1.  Opening with an awkward approach.  A bad first impression goes a long way.  I remember many of my earlier attempts to “be different” at the door.  Most often it worked.  People smiled.  I got in.  Occasionally, my attempts at humor failed.  I saw the confusion/annoyance flash on the prospect’s face, and knew I was dead from the start.

2.   Monologue-ing.  Did you see the cartoon movie, The Incredibles?  The arch-villain, Syndrome, catches himself just talking–explaining his diabolical plan at length to the hero.  If you’re a villain, monologue-ing can ruin your plans.  A one-sided conversation from you, the salesperson, can also ruin your sale.  Be sure to initiate a conversation—get them talking and keep them talking.

3.  Lack of enthusiasm.  If you’re more than a month into the Southwestern summer internship, you’ve given more than 600 demonstrations.  You may have noticed that initial burst of excitement is gone!  Ho-hum demos don’t fly.  One of the challenges in any sales effort is maintaining enthusiasm for what you’re doing and the product you’re demonstrating.  Remember, you may have given the demonstration a thousand times—your prospect sees it once.

4.  Spending too much time with non-buyers.  You can burn a lot of energy with non-prospects.  Pay attention to non-verbal feedback!  If they’re staring at you, mouth agape, with a faraway look in their eyes, perhaps you are not connecting.  If they’re texting or glancing at their watch or their TV, perhaps they are not exactly tuned in and interested.  If they walk out of the room during your demo, perhaps you’re not as scintillating as you imagined.  Ask, “So, Mrs. Jones, does this look like something the kids would use?”  If she says, “Not really”, then leave—save your energy for a buyer!

5.  No close.  I am stunned by how many Southwestern dealers don’t use the closing steps!  They either a) talk until the prospect interrupts with, “Can we buy this?  I have to cook dinner.” Or b) they bluntly ask, “So…do you want one?”  Awkward.  Use the close that has worked for years.  Be bold and assumptive!

When selling, you have to be your best self: sharp, engaging, interested, service-minded, friendly…in short, you have to be in a peak state.  People respond to you first and your product second.  They have good B.S. detectors.  They want to deal with your human side first and your Southwestern sales side second.

Hey Southwestern Company Recruiters!  Ever had one of those info sessions when the energy in the room just fizzled?  You full-timers, have you called on Southwestern Company Student Managers at the conclusion of your info session who delivered gripping testimonials, like: “I really learned a ton.  About people.”

Wow.  That makes me want to join!

Most student manager responses to ”What did you gain from the program?”  Or, “what did you appreciate most about your experience?”, are lame.  “Uh…I learned a lot about communication skills…”.  Open a window!  These kind of bland statements don’t deliver the kind of message you want as you wrap your explanation of the program.

So here’s a little formula that works.  When the person conducting the info session asks, “_______, what did you gain from your first summer?”,  here’s how I’d suggest you answer:

1)  “Well, what scared me most was…(then relate one of your fears to what the first years in the room are probably feeling).  Example: “leaving home for the first time” or “not having a guaranteed salary.”

2)  “But what gave me confidence was…(then relate a confidence-builder).  Example: “I felt like if they could teach 2500 other college students to do this every year since the Civil War, they could teach me.”  Choose your own.

3)  “But what I gained/learned was…(then answer the original question–be specific and forceful!)  Example: “I really came home with more self-confidence–confidence to present in class, confidence to ask someone out, even confidence to become an officer in my fraternity.”  Develop your own answers, but be sure they involve some feeling and conviction!  You’ll know you’re giving a good testimonial when you see the prospects nodding their heads in agreement.

Give this a try.  You’ll find your closing percentage just might go up.  Do you have good info session finishers?  How does your org do this?  Please share with us at Southwestern Company!

“We all sell and we might as well learn how to do it well.  Here’s a note from a 48 Days reader:

One young lady from Russia piped up and said [read this in a thick Russian accent], “The second summer would be better than thees one, because, as vee say in my country, ‘The first pancake is always bad.’” 

I liked it.  Her proverb is true isn’t it?

Anything worth doing, is worth doing badly, at first.  The first pancake you create generally is over or undercooked and may not be the best shape either.  So it is with the first go-round at Southwestern: over or underdone summers.  Sometimes students come out of their first experience in different shapes.

