Jonathan Farrington’s Blog

A “Win-Win” negotiation can only be achieved if both parties are prepared to concede some of their ‘would like to have’s’ in favour of preserving their ‘must have’s’. The way concessions are handled is a vitally important negotiating skill and can have a huge impact on the final result. Below are ten tried and tested tactics to help you.

1. Discover and agree all the points for negotiation before it begins. Ensure that for each one of these points you have identified whether it is a fixed or a variable point from your perspective. (Variable means that there is some flexibility of movement.) If you have a separate meeting scheduled for your negotiation, it’s a good practice to send out you points for negotiation prior to your meeting. This ensures that both parties aren’t presented with any sudden surprises.

2. Increase the number of points for negotiation (if possible) because you increase the opportunities for a trade. If you only negotiate on price you are potentially setting the stage for a Win-Lose outcome. People very rarely buy on price alone, which is why it’s important to do a thorough fact find at the beginning of the sales process, to flush out the buyer’s list of requirements.

3. Always trade concessions (as opposed to giving them away). This means that for each point where you agree to a concession, you’ll want the buyer to make a concession in return. If you give a concession without requesting a return concession then you’ll be unlikely to get one afterwards. Therefore, it helps to preface your concession with the words ‘what if’. For example, “What if I offered you this (specify concession), what could you offer me in return?” As soon as you begin the process of trading concessions you are creating a frame for agreement, this underpins the belief that together you can reach an overall agreement.

4. Make concessions in small incremental amounts, gradually. If you offer up a large concession too quickly you could create the perception that ‘you loaded the deal’. It’s always best to aim to hold something in reserve for those buyers that are tougher with their negotiations, and present every concession as if it has huge value to you. When presenting concessions use features and benefits to really highlight the value that you are offering.

5. If the price changes, change the deal. This can help to maintain your credibility and justifies the reason for the price change. If you simply comply with a request to lower your prices then you imply that you were asking too much originally.

6. Use a calculator to quantify the impact of price decreases overall. For example, a couple of cents or euros on a large deal could equate to a huge amount over a twelve month period. This can be useful to show just how much you are offering in the long term. It’s a good idea to calculate the long-term value of every concession you are offering.

7. It can be disadvantageous to have your opening offer completely disregarded so encourage the buyer to go first with their offer if you can. Sometimes the buyer offers more than the sales person was prepared to accept, yet avoids having to do so because they kept quiet and let the seller go first. It also provides you with the opportunity to evaluate their opening stance in terms of the possibility of getting an overall result. If their opening offer is ridiculously low then they may not be taking the negotiation as seriously as you.

8. Make each concession really count. People have a tendency to appreciate what they have worked hard to get. If the winning of a concession is too easy then you are depriving the buyer of some emotional satisfaction. This is also an ideal time to request the opportunity to consult with another individual within your organisation. If the buyer sees that their requested concession appears to be outside of your own authority limits, then this helps to build the case that they have negotiated well.

9. Be creative when generating concessions. Work with the other party to generate a variety of options and brainstorm each option neutrally. You’ll be amazed at how many good ideas are created when this process is allowed to occur. You can help this process prior to the negotiation by seeking input and ideas from other people in your organisation. Often, getting some alternative suggestions from people who are not involved in the deal, can provide you with some refreshing new insights.

10. Leave price until last so you build a sense of agreement between both parties. Aim to discover what the buyer really needs when they request a particular price. At the end of a negotiation, the buyer has made an investment of time and has demonstrated a desire to do business with you by making concessions. Therefore, to reach a stalemate at this final stage will be viewed as a waste of their time. Before tackling the price, summarise all the concessions that you have made and where possible attach a value to them. This amount can look even more impressive if you total this over a twelve month period. Always have a list of the buyers agreed requirements in front of you so that you can show the buyer just how many of them  you have already met.

Today’s News: The Top Sales Experts team have been approached by a publisher to put Volumes One and Two, plus Volume Three, due our at Christmas, into hardback, just in time for the festive period and I think we will do it - providing we can gather in all the copy in time, so as I always say, watch this space: Volume Two launched last week, as you know and has already been downloaded 1000 times - fantastic. If you haven’t read it yet, please see the banner in the left hand column.

Tomorrow: One of the leading networking experts in the world if not the leading authority on the subject, my good friend Andrea Nierenberg makes a welcome return to the JF Guest Author Spot - so if you want to learn more about winning business contacts and influencing people, do tune in.

The JF Guest Author Spot

Do you sell features or benefits? Do you know the difference? All too often salespeople think features are key. Of course, it’s because that’s what they’ve been shown. ‘Look at all the bells, whistles, and gadgets!’ It’s as if the more gadgets, the more valuable the product or service. Well, that’s only true if your prospect NEEDS all those things.

