The Law of Nature in Sales & The Art of Selling
MASTERSALES CLASS 1.
Part One : The Law of Nature in Sales
The act of selling or advertising a product operates on 3 basic stages. They are attraction- attention and action.
If you look into nature and the reproduction cycle between males and females- especially birds such as peacocks we can see how this works in real life.
The male in many of bird species are usually the one with the most beautiful plumage or feathers. In some species birds actually build beautiful nests for the female before mating. In others its the dance. Sometimes birds even team up in twos to catch the females eye.
You can watch wildlife programmes and see this for yourself.
In the first stage the male attracts the female with his feathers and tries to catch her eye. Once that is done he will strut or dance and turn that attraction into attention. In sales or promotion usually to generate a lead the cold caller will try to offer a free discount or gift.
Perhaps he or she will present the product in an attractive light that sucks the female or the client in. In America prospects looking at houses were offered a free TV to come and view the property. I remember getting one to drive all the way from Los Angeles to Palm Springs. But its not always like this.
It could be a discount that week - a black friday or a green monday. it could be a smiling sales person who offers to clean your hand with a magic skin cream for FREE... this is the first stage...
THE HOOK.
the important thing is to catch your client or prospect as they go by...in some countries in the Middle East ( especially outside the Blue Mosque in Istanbul they will offer you a cup of apple tea free of obligation... they will call you into their shop to take a 5 minute rest... it doesn't matter... but their aim is to ATTRACT you within their orbit...
where you have a captivation...
suddenly you are overwhelmed by the smells or the fragrance of the tea or the smooth voice of the sales person... and you find yourself in the next stage of the sale... - ATTENTION...
it is here that the salesman will do two things..one he or she will qualify you or see if you are a potential buyer or not and two tell you all about the wonderful product or service they have for sale.
THE RIGHT BAIT.
This is where the bird or the sales person must mesmerise the prospect ... the female remember is the one who will chose the mate- but its understanding WHY they will chose that one and not another...
do the feathers look healthy? is the dance magnetic... does it feel right ? - in the place of the sale person they realise there is only a moment in time where they must deliver the message ... and they need to get it right.
And that is what happens. But now its time to convert their attention which can be distracted so easily... into action... what do they do?
-the sales person closes with an attractive offer .... and is ready to negotiate a discount if necessary or a freebie if they suddenly walk away... the sales person handles all the objections of the prospect one by one... until there is nothing left to say except... yes or no.
THE RIGHT MOMENT.
And the same with the birds mating ritual. The female allows herself to enter the act of copulation... the prospect becomes the client... and buys the product or service because he or she feels clarity and is comfortable to buy that carpet or chair or painting... or house...
the deal is done. Just like in the Nature... the product is sold.
Part Two : Cold Calling Principles
To be a good cold caller whether its knocking on doors or banging on the phone you need to figure out the 3 principles of cold calling... what are they ? it can be likened to fishing. But more of that later.
1. Its a numbers game. All cold callers on any medium whether its the phone or the pavement or the internet will tell you the same thing... its a numbers game.
Today decisions are made much faster because communications are faster... but it remains a numbers game. You might bang on 100 doors in 4 hours but on the phone you can do more. And its less tiring. I recall working for a charity in the UK and I've tried stopping people on the street...calling on the phone and banging on doors... and it came to one thing...the more people I contacted..the more sales I made.
Its not always the case though...I've sold encyclopaedias door to door...I banged on 1000 doors when I was 15 and sold only one set of greeting cards... sometimes its you...sometimes its the product...
I collected money for bibles in Africa and I've also done bob a job for the scouts... when I was 14... I found in this case the product was better and then I came to an understanding of WHAT I need to sell.
But in general...you need to realise there are only so many working hours in the day...and if no one wants what you have to offer... NEXT... if you reach 400 people in a day... you have a better chance of making a sale...so TIME is important...but not always... the important thing to realise is its not personal..its business... its a numbers game..so keep on moving. Spread your seeds.
COMMUNICATE FROM NON EXISTENCE. Thats sales.
2. Have a good script - Because much of sales is all about repetition. You need to get your script down to memory and that way it becomes more impersonal. Remember you are a human and you need to be detached in sales - emotionally.
