sales tip

Blame It on the Industry

Your prospect says they’re happy with their current supplier. Here’s how to get past it without picking a fight.

By P. William Clarke

If you make your living selling to human beings, keep this in mind: many people do business with a supplier or store simply because they always have. If you’re in direct sales and make sales calls, you may hear things like, “We’re happy with our current supplier.” If you’re in retail, you may hear nothing at all, because for the most part your customers are the people who are happy with you.

People are creatures of habit. My research suggests that people who are happy with their current suppliers or retailers aren’t really sure what they’re happy with at all. They’re happy only because they don’t feel a deep sense of dissatisfaction.

Cavemen were happy carrying things on their backs for hundreds of years until the wheel was invented. Even then, it wasn’t an easy sale. Check out the sales pitch. “Hey, there’s an easier way to carry that,” said one caveman. “Thanks, friend, but we’ve been doing it this way for hundreds of years,” replied the other.

You may have a better product, price, quality or service, but until the customer internalizes a need for one of those things, they’ll feel content and keep doing business as they always have. Your job as a salesperson is to get your prospect to identify dissatisfaction with the way they currently buy your type of product or service.

Salespeople often try to sway the prospect by asking questions about the current vendor. “Do they have this? Do they provide that?” Once they’ve exhausted all the comparisons, they’re dead in the water.

People are happy only because they don’t feel a deep sense of dissatisfaction.

Here’s the problem. Asking prospects to critique a vendor they just told you they’re happy with is counterproductive. Saying something negative about their current vendor creates an internal conflict. Your prospect has no choice but to defend the notion that they’re happy, and once they reinforce that position, it becomes nearly impossible to get them to change.

Give your prospect an easy victory. Tell them you’re happy to hear they’re being well taken care of. Tell them your company is always working to improve, and that you’re looking for ways to add value for your own happy customers. Then spring this on them: “Before I go, from an industry standpoint, if our industry could improve in just one area to better serve companies like yours, what would it be?” They may say they don’t know. Just give them a nudge by saying, in a really friendly way, “Well, if you had to pick something?”

Asking a second time will often prompt them to offer something up. The answer they give will always be the most dissatisfying thing about their current supplier. But don’t jump on it right away. Just look or sound a little confused and say, “That’s the last thing I thought you’d say. Any reason?” Now they’re talking about what dissatisfies them most about their current vendor. Ask how it affects them, what they’ve done about it and whether it’s a big enough problem to address.

Now you have them moving in the right direction. Remember, it isn’t easy to get prospects talking about the negatives of their current suppliers. Your prospect doesn’t know you, is guarded and feels obligated to defend their current buying habits. That’s just human nature. But now you can make it easier for prospects to share their dissatisfaction with you, by letting them blame it on the industry.

P. William Clarke is a keynote speaker, featured columnist and author, and a contributor to Conversations On Success and Real World Sales Strategies That Work. Visit pwilliamclarke.com.

sales tip

Somewhere in the Silence

The average brain processes 650 words a minute. Your prospect speaks about 125. What happens to the rest?

By P. William Clarke

Almost everything you’ve read about listening to your prospects is the same. But if you have normal hearing, listening skills are probably not the issue. So why do salespeople miss so much of what the customer is saying?

It’s actually quite simple. The average brain processes about 650 words a minute. Most people speak at around 125 words a minute, and herein lies the challenge. When two people have a discussion, there are actually three conversations going on: one between the two people, and a sidebar each person is having with themselves. Sidebar conversations determine what we say next. They also determine what we leave out!

The sidebar conversation inside a salesperson is largely filled with thoughts of what they’ll say next, when in reality they should be more interested in what the customer “might” say next. That information is often missed or lost, because as soon as there’s a break, the salesperson jumps right in.

Salespeople unknowingly interrupt their prospects this way for two main reasons. One is to get their selling points across. The other is that they’re worried the next words out of the prospect’s mouth will be some type of stall or put-off. I call this sales pitfall the Fear of Silence.

In an attempt to fill the void, you may cut off your prospect’s thinking. The keys to a successful transaction often lie in the unspoken word, or in the internal sidebar conversations I described earlier.

On a more conscious level, your prospect may choose to withhold some of their thoughts for fear that you’ll exploit them. In fact, prospects have become skilled at keeping their cards close to the vest. As a result, salespeople have been taught to ask questions. Prospects are on to this, and although a good question is far better than a poor one, consider this for a moment.

Shakespeare wrote, “The silence, often of pure innocence, persuades where speaking fails.” Sometimes saying nothing is the best question.

Sometimes saying nothing is the best question.

Here are a couple of common mistakes salespeople make when it comes to silence. First, salespeople often answer statements. For example:

Prospect: I wonder how this is going to look in my living room.
Salesperson: It pretty much goes with everything.

The mistake: the salesperson just ended the prospect’s process of visualizing how it would look. Don’t help! Acknowledge what they said by nodding your head.

The second mistake happens when a salesperson asks a question that doesn’t get an immediate response, and they start doing one of three things: asking the question again in a different way, asking a totally different question, or trying to help the prospect answer the original question. Stop and listen to what they say. You may have to train yourself to count to ten in your head after you ask a question, but let them answer on their own, even if they struggle. Don’t rescue them. Wait and listen; you may be surprised by their thoughtful response.

I’m not big on word puzzles, but I do find it interesting that if you rearrange the letters in the word LISTEN, you can also spell the word SILENT.

At a speaking rate of around 125 words a minute, there are still more than 500 words a minute running through your prospect’s mind. They might not share those thoughts with you right away, and you may have to draw them out, but rest assured they’re there if you listen closely, somewhere in the silence.

P. William Clarke is a keynote speaker, featured columnist and author, and a contributor to Conversations On Success and Real World Sales Strategies That Work. Visit pwilliamclarke.com.

sales tip

Somewhere in the Final Bracket

Asking a prospect for their budget rarely gets the real number. Here’s a friendlier way to find it.

By P. William Clarke

I get a kick out of salespeople who come right out and ask their prospects, “How much are you looking to spend?” or “What’s your budget?” I have to give them credit, because at least they’re asking. But talk about blunt. You might as well ask, “What’s in your wallet?” Listen, you’re a customer too, aren’t you? The direct approach works some of the time, but be honest: when you’re the buyer, do you tell the salesperson how much you’re really willing to spend? Of course not. Knowing your budget only benefits the salesperson, because then they won’t leave any money on the table. The secret is out. Your prospect knows this too, which is why they’re reluctant to tell you their real number.

Another one I like is asking customers what they do for a living, so you can make assumptions about what they might spend. I’m curious: where’s the correlation? OK, it may be safe to say someone in one occupation could spend more than someone in another. That doesn’t mean they want to, or will! Some prospects avoid the question altogether. Salespeople ask me where I work. I say, “In the city.” They say, “What do you do?” I say, “Oh, it’s a new challenge every day,” and they give up. What am I supposed to say? “I teach people like you how to close people like me”?

The reality is that as salespeople, we need to understand our customers’ financial expectations and concerns about making a purchase. To do that well, we need to be less intrusive. First establish some common ground and get a better understanding of what your customer is looking for. Otherwise, when you take a direct approach to price or budget, your prospect may take it as your way of calculating your commission. So ask inquisitive questions to identify your prospect’s true need. Once you’ve done that, move to the next step. Let me use a retail setting as an example.

Customer: I’m looking for a (camera, sofa, piano, boat, etc.).
Salesperson: (Ask plenty of questions here first.) Then: “I’m not sure if you’ve given this any thought, but (the product they’re interested in) ranges in price from $100 to $1,000. With that said, would you say your interest is closer to $100 or closer to $1,000?”

This gives them two options that are still vague enough that they’re comfortable picking one. If they don’t pick, they’ll usually give you a range. Either way, you respond the same way. For our example, let’s say they pick closer to $1,000.

You: Great. Shall we start looking closer to $500 or closer to $1,000?

If they give you a range instead, use the same technique: closer to their high number or closer to their low number. Either way, you gain insight into their budget.

It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it.

To pull this off, you’ll have to go back to acting class. Remember, it’s not what you say, it’s how you say it. Use your tone and inflection to show sincerity and a little confusion. Your prospect should sense that you’re working out the best way to help them. There’s real value in your questions, and your customer benefits by giving you information that helps them find what they want faster.

I use this same technique with my children. Perhaps you remember the game “I’m thinking of a number from 1 to 100.” You get 20 questions to guess it. Question one is, “Closer to 1 or closer to 100?” and so on. After 20 questions you may not have it down to the exact number, but like your customer’s budget, that number resides somewhere in the final bracket.

P. William Clarke is a keynote speaker, featured columnist and author, and a contributor to Conversations On Success and Real World Sales Strategies That Work. Visit pwilliamclarke.com.

sales tip

Hiding Behind a Title

Nothing in our economy happens until something is sold. So why are so many salespeople embarrassed to say what they do?

By P. William Clarke

I jumped into the selling profession because it sounded a lot better than a factory job. I always figured I’d find my way into a real job someday. Let’s face facts: if you’re a doctor, lawyer or accountant, people cozy up to you and want to be your friend. Tell people you’re a salesperson and they shy away, afraid you’ll start selling them something. That’s why companies have come up with so many fancy titles for the person responsible for selling, so everyone else can get paid.

I was sure I’d find a way out, until one morning on the way to conduct a seminar I realized I’d been selling for nearly 20 years. I guess I was a lifer. Every so often someone in the audience likes to point out that I’m not really in sales anymore, since I became a trainer, then a presenter and now a speaker. I give them a puzzled look and reply, “Who do you think sold the seat you’re sitting in?”

Nothing in our economy happens until something is sold. A dear friend used to say, “Salespeople grease the gears that turn the wheels of progress.” Everything starts with a sale, even romance. A man and a woman meet and are attracted to each other. They talk, share a laugh and immediately begin selling themselves. Cupid draws his bow, and a whole new generation is off to the races.

Who do you think sold the seat you’re sitting in?

In the book Real World Sales Strategies That Work, I wrote a chapter on managing your outlook. One of the five elements of your outlook is how you feel about the job you’re doing. Here, we’re talking about your job as a salesperson, and the long and short of it is this: if you don’t feel good about and enjoy the job you’re doing, you’ll never excel at it.

People ask me over and over what one thing helped me succeed in sales. It’s hard to say, but if I had to put my finger on it, I’d say it was my ability to keep it real. I decided a long time ago that if I was going to do something, I might as well find a way to like it. When I first started in sales, I tried to be someone else, you know, a salesperson. I found out I was better off just being me than trying to be what I thought a salesperson was supposed to be. I started asking my prospects questions the way I would anyone else I met. All of a sudden, people started treating me like a person instead of a salesman, and I started making sales. And as you know, making sales makes the job a lot more enjoyable. I was all for that.

So I approached the job with the idea that I would help people identify their needs, and I realized that if I had a solution for those needs, they’d be happy to buy it from me.

If you’re hiding the fact that you’re a salesperson, it’s only because you have a negative impression of what a salesperson represents: a solutions provider. Be yourself, enjoy what you do and, above all, take pride in your role within your company.

In closing, I can tell you from experience that if you take all the things you don’t like about salespeople and figure out how to make them positives, you’ll never wind up hiding behind a title.

P. William Clarke is a keynote speaker, featured columnist and author, and a contributor to Conversations On Success and Real World Sales Strategies That Work. Visit pwilliamclarke.com.

sales tip

Mastering the Blend

Introvert or extrovert, the best salespeople take the strongest traits of both.

By P. William Clarke

So what kind of person are you, anyway? Yes, yes, I know: a salesperson. That’s not what I’m asking. I want to know whether you can identify the character traits that shape the way you approach your sales role and, ultimately, your prospects.

Many salespeople move prospects to the end of the sales process hoping for a “yes,” only to get a “no” or no decision, which, by the way, is still a “no.” So they review the end of the process to find where they went wrong. The reality is that most sales are won or lost in the dynamics of the first 15 percent of the encounter.

To understand some of those dynamics, let’s look at two types of people: the introvert and the extrovert. An introvert is someone we’d consider shy and reserved. These people tend to avoid conversation and can seem uninterested in the prospect. I call this group the “Uninterested Introverts.”

An extrovert is the direct opposite: outgoing, the life of the party. These people usually do things to attract attention, are loud and come on strong when they meet someone new. I call them the “Interesting Extroverts.”

Introverts tend to shy away from sales, although they can be quite effective. The overwhelming majority of salespeople fall into the extroverted group, for reasons I’ll discuss another time. For now, the Interesting Extrovert is the most common type of salesperson. They hear things like, “As much as you like to talk, you should be in sales.” And boy, do they like to talk. They also like to make a splash and put the spotlight on themselves to attract attention and win the prospect over.

Both groups have a place in this world, but that place is not your sales role. These two groups aren’t exclusive to salespeople. Your prospects fall into them too, and that can cause friction. An extrovert can easily overpower an introverted prospect, and when two extroverts meet, they may both walk away thinking, “What a loudmouth” or “What a know-it-all.” That’s a recipe for a disastrous sales career.

Truly successful salespeople have the unique ability to pull the best traits from both styles. I call this “the Blend,” or the “Interested Extroverts.”

Unlike the Interesting Extrovert, the Interested Extrovert goes out of their way to put the spotlight on the prospect, not on themselves. They’re less concerned with what they have to sell and more concerned with why their prospect wants to buy. They’re inquisitive, but patient.

It’s better to have character than to be a character.

To find your blend, first answer my original question: what kind of person are you?

If you tend to be shy, that’s OK, but be careful not to come across as uninterested. Make good eye contact, nod your head (but not too much) and ask questions about how they’ll use your product. Keep a friendly smile and an inviting manner. Remind yourself to engage the customer, and understand that they’re relying on you to help them make the right decision.

For my more outgoing friends, remember this: if you’re a good person, people will like you. Use your natural curiosity to ask questions. Stop trying so hard. Forget about you, forget about your product, and be interested in your prospect. Ask yourself, do I know more about them, or do they know more about me? Before you meet a new prospect, remind yourself to slow down and take it easy. Walk alongside your prospect, not in front of them. You don’t have to show them how smart you are, only how much you care.

And if you were the class clown like me, I can tell you firsthand this lesson can be a struggle. Many years ago I decided to live by the motto, “It’s better to have character than to be a character.” And that’s how I made it: by mastering the blend.

P. William Clarke is a keynote speaker, featured columnist and author, and a contributor to Conversations On Success and Real World Sales Strategies That Work. Visit pwilliamclarke.com.

sales tip

Thinking on the Fly

A small take-out restaurant, an $11.47 sale and a lesson in refusing to let a customer walk out the door.

By P. William Clarke

It was lunchtime and I wanted something different for a change, so I jumped in the car with one of my associates and headed to a small Asian take-out place a few miles away. It’s a tiny place with only a few tables, which is why take-out is so popular there. As I walked in, I noticed a change. The front counter had been moved forward several feet, and it was standing room only. No tables. I asked the man behind the counter, “Where are the tables?” He said, “No table inside.” I asked why, and he explained that because of a government regulation, unless they had enough public restrooms, they could no longer have a dining room. He tried to appease me by offering a picnic table outside. I couldn’t have that. It was too hot, right in the sun. I told him we’d come back another time when we planned to take our food back to the office.

Here’s where it gets interesting. I was about to walk out the door when he said, “One minute.” I turned around as he looked around, a little puzzled. I have no idea what he said to the other workers, but in about 30 seconds they had cleared a small table, pulled it out from behind the counter, wiped it down, set two places and brought in two chairs. The man turned to me and said, “A table for two.” I placed an order!

I’m not suggesting you violate any government regulations. But talk about thinking on the fly. This man was not about to let an $11.47 sale walk out the door. I don’t mean to be critical, because I’d put myself in this category too, but salespeople are often asleep at the wheel. It would have been just as easy for him to say, “OK, see you next time.” But he didn’t.

This man may have moved halfway around the world. He can barely speak the language, yet he runs a thriving business. There are many stories like his, and the question is, why? The first answer is simple: people like him work hard and take their work seriously. But ask “why?” again, and the answer isn’t so simple.

Work ethic is stimulated by hardship and passed on through leadership, in this case leading by example. Recently, an Ellis Island Medal of Honor recipient described his father as his hero in his acceptance speech. As a young boy, he had asked his father why they had to work all week and the weekend too. His father replied, “So someday you won’t have to.” In the United States we call this the American Dream: building strong work habits in order to prosper and pass wealth on to the next generation.

I think we’ve become too comfortable, although I’ve never heard anyone say the economy is too good. We’re passing on wealth, but what about the work habits? I’ve been in hundreds of stores, sales lots and the like, and I’ve never had anyone so determined to win my business as I did that day at the restaurant. Many times it seems as if my business doesn’t matter.

