Visibility: Growing your base

The other day I was driving home from running a few errands, and I saw this truck parked at the corner of a local gas station. The truck-owner apparently got thirsty and stopped in to buy a pop. So why didn't he park up buy the building? The answer was on the side of his truck. He sold tools and his box-truck was a moving billboard. Parking at the corner made him more visible than anywhere else.

So my question is... are we becoming more visible?

Visibility is a key to selling success. It is one of the ways of shifting the law of averages in your favor. I have even called it "filling the funnel." It goes like this. You have 20 prospects that come in at the top of your funnel. Of those 20, 8 or 9 qualify to buy your product or service. But at the yes or no stage of whether the customer buys, only 3 sign. 

Now increase your visibility rate. You get in the eyes of, say, hundreds of people. You're still doing your prospecting game, but now you're adding an additional stream of prospects into your funnel. You add another 50 or so to your funnel. What is great is that something these prospects perceive about you, that maybe you can help them with a problem, causes them to call on you. This causes a heightened chance of the prospect qualifying. See why visibility matters? More qualified prospects equal a higher chance of a successful sale.

What is great about today is, in our information-rich era, we have at our disposal tools that cost little-to-no money at all, especially with social media. Let's break this down.

Facebook: Everybody seems to be connecting, liking statuses, posting updates, and commenting on crazy photos. You can post photos of new products, status updates of finance options, run polls to get ideas from your fan-base, and more using the pages options. A word of caution: Anybody can like a page, status, photo, etc. Because of Facebook's inclusiveness, you need to really figure out a way to bring the customer into your sphere. Using Facebook to promote events or freebies and bonuses to get people in the door is a good idea

Blogger, WordPress, etc. This is a way of providing credible advice and reviews. Proper use of blogs can give you leverage in the arenas of credibility and trustworthiness. It also gives you an opportunity to delve into the "Why's" and "Why not's" of product choice. This can help save you and your prospects time and energy in the long run.

LinkedIn: This is more of an exclusive, professional network. Business people connecting with business people. Can you think "Endorsements?" This is a great method of building credibility among fellows in the business sphere. This is also a great sharpening tool for you and your own business. Say you connect with Sally Jones at Sally's Hair Shoppe. Your business is cars. Not only that but you've been endorsed in multiple skills. Mary Jane comes in to get her hair done and, wouldn't you know it, she starts talking about how her car gives her nothing but fits and now its time for an upgrade. Sally knows that you are endorsed in areas that can help Mary Jane make an authoritative decision and she passes on your info to Mary Jane.

Twitter: Special Deal on our new... from 11am to 3pm. #ExperienceAwesome. 140 characters to shout out to your followers, plus they have plugins to send the same tweets to Facebook.

YouTube: PEOPLE CONNECT WITH IMAGES. Image is a powerful medium of influence. So imagine that instead of writing about a product, you tell a customer to his or her face at his or her convenience. Imagine that instead of "2 acre, Multi-Level, 4BR 2BA," You, instead, take your customer on a tour of the home. Imagine that instead of a grainy phone-call or an abbreviated statement, your successful customers sitting in front of a camera and telling future customers point-blank what they liked about your services.

You can see that visibility is an essential part of your success. These are a few freebies you can go to and start broadcasting to the public. Remember to always get your name out. Increase your fan-base and you will see success. Be successful and Stay Curious   

Why Do You Want To Sell?

Why? This is the philosophy angle of selling. This is the bed rock to what you do. 

Are you wanting to make a lot of money? Are you wanting to make yourself wealthier? Better bank account? Nicer house? Nicer car? If this is the case, you want a benefits package, not a job.

The word "sell" has a variety of roots. The Old English sellan means "to give." It's Gothic root is even better: saljan, meaning "to offer a sacrifice."

This being said, why do you want to sell? Do you believe that your product or service can improve your customer's life? Do you believe you can help your customer live a happier, more productive life? These are fundamentals that I repeatedly see salesmen and women forget (Myself included sometimes... Yikes!). This article is essentially me calling us back to our "Why" factor.

Now this is in no way condemning the sale to the customer who wants to buy that 2013 Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca (Base just under $50k). If you have the means of giving the customer that luxury, go ahead. Just make sure you are totally operating in the interest of your customer while maintaining high standards of integrity.

But I believe that to be the best salesman (or woman), you have to operate in this strange bias that yes: they will love your product and service, no: they won't hate you or your product tomorrow, yes: they will want to come to buy from you again back when it is time to upgrade, etc.

That brings me to my final point: Your philosophy should begin with your legacy. If you died and your relatives went through your possessions would they be ashamed? Same is true that if you found a better opportunity and left your company, would your former managers be ashamed of your conduct; your customers of your salesmanship and integrity? Always act in the best interest of everybody. I know it seems like I'm beating a dead horse, but I see so many customers relegated to being just another transaction and so many employers becoming another paycheck-provider.

