The Littlest Thing Can Close the Deal

You all know how I love my stories! Here's a great one from sales trainer and speaker John Costigan. He follows it up with some excellent action steps that will help you to get the meeting and close the sale.

Here's John's Story:

I had the joy and honor of sitting down with Kevin Eastman, the Boston Celtics Assistant Coach at our office in Raleigh last week. We've known each other for a year now and they truly don't make 'em any better. After a productive and enlightening business discussion, he spent some time helping my son on the basketball court. It was a great thrill!

But here's the story: Kevin mentioned that his own son Jake had just committed to play basketball for Bradley University under the tutelage of Head Coach Jim Les. As we spoke about the recruiting process Kevin had this comment: "One thing that really stuck out for me during this process was the personal handwritten letter they sent to me...not my son, but just to me. It was very high touch and different than any other response we had received."

Point: If this works for recruiting a basketball player and earning a parent's trust, why wouldn't it work for you with your customers and prospects?

Action Steps:

Get off email. Take the extra time and send something "manually" or snail mail to your prospect or client. We get so lost in email, it's actually embarrassing. Yes, email is an incredibly effective way of quickly communicating to confirm meetings, share information etc. But if you find yourself typing more than...heck, more than this blog post, you're missing the boat.

Be different than your competition! Find an edge, personalize your message. Nothing is more personal than writing, not typing, but writing a note to someone. Think about how you open your mail when you arrive home. You have gobs of junk mail, bills, etc... Then the one handwritten letter comes up and sticks out from the rest. Most of us will open that first, or last. Not in the middle. You either set down all the mail you have and go to it immediately, or throw out the junk mail then sit down and focus on the personalized note.

So next time someone wants you to send out info, OR you are proactively trying to get into an account, handwrite a note and attach it to market information, not product information and you will increase your chances of them reading it way more than an email.

John Costigan, president and founder of John Costigan Companies, conducts sales training classes around the world for a list of clients that reads like a "who's who" in the corporate world, including Hewlett Packard, SAS, Exxon-Mobile, Standard Register, Tommy Hilfiger, Concerto, and Slazenger Golf. Visit his site at www.JohnCostigan.com.

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Be Bold, Take Chances

I love stories with creative ideas for getting through to a prospect or client - they inspire me to try new things as well! While you may not be ready to be as creative as sales trainer Joe Guertin was, read his story and be inspired. A little creativity never hurt anyone!

Years ago, I made a sales call on a fast food franchiser...decked out in full uniform, from the shirts their counter people wore to their little hat and name tag. There were more than a few moments where I thought I'd get ridiculed for looking stupid. Instead, the client was impressed! The buyer said I was the only one who looked ready to go to work for them...and the sale was made on the spot. (Thanks, Glenda, for making me do it.)

"Don't Be Afraid to Innovate; Be Different." That's one of the Ten Secrets to Success, a feature of Investors Business Daily, touting their best strategies for succeeding in business and life. "Following the herd," they say, "is a sure way to mediocrity." Very true. If you want to blend in with the pack, just do what they do.

A lot of times, buyers have a hard time telling one 'vendor' from another because they all say the same things ("we can save you money" or "we're the best at..."). In today's high-stress business arena, sales superstars stand out and get noticed.

You don't have to act the fool to get noticed, but you should look for ways to break away from the pack. It might be with content-driven voice mail messages or creative mailings that stand out and say "this is unique!" I know of salespeople who deliberately use props in their presentations.

Be professional always, but standing out and getting noticed is a sure-fire way to boost sales, and make it a lot more fun.

Joe Guertin specializes in new business and selling value vs. price. As a sought-after speaker and consultant, Joe has worked with thousands of salespeople, managers and business principals to measurable boost internal sales systems, customer development and team skill-building. Learn more at www.guertingroup.com

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Be Memorable

Do you watch American Idol? It's one of the most popular shows in America, so I'm guessing there's a good chance you do! Sales trainer and speaker Tim Rohrer watches the show, which has given him a few tips you can apply to your sales. Now you can say you're educating yourself while you watch TV - not a bad thing at all!

I am watching American Idol and I am bored. Now it is Simon's turn to critique another generic singer.

He says, "The problem is that you are completely forgettable."

Exactly. Although there are thirty-six finalists, maybe three of them are memorable. This is bad news for the other thirty-three and bad news for the show (but that is another story for another day).

Here is the deal - when you gain the stage you have to put on a show. The performance must be outstanding. You must be memorable!

Selling is all about memorable performances - especially in person. Unfortunately, just like American Idol, I would say that only about one in ten of us puts on a memorable performance when we have the opportunity.

Simon recently said to a contestant, "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I'm afraid that you've blown it."

If sellers heard this more often from either their sales managers or their clients we would see real improvement. Because, unlike American Idol we get "once in a lifetime" opportunities all the time.

Here is what you must do the next time you have a once in a lifetime opportunity in front of a very important prospect:

1) Spend less time on the content of your presentation
a) You can do the content in your sleep and
b) No one really needs a better set of power point slides
2) Pick out a really great outfit
a) Ask somebody with style to give you some advice on an accessory that adds flair but
b) Stay away from goofy stuff
3) Work on the dynamics of the presentation to make it different for the prospect. Here are some ideas:
a) Add some music to your show - recorded is good but live is better
b) Think about using an appropriate and memorable quote
c) Bring a surprise guest
d) Have a unique 'leave behind' that will spur memories of your performance
4) Do a complete dress rehearsal in front of an audience

Selling is a competition. To win more frequently, you must be more memorable.

A recognized leader in sales, sales management and sales training, Tim Rohrer is available for speaking engagements and consulting. Contact him at timrohrer@comcast.net and check out his blog at http://salesandmarketingloudmouth.com

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