It doesn’t cost you any extra to be great!

As a business owner or operator, you must lead by example and reinforce the importance of converting every sales opportunity. If you’re the hired help, your sights may be set on another horizon, so what’s the point of giving it your all? There are a few reasons, and the best one is self-conditioning. Like an Olympic athlete, a true winner takes every challenge as seriously as the next. Someday you might be that business owner, and you’ll need to know how to perform like a champion if you’re going to strike gold.

I’m not saying you need to work seven days a week, but take pride in what you do and aim to be the very best while you’re working. It doesn’t cost you any extra to be great! Engage your prospects and customers. Accommodate them. Remember, you, your business and your company are in competition with the entire world. Ultimately, it’s you who makes the difference.

In your busy life, with not much time to sit around and ponder this, just go ahead and think about it on the fly.

P. William Clarke is a keynote speaker, featured columnist and author, and a contributor to Conversations On Success and Real World Sales Strategies That Work. Visit pwilliamclarke.com.

sales tip

A Bad Day in Sales

Clarke’s second sales job was headed for failure. Then came one hot summer afternoon.

By P. William Clarke

As some of you may already know, my first attempt at sales was a miserable failure. My second position was heading in the same direction when along came a career-changing sales training seminar.

I arrived early and sat right up front. I took as many notes as I could, but there’s only so much you can take in during a one-day seminar. Fortunately, at the back of the room there were audiotape programs designed to reinforce what I’d heard. But failure in sales means small commission checks. So with Mom’s credit card, I made the investment.

There was only one technique I liked. It was a great response to an objection I heard every day. I played that section until I could recite it along with the tape. Then I’d play the tape, press stop and say it out loud in my car until I had it. I could say it in my sleep, and all these years later I can still say it exactly the way it was on the tape.

The problem was that the technique wasn’t working. I could say it convincingly, with good voice tone and genuine sincerity. I still got the objection, and for months the technique just didn’t work for me. It may have had something to do with the fact that I hadn’t actually used it yet in a real selling situation. I later learned that knowing a technique doesn’t mean you can execute it in the real world. In sales, the execution of selling techniques takes practice, guts and conviction.

In sales, the execution of selling techniques takes practice, guts and conviction.

I had all the practice I could handle, but I lacked the confidence to pull it off. I remember sitting with prospect after prospect who gave me that objection, long after I’d learned how to overcome it, and still nothing! I tried to talk myself into it: “OK, just say it.” “Nothing to lose.” “Come on, PWC, you won’t screw it up!” Still nothing. I didn’t have the guts.

One hot summer afternoon, I remember thinking this was my worst day in sales ever. I didn’t have air conditioning in the car, and I was exhausted and beat up. I was on my last sales call of the week when, as you may have guessed, my prospect gave me the objection. Out of nowhere, the technique just popped out. When I finished, I stared at the prospect in silence for a few seconds, thinking, wow, where did that come from? After a few more seconds, the prospect said, “You’re right. Let’s just do it now!” I was in shock. It really worked!

All weekend I couldn’t wait to get back to work. It was as if I were daring a prospect to use that objection on me! I didn’t have to look far, and the technique worked again. Over the course of the week it worked on some prospects but not on others. I didn’t know what it was yet, but I was on to something.

I had my best week in sales, and over the weekend I got to thinking. This technique was powerful, and I was glad I’d liked it enough to learn it. I began to wonder whether the techniques I didn’t like were just as powerful, and if they were, what that would mean for my sales career.

Many of them were. I still have those tape sets today, although some of the audio is worn from playing certain sections over and over.

As for the objection and the technique: as I improved, I began to look at the sales game more closely. I studied prospects and their methods. I later developed the Discovery Sales Process™, which eliminates many of those objections before they come up. The techniques that still work are sprinkled throughout my books, articles and seminars. I’ve changed them here and there to fit my own style, but they’re still there.

A good technique is always better than a bad one, but techniques alone won’t change your sales career. You need to practice and find the courage to use them. That’s where confidence and conviction are born. Years later, I cringe when people call me the expert. I can’t believe it’s me up on the stage. Who would have thought all this could come from a bad day in sales?

P. William Clarke is a keynote speaker, featured columnist and author, and a contributor to Conversations On Success and Real World Sales Strategies That Work. Visit pwilliamclarke.com.

sales tip

Add a Little Patience

Under pressure, salespeople rush to the close and miss everything that matters along the way.

By P. William Clarke

Here comes your prospect. Ready, set, go, and you’re off to the races. Your objective: sell them something, anything. Ideally you’d like to sell it as quickly as possible, before they decide not to buy at all. As you move them from product to product, your customer begins to favor an item. You’re sure it’s the one, so you start selling. You tell them everything you know about the product, demonstrate the features and benefits from the manufacturer’s flyer, and now you’re poised for a decision.

Wow, that was fast. In a matter of minutes you’ve transformed a new prospect into an almost-customer. But as the saying goes, “Almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.” Perhaps this sounds like something you’ve experienced, either selling or as a consumer. There are several reasons this dynamic is so common, and this is a good place to explore a few.

The first one I’m sure you can identify with is the management squeeze. That’s when your management team so encouragingly reminds you that you need to sell more, starting right now! It’s a necessary part of sales management, but it’s often done poorly. The result is a frantic attempt to relieve the pressure by quickly selling more. That’s the desired effect. The problem is that salespeople internalize management’s sense of urgency and pass it straight on to the consumer, in the form of a hasty presentation with very little interaction.

To illustrate, imagine crossing a beautiful field of flowers to reach the seashore in the distance. Keep your eyes on the seashore and you’ll eventually get there, but you’ll miss a lot of scenery along the way. If selling were as simple as walking to the seashore through a field of flowers, I wouldn’t be writing books and articles on the subject. Selling is more like painting a seashore than walking to one. Each brushstroke determines the end result. The foreground, the flowers and the scenery leading up to the seashore (or in sales, the close) make all the difference. Under pressure, salespeople are often in such a hurry to get to the close that they miss all the important stuff along the way.

Given a choice, people would much rather buy than be sold.

The next issue is really something to think about. I call it U-P-S, and it’s not a special delivery. It’s more of a self-addressed package. UPS stands for Under Performance Syndrome. Salespeople who are underperforming seem to have real trouble making even the easiest sales. Why? It’s simple: desperation makes your prospect uneasy. Under pressure, desperation changes how you conduct yourself, how you’re perceived and how you interact with your prospects. You start looking at everybody as your next paycheck, and people get a little uneasy about that.

Top performers maintain their production because of their skill and their ability to relate to customers and put them at ease. Ask the old-timers and they’ll tell you, “It’s easier to make the sale when you don’t really need it.” They treat the prospect like a long-lost friend. They’re more interested in the prospect getting the right product than in getting the sale. Through questions and interaction, they find a solution that fits the prospect’s needs so closely that instead of being sold, the prospect simply buys. Given a choice, people would much rather buy than be sold.

As for that sense of urgency, keep it. Stay sharp. But look at your sales technique rather than churning through more prospects. Remember, in order to discover, you must first explore. Ask a lot of questions, be interested in their needs, and when it comes to interacting with your prospects, add a little patience.

P. William Clarke is a keynote speaker, featured columnist and author, and a contributor to Conversations On Success and Real World Sales Strategies That Work. Visit pwilliamclarke.com.

sales tip

At the Finish Line

Selling is like a foot race. Most salespeople stumble just past the starting line.

By P. William Clarke

Selling is a lot like running a foot race: getting off to a good start makes all the difference. Most salespeople bobble just beyond the starting line more than anywhere else in the process. Right from the start, when prospects ask about specific products, features or services, salespeople falter.

In a retail setting, prospects may ask about products in a display case. In direct sales, they may ask about the salesperson’s company. My first example is from retail.

The prospect says, “What’s this camera?” The typical salesperson replies that it’s the new Kodak XYZ, takes it out of the case, hands it to the customer and waits for a response.

Do you see the bobble? The salesperson answered the question too literally. Your prospects don’t want to know what the product is. They want to know how it helps them, fixes their problem or meets their needs.

Your prospects don’t want to know what the product is. They want to know how it helps them.

In this example the prospect asked about a camera. That’s the first buying signal: the customer liked the look. If I’m doing my job right, I already know what the prospect is looking for in a camera, how it will be used and what their particular requirements are. So I might say, “This is the new Kodak XYZ. It was designed specifically for professional outdoor photographers. It’s weatherproof and rugged, and with the new SanDisk CompactFlash card, you don’t have to worry about capturing shots in rapid succession.” Now you’ve covered several points and sparked more curiosity in your prospect.

In direct sales, the prospect says, “What does your company do?” or “Why is your product any good?” Typical salespeople answer by describing what they manufacture or sell and how competitive their pricing is. If they were selling a bulldozer, they might say it’s manufactured to the tightest tolerances using grade-A materials and components. Isn’t that what everyone says?

Do you see the bobble this time? Again, the salesperson answered literally. Those points aren’t compelling, and they sound too much like the competition. We still haven’t explained how the bulldozer helps the prospect, fixes a problem or meets a need.

If a prospect asked me, “What makes your bulldozer any good?” I’d reply, “Our customers rely on our equipment for their livelihood. They recognize that a bulldozer built with grade-A materials and components moves more earth in extreme conditions, with fewer failures and less loss from costly downtime.”

In that answer I not only addressed the quality materials and components, I also covered the points that matter to my prospect: livelihood, the ability to move earth, durability and potential loss.

All you need is a 30-second commercial for each product, service or for your company. A commercial helps you build momentum, but creating one can be tricky and takes real thought and ingenuity.

Begin your commercial with openers like “Our customers like…,” “We help people who need…,” “Customers look to us because…” or “This product was developed to…”

Finally, here are some pointers for both the retail and direct sales race. Complete those openers with compelling language. Think about your product or service and ask yourself not what it is, but how it affects the customer. What benefits do they get from it, how does it help them, and what ongoing challenges can it eliminate? Be creative, have some fun, and don’t be surprised when you’re first at the finish line.

P. William Clarke is a keynote speaker, featured columnist and author, and a contributor to Conversations On Success and Real World Sales Strategies That Work. Visit pwilliamclarke.com.

sales tip

Be Ready When It’s Show Time

Four buddies, one trailer to buy and a trade show full of salespeople drinking coffee.

By P. William Clarke

This year, four buddies and I met at the annual Northeast Snowmobile Show. We were there to check out new products and help our friend buy a new 20-foot enclosed trailer. It seemed like an easy task. He could examine models side by side, compare prices and benefits, and hopefully strike a deal.

We started looking over the first trailer that caught his eye. After about seven minutes we had a number of questions.

Here’s where it gets interesting. The four of us were scouring this trailer, yet no salesperson came to greet us. Can you imagine? Off to the side, I could see the salespeople sitting in chairs, talking among themselves and drinking coffee. I looked over at them like, “HELLO?!” A few of them glanced at me, then turned back to their conversation.

Finally, someone in my group said, “Does anyone here want to sell a trailer today?” We got ourselves a salesperson.

He started by asking if there were any questions he could answer. So we asked how many snowmobiles would fit on this model. He didn’t know. We asked how we’d load and unload. He didn’t know. We asked the distance between the back and the forward side door, and you guessed it, he didn’t know.

We should have asked him whether there were actually any questions he could answer.

We got about the same treatment from the next two vendors. I couldn’t help thinking about the expense of exhibiting at a show, the return on that investment and the need to capitalize on every opportunity to make it worthwhile. It almost seemed as if they weren’t interested in our business.

Not one salesperson asked my friend how far he’d traveled, whether he had needs beyond snowmobiles, how many snowmobiles he owned or whether he planned to add more to the fleet.

Just when the situation seemed hopeless, we met Mike at the Worthington Trailers display. He approached us with a friendly smile and engaged us in conversation. We asked him questions and got the right answers. In return, he asked my friend a number of questions and made great recommendations on issues we’d never considered.

He listened, asked questions and addressed my friend’s needs and concerns. He raised some good points, and my friend decided to add a Worthington trailer to the fleet: a large trailer with every available option and upgrade, plus an additional door in the side. He’s also confident his trailer needs are covered for today and the future.

If the other salespeople had asked questions the way Mike did, they would have found that price wasn’t the issue. Function was. I later found out that Mike is the president of Worthington Trailers.

When opportunity knocks, you have to answer the door.

When opportunity knocks, you have to answer the door. Yes, there are plenty of tire kickers at trade shows, just as there are in everyday business. But if you don’t know how to identify quality prospects and engage them, savvy competitors will eat you alive.

Here’s my tip. To heighten your own or your sales team’s effectiveness, introduce a steady stream of new sales tips and skills while regularly reinforcing the basics. Pay close attention to questioning strategies. Questions are engaging and thought-provoking, and they create a foundation for your selling points. Read articles like this one, discuss the strategies at team meetings, and practice, practice, practice. Like Mike, you’ll be ready when it’s show time.

P. William Clarke is a keynote speaker, featured columnist and author, and a contributor to Conversations On Success and Real World Sales Strategies That Work. Visit pwilliamclarke.com.

sales tip

Casting Shadows

How a little doubt, planted at the right moment, won Clarke the cabinet another couple had already bought.

By P. William Clarke

I’m convinced you learn more about selling while buying. Recently my wife and I went out for our anniversary, and don’t ask me how, but we ended up in a furniture store. We like to look every so often, and I’d been searching for a special corner cabinet for our media room for about a year. Well, there it was: a beautiful oak cabinet, just what I wanted.

The salesman, Greg, explained it was a special-order piece that was never picked up. Of course he tried his best to get me to buy it, but I told him I’d take the measurements home to make sure it would fit first.

The measurements worked, and my wife liked a couple of other items, so a few days later I headed back to the store. Greg was helping another customer, so another salesperson, Casey, helped me. We went to the cabinet so she could get the price tag, and there was my “buddy” Greg, selling the cabinet to another couple.

I played it cool. I didn’t want the other couple to know I wanted that cabinet, because it would only excite their buying emotion. I wandered around for a while, watching Greg and the other couple from a distance. They were picking out couches, tables, entertainment centers and a bunch of other items.

This called for some real smooth “JMT” (Jedi Mind Tricks). Figuring Greg had already told them I wanted the cabinet, I subtly passed by and said, “How are you?” They said, “Good, and you?” That was the break I was looking for. I said lightheartedly, “Good, except somebody bought the cabinet I wanted.” The wife couldn’t take it and said, “I’m sorry.” I immediately said, “Don’t be. I’ve been looking for a cabinet for quite a while. I’ll keep looking.” I finished by saying, “I never like to make a furniture purchase unless the piece is absolutely perfect. Otherwise you have to live with the mistake forever. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.” And I casually walked away.

They completed their transaction, and I went ahead and bought the other items I was after. I conveniently ran into them on the way out the door, so I figured I’d make one last attempt. In a joking voice, I said as I passed, “I’ll give you 50 bucks if you change your mind on that cabinet.” She said, “OK,” and giggled a bit.

I told Greg and Casey I’d be back the next day to pick up my purchases and added, “We’ll see about the cabinet.” They both laughed.

Around noon the next day, Casey called. “They canceled the cabinet!” she said. I said, “I’ll take it,” and the rest is history.

To be successful in sales, you have to understand how the human mind works.

Now for the lesson. To be successful in sales, you have to understand how the human mind works. I didn’t get them to cancel the cabinet. I just planted enough doubt to dampen the buying emotion the salesman stirred up when he told them I wanted it. All I needed was for them to second-guess whether it was “perfect” and associate the cabinet with a bad purchase they’d have to live with. The $50 offer did two things. It used a natural, opportunistic instinct to get her thinking, “Do I really need that cabinet?” And she just might have taken the fifty.

I call this technique Casting Shadows, and I use it in sales in a number of ways. One of my favorites is knocking the competition without saying anything negative.

When a customer says, “I was looking at (a competitor’s solution),” don’t say, “That’s a nice one” or “That’s a good one.” With just a tinge of uncertainty in your voice, say, “That’s not a bad one,” or “That’s not the worst one out there.” Use phrases like “That will probably get you by” or “That will probably work OK.” This subtly implies the competitor’s solution is fine but not as good as yours. You’ve said yours is better without saying “it’s better,” by casting a shadow of doubt over the competition.

It’s kind of like fishing for positive reinforcement of your product or service, only in this case you’re casting shadows.

P. William Clarke is a keynote speaker, featured columnist and author, and a contributor to Conversations On Success and Real World Sales Strategies That Work. Visit pwilliamclarke.com.

sales tip

Caught Answering Unasked Questions

The question your prospect asks is often not the real question. Here’s how to find the one underneath.