If you’re selling, more than likely it’s going to take some time to master the skills–probably more than one summer!  If you’re recruiting, you may blow the initial conversation with a friend.  Your first series of phone calls to prospect may be largely crappy.  Your first interviews will probably not be ideal.  (The first group interview I held, I was 0-5–not the best “closing percentage.”)

Get beyond the first try.  Get to the second pancake. 

I would love to mandate a two year minimum stint at Southwestern once a student joins the team.  Why?  Because it takes time to get good at selling!  Some students catch on right at the end of the summer–then there’s no time to excel.  A second go-round would be better.  If you’ve ever re-taken a class, generally you do better the second time.   Why?  This time you’re familiar with the prof, the class, how he/she grades.  Odds are you improve.

So remember, all things are difficult before they are easy.  “The first pancake is always bad.”

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 got 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.

I was conducting a webinar on how to have a I Wanna Win finish, and it reminded me of the greatest finish I witnessed in swimming history–the U.S. men’s 4 x 100 relay at the Beijing Olympics.   Do you remember?

At the 50 meter halfway mark, Jason Lezak peered through his goggles at the lane to his right and briefly lost hope. 

“The thought really entered my mind for a split second,” Lezak said. “There’s no way.” 

The anchor swimmer took off from the blocks well behind Frenchman Alain Bernard and, after sprinting for 50 meters, had not closed the gap.  Bernard, who began this race as the world-record holder in the 100 freestyle, had not put the race out of reach — something he all but guaranteed by declaring the French would “smash” the Americans in this event. 

When he flipped and pushed off the wall, he was still half a body length behind.  As a Masters swimmer, I can tell you that is huge in a sprint race. The United States was going down and taking Phelps’ quest for eight gold medals with it. 

But just as quickly as that glimmer of despair flitted through Lezak’s mind, it was shoved aside by fresh determination. 

“I changed,” he said. “I thought, ”That’s ridiculous. I’m at the Olympic Games, I’m here for the United States of America. I don’t care how bad it hurts, I’m going after it.’  I just got a super charge.”

Lezak closed the gap and out-touched Bernard by .08 of a second.  Less than a blink of an eye.  The greatest comeback I have ever seen at the Olympics.  People went crazy.  I went crazy.  It was very cool, unless you were French.  Here is a link to a video of the whole race: 

Are you in the final stages of your school year?  a big multi-faceted B-to-B sale?  building your team for the summer?  This is the time when people give up a little, and think, “no way.”  Decide it’s important to hit your goals–you may not have millions of fans cheering for you, but finishing strong(ly) is a great habit to adopt.  Your thoughts/comments are welcomed!

 

value (val-yoo)

noun

1. a fair or proper equivalent in money, commodities, etc, for something sold or exchanged, for a fair price in return 

2. worth, or degree of worth 

3. that which is desirable or worthy of esteem for its own sake; thing or quality having intrinsic worth 

Value, by definition, requires some sort of sacrifice.  You give me money; I give you milk.  You wouldn’t give me money for the milk if you didn’t think you would derive at least the same value out of drinking it as the amount of money you are paying me for it. 

As it goes with selling.  And with life, for that matter.  Most things worth having (or achieving) are not easy to achieve. That is why they’re worth achieving in the first place. They must be sought after.  They must be earned.  

You’ve got to be willing to give something of yourself in order to get what you want.  Life doesn’t go around just giving away success to people who are not working for it. You’ve got to shell out whatever it is that you consider to be of equal exchange for that success.  The bigger the success, the bigger the sacrifice. 

You’ve got to believe that your end result is going to be SO good – that you’re willing to jump hurdles and wrestle giants to get there.  And why wouldn’t you?  The feeling of success is certainly worth the sacrifice it takes to get there! 

So when you’re selling, keep in mind the value of your ideal outcome. What is it you’re working for?  Remember how good that’s going to feel!   Sure, you will endure hardships and obstacles throughout your journey.  People will say “no” to you. People will doubt you.  People will think you can’t do it.  But I dare you to prove them entirely and completely wrong. 