Or else you will get drained. Especially if you're selling a product you don't believe in.
3. Be confident - Sales is all about self confidence. If you're not confident in your product at least be confident in yourself. Take 5 if necessary and look in the mirror and practise your script... also learn off by heart all the objections and the instant response. If you need to build confidence... role play with one of your colleagues also in all cold calling believe in what you are selling even if its a piece of shit.
4. Teamwork is Dreamwork:
Most cold callers on the street have a buddy- a wingman.... there is something about having a cold calling buddy that pushes sales up. This collective energy or hive mind of two or more people working together urges you on and keeps you focussed.
You compare notes.. you compete... you encourage ... most good sales companies always team up people together to disciple each other - to ensure you dont go offscript and sometimes to report back to the supervisor where you need to improve. Two heads are always better than.one. Gold miners never went out alone into the wilderness. They always had a partner.
5. Do cold calling in the morning or early evening - timing is everything. People are always fresher in the morning. The last thing they want to hear is someone cold calling them in the afternoon or just before lunch when their stomach is growling.
People naturally lose focus in the afternoon after lunch. You want to catch them when they are awake not asleep.
In the night time always do it between 6 and 830 pm Never after 9 pm. We always were aware of eating habits and schedules and you need to nail your call down to when people are alert.
6. Keep Notes- Keep a diary : You meet someone but they just arnt ready... they tell you to come back... most sales are made on the day... the moment you leave this fish to swim..it will swim away..but sometimes you have a feeling that if you call back you will close... and you do... and the more you know about your prospect the better ...so write it down...preparation is the mother of invention... and sometimes you need to go off script and invent a close.
7. Be like a duck : What happens if you pour water onto a ducks back? its simply rolls off... and if you cant handle negativity or the phone being hung up or the door slammed in your face...or names shouted at you... dont be a sales person... but if you can handle rejection... and you're like that duck... cold calling is all about getting that sale... because its going to pay the rent. So when the water is thrown in your face... let it just bounce off.."QUACK!-"
- if you really are pissed off...take a break.. take a deep breath... take 5. but be a duck...take NOTHING to heart...
Quack - quack !
8. Have a visual goal: Seeing is believing. If you imagine you are in a chalet...get a photo of that chalet. Or mountain or boat and stick it up on the wall or on your computer or put it in your pocket... whatever motivates you ... even if its your kids... put it in your pocket and look at it from time to time... visualise your goal..it may be a brand new car.. or an island in the Pacific.. whatever it is ..keep a visual goal at hand...VISIBLE.
3 principles of Cold Calling :
Like fishing for piranna. Its all about timing. A piranna rod is simple. Just a bamboo rod.. , bait and hook and a reel. Go to the Pantanal and try it or keep reading.
1. Bait up your hook. RIGHT BAIT ( Put the right bait on ie a piece of meat)
In cold calling that means establish a rapport that will get your prospect to bite.
2. Cast out and keep on casting. RIGHT CAST
Cast out your baited hook on the open water where the fish are biting. ( This comes by researching WHERE to throw your hook - its pointless throwing bait in a pond or river with no fish).
And you cast on the waters until you get a bite. Then wait ...
3. Hook , Flick and catch -RIGHT MOMENT Choose the moment.
Once you have a bite its all about timing. Too fast and the fish wont sink his teeth into the bait , and the fish will fall off.
Too long and the fish will nibble all the bait away, and youll be left with an empty hook. So its about choosing the right moment. At that point you flick the fish from the water to the beach. The same with sales.
Leave it too long and your client gets bored or wastes your time... too quick and you wont catch it. You need to choose the right moment to close.
You might never have gone fishing before but the analogy is simple. Some experienced piranna fishermen could catch 10 fish in 10 minutes..or more. We caught 30.
When the pirannas are biting they dont think.
The same with people in a buying frenzy. People see other people buying and yhey go into a feeding frenzy just like piranas.
All you have to do is do it right until youve got enough food for lunch. Dont be greedy.
Sales is an emotional thing. People are good at it because they keep on casting their net or their bait on the waters.
Patience is also important. But so is pervererance and a thick skin.
When lions hunt they watch their prey for hours before they strike. And when they do its sudden!- its like watching art in motion. Its precise. Perfect.