Have you ever been shopping for something where the salesperson keeps telling you about all the features, yet never once asks you what you need? Or they ask you what you need but go ahead and tell you everything else? Is that how you sell? Do you think that if you don’t tell them EVERYTHING, you’ll miss out on the one thing your prospect is looking for?

STOP!

Stop talking. Stop thinking. And please, stop selling. Your prospect doesn’t want to listen to you ramble on about things they don’t care about.

Ask a few questions, listen, and then address only what you hear. Let’s explore this process.

1. Ask a few questions

And I mean a few. Examples are: -What are you looking for the product to do? What do you need or want to accomplish with this product? What matters most to you? (Here you can offer some suggestions – price, volume, speed, reliability . . .) With these questions, you are trying to get the prospect to tell you exactly what they want/need. You can also ask if they will need certain functionality that you know the product or service offers. Be careful to continue to ask and listen here – don’t explain or sell.

2. Listen

Listen to the answers. This is where you’ll find out which features solve your prospect’s problem; which features meet their needs. Their answers may lead to more qualifying questions. Go ahead and ask them and then LISTEN. You are working to discover which features you should share with your prospect.

3. Address what you heard

Now that you’ve heard what your prospect needs, you can show them how specific features will benefit them. You have a well-rounded idea of what they are looking for so you can tailor a solution specifically for them. You won’t regale (translated to: bore) them with features that don’t matter to them.

When you use this process you will accomplish a couple of things. The first is that you will be showing your prospect that they matter to you. People not only like to be listened to – they like to be heard. They want to know that you find it important to discover what they truly need or want. The second thing you’ll accomplish is that you’ll have a very good understanding of what they need. This will give you the ability to really answer their concerns with your product or service. Your solution will be powerful because it will address the prospect’s concerns – not what you think they should know. This is where the features come in. You present them as benefits – how they help your prospect based on what he/she said.

Remember, it’s not about you telling your prospect all the features of your product or service. What matters is that you show them the benefit TO THEM of the features that can help them solve their problem; the problem you discovered when you asked them questions. So you see there is a connection between features and benefits – when you use them the right way.

Copyright© 2007 Seize This Day Coaching

Diane Helbig is a Professional Coach, and the president of Seize This Day Coaching. She works one-on-one and in groups with small business owners, entrepreneurs, and salespeople to help them create successful business development strategies. As a team, they embrace the possibilities. Diane’s website is http://www.seizethisdaycoaching.com and her blog is http://www.seizethisdaycoaching.blogspot.com

Today’s News: Actually, this is yesterday’s news! Another superb selection of articles this week, over at Top 10 Sales Articles - well worth a visit, I promise.

Tomorrow: If you negotiate, which all of us have to do from time to time, you will enjoy: “The Importance Of Trading Concessions”

”Man is a goal seeking animal. His life only has meaning if he is reaching out and striving for his goals.” Aristotle

One of the single, most important skills that a salesperson can possess is to set goals that are so well defined, and so compelling, that they become embedded deep into the unconscious mind, consequently acting as a powerful force that drives motivation and behaviour. If your sales team lacks clarity about why they are doing the job that they do, their sense of purpose will become diluted and as their sales manager you are losing out on a massive piece of their potential.

The art to achieving whatever you want is to have a clear picture of your goal in your mind. You’ve probably heard this so many times before that the power of this one thing may have escaped you. According to Prentice Mulford (1834-1891), “Every thought of yours is a real thing - a force.” To put it another way, thoughts become things.

We are all connected to each other and the universe through our energy that ebbs and flows constantly. In fact we are like a powerful electro-magnetic transmitter where our thoughts vibrate at a certain frequency and attract to us, that which we are thinking. In his bestselling book, Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill states, “That “the subconscious” mind proceeds to translate that impulse into its physical equivalent”.

Yet the mistake made my many sales people is that they don’t think about what they want, they think about what they don’t want. The human mind is unable to deal with negations, such as “I don’t want to miss target” or “this prospect will always go for the lowest price”. In these examples, your unconscious mind will create ‘miss target’ and ‘prospects who only buy from the companies who offer the lowest prices’. If you are asked not to think of a blue tree then your mind has already started thinking of a blue tree!

Therefore, when helping your sales team set goals for themselves, they need to focus on what it is they want, rather than what it is they don’t want.

The clearer people are about their goals, the more leverage they create because they start to attract them at an unconscious level. This means that having a picture of their goal and imagining how they will feel achieving their goal can be extremely powerful.

Having goals and well-formed outcomes will stretch and develop your team’s ability, keeping them challenged and motivated.

During a sales meeting you can give them the time to identify and write down what they want, which is the first step to creating a SMART goal.

SMART stands for:

Specific - because it becomes more real when you are detailed. Imagine concentrating the rays of the sun using a magnifying glass into a force powerful enough to start a fire. This is exactly what happens when you are specific about your goal, because your power to achieve it becomes more focused.