By P. William Clarke

In the game of sales, pleasing your prospect can be an overstated objective. There’s a difference between pleasing your customer and having them pleased with your product or service. Still, we try to answer all their questions, hoping to provide the one piece of information that gets them excited about what we’re selling.

It’s like the shotgun approach. You load multiple pellets, aim downrange where the targets are set up and play the odds that you’ll hit one. The opposite is the rifle: one projectile aimed at a precise target. I think you can see where I’m going with this.

In our attempt to leave no stone unturned, we use the shotgun. We answer everything that even sounds like a question. That hurts the salesperson, because the question the prospect asks often isn’t the real question.

Let me illustrate with a non-sales scenario. A teenage country boy asks his father, “Don’t you have to go into town this evening to pick up some supplies, Dad?” His father says, “Well, I think I’ll wait till morning. It’s getting late.” The son replies, “Wouldn’t it be better if we went tonight, so I could get started on the chores first thing in the morning?”

OK, what’s really going on here? The real question is, “Dad, can you take me to town so I can see my girlfriend?” It’s typical for people to ask several setup questions before they reveal their true intent. If you get in the habit of answering every question your customer asks, you’ll never find out why they’re asking. Instead, start with a follow-up question of your own, like, “Any reason you were curious about the XYZ?”

It’s typical for people to ask several setup questions before they reveal their true intent.

This common sales problem comes from the fact that you’ve been programmed since childhood to answer questions without asking why. Now I’m asking you to undo all that. Start asking yourself, “Why is this prospect asking me this question?” If you don’t know the answer, maybe you should ask the prospect.

Now that we’ve covered answering questions, let’s turn to the second most troublesome issue: answering the unasked question. Prospects often make statements or comments, and salespeople often mistake them for questions. For example, a customer looks at a feature and says, “That’s interesting.” The typical salesperson starts explaining the feature and never discovers what the customer found interesting. A better approach is to simply ask, “Interesting? In what way?” That lets the customer expand on what they mean, and it often leads to how that feature will affect their buying decision.

Another place salespeople slip up is handling objections. The customer says, “Boy, that’s a lot of money.” The salesperson jumps in and starts justifying the price, or lowers it to prompt the customer to buy.

Lowering the price only diminishes the perceived value, and justifying it may be unnecessary. After all, the customer hasn’t said they wouldn’t pay that much. A better solution is to clarify the statement with a question. “That’s a lot of money” can be met with a gentle “Which means?” or “And?” This prompts the customer to explain exactly what they mean, often revealing how much they intend to spend.

On the other hand, they may suggest they won’t buy because of the cost. Then you can find out whether it’s a budget concern or a perceived-value concern. A budget problem may mean showing them another product. A perceived-value problem tells you they may have seen a similar product elsewhere. If so, just say, “You must feel that way for a reason.” They’ll explain, and you can figure out where to go from there.

Look for the real question. You may have to peel back a few layers to get there, but once you have the right information, you can move the sale in the right direction. Pay attention to your customer’s statements, and get them to turn those statements into questions or explain them. And don’t get caught answering unasked questions.

P. William Clarke is a keynote speaker, featured columnist and author, and a contributor to Conversations On Success and Real World Sales Strategies That Work. Visit pwilliamclarke.com.

sales tip

Major Surgery

A free consultation, a gruff sales manager and five lessons about how not to treat a customer.

By P. William Clarke

There’s a great message here, so stay with me while I set it up. Over the past few years I noticed a tiny red spot developing on my right cheek. It’s about the size of a pinhead. You can’t see it in my picture; it’s been removed from the photograph. A local cosmetic surgery center does a lot of advertising, and after seeing their TV ad a hundred times, I called for the “free, no-obligation” literature. No, I haven’t moved to California! Yes, I have a little vanity. About a week later, the center called me.

A few weeks later I showed up for my free consultation and was seated in a small but pleasant room. After a minute or two a man, Joel, came in wearing a long white medical coat. Pointing to another chair, he said, “Sit over there.” He moved quickly and seemed to be in a hurry, but we all have those days. The spot looked like a broken blood vessel to me, but I was told I’d have to see a surgeon to identify its cause and make sure there wasn’t something more serious.

I asked a few questions and kept getting the same answer: “You’ll have to ask the surgeon.” OK, I get it. The free consultation is a sales call. As you might expect, I agreed to see the surgeon, and as soon as I did, Joel went for the close. He said, “OK, if the surgeon says it can be removed, do you want it removed?” I said yes. He said I’d have to pay for the procedure now. I felt a little awkward about the whole thing, but I said OK, signed a stack of paperwork and scheduled the procedure.

A couple of weeks later I returned and waited in the lobby for about 45 minutes. Finally I went up to the reception desk. Joel looked up, and I reminded him why I was there. He pointed to the waiting room and said, “Just wait in there. We’ll get to you.” I was taken aback by his gruff tone and demeaning attitude. Or maybe I took offense because for the last 45 minutes I’d listened to Joel run his office staff like a bunch of peasants. This wasn’t sitting well with me, but a few minutes later Joel came out and asked me to follow him to meet the surgeon.

We walked into the room, and Joel introduced me: “This is Dr. Smith, and this is… I forgot your name.” Fortunately, I remembered my name. After a few seconds the surgeon said, “This is no big deal. Deanna can remove this with the laser.” Off to another room I went.

Deanna came in and we made some small talk. She told me there was a chance I’d need a second procedure if the first one didn’t completely remove the spot. So I asked the obvious question: “Is there a charge for that?” She said, “Yes, half the original fee.” Funny, Joel never mentioned that. It wasn’t the money that bothered me. The whole customer experience was telling me to get out of there.

Let’s review. At the first consultation, Joel points and says, “Sit over there.” I’m thinking, OK, but I’m not a dog, Joel. Next, Joel can’t answer any of my questions and sells me a procedure he doesn’t even know they can do. I leave thinking, am I stupid? I come back and sit for 45 minutes listening to Joel mistreat his pleasant and helpful staff. I’m thinking, is this guy for real? Then he introduces me to the surgeon and doesn’t know my name. Now I’m sure someone is stupid here, and I no longer think it’s me. I decided I didn’t want to put my appearance in the hands of an organization with such poor attention to detail.

Back at reception, Joel got a bit out of hand. I stayed calm while he refused to refund my full payment. I said I wouldn’t accept his terms and would pursue it through other means. He said, “Fine, then we won’t refund any of your money.” I wasn’t worried. In the end, I was able to negotiate a full refund.

OK, I still have the spot on my cheek. But what can we learn from all this?

A “yes” does not always mean a satisfied or happy customer.

First, pay attention to your own bedside manner. I didn’t particularly like or trust Joel from the start, yet I still moved forward in the sales process. Always remember that a “yes” does not always mean a satisfied or happy customer.

Second, look at how you treat your office staff, coworkers and sales support team. Treat them as well as or better than your very best customer. The way you treat the people you work with every day spills over into your customer interactions. It did in this case, and it might for you.

Third, pay attention to the small details. It’s the little things that make a difference to your customers. Be warm, friendly, honest and upfront. Slow down and take your time with customers.

Finally, evaluate your own sales process, office environment and customer interactions. Check your voice tone and how fast you talk.

I don’t usually share stories this personal. This is a short version of what happened, and I left out some of the more unsettling parts. Remember, an uncomfortable prospect may buy, but they won’t become a long-term satisfied customer or a referral source. Fortunately, with some self-awareness, these are easy things to fix. And they don’t require major surgery.

P. William Clarke is a keynote speaker, featured columnist and author, and a contributor to Conversations On Success and Real World Sales Strategies That Work. Visit pwilliamclarke.com.

sales tip

Picking Up the Pace

Customers don’t mind a busy store. What they can’t stand is a slow one.

By P. William Clarke

I was recently in an auto parts store looking for a simple item. Once I finally found it, I made my way to the counter, where the only two employees were working with a customer on a special-order part. OK, maybe one fellow was training the other in the fine art of special orders. No problem. After about two minutes they got the part ordered. Problem solved. Two minutes felt like a long time to stand there, but I was all right with it up to that point. I started getting anxious, though, when one of the employees began repackaging a part they’d opened for the customer to look at. Of course, the part didn’t go back in the box as easily as it came out. I watched him take it out, turn it around, sideways and upside down about four times, until I finally blurted out, “Maybe you could repackage that when you don’t have customers waiting to check out!” Just a friendly hint. He got it!

That got me thinking. Maybe you’ve been mishandled, or needed help only to find the store understaffed. I don’t know about you, but despite my best efforts to be patient and understanding, I still get worked up when I have a quick question and the person behind the counter is lollygagging around.

So here’s the question: why does this upset us so much? And more importantly, how can we keep our customers from feeling this way? Let’s explore the three main culprits: pace, expectations and indifference.

As in life, business has its ups and downs. There are times when you can’t give your product away and others when you can’t keep it on the shelves. Retail stores face this every day.

When a store is quiet and customers are scarce, employees reflect it by moving through their tasks at a slower speed. Because many specialty retailers have frequent quiet periods, this becomes the default pace. Ask any retailer and they’ll tell you floor traffic comes in unpredictable waves. As a result, employees set their default pace to what the store sees most of the time: slow.

Moving slowly is fine if you live in the Caribbean, where people expect a laid-back pace. But the typical customer expects prompt, courteous service. Let’s face it, we live in a world of instant. Whether it’s food, a cup of coffee or information, we expect it right away.

Customers aren’t unhappy to find your business swamped. In fact, customers prefer to shop, and stay longer, in a busy store. The problem comes when they’re treated with indifference. They may feel your staff doesn’t care about their individual needs. Those feelings are based largely on perception, not reality, and that brings us right back to the default pace.

When your business is booming, customers usually understand. What they can’t understand is why you’re taking a lackadaisical approach to them and the other shoppers. They don’t know about the default pace. Your customers don’t get dropped off by the busload, which makes it hard to recognize when the pace needs to change. You’ve probably looked up and suddenly wondered where all these people came from. If that happens to you, you can bet you’re too late switching out of default mode.

People understand when you’re busy in a store, but not if you work at a slow place.

Nonetheless, start moving faster right away. Look up and greet customers. Help as many people as you can at once. Walk fast everywhere you go. Answer questions while you’re waiting for the credit card to clear at the register. Remember, people understand when you’re busy in a store, but not if you work at a slow place. Pick up the pace and show people you’re working hard to keep your head above water. Human psychology tells us your customer will empathize when they see you struggling to stay afloat. Customers will actually try to help when they see someone making a real effort. That makes them part of the solution instead of the problem.

I’m running out of room here, but you can make these positive human dynamics a reality by quickly recognizing when to abandon the default mode and begin picking up the pace.

P. William Clarke is a keynote speaker, featured columnist and author, and a contributor to Conversations On Success and Real World Sales Strategies That Work. Visit pwilliamclarke.com.

sales tip

Swimming with the Sharks

Competition is fierce. The good news: you don’t have to outswim the shark.

By P. William Clarke

No matter how you slice it, competition is fierce. Salespeople are pulling out all the stops to win a sale, or even steal one from an unsuspecting competitor. The good news is that if you know what to do, you don’t have to get eaten up. Let me share a little story to make my point.

I was planning a scuba trip to a location famous for its sharks. I guess you’re asking why anyone would intentionally get in the water with sharks. The reality is that, like your competitors, sharks are pretty harmless if you know how to deal with them.

I needed a couple of items before the trip, so I ran across town to the dive shop. While I was there, the owner mentioned that my dive partner had been in earlier and bought a fancy new pair of fins. I didn’t think much of it at the time, gathered my things and went on my way.

A few days later I was at lunch with my dive partner and mentioned the new fins. I said, “I thought you liked the fins you had?” He said, “I do, but since we’re swimming with the sharks, I thought these would be better.” So I asked the obvious question: “Why?” He said, “So I can swim a little faster.” I said, “You’re not going to outswim a shark!” He said, “I don’t intend to outswim a shark. I only have to outswim you!”

I tell you this story for two reasons. First, it’s a cute story. Second, I wanted to create an anchor point in your mind so you’ll never forget what I’m about to share.

The game of sales is won or lost by very small margins. Many companies spend a great deal of time, money and effort attracting prospects. They use big signs, the largest ads and flood the media with their branding. Sure, that gives them a competitive advantage in creating opportunities, but research shows that opportunities don’t equal sales results.

When companies spend heavily on advertising, they’re often rewarded with a plentiful supply of fresh prospects and shoppers. That makes selling too easy. In fact, it makes it so easy that salespeople become lackadaisical about selling. The only skill they exercise is price slashing.

That’s a real problem for their business, but not for you. Research also suggests that a major reason consumers price-shop is that there’s nothing else about the sale they can readily compare. Instead of lowering your price, all you have to do is increase your value. You can increase the perceived value of the product or service, but it’s much easier to add value through service and good old-fashioned helpfulness. Develop a relationship with every customer. Sam Walton did, and his Walmart stores took off.

Consumers look for three things when they spend money: price, service and quality. No company can truly offer all three. When a customer raises a price concern, ask which of the three they’re most willing to give up. You’ll be surprised to find they won’t pick service or quality. Consumers are usually willing to spend a little more to get the other two.

The difference doesn’t have to be great. It just has to be clear.

If you provide better service, your perceived value will be greater and you’ll create loyal customers. Loyal customers aren’t easily swayed by your low-priced competitors. It doesn’t take a lot to set yourself apart from the sharks. The difference between me and my dive partner doesn’t have to be great. It just has to be clear. The differences that make good salespeople great are found in the small details. Remember, in sales you only have to be one notch ahead of your competition. That way you won’t get eaten up the next time you find yourself swimming with the sharks.

P. William Clarke is a keynote speaker, featured columnist and author, and a contributor to Conversations On Success and Real World Sales Strategies That Work. Visit pwilliamclarke.com.

sales tip

Somebody Else’s Shoes

Why Clarke could win a role-play in any industry, even ones he’d never sold in.

By P. William Clarke

One of the most enjoyable parts of my business is the live seminar platform. My speaking career took flight through my sales training practice, where I became known for engaging workshops. One of the highlights was always the many live role-plays I’d sprinkle throughout the program to reinforce key points. I played the salesperson, and my students had fun playing the worst prospect they’d ever called on.

These workshops typically had salespeople from many companies, representing a dozen or more industries. I tried to run role-plays for as many of them as time allowed. Afterward, students would often find me at the back of the room and ask how I made it look so easy, or whether I’d sold their product or service before. For years I told them it was because I worked on sales challenges every day. It was my job. But as time went on, I began to wonder too.

Thinking it over, I uncovered a cornerstone of my Discovery Sales Process™: “Selling is all about the prospect, not about the sale.” Understanding the prospect’s true objectives, concerns and motives was always the easiest and quickest way to the sale. And the best way to understand someone else’s situation is to walk in their shoes.

Selling is all about the prospect, not about the sale.

Over time, without even knowing it, I’d developed a knack for putting myself in the prospect’s shoes and quickly sizing up their likely concerns, motivations and objectives. Once I’d processed that, I used my questioning approach to find the single most important element in each of those three categories for the prospect sitting in front of me.

Let me get back to those seminar role-plays. As you can imagine, it’s pretty important to come out on top. That was never a problem, because as in any selling situation, if you listen, the prospect will tell you where to take the process. Salespeople, instead, are often thinking about what to say next and miss everything else. In those role-plays, I didn’t need to understand much about the student’s product or service. I just had to help my prospect uncover what he really wanted. Once the prospect figured it out, I was happy to show him how to get it.

Before my life as a sales trainer, I’d unknowingly developed a skill for making sales based more on what the prospect wanted and less on what I was selling. I did it by looking at the sales call through my prospect’s eyes.

What I didn’t know was that I was fortunate to have a natural ability to see things from another person’s point of view. Maybe I developed it because I was always so interested in what makes people tick.

Unfortunately, when I entered the sales game, I tried to do things the way my manager taught me. That had me focused on convincing prospects to buy something from me. Anything! It didn’t work out so well. My manager said it was a numbers game and to make more appointments. I soon realized that more of the wrong activity would only produce more failures.

Thankfully, I was turned around at a sales seminar. Between the skills I picked up there and my natural interest in others, it all worked out.

Sometimes it’s tough to remember that the sale is all about your prospect. Ask questions, but more importantly, be interested in your prospect getting the right thing. Look at the situation from their vantage point. Sales shouldn’t be a tug-of-war; that makes both you and the prospect uncomfortable. Go in with the mindset that you’ll work together with your prospect to find what makes sense for them. As you get better at this, your sales will increase. And when you notice you feel good about what you’re doing with your prospects, look down. You may be wearing somebody else’s shoes.