I hope this has inspired you to think through the "Why's" of your selling. Maybe you're a veteran and know all this and practice this already, Thank you. It is my observation of you veterans of sales and made-men of the field that inspire me to write this, because I want to become the best in whatever sales field I am engaged. I know that my generation (in general) sometimes makes you wonder if anybody cares about the future of our trade. Here's one "Yes." I hope this serves as a breath of fresh air. 

To you others starting out- WELCOME.

To all, as always, STAY CURIOUS!

Meet, Like, Trust: A Method of Approach

I was participating in this group forum on LinkedIn the other day. Another forum participant opened an interesting discussion that I think everybody should note. The gentleman posting this discussion stated that he had lost a deal to a worthy competitor and, when asking for feedback, the prospect simply stated the cold truth: The competition didn't make the prospect feel like he was being sold.

This forum post ultimately asked (From LinkedIn forum):

how can I best interpret the individual customer at first contact to avoid instant alienation if the wrong approach is taken. Is this a deal breaker?

To this I answered, and will now open my answer to you: MEET, LIKE, TRUST

I first heard it put this way a little over two weeks back in a conversation I was having following a breakfast I had attended. The simplicity of this and using this for sales is brilliant.

MEET: This is the rapport builder; the initial handshake. This opens the door of possibility to an ongoing relationship. I find that you only have a few moments to build this initial relationship.



After this the customers will determine whether or not they LIKE you. Here is a key to raising your likability: Ask them questions about them. Show genuine desire to learn about them (Curiosity). Listen to them. Watch and see what they talk about that makes their eyes sparkle. If you see them grow distant on a certain area (far away gaze. Deadening tone, etc.) that is a subject that needs axed, unless its from a certain need that you can fulfill. Painful subjects should be avoided: Divorce, Deaths of Close family or friends, Enemies, etc. If you see they are proud of their industry, ask them about projects that were successes. If they are proud of their kids, ask about subjects that the kids excel, talents, hobbies. Ask about what they enjoy doing. Using these questions makes YOU interesting. By becoming interested, you become interesting.

On top of that, you will pick up avenues of approach. The customer essentially opens doors for you to enter. These doors are doors of TRUST. You have avoided alienation with customer and the customer will be more open to working with you. At this point the customer is working with a friend, not a salesman. You both are now on the same side of the table working towards the same goal. And also because you have listened, you have working examples on how you can improve the life of the customer and make what is already profitable even more profitable.

As a final note: Strong relationships are easy to build. But they are easier to break. Remember to always build these relationships with integrity. Don't give them any reason to be ashamed to be your friend. If your product or service cannot help them, maintain the friendship. If they expect to see what you have, go ahead and show them how the product or service makes improvements to lives. But only exhibit it's benefits. Don't go into a sales pitch. Instant turnoff because now they are being sold on something THEY DON'T WANT. That's a major deal breaker and you may destroy a way of reference.

Meet. Like. Trust... And Stay Curious.

Are You Happy?

What makes you happy? Money?.. to buy stuff?.. to keep you smiling during your downtime?.. before you go back to work?.. to make more money?.. so you can buy more stuff? That is what you call a vicious cycle. Some refer to it as a "rat race." And not a whole lot of people smile when running that race. And according to statistics, your chances of winning that race is 0% That's right. Odds of winning is 0:1,581,379,265. (128% of statistics are made up).

I'm happy. I recently received two job offers at once. One of the job offers paid virtually $2 dollars more an hour than the other, gave more hours, local commute and not seasonal like the other. Now can you see why I'm happy? Do I really need to explain it? Or do you truly fully understand why I'm happy?

I turned that job down. I chose a learning path instead. I chose experience over earnings. Now I feel so liberated. I'm not working for money or stuff. I am working for me. I am working towards personal growth. Robert Kiyosaki, author of the famed bestseller Rich Dad, Poor Dad and founder of multiple wealth building companies says it like this. "When you are young, work to learn, not to earn." There is a lot of wisdom to that statement. And I can feel the peace of doing things this way. I am not stressed about "They don't pay me enough" or "I'm hoping for a good paycheck so I can buy this or that." Instead my focus is how can I drive my productivity numbers higher, is there a better way of approaching this and making it better, etc?

This approach follows the philosophy that pay is what happens with experience and that excellence is rewarded. Too many people are merely being empty suits, punching-in, logging hours. They don't seek responsibility, they only take it out of obligation, and become slaves to money. The servants of money are worked hard. Money demands they work more and earn more. And when they earn, they haven't earned enough. They are not producing enough and are not entrusted with more responsibility, bringing less wealth.