Measurable - if you have been very specific about your goal, then you are going to find it much easier to know when you have achieved it. If there is no way of knowing what you have achieved then it’s vital you develop a way.

Achievable - having the faith and the belief that your goal is stretching yet realistic, generates more clarity, drive and determination. This in turn empowers the goal setting process. If your goal is so big that you genuinely believe that it’s impossible, even though it’s what you want, your unconscious mind will hold you back because it wants to preserve your energy from being used unnecessarily.

Relevant - sometimes it can be easy to set ourselves goals that are not really our own goals, they are the goals of others who have influenced us to think that we should want them too. If our goal doesn’t have any real relevance to us, then we will find it difficult to form an emotional attachment or connection with that goal.

Timed - people often find that if they have a certain amount of work to be done within a specified timeframe they will take the allotted time to complete their task. You may have noticed that when you are busy you tend to get more done. Sometimes if we have less to do and there isn’t a deadline to do it by, the tasks can take longer. Putting a time for when we want to achieve our goal by, works in much the same way and is a vital component for our own motivation.

Tomorrow: On the JF Guest Author Spot I am delighted to welcome back, Diane Helbig.

“If you become a testimonial-based seller (which I believe to be the most powerful form of sales in the world), then you can get testimonials for every element, or every step of your sales cycle.”

Jeffrey Gitomer, author of “Little Red Book of Sales Answers”

Customers like to feel reassured that the purchase they are about to make will do everything that the sales person has told them it will do. Why? Because there is a principle based around social proof that effectively confirms, “If other customers like this, it must be good”. The power of using testimonials during different stages of the sales process increases sales when ‘real’ customers are seen or heard testifying as to how beneficial a product/service has been for them. They increase your credibility because they are third-party endorsements rather than words out of your own mouth.

The goal of a customer is to predict the future about a product/service, and by offering real stories from other real customers can turn a picture of your proposition into a tangible experience.

When using testimonials there are a number of elements that can maximise their effectiveness:

• The more specific a testimonial is the more power it has for the customer. For example; “Great company, great service” lacks meaning because it is vague and doesn’t tell the customer anything. Consider the impact when a testimonial becomes more specific: “I was really impressed with this company’s speed of service. They pulled out all the stops so that I had product sitting in my warehouse within 24 hours.”

• Every testimonial should include the customer’s name, their title and their organisation’s name (if relevant), and ideally a thumbnail size photograph of that person. This helps to convey the authenticity of the testimonial and builds credibility.

• Dividing testimonials into different aspects of the sales process can be really useful. When used in context they create more impact. For example; if a sales person is struggling to get an appointment with a prospect, a relevant testimonial could help persuade that prospect to agree to a meeting: “It took me two years before I agreed to meet this company. Having worked with them almost a year, I wish I’d seen them earlier.”

• Within the context of the sales cycle, testimonials can be used at many stages, particularly:

- Initial letters/emails to request a meeting
- Sales presentations to reinforce key points
- Objection handling and negotiations
- Post – meeting follow up to provide reassurance
- Managing ongoing relationships with regular contact

• Validating the benefits of your product or service can be achieved brilliantly by using a video format for your testimonials at the end of your presentation. This provides a powerful ‘benefits-driven’ summary that confirms and proves your claims.

Just remember, the only thing better than saying the right thing at the right time is when your customers do it for you–and better.

• You and your team are already acutely aware of your most frequently encountered objections. That’s why testimonials should acknowledge and mention these objections, before explaining why they still decided to buy from your organisation. For example: “I was initially surprised with their prices until I saw the quality of their product and experienced their vast range of promotional services.” Testimonials are really powerful when they acknowledge an objection that paces the probable experiences of your prospects, and then wipes out the objection with an overarching benefit.

• When requesting testimonials you are looking to obtain a genuine viewpoint that praises your organisation/product/service. Therefore, the best time to ask for this is when your customer has experienced the benefits of your product/service. To help busy customers respond to your request, provide them with other examples of testimonials so they can see how easy they are to write. It also helps if you can provide them with a simple structure to follow, for example:

- Why did you agree to meet us?
- What persuaded you to buy our product?
- What benefits have you gained from using this product?
- How would you describe our level of service?

Today’s News: The brand new Top Sales Experts e-book is launched as you may have noticed, just click on the banner in the left-hand column to download it for free - enjoy!

Tomorrow: I am still working on the JF “Blogging Good Year” e-book, so lots of proof-reading for me, but the highlight of the weekend will inevitably be the titanic battle between England and France on Saturday in Paris - “Swing Low Sweet Chariot” and “Allez Les Bleus”

Have a great weekend, wherever you are in the world - JF

The JF Guest Author Spot

“14 Steps To Successful Cold Calling” by Mark Hunter

The vast majority of salespeople do not enjoy cold-calling. Yet, at the same time, it is an activity that most need to do on a regular basis. The biggest reason sales professionals are not more successful in this necessary endeavor is the defense that they have other things to do. However, nothing will overcome this excuse faster than being held accountable for making a set number of cold calls each day, each week, or each month.