P. William Clarke is a keynote speaker, featured columnist and author, and a contributor to Conversations On Success and Real World Sales Strategies That Work. Visit pwilliamclarke.com.

sales tip

A Little Something Extra

The difference between good salespeople and great ones is small, subtle and easy to miss.

By P. William Clarke

So what’s the difference between really good salespeople and great ones? The answer isn’t simple. In fact, you could spend a lot of time watching them and never see it. Truly great salespeople use very subtle differences that, over time, add up to a lot of commission.

Every so often I feel compelled to write about the little things. Remember the sales class that taught you to write thank-you notes to your prospects, whether or not they became customers? (You may not remember, but it was a lesson.) I’d bet a hefty bundle of cash that 92 percent of you have never actually done it. Not that I’ve done any special research on the subject, of course. OK, maybe a little.

Great salespeople are extraordinary people. Let me break down the word “extraordinary.” First we have “extra,” which Webster’s defines as “beyond or more than what is usual, expected or necessary.” If you’re in sales and want to make extra sales, perhaps it makes sense to do something extra. Then we have “ordinary,” which Webster’s defines as “of no special quality or interest; commonplace; unexceptional.” That sounds like “don’t do anything extra.” Confused yet? I know I am. But put the two words together in reverse order, ordinary-extra, and it means to make doing extra an ordinary thing. Extraordinary doesn’t mean doing more of the ordinary. I believe that in sales and in life, to have an extraordinary career and live an extraordinary life, you need to make doing a little extra a commonplace, unexceptional occurrence.

To be extraordinary, make doing a little extra an ordinary thing.

I know that was a long-winded way of restating some old sayings like “Do more, get more” and “Expect more from yourself than you expect from others.” But the fact remains, from countless studies, that people who live by these principles create abundance, have better relationships, feel more fulfilled, have less stress and live longer.

Here are some things you can make ordinary in your sales and your life. First, of course, send thank-you notes to your customers and prospects. Be careful not to sound insincere. Many companies have preprinted cards with the company logo. I think that’s a waste of money. Go to the store and buy cards that say “Thank You” on the outside, and write a nice note inside. For example: “I hope your family enjoys your new (product) as much as I enjoyed helping you get it. Thanks again for your confidence.” Sign it with your first name only. No business card! And skip “I look forward to serving you again.” They know who you are, and it’s implied that you appreciate their business and hope to serve them again.

Second, just be nice to everyone. Make it ordinary to greet a passing stranger with a smile or a friendly hello. Studies show that an act of kindness increases the release of the same brain chemical that antidepressants are designed to boost. That’s why you feel good when someone is kind to you. The person making the kind gesture feels the same effect. Further studies show the effect even in people who only witness an act of kindness between others. So if you want to surround yourself with happy people, just be nice all the time. Your prospects will respond by telling their friends about you.

Earlier I asked what the difference was between good and great salespeople. Great salespeople work harder on themselves and their selling skills than on their prospects. Simply put, great salespeople are as diligent about working on their sales role as they are about working in it. That’s how they get that little something extra.

P. William Clarke is a keynote speaker, featured columnist and author, and a contributor to Conversations On Success and Real World Sales Strategies That Work. Visit pwilliamclarke.com.

sales tip

Avoiding the Pounce

On safari, the lion cubs pounce. Their mother stalks. Only one of them eats.

By P. William Clarke

OK, so what’s the pounce? A natural question, considering the title. Simply put, the Pounce is one of a collection of sales errors I call “the sales pitfalls.” To illustrate it, imagine us together on an African safari. From the safety of our jeep we see a herd of gazelles and a pride of lions. First we watch a group of lion cubs frolicking about, practicing their pouncing and stalking. Next we watch a real hunting party of lionesses. We notice some subtle yet vast differences in technique. The cubs spend a lot of time pouncing, while Mother, the real pro, spends most of her time stalking.

It’s a delicate game of cat and mouse, so to speak, and one that has evolved over thousands of years. The sales game has evolved too, and it has some striking parallels. For our discussion, think of the lion as the salesperson and the gazelle as your prospect. The problem with the cubs’ technique is that they never get close enough to the gazelle to catch one. They pounce too soon. The pouncing salesperson has the prospect wary, guarded and on the move long before the prospect is close enough to buy. The pro is patient and deliberate, never pouncing or asking for the order before the prospect is close to a “yes.”

Here’s a quick example of how the pounce sends your prospect running.

Prospect: I really like the (XYZ feature)!
Sales cub: Great, shall I write it up?

That’s exactly the question your prospect wants to avoid. Any time you try to capitalize on a positive comment about your product or service, you risk pushing your customer away. That’s the essence of the pounce, and it’s why effective stalking is more important than pouncing.

As in nature, sales has evolved. The gazelle knows the lion is a predator, and in a manner of speaking, your prospect has caught on as well. Listen: if you were a gazelle and a lion pounced at you every time you walked past a particular bush, would you keep walking past that bush? Of course not. Your prospect is no different. If you pounce every time they make a positive comment, they’ll stop making positive comments. And if you still believe it takes seven no’s to get to a yes, give it up already. I know some sales trainers still teach it, crazy as it sounds. I guess they don’t know that modern consumers figured this out 20 years ago.

The key to sales success is to get your prospect to sell themselves.

Being in your sales role is like being on safari. Be patient and let the conversation evolve, so your prospect gets comfortable. When they make a positive comment, simply say, as a question, “Oh?” That lets them expand on exactly what they liked and why. Facilitate their thinking, but don’t pounce every time you see a gazelle in the distance. The key to sales success is to get your prospect to sell themselves. Nothing sends a prospect running in the other direction like a hungry lion.

In nature, instinct is responsible for the survival of both the gazelle and the lion: the gazelle’s to be wary, the lion’s to be patient. The lion cub has to learn patience, because it doesn’t come naturally. Likewise, you’ve been conditioned to go for the sale, so when you see a chance, it’s only natural to strike. From now on, think of your sales career as a great adventure, always learning and evaluating what you’ve seen. Be patient, and listen to your prospects and customers. So the next time you’re on safari, take notice, and remember that survival in sales means avoiding the pounce.

P. William Clarke is a keynote speaker, featured columnist and author, and a contributor to Conversations On Success and Real World Sales Strategies That Work. Visit pwilliamclarke.com.

sales tip

Are You Raising Red Flags?

A sand castle, a twig and a lesson in letting the customer have the idea.

By P. William Clarke

A red flag is a barrier you introduce into your own sales presentation. To illustrate, let me share a personal story. A few years back I was at the beach with my wife and our two sons. My eldest, four years old at the time, was building an elaborate sand castle complex. It had a main castle and several smaller ones around it, made with an array of molds I remember carrying down earlier. Everything was perfect. The sky was blue, the sun was shining and there was just enough breeze to round things out.

After watching for a few minutes, I picked up a small twig and started drawing circles in the sand. Then I got a seemingly bright idea and drove the stick into the top of the largest castle. I turned to my son and said, “Look, son, a flagpole.” As you may have guessed, this was one of those red flags. The tears started immediately, and the tantrum escalated until my son destroyed the entire complex he’d worked so hard to build. After he calmed down, I probed to find out what went so drastically wrong. The only answer I could get was, “That wasn’t what I wanted, Daddy.”

Your job as a salesperson is first to understand what your prospect is trying to accomplish, and then to help them get it. Remember, people do things for their reasons, not ours. A while back I heard a colleague say, “A reason is not a reason until the prospect tells you it’s a reason.” I like that, but I’d quickly add: an idea isn’t a reason unless your prospect discovers it. I’d bet that if I had asked my son what he thought he might put on top of his castle, he probably would have said, “A flag.”

An idea isn’t a reason unless your prospect discovers it.

Selling is a game of psychology, and you’re always better off letting your prospect think it was their idea. There’s no better way to get a prospect to buy than to have them sell it to themselves. You can do this more easily than you think. The catch is that you’ll need to stop offering features and benefits so soon and start asking questions.

Here’s a brief example that would fit automotive, boat or any other high-ticket sale, but let’s set it in a piano showroom. A prospect walks in. You meet and greet, share some small talk, and eventually they land on a piano. You think, here’s my chance, and start right in on the piano’s features and benefits. Then the prospect moves to another piano, and another, until you’ve looked at ten. You end up frustrated, they get confused and no one can figure out why. Well, you may have raised some red flags without knowing it. Remember when you talked about the hand craftsmanship and the rare African woods? You thought you were giving them reasons to buy, but what you said and what they heard were two different things. You said, “This is a high-quality piece.” They heard, “Boy, this is probably going to cost a lot!” Red flag.

Rewind the tape and pick back up where the prospect landed on the first piano. Instead of jumping in, step back and ask, “What was it that attracted you to this piano?” Whatever their reason, reply with a question: “And that’s important to you?” That prompts them to expand on the point. You might follow up by asking what other considerations they have in choosing a new or like-new piano. Keep probing into their wants and desires. Your prospect will give you the tools to sell them; you just have to listen. Once you clearly understand what they want, present the features and benefits that matter to them. Whatever your product or service, don’t worry about all the other selling points. Get it sold on the features they need and want, and let them in on all the extras later.

P. William Clarke is a keynote speaker, featured columnist and author, and a contributor to Conversations On Success and Real World Sales Strategies That Work. Visit pwilliamclarke.com.

sales tip

Got the Think It Overs?

“I want to think it over” sounds reasonable. That’s exactly the problem.

By P. William Clarke

I’d like you to picture three things: the word “Yes,” the word “No” and the letters TIO, my acronym for the all-too-popular Think It Over. Got all three in your mind’s eye? Now go ahead and put a big X over the TIO, because people rarely think it over anyway.

Now think about sales and answer these questions. Are you tired of wasting time with prospects who turn into nothing? Are you tired of the Think It Over excuse? If you answered yes, you’re going to love this sales tip.

The overwhelming majority of salespeople who accept TIO as a reason to end a sales call do so because of their own difficulty making decisions.

Here’s what I mean. You’re a consumer as well as a salesperson, right? As a consumer, you have your own way of arriving at decisions. Some people decide quickly. Others labor over decisions. Some need to shop around. Others look for a lower price. Whichever it is, in your mind it’s a valid reason to TIO. Let me translate your thoughts when a prospect tells you they want to think it over.

Prospect: I want to think it over.
Salesperson: OK, here’s my card.
Translation: Hmm, well, if it were me, I guess I’d want to think something like this over too.

The idea that your prospect wants to think it over actually makes sense to you. So back in your sales role, you easily become sympathetic to this stalling tactic because you believe it’s valid. But again, how many people do you suppose really think it over at all? Many people say it by default, or as a conditioned response from dealing with other salespeople. Some folks just can’t make decisions. Either way, you need to get rid of the TIO. Otherwise, a prospect who would have bought from you today won’t, and may find a reason not to buy from you tomorrow, even when they should own your product or service!

Let’s look at how to handle it. First, we have to look at our own reluctance to challenge a prospect’s right to think it over. It mostly comes from our desire not to upset the customer, and rightly so. But a prospect who’s sincere about thinking it over can usually tell you what they need to think about. The only prospects who’ll get upset are those using it as an excuse to shop your price, or who are uncomfortable telling you no. It can be tough to tell who’s sincere and who’s playing you, so you’ll need some tact along with some strategy.

Put a big X over the TIO, because people rarely think it over anyway.

First, put your prospects at ease by letting them think they’re off the hook to go think it over. Use a statement like, “Thinking it over makes perfectly good sense to me.” Your prospects think they’re home free and drop their defenses. Then follow up with, “So what would you like me to do next?” They’ll most likely say, “We’ll let you know,” or some other wishy-washy answer. That’s just what you wanted.

Now get really interested. Not curious or skeptical, just interested! Say, “I’ll look forward to hearing from you. Between now and the next time we talk, what do you think you’ll think about most?” Then stay silent, or just look at them with the most sincere look of interest you can muster. They may try to dodge the question with, “Not sure, I’d have to think about it, blah, blah, blah.” Whatever they say, respond in a playful, lighthearted way: “Gee, if you had to pick something?” Use the same interested look or silence, and under no circumstances help them with a multiple-choice list. Just listen. When they finally pick something, don’t try to overcome it! With a surprised expression, say, “That’s the last thing I figured you’d say!” even if it wasn’t. That will prompt them to explain further.

You’re now actively helping them think it over, which is right where you wanted to be. The prospects who really needed to think it over now have, and the others will have had to find the courage to tell you they’re not really interested. Either way, you’ve freed up some time. You could use it to go home, hug your kid or pet the dog. It sure beats wasting time with the wrong prospects. When you get really good at this, you’ll have so much extra time that your family will get sick of you hugging them. So as an alternative, you could always go out and find yourself another prospect. What a thought!

P. William Clarke is a keynote speaker, featured columnist and author, and a contributor to Conversations On Success and Real World Sales Strategies That Work. Visit pwilliamclarke.com.

sales tip

Opening Doors

A young parts clerk who would not let Clarke open a single door, and what it teaches about everyday customers.

By P. William Clarke

I was recently visiting my in-laws in the Catskills. Fortunately, there’s a small Audi shop about 15 minutes away, which makes for a great getaway. An oil change only takes about half an hour, but I’m the only one who knows that, if you get my point. Sitting in the lobby, I pulled out my laptop and started working on another piece when my thoughts turned to Audi and my local dealer.

One of the founding principles of my selling philosophy is to do the opposite of what most salespeople do. My local dealer really has it going on. Not only are they building an incredible indoor auto mall with about 20 franchises, including Porsche and Audi, but they’ve embraced a traditional culture that has passed through generations of the family-owned business. I’ve been consistently impressed by the professionalism there.

Last fall I decided to put winter tires on my car, and what a great experience it was. A young man in the parts department helped me choose the tires. I followed him in and out of the showroom and service bay, because a similar car was being fitted with a set like the ones I wanted. We must have gone through those doors a dozen times as I made comparisons. About halfway through, I noticed how insistent he was on opening every door for me. So of course, I had to make it a research project. I deliberately beat him to the next door, pulled it open and said, “After you.” Before I knew it, he’d slipped in behind me and was holding the door, prompting me to go first. I made it harder and harder, but do you think I could get him to walk through a door ahead of me? No way. This kid was good! Not only was he practicing traditional values and courtesies that can be hard to find today, his technique was sound as well. I filed it away in my mental hard drive as part of a study I was conducting at the time.

Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Of course they treated you like a king. It’s an Audi dealer and you’re driving their flagship car.” You’re right, and that raises an interesting point. People expect a certain conduct from salespeople, and those expectations are shaped by their own experiences. Doctors, lawyers, celebrities, royalty, the “rich and famous,” get used to being pampered and at times almost expect it. They require a higher level of sophistication from their salespeople. Common folk like you and me are just happy to get some service, and fortunately for us, most salespeople are happy to provide a little. There are some effective methods for selling to the rich and famous, but we won’t get into them here. In this piece, I’m most interested in selling to the common man.

As I said, my philosophy is to do the opposite of what most salespeople do. The common man isn’t used to being treated like royalty: having doors opened, being addressed as Mr. or Mrs., having someone hang up their winter coat or help them put it back on. This is what I call “Creating the Experience.” Remember, human beings are emotional creatures. We make decisions emotionally and later use reason to reinforce them. Pampering the rich and famous makes little impact because they’re treated like royalty all the time. Pampering the common man, on the other hand, makes a significant impression and creates a unique and desirable experience. Even if the customer doesn’t buy today, they’ll remember it. And you’ll have raised their expectations, making it harder for your competition to measure up.

Those who stand out in sales open doors and close orders.

It really doesn’t take much to stand out in your prospects’ minds. If you can put your prospect on a pedestal, they’ll be more likely to buy from you because of the emotion tied to doing business with you and the overall experience, not because of price. One of my favorite words is “outstanding.” Its true meaning is “that which stands out from the rest.” So please remember: those who stand out in sales open doors and close orders.

Outstanding job, Derek, at Roger Burdick’s Drivers Village. Thanks for opening the door.

P. William Clarke is a keynote speaker, featured columnist and author, and a contributor to Conversations On Success and Real World Sales Strategies That Work. Visit pwilliamclarke.com.

sales tip

My Dear Friend Peter P.

A New York street kid, a vacuum cleaner and the three things you can get from any prospect.

By P. William Clarke

I once had a dear friend I’ll call Peter P. We met when he was in his late 60s and I was in my early 30s. Despite the age difference, we hit it off right away and became the closest of friends. Peter P. grew up in New York City. He liked to share stories of his youth, and I was more than happy to listen. His parents had emigrated from Ireland and worked hard to make ends meet. Peter P. was a street kid, kind of a wise guy.