Half of sales is patience and persistence -and the other half is timing and boldness...choosing the right moment.
Finally...remind yourself where you are - have a POSITIVE MENTAL ATTITUDE. and say...
"ITS MONDAY!... GEORGE- fred.. arthir.. mary.....
"I WANT YOU TO GO FOR IT...!!!"
speak it out... don't be afraid - Say a little prayer -if you must and move on to the next one... that's cold calling..you don't give up. Its not the quickest - smartest or fastest on the block its the one who just keeps going day and day out no matter what. Just keeps going.
In Poland they say.. " the stupidest farmer have the biggest potatoes !"
Keep the faith!
Part three : The Art of Selling
Everything you do is an art or can be made into an art. The best sales people have very much in common..they are focussed...
- blinkered and persistent. I recall Tony Factor who sold furniture... he was a very successful sale person..but he was dyslexic He couldn't read or write even...but he knew how to sell.
He worked hard - super hard.. and he was there every day... and he believed in himself. My father was the same. I would say both of them - in their day were the best sales people I've ever met.
Jordan Belfort once told me..
" stop telling yourself bullshit stories why you cant do something.. and just do it! "
-- the brain is like software. so programme it with what it needs to hear. YOU CAN DO IT! YOU CAN OVERCOME ! YOU ARE THE BEST ONE TO DO THE JOB SO DO IT. ! - and if you dont know something .. download it or ASK somone better or more experienced than you.
Keep improving- by listening to your subconscious and superconscious.
-However, we are not all born sales people... some of us have to work at it...and work hard... and that's what I did... I wasnt a natural... but when I was in the flow... I would say...I was better than any of them at what I did. because I could sell anything- anywhere and to anyone. I was flexible.
From the open markets of Angola to the streets of Mexico City.It could be bars of soap one day or gold chains the next.
Language and culture was never a stumbling block when it came to selling.
However, over the long run.. its better to stick to one's field. Office equipment- cosmetics- Furniture etc.. but in truth.. sales is sales. Its a means to an end.
It will give you the money you need to put food on the table. But a good salesperson thinks about the community not the individual.
Success in the long run is all about bettering the community not the individual.. the collective not ego. Its like gambling. You need to know when to say NO. Be a salesman.. but be also a leader. be altruistic..
I had the "gift of the gab" and I was self confident , and when I was focussed I could outsell anyone. Anyone. Thats what I believed. Even my own father couldnt believe I was able to do impossible stuff. Like convince over 1000 people to join a completely new political party I invented. Even hookers used to wear party political badges on their knickers for their clients.
But that came with practise and charisma.. and vision..and a lot of practise ... but It starts with practise...have a lazy ergonomic mind and youll never be a good salesman. You'll just be ordinary. Dont be afraid of hard work and long hours. If you are you'll never make it. Selling is all about confidence. Be confident and you will sell anything. Its an art.
This is the Art of Selling ...I would like to break it down into a few points ...
- something very important to remember because sales takes place in any field- yet uses the same principles.
Here is how I see it.
1. Sell a product you BELIEVE in.
Too many times in my life I have sold products I dont believe in and I just end up being a terrible sales person. If I sold gold or platinum contracts or advertising space... and I didn't believe in the people or the company or the product...
I couldn't wait to get fired... or to go home... The day dragged and time became slower and slower... and every minute was like torture... but I needed the job so I stuck to it... sometimes I would sell but in truth...
I was terrible. My first real job selling typewriters and then office equipment - I was bored shitless... It did nothing for me!
But when I sold a perfume ( Mata Hari Perfumes and cosmetics ) that I had made and packaged myself - I was excited... the same when I had my own clothing business- or I simply supplied goods to a willing and waiting market in Zimbabwe...when a fax machine could buy a house... at 26 I was worth over a million dollars and I lived in the best area of Harare. But its also about dealing with quick cash ... knowing how to handle windfalls.
I sold everything you could imagine- as long as there was money to be made in it. I did it.
When I started the stress ball business everyone laughed at me... but I would go into hospitals and sell it to people in the queue waiting for medicine for arthritis.
