Anyway, I walked in, not too keen on the prospect of being a prospect, and saw a young female sales rep sitting behind the desk.  After not being greeted, I wandered around, looking at the array of phones for a few minutes.  I glanced over at my would-be ”salesperson.”  She and her other Sprint associate were having a chat in low tones (probably not a discussion on advanced sales tips).

I approached her, and said, “Hey.  How’s it going?”  She said, “Fine.”  No smile.  I’ve blogged about the critical nature of the first 2 seconds of a human encounter, and she did not inspire me to want to do business with her.  No “What brings you here today?”  Nothing–she sat in bovine silence, looking at me.  I felt I was imposing on her.

I continued with my approach, sharing my point of dissatisfaction:  “My phone is getting old and I’m looking at an upgrade.”  I showed her my phone.  She glanced at the model, got up and walked me over to the new & improved HTC Touch Pro2.  She turned it on, said, “Here you go,” and walked back to her station.

“Here you go.”  That was her intro/demo/close…three words!  There were no questions to determine my need, no demonstration of features, no rapport of any kind.  I played with the phone for a few minutes, then looked over to see if my “salesperson” would return.  No such luck, she was sitting at her desk again. 

It dawned on me that I had already received the full measure of service I was to get there, so I headed for the door.  As I left, I said, audibly, ”Thanks for shopping at Sprint!” 

How much business is Sprint losing because of crappy salespeople?  I realize my sample is small, but we all tend to generalize about a company based on our encounters with just one or two of their reps, right? 

I just bought a new car.  Would the transaction have happened if my salesperson had just said, “Here you go,” and pointed at a car in the showroom? I think not.

Can you top this story?  Have you met a Salesperson In Name Only (a SINO)?  Share your tales of woe.  I look forward to better encounters.

To the point of this post: I ran across a bNEt blog which agrees with Pink’s findings.  Click on this link:  http://www.bnet.com/blog/salesmachine/why-sales-goals-and-diets-dont-work/11650?promo=808&tag=nl.e808

If you are a sales manager, a VP of sales, an artist, a business owner or someone who is just trying to lose weight, it would be wise to read and ponder Pink’s latest book.  The old “carrot and stick” mentality regarding contests, work, compensation and motivation needs an overhaul.

Here is Pink describing this Drive thesis at a TED conference.  Click here.

Thoughts?

Is There Life before Death?

 
Often people don’t pay much attention to the words they use to describe themselves, and the consequences and ramifications of using these words. For instance, people who have had horrible experiences–particularly in early childhood–often describe themselves as “scarred for life.”

In the first place, they are engaged in fortune-telling without being qualified:  No one can predict the future that well.  Some people continue to suffer from traumatic experiences into their later years, but many others don’t.  Secondly, they don’t examine the meanings of the words they use. Most people go “Oh, ‘scarred for life,’ Yes, terrible!” without thinking about what the words actually mean. I have quite a few scars, and none of them bother me a bit. Scar tissue is often considerably tougher than the original. Only a few scars continue to produce discomfort, and even then the discomfort is more often due to damage that never fully healed, than to the scar tissue itself. Scarring is actually a sign that the body healed itself and made itself whole again.

Even the meaning of obvious scars depends on how they are viewed. Early in this century in Germany, a visible dueling scar was considered a badge of honor. When I was in high school in New Mexico in the 1950′s, many students flaunted their knife scars as a sign of bravery. Some African tribes deliberately create elaborate decorations on their skins by scarring. I have even met quite a few women with scars that made their faces much more interesting than they would have been without them.  So what does “scarred for life” really mean?–only what you choose it to mean.

So what words do you use to describe your week?  Here’s what I’ve heard at Southwestern Sunday meetings:

“It’s horrible.” 
“I’m dying out here.” 
“I’m got slaughtered this week!”

Are these descriptors really that accurate? 

One sharp, bubbly Student Manager I met with even had her own nickname: DRAMA.  She had assigned herself this moniker because she said she took little things and made them complicated and complex.  She overthought and consequently everything became a big deal!  Second-guessing herself felt natural–her life was “always a drama”! 

Cute and memorable?  Yes.  Helpful?  No.

The metaphors and images–even our nicknames–have a way of steering our thinking and our lives. It’s wise to be cautious about the ones we use, and it’s wise to examine them to see if they are taking us where we really want to go.