His first “job” was selling newspapers. He and his friend Red would wait outside the movie theater for the show to end and bum enough spare change to each buy a paper or two. Then they’d head to a local tavern and sell the papers at enough profit to buy more. They kept at it until they had a few dozen papers, then jumped the subway turnstiles, hopped a train and sold their papers to the businessmen. Back home, Peter P. would spill his earnings onto the table for his mother, who worked as a cleaning lady during the Depression to keep the household running.

Peter P. graduated from high school and shipped off to the Navy. They straightened out the street kid and taught him to repair diesel engines. After the Navy he worked nights in a bus garage as a diesel mechanic. Even with four hours of overtime, he barely made enough to support his childhood sweetheart, now his wife, and their three children.

That went on until an older gentleman told him he should look into a sales career, and that he could find sales jobs in the back of any newspaper. That’s just what he did, and a few weeks later he was an Electrolux vacuum cleaner salesman in New York City.

Peter P. approached it in a very interesting way. He figured there were six million households in New York City, and somewhere out there, you could bet, a lady was looking for a new vacuum cleaner. All he had to do was find her. He began cold canvassing, and as you can imagine he heard things like “Get lost” and “Scram,” and had a few doors slammed in his face. Each time, he’d politely say to the irate prospect, “I’m sorry, but you’re not the lady I was looking for,” excuse himself and walk to the next door. He went door after door until he found the lady looking for a new vacuum. He didn’t get down because a few prospects threw him out. He just kept plugging.

All great salespeople know they’ll never convert every prospect into a customer. Many salespeople get disappointed and down when they face rejection. That serves no purpose except to feed negativity, which robs you of your charisma and dampens the buying emotion of your next prospect. Come to terms with the fact that sales has ups and downs. That’s just the way it is.

Please don’t mistake my acceptance of an objecting prospect to mean you should give up at the first sign of resistance. Grab on and don’t let go. If you can’t close them today, for heaven’s sake, follow up. Otherwise you’ve only wasted your time.

So many salespeople are reluctant to follow up because they fear rejection. That’s preposterous, and for what? I can assure you that if you don’t follow up with your prospects, call new ones and ask for referrals, one of your competitors will.

If you’re truly committed to making a living at the sales game, forget about the prospects who don’t want to hear from you or don’t buy, and keep looking for the lady out there who’s looking for a vacuum cleaner.

There are three things you can get from any prospect: a “yes,” a “no” or a lesson.

There’s a prospect looking for your product or service right now. Go get them! As for Peter P., he sold a lot of vacuums, became a Fuller Brush man, rose to vice president of sales at Eutectic, the welding consumables company, and eventually started a sales training business of his own. He used to tell me there were three things you could get from any prospect: a “yes,” a “no” or a lesson. Peter P. put me on the podium for my very first speaking engagement, and the rest is history. He passed these gems to me, and now I pass them to you. Always reach for your dreams, and remember these lessons from my dear friend Peter P.

P. William Clarke is a keynote speaker, featured columnist and author, and a contributor to Conversations On Success and Real World Sales Strategies That Work. Visit pwilliamclarke.com.

sales tip

Positive Radiation

A sold-out part, a line ten customers deep and one owner who made it right in front of everyone.

By P. William Clarke

The 2004–05 winter season started out on the warm side. Here in the Northeast, winter means snowmobiling, and late as it was, the first snowfall brought out the riders. I had to facilitate a retreat in Old Forge, New York, in the Adirondack Mountains, home to some of the finest snowmobiling in the country. It just so happened that the executive team who hired me were snowmobilers too. As it turned out, one of their machines wouldn’t run, so I stayed behind to do some work and gave up my machine so everyone else could ride. It came back minus one windshield, which landed me in my local dealer’s showroom the following weekend.

Here’s where it gets interesting. The line at my local Ski-Doo dealer was about ten people deep. Even though they were technically closed according to their posted hours, folks kept piling in. As I got within earshot of the counter, a man asked for a shock absorber for his snowmobile. He’d called ahead and asked them to hold one. The owner happened to be working the counter and replied, “The last one just walked out the door.” The man explained that he’d called ahead. Apparently two people with the same last name had called ahead for the same part. The customer said he’d driven a long way for it and was extremely disappointed. The owner quickly said, “Don’t worry. I’ll have a shock for you before you leave.”

The owner started working on the computer. By now my own transaction was done, but I had to see how this turned out. Within a few minutes, the owner went into the back and returned with a mechanic holding a handful of tools. He turned to the customer and said, “The only one we have is on the new model on the showroom floor, and you’re taking it home with you.” The customer said, “Really?”

We’ve all been in a position where the person hired to help us at a store couldn’t care less. They hide behind a statement like, “That’s our policy.” Interestingly, the same places often display a sign that says, “Committed to customer service.” Now, I know what many of you are thinking: as the owner, he can decide to pull a shock off a salable item to make a customer happy. I say anyone can make that decision. The difference is whether the owner delegates the power to make it.

Empower your people to make decisions that satisfy customer needs.

There’s a lesson here, and it involves empowerment. If you’re a business owner and you expect your staff to handle customers the way you would, you need to spend time setting that expectation. Empower your people to make decisions that satisfy customer needs. If you’re an employee reading this and don’t know how far you can go to make a customer happy, show this to your boss and ask for guidance on how far you can go to meet a customer’s need.

Many of you are specialty business owners and salespeople. You spend a lot of capital attracting customers to your business. You want repeat customers, right? Well, this snowmobile and ATV dealer knows how to get them. They’re the largest Ski-Doo dealer in the Northeast, located on the outskirts of a small town, and as I looked around, I figured out why. The ten or so other people who watched the whole thing all wore a look of surprise, and I had a distinct feeling that this was the kind of place I want to do business with. He made more than one customer that day. That one good deed radiated throughout everyone in line. I call this Positive Radiation, and it’s powerful.

Great job, Mike Ingles, at Ingles Performance in Phoenix, New York.

P. William Clarke is a keynote speaker, featured columnist and author, and a contributor to Conversations On Success and Real World Sales Strategies That Work. Visit pwilliamclarke.com.

sales tip

Small Talk

Three years of calls, one order of light bulbs and the conversation that finally made the sale.

By P. William Clarke

Several years ago a client hired me to train their sales force. As part of the project, I went along on sales appointments with several of their salespeople. (If you don’t go out on appointments, keep reading. This gets interesting.)

I remember one salesperson in particular. Kevin was a veteran who’d been with the company about ten years. He sold janitorial and maintenance supplies to major companies, hospitals and the like.

I scheduled our day together two weeks in advance to give him time to fill it with appointments. He filled the day, but by the third appointment I’d noticed a pattern. Kevin would walk into the purchasing office, open his pitch book, which included a list of promotional items, and go down the list asking whether they needed any of them. By the fourth “How about this?” the prospect had completely checked out. I guess from experience, his prospects had figured out that if they just sat there quietly and said no after each offer, Kevin would eventually go away. And that’s exactly what he did.

I didn’t say much, because I was just along for the ride. But by the fifth appointment I couldn’t take it anymore. Kevin went through his routine, got all his no’s, collected his things and headed for the door. That’s when I sat back in my chair. We were in a small town in upstate New York, we’d just driven about twenty minutes to get there and we had time to kill before the next appointment. I piped up: “Gee, this is a nice town.” The buyer said, “Yes, we like it here.” I said, “Grow up in these parts?” She said, “Yes. I actually moved away, but I ended up moving back.” I said, “Oh?”

About three minutes into the conversation, she turned to the bookcase behind her and pulled out a big black three-ring binder. She flipped through it as we kept talking. Pretty soon she looked over at Kevin and said, “Do you sell (this item)?” He said no. As we chatted, she kept asking him about different products listed in her book. She was actually looking for something to buy. Finally she asked whether he sold overhead light bulbs. He said yes. She said, “How much?” He told her, and she said, “I’ll take three cases.” She and I finished a nice conversation while Kevin handled the paperwork. I kept to myself for the rest of the day, and when we parted, Kevin said, “I’m sure glad I made at least one sale while you were riding with me.” I said, “Me too.”

I have a theory: if you work beside an expert salesperson, you’ll never see the move that won them the sale. I guess I’m right. Kevin never saw it. I later found out that he’d been calling on that account for three years. On the ride to the next appointment, I also learned he knew very little about her other than that she was a purchasing agent for a major company. Because of that, Kevin treated her like a purchasing agent, and she had no choice but to treat him like a salesperson.

Are you treating the people you meet in your sales role like prospects or like people?

My question is this: are you treating the people you meet in your sales role like prospects or like people? Studies show most people are turned off by salespeople, but you’ve probably also heard that people like to buy from people. That’s true. The problem for customers is that when you put the word “sales” in front of “people,” everything starts to change. More than anything else, the one thing that has helped me create sales is my genuine interest in other people. I figured that if I had to deal with prospects, and I knew they weren’t all going to buy, I should at least get some value out of the experience. I always liked to strike up some small talk, and I found that people are interesting. What’s more, they were usually looking for a reason to say yes, something that set one salesperson apart. Many times, you’re all the difference there is.

Be more interested in your prospect than in getting the sale, and your prospect will become more interested in buying from you than from some other salesperson. To do that, you’ll need to strike up some small talk.

P. William Clarke is a keynote speaker, featured columnist and author, and a contributor to Conversations On Success and Real World Sales Strategies That Work. Visit pwilliamclarke.com.

sales tip

The Zone

Comfortable in your sales role? That comfort may be what’s holding you back.

By P. William Clarke

Are you comfortable in your sales role? If so, you may be surprised to hear it could be holding you back. One challenge salespeople face is getting too comfortable.

We live in a world of constant change. Within that world, we each find a place of our own where we feel safe, secure and confident. Let’s call it your comfort zone. We live within its ever-changing imaginary borders and greatly underestimate how much they influence us.

Here’s an example. As a youngster you probably rode a bicycle. The first time you tried, you were probably a little uncomfortable, maybe even scared. Over time you practiced your riding (or your not-falling-over) skills and became proficient at the fine art of bicycling.

You may recognize a similar scenario as an adult. Remember the first time you approached a potential new customer? Weren’t you a little nervous? Many salespeople shy away from this activity because it’s uncomfortable. Over time they realize that if they don’t start engaging new customers, they’ll end up broke, so they start doing it.

Like riding a bicycle, at first you’re a little unsteady and get a few skinned knees, but after a while… well, you know the saying: “It’s like riding a bike.” That’s an example of expanding your comfort zone.

There’s a problem with “It’s like riding a bike,” though. People use it to suggest that once you learn a skill, you never lose it. But just as practicing an activity builds skill and expands your comfort zone, avoiding or abandoning an activity erodes the skill and shrinks your comfort in an area where you once felt very comfortable.

The problem with comfort in your selling role is that comfort breeds satisfaction, and satisfaction erodes the strong desire that is a primary ingredient of continued success.

When I see someone in this condition, it usually means they believe they have every part of the sales role under control, or at least the parts they think are important. That’s not a condition you find in people who strive for and achieve greatness.

You can tell a lot about a salesperson by what he’s learned after he knew it all.

Many years ago one of my mentors told me, “You can tell a lot about a salesperson by what he’s learned after he knew it all.” If you’ve been to one of my live seminars, you may remember me repeating it. Great salespeople are like great athletes. They’re their own worst critics. Dissatisfied with every performance, they strive to be more effective in each event that follows. They get anxiety, or butterflies, before every event. That’s how they keep their edge.

Michael Gerber’s idea that businesspeople spend too much time working “in” their business instead of “on” their business inspired my next statement: people spend too much time working in their lives rather than on their lives, and the same goes for salespeople. Athletes, on the other hand, spend more time practicing than competing, because that’s what it takes to be the best.

Spend some time working on your sales role. Practice. Think about what you can do to improve your selling skills. Don’t become stagnant or stale. Prospects and customers are changing, and if you’re too comfortable, you won’t change with them.

I raced BMX bikes competitively as a kid. I’m not naive enough to think I still have those skills. In fact, I feel kind of awkward when I jump on my kid’s bike. Then again, I don’t expect someone to walk up and offer me $25,000 to go win a BMX race. But it’s quite likely that a prospect or customer will put you in a position outside your imaginary walls. It could cost you the deal, and you’ll wish you had spent more time outside the Zone.

P. William Clarke is a keynote speaker, featured columnist and author, and a contributor to Conversations On Success and Real World Sales Strategies That Work. Visit pwilliamclarke.com.

sales tip

Upholding Your Margins

Why Clarke happily paid $2,500 more for his new boat, and drove farther to get it.

By P. William Clarke

When it was time to upgrade my three-year-old Boston Whaler, I went to our area’s largest boat show. That way I could compare the different Boston Whaler models against competing lines in the same class.

I didn’t have much luck getting what I wanted from a competing manufacturer, but I did get the scoop on several area dealers.

You won’t believe why I bought from the dealer I chose. Of course, price had something to do with it, and I also considered distance and how soon I could take delivery. But there was much more to it. Let me share the experience.

First, at the show, every dealer asked for my business card. I gave it to them. None of them followed up by phone, which was a mistake. About a week after the show, I received a postcard with a picture of the boat I was interested in. On the back it simply said, “Here’s a picture of your new boat. It was nice to meet you at the show. Jeff.”

I would have loved to give this guy my business, but let’s face facts: his dealership was about an hour and a half away, and there were two dealers much closer.

Time was of the essence, so I made some phone calls. I finally got one of the dealership owners on the phone. He gave me some base prices and sent me on my way. I got the same treatment at the next dealer. The prices seemed close, but I wanted a bunch of extras, so I called the first dealer back. The owner told me he didn’t want to go through the exercise of pricing out the boat my way unless I was seriously going to buy.

That didn’t sit well with me, so I told him I’d get back to him. About four days later, one of his people faxed me the boat priced to my specifications. I guess I wasn’t a real priority. Maybe my youthful appearance gave him the impression I couldn’t afford it. It’s hard to say. In the meantime I was thinking about the guy who sent the postcard. Maybe I’d have better luck with him. So I called. He was happy to hear from me and asked about my son, who was two then and had been with me at the boat show. We chatted, I told him exactly what I wanted, and he invited me down.

What a breath of fresh air! Everyone was smiling and greeted me politely, and the place was clean, neat and well merchandised. He took me out to meet his lead technician to answer some of my questions, and the technician dropped everything to help. You could eat off the floors, and the dealership is in a 100-year-old building. I thought, “If I ever had a problem or needed service, where would I want to call? Here, or the other guys?”

They had the boat priced out exactly the way I wanted, and we went over the details. I decided to buy the boat from Jeff and his team. Price had quite a bit to do with it, as did travel distance. He was farther away, and I paid $2,500 more than the faxed quote from the other dealer. Yes, I said more, and I was happy about it!

If you act like a salesperson, you can expect to be treated like one.

If you’re bombarded with price objections as a salesperson, it’s because price is the only difference your prospect can readily see. I’m proof that a low price doesn’t always make or break the deal. If you want to sell on price, you can, but don’t expect to make a good living at it. Here are a couple of rules to keep in mind. First, if you act like a salesperson, you can expect to be treated like one. Second, if you walk around expecting everyone to balk at your price, they will.

People weigh three things when they make major purchases: price, quality and service. Savvy consumers know no transaction delivers all three; something has to give. Over the years I’ve reminded prospects of this, and when I ask which of the three they’re most willing to give up, they never say quality or service. Ask your prospects this question, and when they tell you they won’t compromise on quality or service, you’ll have an easier time upholding your margins.

Great job to Jeff and his team at Morgan Marine, Penn Yan, New York.

P. William Clarke is a keynote speaker, featured columnist and author, and a contributor to Conversations On Success and Real World Sales Strategies That Work. Visit pwilliamclarke.com.

sales tip

The Things You Learned at Acting Class

Every customer deserves the opening-night performance, even if it’s your hundredth show.

By P. William Clarke

Dealing with customers and prospects is a lot like being an actor in a play. On opening night, you and the rest of the cast electrify the stage. Like a grand opening in retail, your performance is full of energy and intensity.

Over the following weeks and months, you start performing your role on autopilot. It becomes easy, and over time it gets quite routine. Since you’ve done the performance a hundred times, it’s easy to see how some of the energy and intensity fades. Unfortunately, the same thing often happens in your sales role.

Let’s face it: after a while, all your prospects and customers sound the same. Same problems, same concerns, same old questions. Because you’ve done it a hundred times, you handle the concerns and answer the questions. But do you have the same energy and intensity you had on opening night, or are you just going through the motions?