As much as people would like to believe there is a secret formula for being successful at cold-calling, the only valid one is being disciplined enough to do it. When people avoid cold-calling, they are generally telling themselves that either they don’t know enough about what they’re selling or they don’t believe the outcome will be successful. For this simple reason, it is necessary to be confident in yourself and what you are selling.

The following may be beneficial as you begin to practice this critical discipline.

1. Have a dedicated time each day to prospect.
2. Know the reason for calling before you call: customer benefits, not product features.
3. Leave short voice mail messages.
4. Assume your voice mail messages will never be returned.
5. Always call one level higher in an organization than you believe is necessary.
6. Be confident and competent.
7. Phone calls placed before 8:30 AM are the most likely to be answered by the person you’re trying to reach.
8. Respect the gate-keeper by treating them in the same manner you would treat the prospect.
9. Prospecting calls on Monday mornings and Friday afternoons will have the worst results.
10. Prospecting on “semi-holidays” and inclement weather days will get a higher response.
11. Make it your goal to earn the right, privilege, and honor to talk to the person again.
12. Believe in what you’re selling and the benefits that the prospect will receive from your products/services.
13. Believe in yourself and your professionalism.
14. Anytime is a good time to make a call; don’t wait for the “perfect” time.

By practicing and persevering, both your skills and confidence will improve. Furthermore, making yourself accountable will help you turn your excuses into successful sales.

Mark Hunter, “The Sales Hunter“, works with companies and sales people who want to find and retain better customers. To find out more or to receive a free, weekly online selling tip, visit www.TheSalesHunter.com

Today’s News: Over at Salesopediamedia, Clayton Shold is in conversation Tammy Stanley - interesting interview, as you would expect fom Tamster - she is very bright and I like her a lot.

Tomorrow: To round the week of, I am going to post on one of my favourite topics, “How To Maximise The Power Of Testimonials” because it is something that too few sales professionals do well.

Next to objections, closing is one of the most talked-about sales training topics among sales people and sales managers, but Top 5% sales professionals have no difficulties in either area - but not everyone can be a Top 5% player: So for the other 95%, here are some tips.

Everyone wants to know how to close and how to speed up the buying process. Closing is easy when you have thoroughly appreciated each customer’s specific requirements and aligned the presentation of your solution accordingly. Closing is the process of helping customers to make a decision that will benefit them.

Successful ‘closers’ know that there is no need to use magic phrases or techniques because if they’ve effectively followed the sales process, closing the sale is the next step in a logical sequence. The expression “closing the deal” means getting the business. The phrase “the close” refers to the point in the sales process at which the sales person asks for the business.

There is a closing technique that can be used through your interactions with prospects and customers. Trial closing allows you to check the pulse or attitude of your customer towards your proposition. Trial closing ensures that both you and your prospect are on the same wavelength which adds to a feeling of deeper rapport and general agreement. There are 4 important times during the sales process when trial closing can be hugely beneficial:

1. After making a strong selling point
2. At the end of your presentation
3. Before handling an objection
4. Immediately prior to closing

Trial closing gives you valuable insights into the customer’s perspective concerning what you have just said, and enables you to ‘layer in’ another agreement that helps move the customer to an ultimate close.

Here are some different examples of trial closes that can be very effective when used at the appropriate moment:

“How does that sound to you?”
“What do you think?”
“Is this what you are looking for?”
“If I can satisfy your concerns regarding this point, are you happy to proceed?”
“It appears that you have a preference for this option. Am I right?”
“Are we on track with this proposal?”
“On a scale of 1-10, how well does this meet your requirements?”

Once you use a trial close, actively listen to what the customer says and observe their body language to assess their reaction. It’s important to bear in mind that trial closing doesn’t directly ask the customer to buy, it asks only for an opinion.

Above all else, you just need to be clear that your proposal is right for the customer and you have created a win-win relationship. Timing is everything when it comes to closing and there are a number of indicators that signpost when a close should be attempted. Only close if the customer is ready! That’s why an ability to read their buying signals correctly helps to determine this. With the trial closing technique, this becomes even easier. The best part of closing, besides winning the business, is that each time you close you get the chance to broaden and deepen the relationship and move it towards a partnership.