What words, thoughts and comments does this invoke?  How do you label your experiences?  Let me know.

1)  wish you were somewhere else, doing something else

In other words, avoid being present!  Let your mind drift off to home, to greener pastures, to more pleasant activities.  (Remember sitting in the classroom back at school, gazing out the window, and not paying attention to what was happening in the lecture?)

2)  ponder your defeats

It’s easy to catch yourself doing something wrong.  We all tend to dwell on our misteaks (I know, I was just testing you).  What’s far more difficult is to notice your victories and what you’ve done well that day.

3)  get really satisfied with your production

My first summer selling with the Southwestern Company, I did well–for the first 90% of the summer.  Then I had a rather destructive thought.  It was, “Wow. I’ve made three times more money than I made last summer.”  I suddenly felt rich.  My drive, my competitive nature, my interest–all flagged.  And my last two weeks selling that summer were in survival mode.  “Satisfied-itis” had set in.

4)  compare yourself to top salespeople

In order to really feel less than adequate, use phrases like: “If only I could sell like _______ ,” or “Why can’t I sell like ______?”  If you ask a bad question, your brain will provide a bad answer.  Remember, you are not your units.  You are not your production.

5)  tell yourself you suck at sales

It’s impossible to perform well while at the same time reminding yourself how bad you are at the task.  Imagine the result if your self-talk about driving was, “I am a bad driver.  I just have wrecks.  Accidents happen to me all the time.  Man, I can’t drive.”  Then you start the ignition.  Change your self-talk!  You want the right kind of self-fulfilling prophecy when it comes to your sales.

Do you have more strategies to fail?  Feel free to comment–just avoid the suggestions!

I’ll tell you the greatest secret to my success and the biggest reason most people fail.  It’s not lack of desire, big dreams or even motivation.  It is not a fear to sign up, try or to even get started.  People go to seminars, buy books, join gyms, start diet programs or sign up for a new business opportunity.  Starting is not the problem.  Staying is.  A commitment to consistency is the key.  My definition of commitment is doing the thing you said you were going to do long after the mood you said it in has left you.  People get excited, they get started, maybe even experience some success, but then they stop or stall.  That start-and-stop process kills momentum and destroys progress in every pursuit–that’s true in your relationships, in your wealth-building plan, with your diet and fitness, and it’s most certainly true in building a direct selling organization.

Hardy goes on to say:

It’s not about who gets started first or fastest, but about who can repeat the simple disciplines, the core fundamentals, over and over, consistently over time….That is why the tortoise beats the hare every time–not because the tortoise is more talented, experienced or faster, but because the tortoise is simply and relentlessly consistent.

I think about the student dealers in the Southwestern Program.  Why do we give the “I Wanna Win” award to those who have their best sales at the end of their summer?  Because it’s harder to finish than to begin.  The greatest feeling in the world is finishing strongly–to acknowledge that you have “left it all out on the field”.  That you’ve spent yourself doing your best.  (By the way, we do not have an “I Wanna Begin” award because it’s easy to start things–way harder to finish.)

Please share your strategies on how you maintain your focus, effort and energy while you sell!

So here’s a question for salespeople: what music motivates you?  Do you get fired up before your sales day with some old time Rock & Roll?  or with some heavy-duty rap?  Or do you like to get centered, focused and calmed down with a dose of Brahms (classical), or even some Dave Brubeck (jazz)?

I’m conducting the most un-scientific study ever. The poll is in the margin to your left.   Vote for the music genre that inspires you to be your best!  That puts you in the mood to sell.  Also, feel free to comment if you want to get really specific with a group or performer.  (Eg. “James Blunt really gets me jacked up!”)  Let’s see how we use music to get into a peak selling state.

Vince Lombardi, the legendary football coach who brought the Green Bay Packers from 15 losing seasons to successive Super Bowl championships, that success was a matter of inches.  A bit more focus, one extra push in practice, second effort for a tiny additional gain.  He didn’t ask his players to be something other than what they were–he asked them to improve their best one inch at a time.  He knew inches add up, both in life and in a sales career.

At Southwestern, we call it the slight edge philosophy–all the little extras top salespeople do to gain a slight edge on the competition: working when you don’t feel like it, making a call beyond the suggested schedule, closing one more time, taking time to memorize your customers’ names, repeating positive affirmations out loud, reading technical material at night after work.

