“Sean, what does it take to be a good salesperson?”

Funnily enough, I get asked that question a lot!

Want to know what I reply back to people who ask me that question?

And this may surprise you but I reply back with:

“Why do you only want to be a good salesperson?”

I know that sounds pedantic but I’m telling you now and you need to listen up here but if all you’re going to do is settle for being good then you might as well forget it.

Most people are “good”. Your competitors are “good”.

“Being good” is just “not good enough”

You need to be excellent and outstanding and stand head and shoulders above everyone else.

You need to have more knowledge, more training, more “streetwiseness” (if there is such a word!), you need to know more about the competition than the rest, more about your prospects and clients than the competition do – you get the picture here!

You need to raise your standards as a salesperson. Don’t view it as a job, view it as a career.

I’m very proud to call myself a salesperson. It’s my profession and you should be proud too.

I was working it out the other day…

The average doctor spends about 10,000 hours of study to perfect their craft.

How many hours do you put into your studies? The study of selling?

So no matter how serious you take your sale career at the moment, start to take it even more serious.

What can you do to raise the bar even further?

Don’t just beat the competition by a short head. Expect to win and win big. Believe in what you sell so much that you just can’t understand it when someone says no.

Ok, I’ll get off my soap box now!

As of today, what do you need to:

Start doing?
Stop doing?
Do more of?
Do less of?

Commit yourself to excellence and to be the best that you can be and you’ll surprise yourself how “good” you can actually be!

Rant over!

Sean

Sean McPheat
The UK’s #1 Authority On Modern Day Selling
MTD Sales Training

Have you downloaded my latest report “The Sales Person’s Crisis”? Over 10,000 sales pros have.

Click on the image below to find out why you’re very existence as a sales person is in doubt…

You wouldn’t walk into your doctors surgery only for him to say a quick hello and then start to write you out a prescription before he’s asked about your symptoms, your problems, where the hurt is or with you sticking your tongue and saying “saying ahh”!

So why would you do the same in your sales interactions!

So many sales people go into sales meeting with one thing on their mind:

“How am I going to pitch this prospect?”

Instead, you should go into every meeting with the view that you’re going to find out about where the hurt and the pain is first AND THEN prescribe the remedy (i.e your solution or product)

By focusing your mind in this way you will:

* Come across as someone who is just not “in it” for the sale
* Differentiate yourself from the other salespeople they are seeing
* Come across as someone who adds value
* Come across as someone who is an expert in the field
* Build a lasting, ongoing and profitable relationship

So start to think and question like a doctor does and remember:

“Prescription before diagnosis is malpractice”

Happy selling

Sean

Sean McPheat
The UK’s #1 Authority On Modern Day Selling
MTD Sales Training

CLICK HERE for free sales tips

CLICK HERE for information on our open and in-house courses

Have you downloaded my latest report “The Sales Person’s Crisis”? Over 10,000 sales pros have.

Click on the image below to find out why you’re very existence as a sales person is in doubt…

If you’re like me and love great sales movies like Wall Street, Bioler Room and Glengarry Glen Ross then you might want to check out the comedy movie “The Goods”

“The Goods” is based on a car dealership and all of the tricks, the cunning and the daily lives of shady car salesmen!

Example!
Sales Manager to Sales Executive about the state of his desk and in-particular all of his family photos: “Lose those photos of your fat kids. Your prospects are going to see that and think you’ve got loads of money so you can feed them well. By showing skinny photos on your desk they will feel sorry for you and give you their money! But keep the photo of your fat wife, they’ll feel sorry for you too! Infact, can I borrow that photo so I can use it on my desk?”

You get the picture!

It’s not going to be to everyone’s taste but I’ll be checking it out!

Here’s the trailor:

Thanks again

Sean

Sean McPheat
The UK’s #1 Authority On Modern Day Selling
MTD Sales Training

PS Click here for 15 memorable movie salesmen!

For free sales tips click here

Have you downloaded my latest report “The Sales Person’s Crisis”? Over 10,000 sales pros have.

