chooses to be a pessimist, it is his own sad fault.
The premise I subscribe to is that attitude is a personal decision that we must make several times a day, and that attitudes do indeed determine outcomes. Remember the words of Good to Great author Jim Collins, "You must maintain unwavering faith that you can and will prevail in the end, regardless of the difficulties—and at the same time, have the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever it might be."
NICE RIDE!
Don't ever negatively prejudge the result of a sales encounter. On a Saturday morning in Indianapolis, two Rolls-Royce salespeople were standing on the showroom floor talking. An old fellow walked in wearing dirty cover-alls with a couple of holes in the knees. He walked over and looked at the Rolls Royce in the showroom, and the salesperson who was up to talk to the next customer thought, what a waste of time, so he blew him off.
So the other salesperson walked over and welcomed him to the dealership. He was courteous and accommodating to him. He subscribed to the philosophy of never, ever prejudging anybody. You don't prejudge them by how they dress; you don't prejudge them by your initial impression. It worked out for this salesman because Mr. Lilly of Eli Lilly Pharmaceuticals bought two Rolls-Royces that morning. One was for himself and one was for his wife. He then went back home and finished his yard work. Don't ever negatively prejudge. If you are going to do any prejudging, positively prejudge.
Is the projection of a balanced, positive demeanor something others have learned to expect of you? If so, that's good. It demonstrates that you have cultivated a very positive habit. Confucius said, "He who cannot smile should not keep shop." I say, "He who does not smile often does not sell often." In selling any product, service, or idea, your disposition will have an impact on the response to your proposition.
REFLEXIVE RESPONSES
When someone asks you, "How are you?" or "How's it going?" what do you say? Most people never stop to think about the impact their answer to that simple question will have. An optimistic answer, accompanied by a pleasant smile, not only helps you build rapport quicker, it also makes you more of a pleasure to do talk to. No one wants to have to carry a pessimistic burden on their shoulders. Be a carrier of sunshine, not sadness.
The mental attitude you display to others becomes much like an invisible magnet which sets the stage for your interaction. It can pull you up to the heights of high achievers who expect good things from life, or it can pull you down among the groveling pessimists.
If we're to get positive results, we must say and do things that contribute to the kind of positive environment that is conducive to successful selling. Another vital reason for a positive response to this simple question is that you are not only setting the stage for the interaction, you are participating in positive self-talk that can intensify your conviction.
THREE CATEGORIES OF MENTAL PROFILE
Let's take a look at three basic categories of mental profile and see if you recognize yourself among them.
In the first category, we find the blind optimist. You've met the blind optimist before. That's the salesperson who is so high and ebullient that you wonder when and if they will ever come in for a landing. This individual is so overwhelmingly optimistic that he or she has difficulty handling problems and routine negative events when they occur.
Don't get me wrong. I really appreciate an individual with a wholesome attitude and an optimistic demeanor. The problem with blind optimists is that their brand of optimism is loud and shallow. When the blind optimist meets with rejection, very often they don't just come in for a landing—they crash!
In earlier years, I was a blind optimist in some ways. For 10 years, I pursued the fun and rewarding hobby of collecting classic and antique cars. I secured some from other collections, but I often purchased these collectibles at classic car auctions throughout the United States. During this chapter in my life, I made an amusing discovery: A blindly optimistic participant in a classic car auction can get his financial knees knocked out from under him in short order. I learned the hard way the subtle and discreet clues to look for in evaluating a car. What you see is not always what you get. I paid handsomely for this learning experience.
While high-performance salespeople project a positive demeanor, they aren't blind optimists. Top pros know that no matter how hard they try and how well prepared they are, they are not going to make a sale every time. This fact is simply a reality of the marketplace. Top pros seem to be mentally prepared for any eventuality.
The high performer may miss one sale, but then he goes on and makes three more sales that day to make up for the one that got away. The blind optimist may be so overwhelmed by one "No" that he or she simply can't get going again. This is non-productive, peak-and-valley behavior. Don't allow yourself to be so optimistic that you are emotionally ill-equipped to deal with reality, which invariably deals us rejection, periodic discontent and unavoidable problems along with the joy we are entitled to.
In the second category of mental profiles we find the reality optimist. This is the category in which most high performance sales professionals are found.
Reality optimists think rationally when they go out into the marketplace. They say to themselves, "My conversion rate has been X lately. Now I'm going to try to reach 100 percent, but after I've given it my best shot, if I don't make a sale, I'm not going to let that ruin my day."