Sometimes I would go empty handed into a restaurant with a friend and throw balls at sitting customers and sell them the ball where they were- imagine walking into an expensive restaurant and ordering the vest food on the menu without a dime in your pocket. Thats what we did. ... more often than not... I did well because I believed in what I was selling..whether it was a painting I made with crayons or a name on a grain of rice... I sold it...and in the case of selling rice jeweller .. I made around 30 000 dollars a month because I am my partner believed in the product we were selling. We had people queing up in a feeding frenzy wanting what we had to sell...and ready to wait their turn for it too.
You might not even like the product..but you must believe in it in order to sell it. And when you do .. it is a GREAT feeling. I recall selling flickers ( its a silly toy )in a fairground in Johannesburg ( the rand show)at 16. I made more money in 30 minutes than i wver had befoee. I had people paying three or four or even five times its asking price to get one. Thats greed. Thats sales.
2. Believe in yourself : This is the number one thing about being a good sales person. You need to believe in yourself. Dont let anyone rip out your self confidence in your ability. Know WHO you really are. Not what your wife - mother or worst enemy tells you you are.
My father always believed in me and encouraged me to follow that yellow brick road ... and do what I could do...there is so much negativity today and negative people... and we are always second guessing ourselves and doubting our abilites.. because someone..somewhere... has said.. you're not good enough..youre too short.. too tall... too ugly..too slow... you speak bad... or you walk stupidly... it doesnt matter...you could be carrying traumas from another life... who knows...
Or you had a hard life and you dont see the rainbows and butterflies... but all you have in this world is yourself... you could be broke... you could be homeless... you could be compromised... it doesnt matter... but suddenly you have a chance... you have a product you believe in... something you can sell.. even if you dont believe in it... you believe in your self. Because at the end of the day..thats all you have.. YOU. If youre gonna outsell everyone else...
you need to start from base camp.
So BELIEVE.
3. Handle Rejection : " First they will laugh at you..then they will fight you..then you will win!"
Gandhi
"Its always impossible ...until its done!"
Mandela.
Both South Africans. Both great inspirers. But they werent sales men... they didnt sell. Its hard out there... I walked the streets of Johannesburg until there were holes in my shoes... holes... every day when I was selling advertising space in a tourism magazine I created from scratch..from a computer at the local library... and a lot of people said no.. I had to get back home on a train every day... 50 kilometres and walk 10.
-Tired. I had 4 souls that waited for me all day and I had to win... I had to handle rejection... and carry on smiling...
and then one day... I had a breakthrough... and I sold an entire back page for 12 000 dollars. That gave me the money to get out of poverty - get out of living in a garage and dodging muggers on the way home every day... it gave me a chance... I was motivated by a vision of what I could achieve.
But I knew each time if I was rejected ..if someone said NO... or told me to get lost... I had to keep smiling..keep trying...no matter what. And that's exactly what I did.
Another time I spent the first month on the kitchen floor and worked from morning til night - never went home until I made the sale. I was always the first in the office and the last to leave. I could handle rejection because I was hungry. I had a strong desire to succeed.
There is another way of looking at it... with each and every rejection I get better. And what doesn't kill me makes me stronger. One more no brings me to a yes. And you keep on going until you hit a home run... Handling rejection is about having a thick skin.
4. Be in a good mood : Very important. Everything is about your mood. Cultivate an attitude of gratitude. Smile. Exercise when you can. I used to run an hour every morning. I didnt smoke and hardly ever drank. Remember you will get frustrated...you will get angry... but always return to asking yourself ..how do I feel today? So important. Nobody wants to buy from a crusty guy or girl sucking lemons... use positive affirmations if you have too. Go to church. Pray. Listen to music when you wake up. Go for a walk in your spare time. Externalise your feelings in whatever way that you can... paint - write- play tennis- swim- have sex- dance... but always try to stay in a good mood. This will get you through the day.
5. Understand TONE levels :
When you speak your voice has a tone level. It could sound like you are apathetic. You dont care... a customer listening to that also wont care and wont buy from you either... so make sure you are aware of your tone level.. are you enthusiastic when you speak about the product?
-Do you have passion? If you dont ..go home.
Change your profession. Tone levels like brain waves are an entirely separate subject.. like charisma...like communication.
