Southwestern Sales Talk

Here is some more great info from Matt Atchison on bookfield objections.  Matt is one of the top District Sales Managers with the Southwestern Company:

“We already saw these last year.”  This objection can cause you to lose faith that you can do well this summer.  BE CAREFUL OF THIS!!!  Don’t worry.  Every year we work over each other and every year we do well.  It will be no different with you.  I can teach you how to dominate this objection.  Having books in your district is NOT a disadvantage.  My two biggest summers I sold directly over 10,000 unit summers from Yvette.  I learned how to take this frustrating objection and turn it into an advantage.  Plus, I want you to do as well as you can.  I wouldn’t put you in an area where you couldn’t be #1 in the company.  Trust me.  Back in the 70’s students would sell over their roommates that SAME summer.  They still did well so my guess is that you can too.  Time for a definition you should know.  UFA=  uneducated field advisor.  You will run into these almost every day.  They are ‘experts’ that tell you how to do your job.  They will think that they can teach you a better way to do your job than what you are doing.  “Go set up a stand outside the PTA meeting.”  “Call people 2 days in advance.”  Do this or do that.  Do you think that in the last 150 years, we have figured out how to be most efficient at this business?  There was a kids a few years ago that made over $100,000 in his third summer selling books.  He did it the same way that I am teaching you.  Listen to us and trust us that we know what we are doing.  The most coachable kid will be #1.  When someone starts to give you advice, take it with a smile and thank them.  Then move on and continue to try your best to get more efficient with the system that I am giving you.

“We bought the books and we haven’t used them like we’d hoped.”  This is another objection that can cause you to question your product.  But it’s important to understand that this happens usually for one of two reasons.  1)  In our organization, we teach how important it is to give a quality presentation to the family when we deliver the books.  This lesson is very crucial because it teaches the kids how to use their books properly and it also gives them a shot of enthusiasm about the books right before school starts.  Sometimes you may have a student that doesn’t give a very good lesson upon delivery and that can often times hurt the family’s initial chances of using the books as intended.  Give a good lesson please; it’s the right thing to do.  2)  Our books are not miracle books.  They do not open themselves and do homework.  So sell the books to families with honesty.  I am very realistic with families and I tell them that these aren’t supposed to be used every night for 2 hours.  I let them know that the books are for when they need them; a few nights a week maybe, or some nights not at all.  But it makes sense to have something around for when you have a quick question or you are studying for an exam.  Here’s a question:  If you go into someone’s house and they have a dusty Bible lying on the shelf, is it the Bible’s fault that the family is not picking it up?  Nope.  In order for the Bible to do its job, YOU MUST OPEN IT.  Same goes for our books.  If a family has let dust gather on their VL’s, it’s not the books’ fault.  Duh. 

See, rejection can be real tricky if you’re not careful.   If you can understand the psychology behind the “no” then you are far less likely to fall victim to it.  Never lose faith in what you are doing.  You are a tremendous person and you are doing a job that has worked for thousands of years.  It will work if you do.

I’ve got one more blog coming up on this topic, so stay tuned for more great material from Matt!  What objections do you find yourself running into a lot?  How do you handle them?  Share a comment or a solution.

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