The servants of excellence are given better jobs. They are entrusted with responsibility and are required to become stewards of responsibility, thus lowering its overhead and creating a more profitable standard. These are our innovators of success. These servants become the top producers because excellence rewards those who work towards it with more profitable responsibility, and, therefore, more profitable lives.

I desire success (end result), and therefore I must search out excellence (means to the end result) and become its student and servant. This ultimately leads to a happier life. Because I understand that this is the process I must go through, I understand that I will be happier and am now happy. I may get frustrated at times but simply knowing what I am in the process of doing places a smile inside and a peace and that is Happiness.

Communication: A Lesson From The Tower of Babel

There is one aspect in which I consistently find problems in today's society in general and business specifically: Communication.  

I remember taking note of this a couple years ago at one of the establishments that employed me. I brought it up to the assistant manager that if the store offered in-store training, why wasn't there a training module on communication. To this he simply replied, "It should be common-sense." Then he turned around and went on his way.

Common-sense? Maybe. Common-practice: No.

So what is Communication? The best definition I found was in Webster's Dictionary. Communication is a process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs, or behavior. The breakdown is that one person gives info while the other receives it in a way that both people understand.

For example: The Tower of Babel.

Yes, a Bible story. In Genesis 11, it opens by saying that "...the whole Earth was of one language, and one speech" (Gen. 11:1; KJV). It then says that one person said to another to build bricks, stones, and mortar for a tower to go up to heaven and make us a name, or else we will be scattered around. So the people began to build and build and construct this tower. The Bible then says that the Lord came down to see the tower. After he sees it, he says, "...'Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.' "(Gen 11:6)

Now whether or not you believe in the Bible is your own prerogative. I go to the Bible because I find it the most timeless advice-giver and example-maker on how to live a life to its fullest. 

But here is the breakdown of the story of the Tower of Babel.

1. These people spoke the same way to each other. They had one language. They understood each other. They could converse easily and not question what the other person was saying. The were communicating well.
2. They shared a common goal: The Tower. They had a legacy they were striving for and a symbol they desired to build to the rest of the world. They recognized how great they could become and how they would merely scatter about and go their separate ways if they didn't
3. Even the Lord admits that with good communication, any vision can be accomplished. 

Today, we must work hard and communicate well. Communication problems are as old as the Tower of Babel. It is a human problem. We all have our own ambitions, goals, and visions. And, because we also have an ego, it makes it difficult to work with others sometimes. 

But laying aside biases, communication is ultimately talking together, working together, and understanding together. If we could work on this weakness of communication and become stronger communicators, what could we accomplish? What could we build? What could our legacy really look like?

Something to consider. Stay Curious.

  

I Am The Curious Salesman

Helen Keller once said "Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing at all." Yet we seem to loose this sense of adventure with time as we grow older. Instead of conquering the next frontier, discovering the next miracle, climbing the next highest mountain, or building the next giant monument, etc... we settle for possessing trinkets and merely occupying space.

Alarm goes off... Get up, get dressed, blast the morning news, cut yourself shaving, go to work, punch in, work, punch out, back to home, back to the evening news, back to bed.

Yes its important we work. Yes its important to have routines. But what about living a life of adventure and discovery? At what point do we become too mature to think and grow and enrich our lives? "When you're green, you grow. When you're ripe, you rot." Whose words were those? The guy who franchised the business that made popular the Big Mac, Filet-o-fish, Shamrock Shake, etc.: Ray Kroc. Thinking and learning are critical parts to business growth and innovation for McDonald's, as with other businesses (Get an inside taste of McD's innovations with this article by Huffington Post: http://huff.to/12fD6SG). Innovation gives them great new menu ideas, ways to keep costs low, and ways to get the message out. But ideas could be conjured without curiosity?

Curiosity is defined as the desire to know. Essentially curiosity is the catalyst to innovation. This is why I constantly ask questions. You see, I spent my time growing up merely wandering through school and not observing and questioning the world around me. I lost valuable time hopping from failure to failure. But I recognize my intelligence, and I realized I was rotting.

Now I choose to grow. I study, I learn, I apply, and figure what works, what excels, and what fails. This is what streamlining is about: adopting efficient skills while eliminating waste. And this is also what this blog is about: Recording lessons and passing them to others that they may learn and become better as well. I am curious.

My career is sales. I am the Curious Salesman. It is not enough to only sell and practice sales. I desire to become the best. I desire to become a Sales Leader and Expert. And I recognize that leadership is one part reaching up to the hand above and another part pulling up the hand beneath. I invite you to follow along as I grow. And I invite you to grow with me, celebrate each success, ponder each failure, and take this daring adventure of Success and Fulfillment. I invite you to BE CURIOUS