Try not to feel resentful that reaching your sales goals requires lots and lots of hard work.   But rather, feel excited that you’re working toward something so great, that its actually WORTH going through hell for it.  That’s how good it is; and that’s how badly you want it!

Getting there – hitting your goal – closing the sale – THAT is going to feel spectacular.

If you’d like to read more of Haley Price’s pithy blogs about attitude, be sure to visit her site at http://www.todayisthebestdayofmylife.com/ 

For a more thorough treatment of how to craft a great 30-second explanation of what you do and why others should do business with you, I refer everyone to Geoffrey James, author of the bNet blog entitled, Sales Machine.  He shares a six-step process to hone your message.  To get to this blog click here.  Good stuff for your upcoming networking event or your next elevator ride….

Whether you’re demonstrating a product, or conducting your 2000^th information session with The Southwestern Company, there comes a point in most salespeople/recruiter’s lives where your closing percentage drops off.  

“That’s a nice set of books, but…”

“The Southwestern program sounds OK, but…”

“You’re a real good salesperson, but…” 

Ouch.  We’ve all heard a variation of these.  Where are we missing the boat?  Chances are we are simply selling people logically, but not emotionally (see future blog).  What can be done? 

When I was a sales manager with Southwestern, I noticed my closing percentage declined—somewhere after spring break.  My Director, Roy Loftin, would fly in, watch my presentations, and then coach me, like this:  

“Boring.  No enthusiasm.” 

What!?  I thought I was doing a vibrant presentation; I thought I was holding them spellbound—evidently not.  So, I made adjustments.  Here a three ways to add zest to your presentations: 

1.  Get re-excited about what you do.  Don’t “curb your enthusiasm”—in fact, make a list of what got you fired up about your work in the first place.  My co-recruiter and I used to hold a psych-up session, complete with choreography, prior to our interviews: “Who’s got the jobs?!  We do!” etc.  (Not exactly Final Four excitement, but we got enthused.) 

2.  Add visuals.  I know many of you at Southwestern hold information sessions orally—without any Powerpoint or visuals.  Guess what?  1)  Most people are visual and 2) you are not a great orator.  You simply can’t hold their attention for over an hour.  So think about adding more senses to your preso or demo.  Some groups use video clips during presentations to enhance the experience.  Think: how can I employ more senses?  Touch? Smell? Taste? 

3.  Get your prospects involved mentally.  Have the prospect do something rather than just listening to your talk.  Let them touch your sample books (I always used to pass them around).  Have them figure out the profit on paper.  Ask lots of questions—this will also save your energy.   

When I got excited again, and made some creative adjustments, my closing percentage magically returned!  What are your ideas to stay fresh and enthusiastic?  You are a creative bunch.  What are you doing to remain zestful in your sales and recruiting efforts?  Leave a comment and share your thoughts.

When you meet and greet, the question is inevitable.   ”And what do you do?”  Here are some possible answers:

“Uh, I’m in sales.”  (A fascinating opener–they yawn.)

“I’m a recruiter with ______ company….”  (Wait for them to shout–”Oh my gosh!  Let’s do business!”)

“I’m glad you asked!”  (Then ramble for 10 minutes.)

Not exactly descriptive or gripping. 

So, after having attended a great workshop with Cindy Hazen, of Sales-Executives, I discovered a better way.  Here is her formula.  First, create your defining statement.  Position yourself by concept, not titles/services/products.  Think about the following questions:

1. What is unique about my services or product?
2. Why should anyone do business with me?
3. 3-5 words long with not more than one “and”
4. Try words like “work with” and “want”

So take this, and build a short “elevator speech” introduction, emphasizing your benefit–not what you do, but what they get…

• What you do: “I am a real estate agent.”  Try: “I help my clients find & live in their dream home.”
• What you do: “I am an executive recruiter.”  Try: “I work with companies who struggle with hiring the right performance-oriented employees.”
• What you do: “I work at Southwestern.”  Try: “I help college students develop the skills and character they need to achieve their goals in life.”

These new, improved responses really juice your first impressions.  Make it interesting and establish the benefit of what you do in the first sentence.  Then you can further describe exactly what you do and how you do it as you talk.

So, next time you’re at a job fair, a networking event, or just a large party, give this a try.  You may even have people interested in what you have to say!  I welcome your comments/stories/questions.