The world of sales and marketing blend together now more than at any other time. Over the years I’ve done a lot of reading and exploring in the world of marketing, but I’ve never sought out sales training or advice.
So, last month, I looked up a copy of The Art of Closing the Sale by Brian Tracy. I found the most value in Tracy’s book as a dissection of a successful sales personality and mindset. Here are my notes from the insightful chapters like “Developing a Powerful Sales Personality” and “The Psychology of Closing.”
Mindset
The top people in every field look upon themselves as self-employed which affects the way they think
If you always look at yourself as self-employed, you are solely responsible for everything that happens to you and your “business.” Shift your mindset so that you look at yourself as the president of your own corporation…selling yourself and your services. Think of yourself as running You Inc.
Change your thinking from transaction-based to relationship-based. Don’t try to close a sale, try to create and maintain long-term customer relationships
The best salespeople believe in themselves, their companies, and the value of their product or service
Rejection is not personal
Success is about effort
Don’t waste time
Decide what you want
Go after it with resolve. Embrace ambition
Top performers want success vs money to pay the bills
Trust matters. Keep your commitments and fulfill your promises
Become a life-long learner
“The Magic Questions”
Ask yourself these questions after every sales call. The point of these questions is to dissect the call, but also to place emphasis on positivity:
What did you do right?
What would you do differently?
Choose your influences wisely
Misery loves company and positivity breeds positivity
Choose to socialize with positive people who are “going somewhere”
Avoid negative people at work, especially those who spend most of their time complaining
Cultivate admiration, never envy. If someone is more successful than you, learn from them. Use them as role models
Never criticize your colleagues
How to beat a slump
Make 100 calls in the shortest time possible
Do not worry about selling anything during these calls
Two things will happen with this method:
You will learn your product or service – and quickly
You will start to sell precisely because you are not trying to sell
Closing 101
Reduce stress (for you and the prospect) by moving smoothly through the close
Don’t try to close unless these requirements are met
Asking too soon will often kill a sale
Emphasize the benefits of your product or service, rinse, repeat
Never argue with a prospect, instead, neutralize mis-perceptions. Remain calm and cheerful
Ask questions. Answer a question with a question to learn more information
If your personality does not mesh with a prospect, pass them off to someone else. Better to bring a client into the company than to lose a single commission
Signs that someone is ready to buy
Rapid talking
Sudden friendliness
Deep thought
Questions about price, terms, or delivery
Change in attitude, posture, or voice
Use testimonials
Never knock the competition, but know at least 3 advantages your company has over them
Don’t pre-judge. If you think someone will not buy, it will become a self-fulfilling prophecy
Selling is exhausting work
Action Items:
Take a minute to identify the 3 most common objections you hear and write down some answers that will eliminate each objection. Talking to some of your peers in the industry about the challenges they face will also help you gain some more insight into common objections and how they approach them.
A great place to connect to your peers is through commonsku’s social community. It’s an easy way to interact with salespeople in the industry to share best practices, find great products, build closer relationships, and learn from industry experts and peers.
This post was originally posted to the commonsku Blog on February 23, 2015. it has been edited and updated as of August 5, 2021.