Here is a simple process to follow that will make closing a natural next step:

1. Ask pre-closing questions regarding time-frames, decision-making process, payment procedures and ongoing servicing requirements
2. Use trial closing throughout the sales cycle and during each call
3. Ensure that each customer call has ended with an actionable next step that moves discussions forward
4. Before asking for the business, investigate whether the customer has any remaining questions or concerns
5. Ask for the business in a confident way, maintain eye contact and then remain silent. (Silence is a very powerful influencer because most people aren’t totally comfortable with long pauses and instinctively feel a need to fill them)

Examples of good closing questions:

“Well, (name) when would you like to do this?”
“When shall we begin?”
“Are you ready to go ahead?”
“Which option do you want?”

When closing, think success! Visualise the customer saying “yes” and looking extremely satisfied. Visualisation will build your confidence because your unconscious mind feels like it’s already happened. If a customer rejects your close, make a second effort after you have found out why the customer is saying no. Address their reasons, check they are satisfied with what you have said and as appropriate, close again.  Regardless of the outcome always leave the door open and end the call with an agreed next step.

Today’s News: It’s always interesting to do a Google search on oneself from time to time - vanity apart, it provides an idea who is using your work, and I came across this site the other day: Looks interesting and I discovered lots of my buddies there, but like me, they are probably unaware of their presence! - http://www.salesmotivation.net/

Tomorrow: On the JF Guest Author Spot, “The Sales Hunter“, Mark Hunter is making his debut: Mark and I have known about each other for some time and last week we finally got together on Skype: I am delighted that he will be joining the Top Sales Experts team in November, along with a number of other world class and equally well known sales gurus -I will be making more announcements shortly - watch this space!

The JF Guest Author Spot

“The Power of a Symbol” by Kevin Eikenberry

We all have symbols in our lives. As nations our flags and landmarks are two examples; as organizations logos or specific stories or situations may be symbols; and as individuals perhaps a picture, award or collectable fits this description. These symbols can remind us of our beliefs, of our loyalties, of our accomplishments and much more. Whether physical like a flag, symbolic like a story, or memory-anchored like a picture these can serve us in powerful ways.

None of this is new or revolutionary to you.

What may be revolutionary to you though is how we can use these symbols to our advantage as individuals and leaders.

Let me start with some examples.

The Rock. The picture at the top of this article is of a rock I received recently. The Rainmakers organization in Indianapolis recently began a tradition at their events where the leader brings a rock, and writes on it “Be More, Serve More” (a part of their mission and purpose). Then during the meeting all participants sign the rock. At some point in the meeting that rock is presented to someone in the group who has made a difference, lived the Rainmaker’s ideals or is in some other way deserving of the recognition. Started as a way to reward and recognize without breaking their budget, it now is a powerful part of the organization’s culture. It also is a highly valued award, meaningful in many ways to each recipient.

The Bands. In anticipation of my new book Remarkable Leadership we had green rubber wristbands (ala the Lance Armstrong Livestrong bands) made that say “I am Remarkable!” We purchased these and gave them to people because we believe in the message that people are remarkable and that they need to be reminded. I can tell you that, having worn one of these bands daily for nearly two months so far, it is a powerful reminder. While it isn’t a conscious reminder each time I look at it, I consciously notice multiple times a day and it reminds of that fact for myself and, perhaps for the point of this article, it reminds me in a tangible way of our mission at the Kevin Eikenberry Group - to help people reach their remarkable goals.

The Red Herring. Have you ever been to a meeting where the group got off topic? (Sorry for asking a silly question.) I had a client once who called those side topics red herrings - things that weren’t the real issue at hand. That phrase caught on within the team and soon someone showed up with a plastic red fish at a meeting - and dubbed it the red herring! The team decided to use the fish as a reminder of red herring topics - anyone could playfully toss the fish in the direction of someone if they thought a conversation was off topic. This gentle reminder has helped this team run more effective meetings for a long time - in large part because of a symbol.

The Stone. I carry a small stone in my pocket everyday to remind me of the importance and value my wife and family play in my life. Do I “know” that I love and value them? Of course I do. But this stone, this symbol, grounds me on a regular basis. I find myself holding the stone often when making a decision or thinking things through. This touchstone to the most important things in my life helps me make better decisions and think more clearly. It isn’t the stone itself that is helping; it is the meaning and message it signifies to me that makes all the difference.

We can draw much from these examples. First, notice how symbols can serve as a recognition or a reminder or both. As an individual if there is something that you want to be reminded of a symbol can be a powerful way to remind yourself. The symbol need not be elaborate or fancy (notice the stone example above), as long as the meaning and message attached to it is valuable.

The same is true in organizations - the physical representation doesn’t have to be glossy, shiny or valuable - a rubber fish or a retaining pond rock is certainly none of these. Again, the power comes from the meaning and message.

Does this mean that we no longer need to buy watches, plaques or awards? Not necessarily, but remember that the $100 or $500 plaque may mean nothing (or even be counterproductive to the intended goal). Have you ever or do you know anyone who received a plaque or recognition that didn’t value it for some reason? If so, the disconnect comes from a lack of meaning and/or sincerity and has little or nothing to do with the physical manifestation.