As a salesperson, you can listen to CDs, watch DVDs and instructional videos, you can read books, you can pick the brains of your sales manager—all these things are good and can help you improve your conversion rate. While these factors can have an impact on it, you can never control the behavior of your prospective clients. When a client declines to buy, the reality optimist says to himself, "Okay, I'll get the sale next time!" and then goes right on to the next client. You may not be in control of a client's decision, but you can be in control of how you will let rejection affect your attitude.
I have never met a high performance professional who did not have belief and optimism. These individuals are well balanced and organized, so that when they do experience rejection, it's like water off a duck's back. The blind optimist, by contrast, sets himself or herself up for failure due to an inability to handle negative events of the marketplace.
In the third category of mental profile we find the pessimist. This is the person who cheers everyone up when he leaves the room.
Once a salesman and sales manager were making calls. The manager said, "Hey, that looks like a great prospect over there! We've never called on that company. Let's make a cold call on them right now."
The pessimistic salesman said, "Might as well skip it. They're lousy prospects. I haven't called on them, but I've heard about them. They're not going to buy anything from us."
The sales manager came unglued. He said, "What kind of attitude is that? If you're going to be successful in the profession of selling, you've got to be positive!"
The salesman replied, "OK boss, I'm positive they ain't gonna buy anything from us!"
Given the choice, I can't imagine why anyone would prefer to think negatively, but many do. Negative thinking is usually a carelessly acquired bad habit rather than a well-thought-out decision. Instead, vigorously nurture the habit of reality optimism.
The pessimist stacks the cards against himself. The reality optimist not only stacks the cards in his favor; some would say he controls the game.
OUTLOOK AFFECTS OUTCOMES
Our thinking processes control much of our life, and the image we have of ourselves certainly affects our sales performance. My favorite author and literary mentor Orison Swett Marden said, "A one-talent person with an overmastering self-faith often accomplishes infinitely more than a ten-talent person who does not believe in himself."
A study conducted several years ago by the University of Chicago supports the theory that your outlook can actually affect your life. The study even revealed that people who are ill but don't think of themselves as sick often enjoy a better healthier life than people who are not sick but believe they are.
What causes people to be negative and pessimistic anyway? Pessimistic people experience what they perceive as a negative event or situation and they choose to become depressed. Perhaps it's a subconscious choice, but that's the result—depression. We are born to win but sometimes self-conditioned to lose.
We also attract what we think. Negative thoughts produce negative results. On the other hand, positive thoughts are the basis for successful attitudes and successful habits, habits that lead directly to positive results in everything we do.
High performance salespeople realize the importance of keeping a positive, realistic, wholesome frame of reference. They know that positive expectations lead to positive results.
The image and attitude you project are largely developed by habit. If you have the habit of projecting negative thoughts and feelings, reevaluate your behavior and make a conscious effort to change. The payoff could be great.
Remember that fear, doubt, and continuous procrastination are symptoms of the disease called lack of confidence, and lack of confidence is nurtured by negative thinking and the absence of an action plan. In the words of the philosopher William James, "It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult undertaking which, more than anything else, will determine its successful outcome."
The pessimist sees the problems in each opportunity, while the optimist sees the opportunities in each problem. High performance salespeople see themselves as professional problem-solvers. They capitalize on each opportunity with a positive belief in the results they can gain and the people they can help.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Selling Value by Don Hutson. Copyright © 2014 Don Hutson. Excerpted by permission of Tremendous Life Books.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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Table of Contents
Part I Mastering the Headgame
Chapter 1 The Mental Profile of a Sales Champion 23
Chapter 2 Minimizing Rejection and Maximizing Performance 47
Chapter 3 Internalizing the New Model for Successful Selling 65
Part II Your Blueprint for Sales Success
Chapter 4 Goal Setting and Achievement 83
Chapter 5 Managing Yourself and Your Market 105
Chapter 6 How to Build a Loyal Following 131
Part III Understanding Your Customer
Chapter 7 The Psychology of Selling 143
Chapter 8 Adapting to Your Customer 157
Chapter 9 Understanding their Needs 179
Chapter 10 Questioning and Listening Expertise 195
Part IV Securing and Growing the Business
Chapter 11 Establishing the Value of Your Solution 217
Chapter 12 Presenting Your Value Proposition 239
Chapter 13 Separating Yourself from the Competition 263
Chapter 14 Getting the Order 279
Chapter 15 Maximizing Relationships 293
Acknowledgements 307
About the Author 309
Author's Services 311
Reccommended Reading 313