Remember, people buy on emotion and back their decisions with logic. That alone should tell you that every prospect and customer deserves to see the play the way you performed it on opening night. They should get your best performance, with all the energy and intensity you brought to that first night. A great way to see how losing that energy hurts you in a selling situation is to look at how you respond to questions.

When a prospect asks a question you’ve heard a hundred times, it’s easy to fire back a quick one- or two-word answer. But that shortchanges your prospect and reduces your chances of making the sale.

Treat each customer and each question as if it’s opening night.

Treat each customer and each question as if it’s the first time you’ve ever heard it, like it’s opening night. Otherwise, your customer loses that sense of being an individual and feels their concerns are less important. And carefully considering your prospect’s questions and concerns lends credibility to your answers and speaks well of your professionalism.

The second problem is that you start seeing questions as questions instead of as concerns. Too often you answer the question without understanding why the customer asked it. If you’re not asking about the concern behind the question, how can you set your presentation apart and tailor it to your customer’s hot buttons? When customers and prospects ask questions, they often have a reason for asking that goes beyond the answer itself.

Successful selling is a lot like acting. It means performing at your best even when you don’t feel like it, and even if you don’t really like the audience. I like to think of sales as a stage performance, not much different from what I do on a seminar tour. I’ve even created a trigger to bring out my “I’m on stage” persona. It’s just a simple smile, but you don’t have to go that deep. To make it easy, every time you meet a new prospect, just say to yourself, “I’m on.” It will remind you to give your best performance and keep you from forgetting the things you learned at Acting Class.

P. William Clarke is a keynote speaker, featured columnist and author, and a contributor to Conversations On Success and Real World Sales Strategies That Work. Visit pwilliamclarke.com.

sales tip

Sales, the Offensive Game

When a soft economy has your competitors calling on your customers, the answer isn’t to cover up. It’s to throw a punch.

By P. William Clarke

Has a soft economy left you with sagging sales? You’re not alone. Many companies are feeling the effects, and that includes your competitors. Inevitably, sales slow as the economy recedes. As companies feel the impact, new sales and marketing initiatives appear and competition becomes fierce. Salespeople try to buy the business with lower prices and new-customer incentives. One common problem is holding on to your current customers while salespeople from competing companies solicit them.

An aggressive competitor can have you reeling in no time. As customers call with cancellations and you lose orders to competitors, you can quickly find yourself in damage-control mode. The directive from the top: “Get out and meet with our customers, build relationships and hold on to what we’ve got at all costs.” The problem is that you’re now on the defensive. Your competitors have you on the run, and you have a new obstacle: your salespeople are tied up doing damage control, which greatly reduces their ability to bring in new sales and customers.

You will never win a boxing match by covering up.

You will never win a boxing match by covering up! You have to throw a punch, or you’re nothing more than a punching bag. Your customers and competitors can have their way with you, and no matter how you slice it, it’s a losing proposition. Sales is a game of offense, not defense, and a reactive strategy never works.

Your competitor may be vulnerable. As they call on your customers, they start neglecting their own. That’s the Achilles’ heel you were looking for. Now is the time to develop an aggressive sales program that targets your competitor’s large customers. Hit the market hard enough that your competitors feel the need to retreat to their own customer base. That puts them on the defense and you on the offense, and once it happens, the problem of them calling on your customers will diminish.

There are two concerns with this strategy worth considering. First, you may lose some customers while you’re out selling proactively. But if you stay on your present course, you’ll lose them anyway. And sending your sales staff to shore up relationships now isn’t the best use of their time. If your salespeople haven’t developed, or been taught, the people skills needed to build winning relationships in good times, what makes you think they’ll build them now?

Second, you’ll soon be in the driver’s seat, but don’t expect your competitors to take it lying down. To win, you’ll need a well-trained sales team with highly effective tactics, so you actually make sales and take business from your competitors while you battle. You’ll also need superior people skills to build those new relationships while maintaining your current customer base with the least expenditure of energy.

So what can you do about it? First, lead from the front. To create and drive a proactive sales culture, senior management needs to take the lead. Presidents and sales managers need to reach out to customers and support their sales staff. Nothing is better for customer retention than a meeting with the big brass. Owners and presidents generally aren’t seen as salespeople, so they can more easily get casual meetings with senior managers at customer companies. Those meetings give you a sense of how well you’re taking care of business and how stable the account is.

Second, expect more from your sales staff. Create a sales contest that compels them to perform. Make new-customer acquisition a high priority, and put extra incentives on net territory gains rather than overall sales. Make contests desirable and achievable for everyone; you don’t want your top salesperson to be the ringer. If there are big swings in territory or personal production, base results on percentage increase in sales. And because you’re expecting more, be prepared to give more: money, appreciation, respect, assistance and yourself.

Third, reinforce the importance of customer satisfaction, loyalty and new-customer acquisition throughout your organization. Get your whole company thinking about ways to bring in new customers through their own relationships and contacts, and put a lead-generation incentive in place for your non-sales staff.

At the end of the day, when the dust settles, market share will swing toward wherever the best-trained salespeople are. It’s a battle of will, decided by skill. No doubt both you and your competitor want success, but remember, sales is an offensive game, and if you want to win, you must be proactive. In good times, reinforce the basics regularly and build the skills and tactics that will sustain relationships through rough times. In slow periods, train and motivate vigorously to beat your competition. There’s one thing in business you can count on: your competition won’t be sitting still for long.

P. William Clarke is a keynote speaker, featured columnist and author, and a contributor to Conversations On Success and Real World Sales Strategies That Work. Visit pwilliamclarke.com.

sales tip

Success Has Its Rewards, So Plan On It!

A seminar speaker claimed selling systems don’t work. Clarke had a different read on the room.

By P. William Clarke

I was speaking at a multi-speaker seminar a number of years ago, and before and after my program I caught a few of the other speakers’ sessions. One speaker asked the audience, “Who in the room has paid good money to learn a system of selling?” Most people raised their hands. To strengthen his point, he asked, “How many of you have paid good money to learn several systems?” Again, a staggering number of hands went up. Then he asked who in the room used any of those systems on a regular basis. No one raised a hand. The speaker went on to explain that selling systems don’t work, using those questions as proof.

I sat quietly and wondered whether he’d ever considered that the people who use a system weren’t there, because they were busy using it and getting results. That’s not to say top salespeople don’t attend seminars, because they do. In fact, one characteristic of great salespeople is their thirst for sales tips, skills and techniques. The other is that they all use a system! That doesn’t mean they were taught one at a seminar, in a book or on an audio program in the car. Many great salespeople have developed their own system and don’t even realize they’re using one.

The reality is that there are two methods of selling: following a system, and winging it. When I talk about using a system, I don’t mean the particular methodology I teach, or anyone else’s for that matter. Webster’s defines a system as “any formulated, regular, or special method or plan of procedure.” Many years ago a mentor told me that in life, you’re either part of your own plan or you become part of someone else’s. Through my own research I later found that the number one reason people become part of someone else’s plan is that they don’t have one of their own.

In sales, your prospect has a plan, objectives and procedures that are pretty well defined, and they’re often designed to help them win while you lose. They use that system over and over until it’s perfected. As a result, you end up following their system, because you lack a clear, defined set of objectives, procedures and plans of your own.

There’s another reason to use a system that’s often overlooked. When a salesperson uses a consistent method, approach and plan, it’s easier to identify what isn’t working. That lets the salesperson, or management, look at the process and make subtle changes instead of reinventing everything when things aren’t going well. You keep what works and replace the tactics that aren’t producing results.

Any system will fail 100 percent of the time when it isn’t used.

So what are the components of a good system? Every system is different, but a good one should be based on a win-win for you and your customer, not a win-lose. The number one element that makes or breaks a system is whether you have enough confidence in it to actually use it consistently. Using a system doesn’t mean you’ll get every sale. It does mean you’ll significantly increase your odds of a positive outcome at the end of each sales encounter. And when you don’t get the sale, the right system shows you where you went wrong and what to do next.

I’m certain about one thing: any system will fail 100 percent of the time when it isn’t used. Develop your plan, system and strategy. Be consistent and diligent, and above all, put it to work for you. You’ll have all the success you truly deserve, and as my financial advisor Susan Budrakey says, “Success has its rewards, so plan on it!”

P. William Clarke is a keynote speaker, featured columnist and author, and a contributor to Conversations On Success and Real World Sales Strategies That Work. Visit pwilliamclarke.com.

sales tip

The Right Question

We spent years in school learning to answer questions. Selling requires the opposite skill.

By P. William Clarke

Asking questions is a critical part of turning prospects into customers. Understanding their objectives, motives and challenges is what lets you provide solutions that fit. Yet many salespeople spend their time in front of a prospect trying to figure out which “closing” question to ask once the prospect seems interested.

More important are the questions that help your prospect discover what they want, need or desire. Many sales conversations end with “I’m just looking,” “I want to think it over” or some other lame excuse. That often comes from the prospect’s uncertainty about their own wants and needs, not from the quality, durability or cost of your product or service. So why don’t we ask more high-quality questions?

When we entered school, we were taught to listen and follow directions. Stand in a straight line with your hands at your sides. Much of the thinking was done for us. We quickly got used to answering questions when called on, rather than face the embarrassment of not knowing. We learned to respond quickly by raising our hands, and we were praised when we had the right answer.

As a result, we’re now better at answering questions than at creating them. In fact, the programming is so strong that when you’re asked a question, you start answering it automatically, without even realizing it. I call this Automatic Response Programming, or ARP.

You’re probably wondering what this has to do with your sales role. The answer is: plenty!

The truth is, by the time the prospect is ready to say yes, the question you ask to get that yes hardly matters. To help them figure everything out, you’ll need to ask better, and sometimes more probing, questions. That presents a second challenge, because we were also taught to mind our own business. So even when we know the right questions, ARP takes over and we feel uncomfortable asking the questions we know we should ask.

It may seem impossible to win, but it’s not! If we had a few hours, I could help you override this programming. For now, here’s what you can do. Make a list of the top ten things customers ask about your product or service. Then, for each one, take off your sales hat, think like your prospect and write down answers to these questions. First, why might they have asked? Second, what short-, mid- and long-term implications might they be weighing with the information in your answer? Third, how might that information influence their decision, positively or negatively?

Now you have a list of possible motives and concerns related to your product or service, and perhaps some clues about how they intend to use it. Use the list to develop several probing questions for each answer you wrote down. This exercise will make it easier.

For example, if your prospect asks about durability, you may have written that they want to know whether it’s a high-quality product. The long-term implication might be the product’s lifecycle, and they may be weighing cost against use. That might prompt you to ask whether they’re looking for a long-term or short-term solution, and where durability fits their price range.

In order to get the right answer, you must first ask the right question.

Now you have the idea. The next problem is actually asking. You have to commit to asking the questions. It’s natural to feel like you’re prying, but remember, your prospects were also taught to answer questions. They rarely even notice you asked one, and even when they do, ARP helps you get the answer.

Be interested, and help your customer weigh the facts, so to speak. Offer only as much information as needed, and spend the rest of your time helping them think things through now, so they don’t need “I want to think it over” as an objection. The next time a customer asks you one of those questions, you can respond, ask more questions and move them closer to the answer you’re looking for. Remember, in order to get the right answer, you must first ask the right question.

P. William Clarke is a keynote speaker, featured columnist and author, and a contributor to Conversations On Success and Real World Sales Strategies That Work. Visit pwilliamclarke.com.

sales tip

The Exception or the Rule?

If you look, act and sound like every other salesperson, expect to be judged on price.

By P. William Clarke

A major problem I find in most selling environments is a lack of differentiation. Human beings make decisions by a process of elimination. If you look, act and sound like everyone else and treat customers the same way everyone else does, expect them to treat you like every other salesperson and decide on the only thing they can tell apart: price.

Consumers are looking for an easy way to decide. If you set yourself apart, that may be all they need to justify a decision. By being different, you make it easy for them to eliminate an entire group, and you’re the last one standing.

You may not own the company you work for, so it’s natural to think you can’t change your environment. That doesn’t mean you can’t single-handedly influence change. Look at your business. Is everyone smiling? Are they inviting? Do they drop everything to attend to a customer? If not, you may have a cultural infection. Culture is the set of habits people pick up through influence and observation. You may not see it, but I’ll bet it’s weighing on your personal success.

It’s actually easier than you think to make a change. Lead by example, not just when prospects are present but all the time, and drive a refreshing new culture through your actions. Just like bad habits, good habits rub off on those around you. You usually won’t have to say anything or announce that you’re changing the way you conduct yourself. The people around you probably won’t bring it up or even notice it consciously. That doesn’t diminish the impact. We observe and conform to our culture without being aware of it. We pick up words and sayings the same way. Jerry Seinfeld created a whole new lexicon and an entire nation jumped on board. Yada, yada, yada.

You’ll be pleased to know you can both set yourself apart and drive culture with a few simple practices.

First, be friendly in passing to everyone you see. My rule is to say hello to everyone who comes within ten feet of me. Next, like an old friend, ask everyone how they’re doing.

How you can help them will come up soon enough. I talk to people all around the world, and I always start by asking how things are in their area. It’s no different for you, whether you work in a retail store or prospect in direct sales.

Finally, a compliment goes a long way. I like to pick a somewhat unrelated subject and turn it into a compliment. “That’s a nice jacket” is personal. “What a nice statue in front of your office building” is a bit more formal. And it’s always nice to find a chance to tell a customer they have good taste.

The human mind is more likely to notice an exception than a rule.

All of this brings me back to the beginning. People are looking for something different, a reason to buy. These things are uncommon today, which is exactly why people notice them. The human mind is more likely to notice an exception than a rule. That translates into positive emotion and gives your current and future customers the feeling that you’ll take better care of them. Even more powerful, your prospects and customers end up feeling they have a friend in the business. I don’t know about you, but if I have a need and a friend in the business, the competition doesn’t stand a chance.

I hope you’ll take a moment to evaluate these things and ask yourself: are you the exception or the rule?

P. William Clarke is a keynote speaker, featured columnist and author, and a contributor to Conversations On Success and Real World Sales Strategies That Work. Visit pwilliamclarke.com.

sales tip

Thirty Seconds That Count

Your prospect forms an opinion of you almost immediately, and most of it has nothing to do with what you say.

By P. William Clarke

There’s a lot more going on in the first 30 seconds of any buyer-seller exchange than you may realize. Sure, there are words and formalities, but have you ever stopped to ask what’s really going on?

If you’re in retail sales, your prospect probably already expects to meet a salesperson. If you’re in direct sales, you may be the last person your prospect planned to talk to today.

These two environments differ in many ways, but they share the same elements of human interaction. Almost immediately, your prospect starts forming ideas about you. Because those opinions are based on perception alone, their conclusions may have nothing to do with you. It’s usually the other guy or gal who makes them uneasy, uncomfortable or just plain standoffish. That other guy or gal is your alter ego: the salesperson.

Salespeople actually change who they are and how they act when they step into their sales role. Odd, isn’t it? You spent your entire life developing skills to get people to like you, then traded that person in for someone nobody wants to deal with: a salesperson.

Some of the most successful salespeople I’ve known didn’t think they were in sales at all. They just helped customers the way they’d help a friend or neighbor. But in sales it isn’t as easy as helping your neighbor, because your prospect is looking at you with a much more critical eye.

You must polish your people skills without losing who you are. In other words, if you’re not funny, don’t try to be funny. If you’re not the most happy-go-lucky person, you don’t need to be. If you’re a drag, on the other hand, leave that person at the door and focus on these critical pieces they never taught you in school.

You’ve heard the saying, “It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it.” It won’t surprise you that people form opinions less on what you say and more on how you say it. A good technique with the right tone and inflection beats a bad one, but you may be surprised to learn that physiology matters more than anything else.

People form opinions less on what you say and more on how you say it.

Physiology is the way you stand, sit, walk and look. Notice how you’re sitting right now. Are you slouching? If so, sit up straight! Don’t you feel more engaged and ready? In person, strong posture commands respect. Over the phone, it carries into your voice tone and inflection. The way you stand says something about you. Do you look confident, friendly and inviting, or do you look like you can’t wait to go home? In retail, that can be the difference between a customer feeling like an invited guest or an unwelcome intruder. In telephone or direct sales, your posture projects your confidence and conviction in your product or service.