Symbols are powerful and can aid us personally and organizationally as we attempt to improve or move toward valuable goals. Use them wisely and sincerely and this underutilized tool could become instrumental in your future success.

Kevin Eikenberry is a leadership expert and the Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group, a learning consulting company that helps Clients reach their potential through a variety of training, consulting and speaking services. You can learn more about him and a special offer on his newest book, Remarkable Leadership: Unleashing Your Leadership Potential One Skill at http://www.RemarkableLeadershipBook.com/bonuses.asp

NB: “The Power Of A Symbol” was voted top article of the month for September, over at Top 10 Sales Articles and now goes forward into the Top Sales Article Of The Year final in December - well done good buddy and good luck!

Today’s News: I can confirm that the brand new Top Sales Experts e-book will be available at the end of this week, packed with previously unpublished work by this very special group of sales gurus: You will be able to download it for free here

Tomorrow: As you will know, Wednesday is usually the JF Book Review day, but I am travelling on business until the end of the month and as a consequence, time is at a premium. I will however compensate you with a very interesting and highly readable post - “Closing With Ease”

Before looking outwards at our prospects and customers we need to look at ourselves, because each of us is a unique human being with our own desires, dreams, problems and thoughts. To understand how we can communicate and therefore sell more effectively, we need to understand the human communication process.

Every minute our unconscious mind absorbs over two million pieces of information through our senses. We are bombarded with sights, sounds, smells, tastes and touches. Yet according to Professor George Miller from Harvard University, we can only process around seven chunks of information consciously at any given moment. That’s an awful lot of information that our conscious mind chooses to ignore or to be more accurate, delete! This means that every individual will process information based on what they a focusing on at that time.

The information that enters our unconscious mind goes through three filters to reach our conscious mind. We delete most of it because there is no way that our conscious mind could cope with what is held in the unconscious mind. We distort the information based on our current situation.  For example, a child may interpret the ordinary sounds of a central heating system very differently if they are left alone in the house. This is why, sometimes people can completely misinterpret what we are saying to them, they are distorting the information because they are focusing on a different meaning to the one we wanted to convey.

We also generalise information. For example; once we have learned what a chair looks like we can instantly identify other ‘chairs’ even though we haven’t seen every type of chair. We can generalise the way most doors are opened, how most cars are driven and even how to identify when a person is either male or female.

After the information has been filtered into our conscious mind, there are only four things we can do with it inside our heads…we make pictures, sounds, we talk to ourselves or we have feelings. The combination of these things creates an emotion that has an effect on our physiology. For example; if we feel embarrassed we might blush, if we feel angry we may tighten up our muscles. Every thought we have affects our body and the way we move our body affects our thinking. Our mind and body are totally interconnected.

If you observe someone suffering from depression, they are often round shouldered, they look down a lot and many of them will be using a lot of negative self talk, “why does this always happen to me?” “I’m useless, what’s the point?”

Contrast this to a person who feels really confident, they stand upright, their shoulders are back and they use eye contact. Because every thought we have affects our body, this means that our emotional state also affects our behaviour, which consequently affects and influences the results we get. Therefore, if we want to change aspects of our lives, including the way our prospects and customers react to us, first we have to change our own thinking.

Today’s News: Since we launched Top 10 Sales Articles back in April, we have been fortunate enough to have such very high quality articles to choose from every week but this week’s batch is exceptional and choosing a winner is going to be incredibly difficult: Judge for yourselves here 

If you are a rugby fan, you will forgive a little indulgence and you will know that I am smiling from ear to ear this morning. First up, my boys produced an awesome front-five performance to totally destroy the Aussies - always doubly satisfying when we beat the men from “down under”: Then my second love, “Les Bleus” produced a performance of real passion and self-belief that only the French can, to destroy the best team in the world for the last four years and tounament favourites, the mighty All Blacks.

And now the bad news: They have to play each other in the semis next Saturday in Paris :-(  

Tomorrow: On the JF Guest Author Spot,”Mr Remarkable” himself, leadership guru, Kevin Eikenberry - be sure to come back.

Before attempting to handle any type of objection, it is important to begin by looking at the beliefs that sales people are holding in their minds. If they are focusing on what objections they believe they will encounter, they will unconsciously transmit these thoughts to their prospects.

Every moment, human beings perceive things on many different levels based on millions of bits of information being absorbed into the unconscious mind. Our conscious mind is not able to process all of this information and tends to select small chunks at a time.

At the most basic level there is neurological perception, the way we perceive sensory-based things. This level of perception is based upon the functioning of our end-receptors (i.e., our eyes, ears, skin, nose, tongue and mouth, inner ear, etc.). If there is damage in the end-receptor, our ability to pick up information from the energy manifestations in the world will be affected, sometimes completely cut off so that we perceive nothing, or in limited ways, or in very distorted ways.

