February 2008

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Watch Your Self Talk
Self-talk shapes your selling life. Have you seen the breathtaking pillars in Mammoth Cave in Kentucky? Those enormous "icicles of stone" have taken centuries to form. A single drop of water finds its way through the roof of the cavern to deposit its tiny sediment on the floor of the cave. Another drop follows, and still another, until a marble-like finger begins to grow upward. The result is a tremendously solid pillar.Self-talk shapes your life in much the same way.What you are is the result of the many accumulated statements you have made and continue to make with your self-talk.What have you told yourself today? What conversation has gone on in your head or been spoken aloud?Take charge of your thoughts. They are yours to control. Monitor what you are telling yourself about your potential in selling.Suppose you check your self-talk and discover you are telling yourself you have trouble closing sales. The first question to ask is: "Is that really true?" Suppose the answer is "Yes, sometimes it is true." The next question is: "What percent of the time is it true - 100% - 60%?" Let's say it's true 60% of the time. You have trouble closing sales 60% of the time. Great! This means it's not true 40% of the time.Change your self-talk. You can now confidently say, "I'm effective closing sales 40% of the time." What a difference! You're now building a mental image of one who can do it right. And the 40% will soon become 50% and 60% and . . .Self-talk makes a difference!Jack and Garry KinderThe KBI group
Posted by CTIbpo at 8:56 PM

Enthusiatically Develop Your Slight Edge
Frank Bettger turned his selling career around by applying two principles:1. Enthusiasm - "Enthusiasm is the greatest method of persuasion without pressure. Enthusiasm is the yeast that raises the dough. Enthusiasm is the greatest one-word slogan for living ever devised."2. The Slight Edge - This principle has to do with what making a slight improvement in one skill can do to one's performance over a period of time.
After hearing his boss, Mr. Walter Talbot, say that this business boils down to seeing the people - enthusiastically telling your story to four or five people every day, Frank Bettger immediately applied the principles of enthusiasm and the slight edge. He literally turned his career around.
He applied the principle of enthusiasm by giving himself a pep talk. "You've got two good legs. You can do it. You can tell your story to four or five people every day. You will make good. Why? Mr. Talbot said so." Bettger said, "What a great relief came over me. Now I knew I was going to make good in selling."
Bettger then applied The Slight Edge Principle by devoting extra time to enthusiastically telling his story to four or five people every day. The rest is history. Frank Bettger went on to become one of the greatest insurance salesmen of all time.
Here's the Slight Edge Creed:• Put enthusiasm to work for you• Show that you care - by attitude, word and action• Treat the customer as you would like to be treated• Respect prospects' intelligence; never overestimate prospects' information• Do today's jobs today - never put off until tomorrow• Make right first impressions• Seek an answer to every question; never leave the customer in doubt• Deliver more than customers expect• Do what it takes to assure the customers' satisfaction. • Follow-up to make sure the job is well done, and done right.
Enthusiastically develop your slight edge!
Jack and Garry KinderThe KBI Group
Posted by CTIbpo at 8:47 PM
Monday, February 11, 2008

Be A Generator
Every organization has two types of sales reps -- generators and interceptors. Generators represent only 20 percent of the sales force, but consistently produce 80 percent of the business. Why is that? Well, if you study the generators, you'll discover they have seven characteristics. Let's study these traits and decide how they can become ours.• First, generators are well rehearsed. They invest time in preparation. They believe spectacular achievements are the result of unspectacular preparation.• Second, generators are relationship builders. They know that all things being equal, prospects buy from the sales rep they know, trust and like. More importantly, they understand that all things not being equal, buyers do the same thing -- they buy from sales reps they know, trust and like.• Third, generators work at the right things. They focus on those few sales activities that make the big difference.• Next, generators always have a sales call objective. They have in mind a "bottom line result" as they enter every selling situation.• Fifth, generators ask probing questions. They ask the right questions -- the questions that arouse interest with prospects.• Sixth, generators talk to the decision makers. They do not want to give their presentation for practice.• Finally, generators manage the buying process. They help along the prospect's decision to buy.Jack and Garry KinderThe KBI Group
Posted by CTIbpo at 10:12 PM
Sunday, February 3, 2008

Believe in the Law of Averages
Professionals are good at what they do, and they know why they are good. Because they know why they are good, they critique their own performances and naturally continue to grow and to become better. These types of performance reviews show them how to grow and become more effective.Another characteristic of professionals is that they demonstrate a strong belief in the law of averages. Knowing the numbers permits them to have an almost total indifference to whether or not a given prospect buys or not.One time, we saw a show on Broadway, "Ben Franklin in Paris," starring Robert Preston. In this show, Preston, playing the part of Franklin, said, "When you are turned down is simply the place where you begin to negotiate." What a valuable lesson to learn when you are in sales!When you meet resistance anywhere along the selling process, that's the point where you begin to negotiate. You'll get resistance along the line. This isn't unique to selling. It's part of everything in life that involves any element of competition.One year, late in the season, Harmon Killebrew struck out for the 142nd time. That was a new all-time major league record for strikeouts in a single season. However, on the same day, Killebrew hit his 48th home run. That, too, was a new all-time record for the most home runs ever hit by a Minnesota Twins' player. Killebrew's unshakable faith in making the law of averages work for him enabled him to become one of baseball's all-time great sluggers.In baseball, like selling, it all goes together -- the most strikeouts, the most home runs. Whatever it is you are selling, each disappointment, any delay, every turn-down is like a strikeout. The important thing is to be a student of your business so you know the number of strikeouts you have had since your last hit. The greater the number, the nearer you are to your next hit!The best-kept secret for obeying the law of averages and conquering selling fears and call reluctance lies in remembering your selling success, however small. Erase from memory your failures, however large. Put this up on the mirror where you can digest it each day, put it on a card and carry it with you, make it your screensaver - whatever works for you. When this secret is learned, emotionally as well as intellectually, you'll begin putting your feet where the sales professional's feet always belong - on the road to another prospect.Jack and Garry KinderThe KBI Group
Posted by CTIbpo at 6:38 PM