Verbal communication matters too, but every first meeting with a prospect is like a blind date where both people are a bit uncomfortable. If you’re prospecting, remember that your prospect wasn’t expecting you. Be confident, but show humility. In retail, remember that “How can I help you?” begs for “I’m just looking.” Don’t jump right into your sales agenda. Don’t be afraid to show prospects you’re not much different from them, even if it means poking a little fun at yourself. Match your prospect’s speaking speed in the first few exchanges to put them at ease. And don’t rush to extend your hand. Don’t you hate it when salespeople walk right up, introduce themselves and offer to shake your hand? You shake out of courtesy, but doesn’t it leave you with a negative feeling? Don’t make the same mistake. In a corporate setting where a handshake is inevitable, be patient. Your prospect will extend a hand. That makes you seem less eager, forceful and controlling, and less like a salesperson.

I could go on and on, but my word count is limited. These are just a few key points for making a positive first impression. Don’t underestimate them, and remember: it’s the first thirty seconds that count.

P. William Clarke is a keynote speaker, featured columnist and author, and a contributor to Conversations On Success and Real World Sales Strategies That Work. Visit pwilliamclarke.com.

sales tip

What Separates the Champs from the Chumps?

It’s with you all the time. It can make you a winner or a failure. And it’s completely at your command.

By P. William Clarke

Have you ever wondered what separates the sales champs from the chumps? If so, I have a few secrets for you.

Both have something in common that serves as either their greatest helper or their heaviest burden. It’s with them all the time. It pushes them to greatness or drags them to failure, yet it’s completely at their command. More than half of what a winner or non-winner does can be turned over to it, and it may or may not help them do it quickly and correctly.

Like a companion, it’s easily managed, but you must be firm with it. Show it exactly how you want something done, and after only a few lessons, it does it automatically.

It’s the servant of all great people. If it could speak, it would say, “Those who are winners, I have made winners. Those who are failures, I have made failures.” It’s that simple.

Those who are winners, I have made winners. Those who are failures, I have made failures.

It isn’t a machine, but it works with all the precision of one and the intellect of a genius. You can run it for profit or run it for ruin. It makes no difference to it, even though it’s always by your side.

Take it, train it and be firm with it, and it will place the world at your feet. Be easy on it, and it will destroy you. What is it, you ask? It’s your own habits.

The word “habit” comes from a root meaning “to dwell in,” suggesting that habits live within us. Most of our habits are insignificant, yet they’re everywhere, from the way you brush your teeth to the way you drive to work. Those habits may not help or hurt your sales performance, but they’ll get you there with a bright smile.

Sales champs measure and monitor their habits every day. They make themselves do the activities that lead to business and personal success. It can be a struggle at first, but over time those activities become habits and automatically keep producing results.

If you want to be a champ, first identify the activities required for success in your business. Then take an honest look at what you’re doing day to day, from what time you arrive at work to how distractions waste your time. Challenge your approach to customers, your attire and yes, even the way you walk.

If necessary, get honest input from your manager, a peer or even a success coach. Just get it done. That gives you a gap analysis. Like a professional athlete, you can now see which areas need work. Then it’s off to the practice field. Work every day on consciously building new success habits. Start your day earlier. Do your paperwork during non-selling time. Ask for help with your customer approach. Dress one notch sharper than your competition. Walk upright, confident and proud, because that’s just what a champ does.

Everyone knows what a champ is, but not many people really know what a chump is. “Chump” is often used to describe a fool, but its dictionary definition is “the thick, blunt end of anything.” Unattended habits can be the thick, blunt end of a sales career. But you don’t have to worry, now that you know what separates the champs from the chumps.

P. William Clarke is a keynote speaker, featured columnist and author, and a contributor to Conversations On Success and Real World Sales Strategies That Work. Visit pwilliamclarke.com.

sales tip

Sales, Marketing and Propaganda

What have you done for your customers lately? Delivering what you promised doesn’t count.

By P. William Clarke

What have you done for your customers lately? If your answer has to do with fulfilling obligations, keeping commitments or delivering product, you’ve got it all wrong. Meeting customers’ expectations is a step in the right direction, but a good salesperson exceeds them. If you want to win the sales game this way, you’ll have to get up pretty early in the morning.

You don’t need an innovative new sales or marketing strategy to become more effective. In fact, in the age of the internet, old-fashioned tactics often work better.

Customers used to be more than a way to meet revenue goals; they were our friends and neighbors. In those days a clerk might help you load a sack of grain into your wagon, and on a Saturday afternoon a salesperson might show up to help you raise a new barn. That added value and relationship were something a competitor couldn’t match.

I’m not asking you to start building barns on weekends, but a selfless bridge to your customer might get you where you want to go.

First, get rid of the “What’s in it for me?” outlook. Next, learn everything you can about your customers’ businesses. Be interested, and try to uncover the pressing issues or challenges they’re facing. That’s easy to do in light conversation. Then watch for opportunities to help with those challenges. If you sell to consumers, find out about your customers’ personal interests and send them newspaper or magazine articles on those topics, expecting nothing in return.

These acts of goodwill can go a long way, but be careful with electronic formats. The internet and email aren’t our friends; they’re tools. Don’t send a web link about a personal interest a customer shared with you. Print the pages and mail them. Mail is the sleeping giant today. Before the internet, everything was sent by mail. Now all we get in our mailboxes are bills and solicitations, so it’s a pleasant surprise when someone sends helpful information, a handwritten note or a sincere thank-you.

An act of good will should have no self-serving interest.

An act of goodwill should have no self-serving interest. Say you have a customer in Montana who mentions he likes to fly-fish, and you send him a $300 fly rod with a note that says, “Hope you enjoy the rod. Looking forward to your 10,000-piece order next week.” No good! You just threw what I call a boomerang, and you can bet it’ll come back around and hit you upside the head. You’re better off with a note that says, “Send me a picture of your first catch!”

Larger firms with hundreds or thousands of customers have a harder time with this strategy, because they don’t see customers face to face the way smaller businesses do.

Newsletters are also great marketing tools. The topics should be things that interest your customers or ideas that can help their businesses, not things that help you. If you want people to read it, it has to be a genuine act of goodwill, not cleverly disguised propaganda.

If you sell to or serve small businesses, you can rest assured of one thing: they’re every bit as interested in increasing their sales as you are. Think of creative ideas that would give your customers a competitive edge. Become a sounding board. Send them tips and ideas from the publications you read. Just put a sticky note on it that says, “Some neat ideas,” stuff it in an envelope and send it.

Whatever you send, make it about your customers’ interests. Be a good neighbor, and get help by giving help. You won’t have to worry about “What have you done for me lately?” anymore. Just put to work the small things you’ve learned today about Sales, Marketing and Propaganda.

P. William Clarke is a keynote speaker, featured columnist and author, and a contributor to Conversations On Success and Real World Sales Strategies That Work. Visit pwilliamclarke.com.

sales tip

What’s Behind the Excuse?

“I need to talk to my spouse” is rarely about the spouse. Here’s how to find out what it is about.

By P. William Clarke

Have you ever gone through the process, asked the questions and presented your solution, only to have the prospect give you a reason they can’t buy today? “I need to talk to my spouse.” “I’d like to think it over a bit.” “I’ll get back to you in a few days.” “I’d like to run this by my staff.” Sound familiar?

I call these put-offs. Unlike objections, put-offs aren’t connected to your product or service. They’re designed to make you believe your prospect would buy today if it weren’t for the hurdle in the put-off. In reality, a put-off usually has nothing to do with the reason the prospect won’t buy today. After all, how many times have you told a salesperson you’d “think about it” when you had no interest in or intention of buying?

Prospects use put-offs because either they have no interest or they want to shop around. So why don’t they just say so? Simple. They know that if they tell you they don’t like your product, they’ll have to deal with you trying to convince them they need it, and who wants that? It’s also very awkward to say, “Thanks for all your help, but now I’m going to see if I can buy it from your competitor!”

Let me give you some techniques for these situations, using “I have to talk to my spouse” as our example. This put-off works especially well because you can’t make the spouse magically appear. The prospect knows you’ll have to let them leave without pressure, because you want them to come back. But that doesn’t have to mean you’re at the end of the process. Now, I know what your sales training class taught you: ask if they can call their spouse now, or try to set a time to bring the spouse back. The trouble is, you’re assuming the spouse is actually a factor.

So let’s pry into it a bit. First, tell them it makes sense to talk it over with their spouse. They’ll sense you’ve taken their put-off hook, line and sinker. Then say, “Knowing your husband (or wife)…” Pause. “When you tell him you came in to see me, what do you think he’ll say?” They’ll often say, “I don’t know.” Follow up in a lighthearted way: “Well, if you had to guess?”

A put-off usually has nothing to do with the reason the prospect won’t buy today.

They might say “I don’t know” a second time. If so, try this:

You: Can I share something with you?
Prospect: Sure.
You: I find that when people tell me they want to talk to their spouse, it’s usually for one of two reasons. Either they’re afraid their spouse will say no, or they’re not sure about something themselves. Would you be uncomfortable if I asked which it might be here?

You’ve now asked the question without really asking it. It’s hard for them to be offended, and they may just own up to their real hesitation. If they stick to their story, kindly say, “I get the feeling you’re concerned he’s going to say no!” Wrestle with them a little on this. Ask why, and get them to back up their put-off. If you feel they’re holding something back, say, “I get the feeling you might be a little undecided yourself.” Don’t be afraid to gently probe. You may find a way to turn them around, as long as you communicate with sincerity so they know you care. Statistics show you’re unlikely to see them again, so why let them get away with a lame put-off? Either way, you’ll know where you stand. Remember, you’ll have a better chance of turning your prospect into a customer once you find out what’s behind the excuse.

P. William Clarke is a keynote speaker, featured columnist and author, and a contributor to Conversations On Success and Real World Sales Strategies That Work. Visit pwilliamclarke.com.

sales tip

Which Road Leads to the Right?

The customer isn’t always right. Here’s how to handle it when they’re not.

By P. William Clarke

You’ve probably heard the phrase, “The customer is always right.” That doesn’t mean the customer is never wrong. The phrase was coined to reinforce good customer service and to err on the side of the customer. What it really means is: when in doubt, the customer is right!

There are plenty of times when the customer is dead wrong. And even though I’ve always believed that right makes might, don’t take that as a license to kill.

I like to be right as much as the next person, but what is right? Proving your point to the point of alienating your customer? That’s not right! Being right is as much an art as being gracious when you’re wrong, or turning a negative customer into a positive one.

Whether you’re in sales or customer service, you need to shine. So here are some thoughts to keep in your pocket.

Never tell the customer he is wrong.

Observe this rule: never tell the customer he is wrong! If you do, he’ll have no choice but to defend his position. That only makes your job harder, because now you’re working with a customer wearing blinders, looking only for ways to prove he’s right. The better alternative is to let him figure it out for himself. Otherwise it will be very hard for him to admit he was wrong, even after he’s figured it out.

Odds are you’ve been an unhappy customer yourself. You call to complain about some injustice, a service charge on your phone bill or whatever. Thinking back, has there ever been a time when, midway through the conversation, you realized you’d been wrong the whole time? Probably! You feel a little silly for calling, become apologetic, thank the customer service person and end the call. No harm, no foul.

If you’re the customer service person taking that call, first seek to understand the customer’s problem. Second, tell them you’re glad they called. Finally, tell them you’re going to come up with a solution, or figure it out together. That makes them part of developing the solution and creates a joint effort instead of the all-too-common you-against-them scenario. Start asking questions about the problem, but be careful not to lock yourself into company policy. If your policy is reasonable, your customer will figure that out.

Sometimes, as with a retail exchange, there may be only two choices: exchange for an item of equal value, or pay a 20 percent restocking fee, for example. Neither will appeal to the customer. Once the customer knows the two choices, let them pick. If neither is acceptable, they’ll most likely tell you what they want you to do instead. Don’t keep repeating the two choices. Just say, “I think I understand what you’re asking me to do. Knowing I’m not able to do that, is there something else we could consider?” As long as you don’t draw a line in the sand, your options stay open.

Another case where the customer isn’t always right involves product knowledge. As you know, there’s a fine line between knowing your stuff and being a know-it-all. If a customer comes to you with inaccurate product information, don’t be so quick to slam the facts in their face. Let them off the hook and keep moving. You might use an inclusive technique like, “Most people think (whatever they said), because an older model came with (or without) that feature.” Making them feel part of a larger group of misinformed people leaves your customer less defensive, less embarrassed and more open to your expertise.

It’s nice to be right, especially since, when you’re dealing with customers, it happens so infrequently. As I’ve shown, being right and doing the right thing can take two very different paths. Going forward, be cautious, look both ways, and before you make your move, ask yourself which road leads to the right.

P. William Clarke is a keynote speaker, featured columnist and author, and a contributor to Conversations On Success and Real World Sales Strategies That Work. Visit pwilliamclarke.com.

sales tip

Who Will Pay the Heavy Price?

A great ad campaign, a thoughtful letter and then the worst sales call Clarke has ever seen.

By P. William Clarke

I was in the basement of my carriage house, switching over my landscaping equipment to snow removal equipment for another long, cold upstate New York winter, when I realized I’d never dealt with the cracked foundation block that had appeared last spring.

I decided to get some professional help and called a company that advertises heavily and specializes in this kind of work. The woman who answered was very professional. She explained that she’d send out an estimator (a salesman) to evaluate the project and give me a proposal. We set the appointment for 8 a.m. the following week.

About two days before the appointment, I received a nice letter thanking me for the opportunity. It also included a list of 25 homeowners in my area they had served. I knew a few of the names. I didn’t bother to call; I was just impressed with their follow-through. It gave me great comfort that a company with that kind of attention to detail would get my job done right.

Then came the morning of the call. At seven minutes after 8, my phone rang. It was the estimator, calling to say he’d be late. I thought, no problem, things happen. Around 8:20 he pulled into my driveway. I walked out to greet him. He saw me standing there but seemed preoccupied with some paperwork. My wife was in the garage getting ready to take the kids to preschool, so I helped her buckle everyone in, then made my way back to his van.

After a moment the estimator climbed out, pointed to the carriage house and said, “Is that the building?” I was thinking, what happened to “Good morning, Mr. Clarke. I’m Charlie from ABC Company”? No introduction, no handshake, no real acknowledgment that I was even there. I said, “Yes, that’s the building.” He started looking at the sides of the building. I said, “It’s the basement.” He said, “This building has a basement?” I said yes and walked him through the carriage house to the basement stairs. I showed him the wall with the cracked blocks. After about two minutes of quiet poking around, he said, “You have bad drainage. This whole wall needs to be excavated, torn out, properly drained and rebuilt.” I was shocked. As he walked along, I explained that the previous year another wall had done the same thing but had straightened itself out. No response.

He made his way down the other two walls to the overhead door and stopped. He asked how deep the footers were set. I said I didn’t know. He said, “We’ll assume they’re below the frost line.” Then, in a matter-of-fact way, he said, “For us to do this, you’re looking at $14,000 to $16,000. I don’t know if that’s what you were looking to put into this building.” I said, “I’m looking to put my equipment in this building… That sounds like a lot of money!” He said, “Well, that’s what it is.” I asked if there were any alternatives. He abruptly said, “If you find one, let us know. We’ve been doing this for 40 years.”

Maybe I needed $14,000 to $16,000 worth of work, maybe not. One thing I was sure of: it wasn’t going to be with this guy. So I told him his price was way out of line. He said, “That’s what it is.” That ended the discussion. We walked back to his van. No handshake, no business card, and in less than 17 minutes the whole thing was over. He seemed to be in a big hurry. I changed clothes and headed to the office, and about 20 minutes later I passed the estimator parked alongside the road in his van. In a big hurry to go nowhere, I guess.

Lead generation is a costly endeavor for any business.

That was without question the worst sales call I’ve ever seen. What a shame. His company spends a fortune on radio and other advertising. They took the time to send an introductory letter, and, by the way, a follow-up letter, which is what prompted me to write this story.

Lead generation is a costly endeavor for any business. Get in front of a mirror and make sure you don’t look like this estimator. Greet every shopper or prospect. Walk them through the process, make them comfortable and explain things before you make your proposal. Otherwise it will be you who will pay the heavy price.

P. William Clarke is a keynote speaker, featured columnist and author, and a contributor to Conversations On Success and Real World Sales Strategies That Work. Visit pwilliamclarke.com.

sales tip

Winning at the Roulette Wheel

In roulette, the last spin tells you nothing about the next one. The same goes for your last prospect.

By P. William Clarke

If you’ve ever been to a casino, you’ve probably played roulette a time or two. If you’re like most people, after playing a while you start developing strategies. You bet on numbers that “should” come up soon, based on the numbers that just hit.

Now, I’m not much of a gambler, because I only like to bet on things where I can directly affect the outcome. Sales is a safer bet, because you obviously influence the outcome.