Question: are you doing all those little things you used to do when you were excited about your work?  Are you working with the same focus and enthusiasm as you did the first week?  These little things–these “inches”–separate top sales people from average producers. 

Today, I will be aware that I am a champion in the making.  I may not make a complete turnaround in one day, but I will make progress.

Mrs. Jones can hear a nice polished demo, she can see your product is good, but, does she need it?  No.  Does she want it?  Nope, not really.  

The sales presentation we use at Southwestern involves a great deal of logic.  Here are a few statements which will help overcome objections which deal the emotion that causes people to want your product.  I usually inserted one of more of these after I gave her the price.  They can be used as part of your demo, or to answer objections: 

“We can’t afford it.” 

“You know, Betty, it’s kinda like one mom told me.  She said, ‘Lee, There is no best time to buy anything because we always have bills.  And we spend money on all kinds of things—hundreds of dollars on appliances, like plasma TVs, xBox’s, iPhones…  A lot of the time, we don’t spend that much on good books or on educational software in comparison to what we spend on other things.’  Betty, a year from now when you look back on it, do you think you’d ever really miss the money you put into these?” 

Or… 

“One mom said, ‘We’ve spent hundreds of dollars on toys, video games, PS3 systems, …and the kids end up breaking them, losing them, or totally losing interest and they just lie around.  Getting something educational that will really make a difference in their future, that would be a worthwhile investment!’  Can you see why she felt that way?” 

And/or… 

“I was talking with one lady, and she said, ‘You know, I guess the only thing more expensive than a good education is no education at all.’  It seems like the people with the best educations get the best jobs.  Money spent on education now might seem like an expense at first, but when you think about it, it’s really an investment isn’t it?” 

Or how about— 

“One mom said, ‘Even if my kids just used them once or twice a week—just a little bit—it would be worth it because of all the times they asked me questions about their homework and I couldn’t help them.  Not a good feeling to have.  I just want to give them every opportunity to get ahead and to get better grades.’ That makes sense doesn’t it?” 

You see, if you want to get Mrs. Jones to a feeling level, you have to speak her language, remember?  We are not selling books to college students!  We are traveling to the Land of Parenthood, where they speak a little differently and respond to different things.  Try some of these phrases—with conviction!  Experiment.  Learn to tap in to selling with emotion and you’ll improve your sales.

She explained that she really wanted to do well, that she was working really hard giving enthusiastic demos, but she wasn’t selling like she wanted to.  People assured her that she was a good salesperson, but they just weren’t buying.  It reminded me of me.

I was a top salesperson, I was an Organizational Leader, and always felt added pressure to perform strongly from the start of the summer.  I had to set the example and do well to give hope to the rookies (and myself)!  Often I found I would overtry–I would want to do well so badly that I pushed, ever so slightly, with Mrs. Jones.  Maybe just subconsciously.  I probably wasn’t aware of this, of my neediness to make a sale, but I’m sure the moms I demoed to did.

I would invariably call in to the Southwestern Company and speak with Allen Clements or Roy Loftin, and they would give me sage advice.  They would say, “Lee, QUIT SELLING!” 

I’d say, “Huh?” 

They’d say, “Relax, and let people buy….”

At first, this sounded like the dumbest advice anyone could give me, but after thinking about it and letting go a bit, I found their advice was on-target.

Have you ever competed in a race?  Perhaps you were a runner, a basketball player, in my case a swimmer.  If you were uptight and tried too hard, you probably noticed your times were slower, or you missed baskets you normally would make.  As a sprinter, I know now that if I overtry, I can reduce my efficiency in the water and slow down my race.

So it goes with selling.  You have to be willing to give 100% effort to make the sale, but you also  have to  not care if you do.  You must be focused and relaxed all at once.  People subconsciously pick up on the fact that you really, really need a sale!    (They probably also notice your white knuckles during the close.)  They like your product, but they don’t buy.  The reason is you are overselling.  Ease off.   When you say, “if you like it fine, if not, that’s OK too” you have to mean it!  If you are just saying these words, but are thinking, “Please buy!  Please buy!”, folks can pick up on this.

So quit selling; relax and let people buy.  You will discover that your sales will once again return.  Share your thoughts–can anyone relate to this?