At another level, an individual’s experiences and consequently their beliefs will influence and colour their perceptions. Ultimately, the only thing that can be ‘real’ for an individual is the ‘reality’ that they hold inside their mind. Have you ever experienced buying a new car and suddenly noticing how many cars of the same type as yours are driving around? This is because your car has been a recent, conscious focus for you so you see similarities with this new focus.

Objections start with a thought. You have to think about an objection to manifest and experience the objection. For years, Quantum physicists have been working to prove the entire Universe stemmed from a simple thought, and this is referred to as The Law of Creation. When an individual holds a particular thought for any length of time, they are focusing their attention on this thought. This attention will attract evidence of the thought into their lives that consequently serves to validate and strengthen their initial thought.

According to Dr. Fred Alan Wolf, Quantum Physicist, “The mind is actually shaping the very thing that is being perceived.” This concept has enormous implications for sales people who have a tendency to encounter the same type of objections repeatedly, because ultimately at some level they are not comfortable about a certain aspect of your company’s product or service. This means that their perceptions are being projected onto their prospects.

Today’s News: Today the jfblogit is one year old - amazing! To celebrate, we are putting together a free e-book that will be available in two weeks time, with all the highlights of an incredible twelve months - happy birthday dear blogit, happy birthday to you.

Tomorrow:I am currently on the road, which typically means lots of preparation for next week - but you have a great weekend and I will be here for you on Monday -JF

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It’s been said, “That no one has enough time yet, everyone has all that there is.” Simple concept - except when you’re living your life in the multi-tasking lane.

For most of you - your reality is too much work, information overload, struggling to balance your family and your work, and not enough time to get everything done.

Well, I struggle with the same things you do. While I don’t have all the answers - I do have a couple of ideas that you may find helpful.

Here are four simple ways you can take control of your time and your life:

1. Handling paperwork.
The one thing about paperwork is that it’s endless. All the prognosticators who long ago said that the advent of computers would eventually eliminate paper were totally wrong - at least when I look at my desk. The junk mail you receive is never ending. Add to that correspondence from your company, from your manager, from your customers, personal bills, and everything else under the sun adds up, if you’re not very careful, it adds up to one very big distraction.

The control center for most professional salespeople is the home office desk. A desk filled with clutter creates efficiencies that only worsen with more clutter. Here’s a suggestion for dealing with paperwork that I personally use and have found to be very effective.

It’s called the four D’s:

1. Do something with it. If you can’t do something with it right now - you shouldn’t be touching the paperwork at all. One of the keys to efficient office management is to touch paperwork only once if at all possible. The best way to do this is to schedule time for the sole purpose of dealing with your paperwork.

2. Delegate it to someone else. Delegation isn’t easy especially when you know you can perform the task better than someone else. The fact that you can perform the task better than another person is no reason for you to perform the task. First - consider the value of your time. Next - consider the priorities that take precedence over this particular task. Never, never, never do anything that you can get someone else to do for you. Simply stated that’s the art of delegation!

3. Defer doing something until you have more time to deal with it. Okay, you have set aside a chunk of time to do your paperwork. One of the items in your stack of paper requires research and follow-up and you estimate that you’ll need 45 minutes to get the job done. Defer doing anything until you can block out 45 minutes on your calendar. Just keep moving through your paperwork.

4. Dump it! That’s right dump it - get rid of it. My guess is that 20 - 40 percent of everything that crosses your desk can be trashed immediately and without regret. If the worst thing does happen, that you need something you have previously tossed away, worry not, because someone else in your organization will have a copy for you.

All that paperwork that’s on your desk doesn’t have to be overwhelming. You realize of course that stack of paperwork isn’t capable of managing itself. Rely on the four D’s to maintain control of your desk. Properly managed your desk will become an asset for you instead of a major liability.

Unfortunately, when it comes to paperwork, you’re either in control or out of control. It’s your choice.

2. Don’t Stash It - Trash It
Are you surrounded by stuff? Of course you are - if you’re like most salespeople. The tendency, when it comes to stuff, is to wait and procrastinate putting this thing we call “cleaning up” off to a later and more convenient time.

Your mind is probably riddled with these and similar thoughts.
“Not now.”
“I’ll set it aside and take care of it later - when I have more time.”
“I’ll rack it up by stacking it up in a neat pile.”

How would you like to immediately feel good and look good? You’re thinking, who wouldn’t want to pull a switch to feel good and look good. It’s really quite easy and only requires a touch of discipline.