Once you’ve been selling your product or service for a while, you’ve probably heard it all, or at least most of it. There are only a handful of reasons people want what you’re selling, right? I’m sure you know them by now, or you soon will!

Beyond knowing why they want your product, prospects and customers have expectations about the quality and service they should receive. They already have an idea of what they want to pay, and there’s probably a circumstance driving their timetable. You’d think that once you’ve sorted all this out a few times, selling would get easier.

With experience, salespeople start developing strategies and tactics based on the customers they’ve met recently. That’s where the problem begins. Most of our learning comes from experience. We learn not to touch fire because we feel its heat and our nervous system tells us to stay away. Once you learn that, you never forget it.

Unlike sales, fire is a constant. It’s always hot. But in a multivariable equation like sales, the only constant is you. No two prospects or customers are ever the same. Our problem is that we play the averages, betting on a formula that says if most people feel a certain way, everyone else will too.

No two prospects or customers are ever the same.

Casinos make money because they know how the human mind works. They use our gift for reasoning to trick us into thinking we can win. In roulette you can bet on numbers, colors or groups of numbers. (OK, so I’ve played a few times.)

Most players bet on the numbers they think are likely to hit. Novice gamblers pick numbers that haven’t come up recently, believing they’re more likely to hit because they’re “due.” What if I told you that the odds of any number hitting are the same whether it has come up 100 times in the last hour or not at all? I’ll bet your reasoning is telling you to disagree with me, isn’t it? I hate to say it, but it’s a mathematical fact.

Just as winning at roulette has nothing to do with the last spin, winning in sales has nothing to do with your previous prospects. What’s more, people like to be treated as individuals. It’s important that they know you understand their situation, their concerns and their objectives.

You’ll often find many similarities among your customers and prospects. You know the obvious details, but if you want your recommendations to carry any weight, look for the differences. Find the subtle differences in their needs, wants and concerns. Once you understand them, present your recommendations by explaining how your solution addresses those specific areas.

Try not to generalize about your prospects. Bet on your own ability to influence the outcome by treating each prospect as if they were the first one you’d ever met. Ask all the questions, and be interested in them. Skip the shortcuts and discuss the obvious.

Take my advice and increase your odds of success. For those of you on commission, it’ll be like winning at the roulette wheel!

P. William Clarke is a keynote speaker, featured columnist and author, and a contributor to Conversations On Success and Real World Sales Strategies That Work. Visit pwilliamclarke.com.

sales tip

Get It Right the First Time

A Saturday hardware run, the wrong hat and the best store employee in the world.

By P. William Clarke

Early one Saturday morning I headed off to the local Home Depot. I threw on some ratty jeans, a paint-stained T-shirt and a hat, and off I went.

About halfway across the front of the store, an employee named Andy greeted me and asked what I was looking for. I told him, and he walked me there. As I looked through the selection, he stood beside me as if waiting to answer any questions I might have.

Once I found what I wanted, he asked whether there was anything else. I said, “Just a couple of things in plumbing.” He said, “I’ll walk you there.” I said, “No thanks, I know right where it is.” He said, “Are you sure?” I told him I was all set, but I couldn’t help thinking this guy was the best Home Depot employee in the world!

As I strolled along, another employee greeted me and asked if I needed any help in plumbing. I didn’t know what to make of it. I was heading to plumbing, but how did she know? I was standing in the kitchen and bath area, about five aisles away. Maybe Andy had called ahead to say a customer was on the way.

As I glanced into one of the bathroom mirrors on display, it all came together. There I was, a Home Depot customer, looking in the mirror at myself wearing a Lowe’s hat! I felt kind of silly, but I also figured I’d uncovered the secret to getting good customer service: just wear a competitor’s hat.

In the plumbing aisle, I started looking for what I needed, and out of the corner of my eye I saw Andy walking toward me. I didn’t look up, but when he reached me, he stopped. I looked up and he said, “Need any help finding what you’re looking for?” I said, “No, but I’m going to wear this Lowe’s hat here more often.” He smiled, pulled a new Home Depot hat from behind his back and said, “I was really hoping you’d consider wearing this one instead.” We both chuckled and made some small talk. At checkout I saw Andy again, only this time it was a picture on the front wall with a sign beneath it: “Store Manager.”

In business, the goal is to make every customer feel the way I felt on that shopping trip. In reality, most employees go through the motions, focused on their tasks and the time clock instead of the customer experience. Many companies promote customer service by telling associates to smile, be friendly and greet everyone they meet. What associates really need to understand is that they’re competing for the customer’s business every time they come into contact with them. Greeting a customer today may have little to do with what they buy on this trip, but it does influence their future shopping habits.

You may only have one shot with a customer, so make it count.

Andy did the right thing. He spotted a customer who might be on the fence and tried to solidify the relationship with outstanding personal service. I was an easy target, because I was wearing the competitor’s hat. Most customers on the fence don’t advertise it like I did. So you need to treat every customer interaction as if you’re competing with a rival for their business. You only need to be one notch ahead of the competition to make a difference. You may only have one shot with a customer, so make it count.

Now, if you’re waiting for someone else to take the lead, don’t. Remember, “somebody else” is actually you. Get behind Andy and make it your personal mission to create a positive experience for every customer. Don’t wait until next time or tomorrow. Do it now. There’s no second chance, so make sure you get it right the first time.

P. William Clarke is a keynote speaker, featured columnist and author, and a contributor to Conversations On Success and Real World Sales Strategies That Work. Visit pwilliamclarke.com.

sales tip

Even a Complex Problem Can Have a Simple Solution

A dead car, a lonely road and a Snap-on van that drove right past. In sales, people forget you fast.

By P. William Clarke

I was about 22 years old. It was 6 a.m., and I was driving to meet a friend in northern New York, about an hour and a half from home, when my car died on a deserted road in the middle of nowhere. I decided to start walking. About 30 minutes went by before the first vehicle came along: a white van. It was a Snap-on Tools van! Hey, Mr. Waldron is the Snap-on man, I thought. He’ll pick me up for sure! I played hockey with his son, Jeff, and, well, his daughter was my youthful romantic interest. I kind of resembled Alfalfa, and she was more like Darla.

I jumped into the middle of the road in a desperate attempt to flag him down. He looked at me like I was some kind of nut and anxiously drove by. I couldn’t believe it. I’d eaten at his house a hundred times and ridden in his car to hockey games all across the state. Maybe, since he hadn’t seen me in eight years, he didn’t recognize me. I called him that night when I got home. He said, “That was you? I thought you were some nut!” We laughed.

In the selling world, it doesn’t take eight years for someone to forget about you. If you’re not in front of them, they’ll forget you, sure as shootin’.

That’s a complex problem for many of you. Managing a sales territory, networking groups, business relationships, customer accounts and retail consumers each comes with its own challenges. Let’s pick apart a few.

Smaller specialty retailers often use traditional advertising to stay in touch with customers. But advertising alone doesn’t set them apart, and there’s no way they can match the advertising budgets and buying power of big-box competitors. They have to turn to smart marketing. If I ran a specialty camera or computer store, I’d simply set up a follow-up procedure for every customer who bought a new camera or computer: at 30 days, 120 days and one year. The big-box stores can’t do that; they rely on mass marketing. The trust, respect and word-of-mouth gained from a follow-up program like this can outweigh the big-box advertising and price advantage.

Direct sales has its own set of complex problems. Managing a customer base and territory while finding new customers can be overwhelming, and there’s never enough time in the day. Salespeople join networking groups to generate leads and spend the rest of their time trying to see as many customers as possible so they aren’t forgotten.

We must not confuse an interaction with an impression.

They may be visiting customers regularly, but we must not confuse an interaction with an impression. Webster’s defines “impression” as “a strong effect produced on the intellect, feelings, conscience, etc.” Don’t get the impression that I’m not a fan of high activity, because I am. I just prefer a high level of effective activity to a high level of ineffective activity. The days of stopping by a customer just to visit or “touch base” are over. When you leave, your customer should know you were there. Give them something to think about: information that helps their business, competitive information or a new product that will help them in some small way. Give decision-makers newspaper or magazine articles they’ll share with others in the office. Now they’re thinking about you while you’re with someone else. Be creative and have some fun. This stuff isn’t rocket science.

As for my car, when I later opened the hood, I found a maze of electrical wires. Talk about complex! I spent some time focusing on the problem before calling the tow truck, and I’m glad I did. A wire had broken off at the battery terminal, an easy on-the-spot fix I handled myself. I guess this proves that if you spend some time focusing on your problem, even a complex problem can have a simple solution.

P. William Clarke is a keynote speaker, featured columnist and author, and a contributor to Conversations On Success and Real World Sales Strategies That Work. Visit pwilliamclarke.com.

sales tip

Spaced Repetition Puts Money in Your Pocket

Why adult students forget, why they suddenly remember, and how the answer builds a stronger dive business.

By P. William Clarke

When I was a teenager, I learned just enough piano to get girls to notice me at parties. I bought the sheet music for “Come Sail Away” by Styx, and its intricate introduction was more than I bargained for. After a few days I gave up. I just couldn’t get it. But defeat never sat well with me. After not touching the keyboard for a couple of weeks, I decided to give it another try. I was amazed! I played that intro on the first try, as if I’d known it my whole life. I had no idea what happened.

Talk to any scuba instructor and they’ve probably had a student or two who just couldn’t get it. It’s not because they’re stupid. It’s in the way adults store, retrieve and process new information. As a metaphor, say you buy a new computer. You set it up by adding folders to My Documents: finance, pictures, downloads, clients and so on. You use them to store related files. Since those basic folders are set up at the start, you create fewer new ones as time goes by.

The human mind works the same way. Children, like a new computer, constantly add folders to their mental directory because of the steady stream of new information. Adults, like an older computer, default to looking for a place in the directory they built as kids.

That can create some built-in problems for teaching adults, but don’t throw out everything you’re doing. Keep an open mind. A couple of subtle adjustments from the Adult Learning Model can have your students learning more effectively and retaining more. Before I get back to the piano, here are a couple of quick ideas to keep in your pocket.

One: set expectations up front. Encourage students to let their guard down and forget everything they’ve assumed about diving. Content that conflicts with prior beliefs is unlikely to be retained. This also encourages open-minded participation.

Two: desire is critical for adult learners. Your students need a good reason to engage with a topic and retain it. Before teaching content to adults, explain its relevance: “Here’s how you’ll use this information while diving.” That often creates a powerful visual association, an anchor point that ties the information down.

I have a third idea, but it isn’t so quick, so first here’s a critical piece of information. With new divers, the information you present probably has little overlap with the folders already on their mental hard drive. So students often save it to a catch-all location. When that happens, one of two things occurs. Either they keep it in the catch-all until they have enough on that topic to justify a new folder, or they let it sit there until they have time to sort through the catch-all and decide where it belongs permanently. Keep both in mind as you read on.

Three: to ensure the highest retention with adults, use a technique called spaced repetition learning. The basic premise is to present smaller, repeated bursts of guided content with deliberate space between repetitions.

The adult mind starts to wander after about an hour and a half, so keep classroom sessions under three hours and present content in 20-minute segments, moving to another subject every 20 minutes. End each session with a comprehensive review that repeats the major points of each segment.

Now that you’ve presented the content, it’s time to deal with the clutter in your students’ “information overload” catch-all folder. Remember I said they’d sort it out when they had time? That’s exactly what they need, and exactly what happened when I stepped away from the piano. Your students need to step away from the subject long enough to sort it out and decide where to save it permanently. Much of this happens while we sleep. If you keep adding content before the earlier material has registered, you may do more harm than good.

A key part of the “space” happens between classroom sessions. The gap should allow enough time for content to sink in, but not so much that it hurts recall. As a guideline, keep classroom sessions to about three hours, with at least three days and no more than two weeks between classes. Begin each new session with a review, or repetition, of earlier content, and revisit previous topics as often as they relate to new material.

Repetition is the mother of skill, but spaced repetition is the genesis of habit.

You may already use a spaced repetition model, and if so, good for you. But you may get pushback from customers who want a two-day crash course. There are some important facts your prospective students should know. First and foremost, this isn’t a course in basket weaving. Scuba diving is a serious endeavor. With proper instruction it can be extremely safe and immensely enjoyable, but the consequences of failure or poor preparation can be irreversible. In other words, it’s life and death.

Second, contrary to popular belief, habits don’t form just from doing something repeatedly. If I asked you to get in and out of your car 50 times right now, you could. If I asked you to buckle your seat belt each time, you could. But if you weren’t a seat-belt wearer before today, you probably won’t wear one tomorrow. On the other hand, if I spent 21 days with you and reminded you to buckle up every time we got in the car, you’d form the habit, and we’d probably develop a lifelong relationship.

It’s true that repetition is the mother of skill, but spaced repetition is the genesis of habit. Webster’s defines a habit as “an acquired behavior pattern regularly followed until it has become almost involuntary.” Nothing equals habit in an emotionally charged situation. Panic and fear can easily override reason and thought. The greatest protection for your client, yourself and others in the water is developing involuntary reactions to the situations we hope to avoid. Don’t be afraid to share that with your customers.

And there’s another benefit to this whole spaced repetition thing that puts money in your pocket! Repetition, frequency and time are the three elements that create a bond between people. A strong relationship between you and your customer will be the biggest factor in their decision when they buy scuba gear. So put what you’ve learned about the Adult Learning Model to work, and of course, remember how spaced repetition puts money in your pocket!

P. William Clarke is a keynote speaker, featured columnist and author, and a contributor to Conversations On Success and Real World Sales Strategies That Work. Visit pwilliamclarke.com.

manager’s spotlight

Along for the Ride

The ride-along is one of the best tools for developing salespeople, and one of the most misused.

By P. William Clarke

Glad to see you’re interested in developing your salespeople. One of the most common methods is the proverbial ride-along, or, if you’re in telephone sales, the sit-beside. I like to think of the sit-beside as a sidecar on a motorcycle. Either way, you’re along for the ride. Sales managers make two major mistakes with the ride-along.

The first: as soon as your salesperson takes a wrong turn, you push them out of the driver’s seat and take over the rest of the call. Sound familiar? I understand some of the logic. If you can turn the prospect into a customer today with your skills, it puts money in both your pockets. And if your salesperson watches you do it, they’ll learn how, killing two birds with one stone. Right? Believe it or not, that logic has some flaws. Think about what you just agreed to: if they see you do it, they’ll learn? If you’re in the business world, I have to think you’re at least 18 years old. (For some of you, that may be a compliment.) In all those years, when have you ever gained a skill by watching something? As a spectator you can only gain aptitude or knowledge. Aptitude and knowledge don’t turn into skill by osmosis, but by performance. I’ll come back to this with some helpful hints shortly, but I promised you two mistakes.

Aptitude and knowledge don’t turn into skill by osmosis, but by performance.

The second mistake is in the call debrief, one of the most important parts of the ride-along. (It’s hard to do if you’ve done all the driving, by the way.) There are two common errors here: the delivery and the timing. Let me take timing first.

You’ve heard people say it’s all in the timing, and it’s never truer than here. Worse, some so-called sales experts promote debriefing each call as soon as it ends. That may be OK if you’re making only one call, but consider this. Debriefing right away leaves very little time for reflection, by you or, more importantly, by your salesperson. And on a ride-along, I hope you’re visiting several customers or prospects. The last thing you want is for your salesperson to change how they conduct their call every time you walk through a new door. Otherwise, as the coach, you won’t be able to see what needs improvement. Your objective is to understand how your salesperson really conducts their calls. Once you have that benchmark, you can identify the gap between current practice and the ideal, and prescribe the right changes.

Now, the delivery. One quality I find in successful managers is their ability to communicate with and develop their sales staff. But communication shouldn’t be confused with dictation. The debrief must be a conversation. At the end of the ride, pick a comfortable place and use the praise-critique-praise method: share some good points, discuss some challenge areas and finish on a positive note. I call it the Love Sandwich, and here’s how it works.

After mentioning a few things they did well, ask what they think they did well. Next, ask what they could have done better, and discuss it. Then bring up some of your own observations about what needs work, and ask how they feel about them. Talk about the value you found in the ride and what you learned. Finally, ask them to rate the value of the day: what they learned and how it will help.

To do all this, you’ll have to be an active passenger. Take in the scenery and keep detailed notes. And as for turning aptitude into skill, nothing beats good old-fashioned role-playing. You play the customer, and if you feel the need to demonstrate your skills, then you play the salesperson.

P. William Clarke is a keynote speaker, featured columnist and author, and a contributor to Conversations On Success and Real World Sales Strategies That Work. Visit pwilliamclarke.com.

P. William Clarke

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