6. Know your product: Whatever you sell ... rule one... KNOW your product... only when you know it ..can you make a decision if you believe in it or not. Your prospect will ask questions about this product ... if you hum and haw... if you hesitate... it means you dont know the product..your not confident about it and you dont really care if they buy it or not... just as long as you get paid... its not good.
If its an E-bike for example - or a new cosmetic... be able to answer any curve ball that comes your way... When we researched on argan oil from Morocco- it was so indepth that I can now tell you just about anything about argan oil..how its made- where it comes from... the entire process... what are the benefits etc.
So important to have a FULL knowledge on the product you are selling and not get caught with your pants down trying to blag your way through.
The same happened with the solar cycle project in Kenya. We built and tested a prototype that won an innovation prize of 100 000 Euro -beating 676 universities around the world including Hatvard and Cambridge.
Everywhere we went people asked questions. And we had to know the product well enough to answer them. The project is still ongoing to this day.. because we pushed the boundaries.. we didnt give up.
7. Memorise all objections - Every client or prospect will have questions- unless they trust you implicitly and dont care about money... but they will usually ask you a question.. I call it negative feedback..or an objection. You need to memorise every comeback for every objection by heart and deliver it immediately. If you answer their query or objection eg - isnt it too long or too short... you have an immediate answer... No - the oil is 100% natural and will not harm your skin plus it has all the certification from recognised bodies. YES... we have a buyback guarantee within 14 days if you are not 100% satisfied with our product.
Being able to handle any objection shows you are professional and not an amateur.
If you dont know something..be honest..say..I dont know but Ill get back to you on this if you wish. Clients dont like it when you blag too much- you can partially exaggerate or focus only on the good points..but try not to bullshit your client or insult his or her intelligence. Do the homework.
8. Have the Ability to LISTEN !- without doubt. the BEST most successful sales people have the ability to listen to their prospects needs .. and at the right moment- fulfil them. watch Donald J. Trump.in his younger years... on camera.
He was a good listener.
And he focussed the two energies. Until the natural answer came. YES .. I have a solution. Too many sellers forget to listen, and get over confident or cocky and miss the mark. Thats the difference between a good and a GREAT salesman. He or she has the ability to listen.
If you talk too much.. no good.
8. Say your "spiel" and then SHUT up. Have your sales pitch laid out... say it... handle all the objections... and then ..just shut up... just like that. FOR NO REASON.
Dont oversell your product. There comes a point where you communicated everything you need to communicate ... and then .. you stop. you pause. you shut up. You will have a certain amount of time when you will have their attention... and then you just need to chose the moment to keep your mouth shut.
9. Close : Once you have allowed them to process all the information..you follow it up with the close and say... when would you like me to come - morning or afternoon... or will that be a full colour page or half ? or thank you ill jsut get you to sign here now- is that ok ? - be direct. close. You got this far... go all the way.. reach in for the kiss...
but dont be too pushy... often you will feel it... if you have failed to raise the tone level of your prospect... its unlikely.. usually its your intuition that will tell you if its a yes or a no... trust your "inner tuition".. but do not flinch. look them straight in the eyes. And say.. THANK YOU. It was GREAT doing business with you and shake their hands!
10. Be PREPARED - That means keep reading- watching seminars or getting feedback... get a wingman and tell him or her your fears... if you dont have one... go talk to yourself in the mirror. But be prepared... look at how you dress... nails.. smell... etc.. look the part.... as well as be the part... a salesperson is like an actor... you need to act ...and keep acting better all the time ... until you convince your potential prospect to buy. So take time in the morning to meditate - pray or run- prepare your mind by emptying your mind of all negative thoughts...
And DO your research.
We used to target our clients and spend days or weeks researching them until we were able to reach the decision maker. Even before we MADE the pitch.. we has to know our client.. our " target " our " prospect " .. be able to FULFIL a need.
Being prepared makes all the difference.
And then just go out there ..and go for it! Think - BE & LIVE POSIVELY POSITIVE...!!! attitude is everything.. SMILE.
-a positive attitude and mindset.
SELL.
An inspiring story
http://east.omk.dp.ua/playroom-sleeper-rrmwt/tony-factor-south-african-businessman-7fc147
IF YOU NEED COACHING CONTACT ME + 447423714007
Keep the faith and be faithful.
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