Jim Dunn

What do you find difficult with having the deeper conversation with the prospect to get pain/ gain? Is the prospect not sharing? Are you not asking the right questions to really learn the prospects challenges, issues or vision? Do we sometimes find ourselves solving their problems prematurely? The easy answer to that last question is if you get stuck in doing a proposal and not getting the project/ deal.

This past week, what was your best lesson learned on a sales call? Was it a success, or was it a failure? Sometimes our best lessons learned are when we fail. Have you ever thought about that? The question is what did we learn and what will we do different the next time? What if there was an exercise where you could track your greatest lessons learned? This would include questions from the prospect that you didn’t handle well, and a way to keep your confidence level high (even when your performance was not your best). There is and it’s called an Attitude/ Behavior Journal. It is one of the golden nuggets of the Sandler Training experience

“Do the thing you fear the most, and the thing you fear the most will become your greatest asset!” - David Sandler Sometimes the things we fear the most when calling on a prospective client (removing an incumbent, tackling a price issue head on, and asking the tough pertinent questions) are what create the highest levels of trust. Why do we doubt ourselves? Why do we struggle with becoming vulnerable and transparent? Why do we fail to become more gutsy and assertive (not aggressive or angry) in asking / discussing through the real issues of why the customer won’t change or commit to your company, even when it’s in their best interest to do so?

Okay, you’re on the phone or face to face with a great prospect. How would you grade yourself on learning what the real problem is? How do you know? The Devine assessment gives us all a good indicator of how competent we are with this skill. So, if you have it, go to page 5 and check your score from 1-99. If you have not taken one or care to retake, please contact our office (for a fee) so we can have you assessed. Now turn to page 6 or 7 depending how you scored and you’ll notice there are 7 behaviors that comprise reading the situation.

How referable are you? What do your customers/ clients say about you when you’re not around? What do you proactively do so well that your customers would never replace you, and want to ensure your future success?

The quality of your ROI with Sandler Training is in direct proportion to the clarity and exactness of your upfront contracts. “An Upfront Contract is a mechanism by which the salesperson and the prospect agree, before a meeting, to exactly what will take place at that meeting.”

OK…..the results are in regarding the 33 Day Challenge. A 90% drop out rate- wow! My critical parent (telling you, convincing you, using quit will not work) and my child (anger, rage ranting will not work either) I’m leaving in my car (yes, I have the air condition on). This tells me the why was not compelling enough, and I’ll take responsibility for that. If you’re wondering what the 33 Day Challenge is all about, then you’re not alone. At our President’s Club meeting in June we discussed the Attitude/ Behavior Journal, known as A/B journal. The challenge was to have 33 business days (M-F) of using the A/B journal and coming back to evaluate the results. Out of 35 in attendance 30 hands shot up and said “I’m in.” What happened?

Do you have something that you use and when doing so it works 100% of the time? If you had it would you use it? Well you have such an instrument; the Prospect Qualification Checklist, or PQL- a 10 step process of using the Sandler methodology and getting a pre-determined outcome. Use it and you’ll see a 75% closing ratio. Don’t use it and well you know that too; you’ll go back to that 15-35% closing ratio that 90% of sales people experience.

Are you a Trusted Advisor or a vendor? What’s the difference? Lots! Trusted Advisors have earned the following: getting new business without price objections, clients and customers ask for recommendations (and they follow them), and they are introduced to other top decision makers who want to do business with them. Vendors have to live with the opposite of these. So, which part of the equation would you like to be? Don’t be so quick to answer because it is not for the light of heart or character. Are you willing to pay the price and make the investment that all trusted advisors have to earn?

Discipline…..vitality … .guts - not sure if I like those words. The Action Triangle is made up of those three words and yes, “winners act regardless of how they feel.” The “At–Leasters” of life act when they feel like it; consequently they perform inconsistently and are often the first to be let go. Are you consistently reaching or exceeding your sales revenue goals? If so, then these three words are part of your character and you’re performing as the winner you see yourself to be. If not, you are still a winner and we may need to change some of our habits. Remember the book, Power of Habit, by Charles Duhigg?