Let me tell you about the worst rejection of my first summer.

 I ran up to this house and there was a dad in the driveway washing his boat.  I gave my approach to him and he stopped me short to let me know that I was talking to the wrong person.  He said, “My wife is an educator so she deals with all that stuff.  Go knock on the front door and she can help you.”  So I jogged up to the door and knocked, stepped back and waited.  She came to the door and she was a real cool mom.  Let me right in and said she was very into education.  I was hopeful.  I gave my introduction and learned that she was indeed very into education.  She had 2 PhD’s and she actually had started her own charter elementary school.  (A school that cost over $15,000 a year for elem. kids!)  So this lady was definitely an authority when it came to education.  You will run into lots of these people. 

I started to give my demo and after about 5 min she stopped me.  She said very politely that she was not going to buy my books.  I was like “ok”.  This was nothing new, as I had heard  ‘no’ from others before.    But then she asked me if it was ok if she offered me some thoughts.  I figured that wouldn’t be so bad as I packed up my sample books.  She started off by saying something like this:  “Matt, you are going to have a very tough summer here.  You seem like a really nice kid with lots of potential.  But I think you are in the wrong job.  I own my own school, Matt.  And I would not recommend one family in my school to buy these books from you.  As an educator, that’s what I’m for.  And our textbooks are good.  I have a very hard time believing that I can’t find all of this somewhere on the internet.  For free.  Why would anyone pay for this?  I would be surprised if you even have a family buy these books from you.   $300 is a lot of money and people just don’t have $300 to blow on books.  (She had a boat, remember.)”  But I kept listening because she was being very nice about all this.  She was very motherly.  She continued:  “And in this day and age, Matt, no one is going to let you into their door.  I only let you in because you look nice.  (This was right after 9/11)  You should go back to Nebraska and get a job where you can actually make some money.  Wait tables or something.  If I were you I would get back into your little red car and go home today.  This company is exploiting you.  You are working these long hours out here banging on doors for them.  There’s no way that your mom knows you are doing this right?!  I would never let my child do this.  Seriously Matt, you should go back home today.”

Ouch.  I packed up my bag and thanked her tongue in cheek and ran to my car.  When I got to my car I punched the steering wheel and cussed a lot.  I was angry.  Who was I angry at?  Not her.  Me.  I remember feeling like I couldn’t believe that I had been duped into doing this job.  What was I thinking by coming out here and doing this crazy book selling job?!  I vowed to myself at that moment that there was no way that I would come back the following year.  I was dead certain that she was right and that Southwestern would be out of business within a few years.

STOP.

Question:  What part of the summer did this happen to me my first summer?  Beginning, Middle or End?

Truth is that it happened in my last week.  AFTER I had already made over $20,000 for my summer job!!!!  And I believed her!  That’s what is crazy about rejection.  It will cause you to lose perspective and become irrational.  How could I believe her that no one would buy?  People had already bought that same day!  It’s the “experts” that will give you this type of very logical rejection.  Be careful. 

The rest of the story is necessary too.  After punching my steering wheel, what did I do?  I went to the next door.  With a crappy attitude.  2 hours passed with a bad attitude. I got in zero doors.  Then I stopped for a minute and realized how poor my attitude had gotten.  I decided that I was going to make a change so I threw some water on my face and said a prayer.  I went to work with a new mindset.  3 doors later I got in.  And guess what.  The mom and her kids were totally into my books.  The kids were in high school and they were in honors classes and they were definitely going to use the books to save time.  Mom was pumped. She thanked me and told me how great of a job I was doing.  She gave me a Coke for the road and she said, “Matt, you are going to do great here in Mendon.  People are really into their kids and you’ll have a lot of families buy these.  Thank you so much for stopping by and showing us these books.  My kids are going to love them.  Can’t wait to see you when you deliver!”

I walked out of the house and got into my car.  Then it hit me.  As I pulled out of her driveway, I looked down the street and saw that dad just finishing up washing his boat.  I realized a very valuable lesson at that moment.  Some get it.  Some don’t.  This lady who just bought from me totally got it.  The teacher from earlier in the day did not get it.  Oh well.  The answer to every problem lies behind the next door.  Make sure you go to it.

Do you have a similar rejection story to share? or a comment or solution that would help other readers?  Be sure to comment!