Last Friday I was in a full day training with a client and the following question came up:

“Colleen, a trainer once told me that if I followed the SPIN(tm) methodology correctly I should have no objections during the sales cycle. What do you think?”

I think it‘s impossible to eliminate objections entirely because we are selling to humans, who have minds of their own, AND corporations where anything can change (mergers, takeovers, personnel changes) that are beyond your control.

Yes, you can reduce eliminations if you complete a proper needs analysis. No, you will never eliminate objections 100%. The secret is asking questions and listening to the answers. Think: talk 20% and listen 80%.

I just finished teaching a 2 day Negotiation course for the Canadian Professional Sales Association. In our class we had 9 top notch sales professionals all dedicated to improving their skills – Congratulations!

As well, we had one buyer in the class- Rachel – also there to learn about Negotiation from the sales perspective. Of course we all gave her a hard time, being from the “dark side” and all, but, her being there was impressive and taught us all a lesson. Rachel is smart, she is learning best practices from both perspectives so she can be better at her job and she proved to be an excellent student. When was the last time you took a class focused on the buyer’s perspective?

I think its a very smart idea to equip yourself with skills from a variety of perspectives. Learning from your buyers and your customers is an excellent way to be better at your sales. This is one of the reasons I put the Powerhouse Event together with a variety of sales experts because I believe you need to learn multiple skills from multiple people.

So what did Rachel learn in our negotiation class that is applicable to all of us:

(1) Don’t take the first offer

(2) Show appreciation to your vendor – or sales person – throughout the process and create a culture of reciprocity

(3) Listen

(4) Ask questions to determine the person’s interests behind why they are offering you what they are offering

(5) Use influential language

Congratulations Rachel! By stepping out of your comfort zone and learning from “the opposite side of the desk” you have set yourself apart as a top 10% buyer! Thanks to everyone for a great 2 days. I know you can be successful if you implement the ideas we practiced!

Dedicated to increasing your sales,

Colleen

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She finally did it. Danica Patrick became the first women ever to win at Indy Car. Many thought she never would and never could. And she was criticized constantly for being nothing more than a sex symbol in a car. In fact, she was accused of using her sex appeal to gain attention, not her driving skills.

So what can sales professionals learn from Danica?

1) Persistence. It took Danica 4 years of racing to win. How long do you work with a prospect before you give up?

Would you have worked on a prospect for 4 years to get a sale? Most sales people I meet give up after 4 voice mails – let alone working on the relationship for 4 years before a sale.

At Engage we have people on our newsletter list, who have received free information from us for years before they buy anything. I don’t give up on them ever. Why? Because people buy when they are ready to buy. Sometimes its takes years to nurture a lead, sometimes prospects buy right away. You can’t force urgency on people who have no immediate need.

Persistence and discipline are the two most common missing traits of sales people. Sadly they are the two traits most critical to being in the top 10%. Setting up an automated follow up system (such as a newsletter) is one way to easily become more persistent with your leads.

2) Immune to criticism. Despite being lambasted for over using her good looks, compared to Anna Kournikova, and Ti Domi as the “the pretty ones with no wins”, Danica never stopped doing what she knew was right for her brand, and her team. Likely she removed the detractors from her camp, and ensured her relationships were supportive relationships.

In sales, the most successful you get, the more criticism comes your way. Its called jealousy. The best way to get rid of it, is to develop an immunity from negativity by reminding yourself that the sources are less successful than you – trust me, criticism rarely comes from those making more than you – and eventually removing those life suckers from your life. Yes, I am suggesting you find new friends.

Congratulations Danica. I hope that all sales reps learn from your experiences and exceptional discipline and go out to close 1 extra sales today!

Dedicated to increasing your sales,

Colleen

Sex Money Kiss
by Gene Simmons

This is a superb and creative life skills and business