Actually, it’s as easy as 1, 2, 3. The only thing you need is a large trash can liner and some “reckless abandon.” Here are the easy steps:

1. Trash your office. You will really enjoy doing this - trust me. With your trash can liner in hand begin with your desk. Without re-stacking anything toss away everything that isn’t absolutely essential to your selling success. Begin at one end of your desk and work your way through to the other end of your desk tossing away everything that’s unnecessary to keep. This includes magazines you haven’t read, files that you haven’t used, projects that you haven’t done, papers that you haven’t filed, and notes that you haven’t read. The first time you do this can be painful. But remember, if there’s no pain there’s no gain.

2. Trash your briefcase. Take a couple of pages from your daily newspaper and lay them on the floor. Empty the contents of your briefcase onto the newspaper that’s now on the floor. Isn’t it amazing, what you have accumulated and stashed away in your briefcase? You know the drill - toss away everything that’s not essential to your selling success. Everything else goes back into your now very clean and organized briefcase.

3. Trash your car. The two times your car is the cleanest is the day you buy it and the day you sell it. Depending on what you sell your car may literally become your second office. Your office on wheels can take on the untidiness of your home office if you neglect it.

Start with the trunk - what a mess that can be, and toss away everything that isn’t absolutely essential to your selling success. Proceed to your car’s interior so you can clean up and toss away everything between and under the seats. Now that you’ve trashed all the unnecessary stuff - you may as well get the car washed, and even detailed if necessary.

Ask this question often. Should I stash it or trash it? What do you think?

3. The key to finishing is starting.
Recently I did a postcard mailing to promote my No-Brainer Selling Skills Boot Camp. One side of the postcard had a photograph of a salesperson, dressed in a suit, running, with both arms extended high over his head, one with a briefcase, as he dashed across a red ribbon finish line.

It was a great picture capturing a successful moment. It reminded me, and I don’t know why, that you’ll never cross the finish line until you cross the starting line.

How many things are you thinking about doing that aren’t getting done?
How many priorities do you have perched on the back burner in your territory?
How many things could you start doing today that would provide you with an immediate payback ($$$)?
If finished is better than perfect then starting is better than procrastination.
Before you cross the finish line you have to cross the starting line.

(Begin, dart, spring, jump, effect, enable, rouse, proceed, or breakthrough.) What are you waiting for?

4. Maintain your focus.
Seven years ago I did a sales training program in Colorado. The meeting was held about two hours north of Denver, in a lodge situated in Roosevelt National Park. My client was, Low Alpine, a manufacturer of outdoor gear. Specifically, they made the stuff that Mt. Everest climbers use to trek up that mountain.

My two-hour presentation was scheduled right after lunch. The speaker, who preceded me before lunch, had an extremely interesting topic. He had a slide presentation showing his various attempts at climbing the incredible MT. Everest. As you might imagine it was a powerful and extremely insightful presentation about the art and dangers of mountain climbing.

There were 25 salespeople at this meeting. Their climbing gear was sold to retailers. So they knew all about the climbing business. They also knew, by reputation, many of the names the speaker referred to.

Throughout his presentation everyone was glued to his seat with anticipation. He mixed his stories with slides, which was extremely effective.

Just before he ended his presentation he asked the group a question. He remarked, “There’s a time when you’re climbing, when you can almost feel depressed. You just feel low and down. Do you know when that is?”

My imagination started to run wild especially since the highest I ever climbed wasn’t even climbing, it was an elevator ride to the top of the Empire State building. I thought surely the salespeople in the audience would know the answer to his question. They responded with things that I imagined; when you first begin the climb, when you only have 100 yards left, when you reach the top, and when you begin your descent. The speaker’s body language and facial expression gave it all away - no one was even close.

I was surprised by the answer - maybe you will be too. He said, “Climbers get down when bad weather sets in.” He went on to explain that when bad weather sets in you can’t see the peak - you lose sight of your goal and become easily distracted.

You might be wondering, what if anything does this have to do with time management? I see a very clear correlation. You see, like a mountain climber who can’t see the peak, salespeople and entrepreneurs without clearly defined goals (daily, weekly, monthly, yearly) are more susceptible to daily interruptions and distractions, and more likely to waste your precious time resource.

You don’t have to climb Mount Everest to appreciate how important keeping your eyes focused on your goals is to achieving your ultimate success in sales.

Well, that’s a wrap - four simple ideas on how you can take more control of your time and your life.
Let’s go sell something . . .
  
 Jim Meisenheimer has worked with 496 corporate clients. Last year 83.3% of his sales training business was repeat business. Jim Meisenheimer, Inc. has achieved 18 consecutive years of increased sales and profitability. Author of seven books, Certified Professional Speaker (CPS), you can learn more about Jim and his Knock Out Selling Skills program at www.meisenheimer.com .
 
 
Today’s News: The brand new Volume 2 of the Top Sales Experts e-book will be ready for launch next week and having just had a quick look at both the content and the new design, I know that you will enjoy it very much.

Tomorrow: ”The Creation Of An Objection” - ever wondered where an objection starts from? I will reveal all.