Click on the image below to find out why you’re very existence as a sales person is in doubt…

Here’s a question I received today about prospects who stall and what to do about them:

“Hi Sean,

I always enjoy your emails and find them useful (and succinct). I am after some advice. What do you do about potential prospects who express high interest, but you have to keep chasing. Even when you are direct and ‘try to push for a no’ they still maintain interest without buying anything. I know I should maintain them as contacts through marketing, however is there a killer technique/question to assess if someone is actually just wasting your time?

Kind regards,

Roger”

Here are my thoughts on this:

We all get them. You know what I mean. You have a great sales meeting with a new prospect, things seem to be going along really well and then……NOTHING!

Your calls are not returned, they stall, they make excuses – you name it.

And you’re left scratching your head wondering why!

Now the top sales people want to know whether this prospect will actually do anything or not. Either way they need and want to know and that includes being comfortable in hearing bad news!

Whereas the average salesperson will accept lame excuses and then they’ll promise to call them back in a week or two.

And so the cycle starts again!

Let me tell you, this will really damage your sales career. Time wasters are a nightmare!

So, if you receive yet another lame excuse ask this question:

“James, in your opinion, what do you think might stand in the way of you moving forward with this?”

This will unearth some excuses and then you can qualify them in or out!

I hope that is useful?

Until the next time, take care of yourself and happy selling!

Sean
The UK’s #1 Authority On Modern Day Selling
MTD Sales Training

PS Our 2010 open schedule is now complete and includes courses in Heathrow, Manchester and Coventry. For our 2010 schedule and also what’s left in 2009 please click on the link below:
http://www.mtdsalestraining.com/opencourses.htm

Have you downloaded my latest report “The Sales Person’s Crisis”? Over 10,000 sales pros have.

Click on the image below to find out why you’re very existence as a sales person is in doubt…

I received an interesting question yesterday from Keith Lassiter who sells conservatories.

Keith asked me how to contruct a sales process from scratch.

Now if you have to do this, here’s my top tip on how to make a start:

With a blank piece of paper write down how your prospects and clients make their buying decision?

Right from the moment that they say “I want a conservatory or whatever it is” through to them saying “yes, you’ve got the deal”. You need to think this through.

For example:

* Do they search the internet first to find out “what’s out there?”
* Do they ask their friends and if so where and how do they do this? (word of mouth, facebook etc?)
* Who is the main influencer in the decision? The wife? The husband?
* What’s going through their mind when you turn up on their doorstep?
* What needs and desires do they need satisfying before they say yes?
* When do they want to talk about money?
* Who esle will they be seeing and what process do they use?
* Do they want to think about it? And if so, what do they need to think about?

I think you get the picture!

You see, you need to map out the “buying process” before you start to design your “sales process”

The two should overlap each other into a really snug fit.

There’s loads more I could cover here and it’s one of my specialities when I consult with companies.

Always remember, “It doesn’t matter what you think that you’re selling that counts. It only matters what the prospect thinks they’re buying!”

So turn your sales process on its head and see if from the buyers point of view and then start from scratch with your sales process.

Happy selling!

Sean

Sean McPheat
The UK’s #1 Authority On Modern Day Selling
MTD Sales Training

Click here if you’re interested in having Sean come in and take a look at your sales process

Telephone: 0800 849 6732

Have you downloaded my latest report “The Sales Person’s Crisis”? Over 10,000 sales pros have.

Click on the image below to find out why you’re very existence as a sales person is in doubt…

It’s a GO GO GO!

If you’d like a copy of Drive Time Sales Strategies, my new 5 cd sales improvement programme, then please click on the link below.

You can get a massive 50% of the RRP as a special launch bonus.

CLICK HERE NOW FOR THE DETAILS

Please act fast as I have only got 500 copies to give away at half price.

Thanks again

Sean

Sean McPheat
MTD Sales Training

Ok, ok – here’s a sneak look at the packaging of the programme!

Since telling the world that my latest sales cd programme will be launched on 6th October I’ve been swamped with emails asking me questions about it!

Well, you’re going to have to wait just a little bit longer for the detail but here’s a picture of the programme.

Watch this space tomorrow for more details!

Happy selling

Sean

Sean McPheat
The UK’s #1 Authority On Modern Day Selling
MTD Sales Training

Telephone: 0800 849 6732