Never confuse "contentment" with "being at peace"... they are enemies - Michael Pedone

This Christmas I received Tim Tebow’s book, “Through My Eyes” as a gift. The book is Tim’s story as he see’s it (hence the title) and as I read it, a thought occurred to me that we all have a story to tell.

And stories that include success also include dues that were paid to achieve that success.

Sure, there are the occasional people who experience “success” without working for it… like lottery winners, for example.

But I prefer to have a little more influence on my own success in life and what I’ve learned is that the larger the debt paid, the larger the reward.

The other thing I realized is that if we are still around to tell our story, then the final chapter hasn’t been written yet.

We have more to learn.

We have more to accomplish.

We have more debts to pay.

We have more success and failures to experience and learn from.

There should never be a “plateau” for us. Not spiritually. Not personally. Not in business.

But no one is going to “bring” us to that next level. If we want to reach it, we have to go after it.

Contentment or “good enough” should never be confused with being at “peace”.

I find peace knowing I’ve given it my all – win, lose or draw.

Contentment however, in my opinion is the enemy of peace as it keeps us from reaching our full potential.

I sincerely hope 2012 brings you all the record-breaking peace you can handle.

Cheers,

Michael Pedone
CSS: Chief Sales Scientist
SalesBuzz.com (A 2011 Sales Training Company Watch List Award Winner!)

Sales Question:

“How do you take the theory of “People Buy from People they Like” and turn it into more sales?”

Short Answer Is:

Tell your story, to the right prospect at the right time.

Longer explanation:

Most salespeople try and get prospects to “like” them and it often comes out as being insincere. And if prospects perceive you as insincere, they aren’t going to trust you. And if they don’t trust you, they aren’t going to buy from you.

If you want a prospect to “like” you, they’ll have to get to know you. In sales, especially B2B phone sales - that can appear to be very challenging.

However, there is a simple solution that will help you connect with your prospects, earn their trust and get the sale but you have to understand the real importance of the meaning “like” to a prospect.

First of all, salespeople in general should be “likable”. If you’re not a likable person, you may want to consider a position that requires little interaction with humans.

Secondly, prospects buy from those who understand their problems / pains / fears and can relate to them and can offer solutions that aren’t accessible on their own. Meaning, the prospect can’t “solve” the problem to their satisfaction by themselves. They’ve tried and now realize that it is more profitable to pay someone else to help them get what they want.

So instead of trying manipulative tactics to get prospects to “like” you, be yourself and posses a laser type vision & attitude on seeking to understand your prospects problems and once you confirm their “problems” match up with your solutions, share your story.

Share with your prospect why you got in the business of what you do, or why you chose to work where you work, or to offer the solutions that you do.

The real story is often better than any “sales pitch” the marketing department can come up with.

Here’s an example:

• Problem: Sales team isn’t making quota
• Pain: Sales manager (and team) is missing out on bonuses / commissions
• Fear: May get fired / not make mortgage payment / get demoted etc

Once I understand my targeted prospects real world situation, I’m able to share that I too understand what it’s like to not make quota, be concerned about my job security as well as the fear of not being able to provide a certain life style that I desire for my family. I’ve been a straight commissioned salesperson for most of my adult working life and remember what its like to have that phone feel like a 25lbs weight and you just don’t want to pick it up anymore.

And I too was once faced with a choice:

1. Quit and find another line of work (I have no college education so that basically meant manual labor) or…
2. Fight through this and learn from others who were already at the top of their game and then do what they do.

I choose the latter and added a few tweaks to the techniques that I learned along the way and now I simply share in a step-by-step one hour a week online workshop those key elements that helped me go from an underperforming / average salesperson to a top producer that no longer needed to worry about making a paycheck.

But What If the Prospect Doesn’t Relate to Your Story?

Your story should translate and connect to your targeted audience. If it doesn’t at all, then I’m afraid you’re just another salesperson pushing a product or service. Get to know your best clients and why they buy from you. Understand the reasons behind the reason of why they bought your products or services and then the next time you have a qualified prospect and you are about to share “your story” with them, you can start off by saying:

You know, when I first started working here, I just needed a paycheck…. But then I got to know the reasons behind the reasons of why our current clients buy from us and this is what they said... (And then you can share why you continue to work their etc, as an example)

Does It Work 100% of the Time?

Every “prospect” isn’t qualified for what you offer and nothing works 100% but the real question is this: Would it produce better results than what you are doing now?

I’m willing to bet the answer would be YES.

Thanks for reading and sharing.

Michael Pedone
CSS: Chief Sales Scientist
SalesBuzz.com (A 2011 Sales Training Company Watch List Award Winner!)

8-Week B2B Sales Improvement Program

Learn How To:

1. Eliminate "No, Thanks", "Not Interested" & "We're All Set" Responses from Cold and Warm Calls
2. Neutralize Gatekeepers & Get Voicemails Returned
3. Ask Engaging Questions Instead of Probing
4. How to Really Qualify (I'll show you a better way)
5. Give Better Presentations & Handle Objections w/Confidence
6. Close Follow-up Calls and Get Targeted Referrals
7. How to Set & Achieve Your Toughest Sales Goals
8. Improve Your Time Management Skills

Duration: 1 hour per week for 8 weeks
Where: Online @ your desk, conference room or home
Presenters: Michael Pedone

Get Next Available Workshop Dates / Times / Registration Information Now!

Sales Question:

“I have over 15 years of sales experience, with over 5 years at a Fortune 500 company handling million dollar accounts in a sales/maintenance role with about 20% new business development. After leaving that position due to a family issue I have been struggling in my last couple of jobs as a 'new business development' salesperson. Long story short, three jobs later I realize I am terrible at cold calling and don't like it either.

After 90 days my current employer eliminated my base salary and put me on a commission only plan. I have a pipeline that could potentially allow me to match my salary but I am feeling as if I've been slapped in the face and my motivation to work with my CEO is seriously diminished.

What would you suggest that I do?

ANSWER:

Well, for starters, no one “likes” cold calling. What you need to like is cold hard cash. So if you’re in sales, and you like cash, there’s hope for you because you can learn how to become successful at cold calling. It’s teachable. I might even know someone who could help.

But before we dig a little deeper into that, let’s discuss what most likely happened with your employer…

Does This Sound Familiar?

Your stellar resume landed on the desk of your current employer who was seeking someone that could help take his or her company to the next level. You interviewed well and were full of confidence. Shortly thereafter, the job and the "higher than they had budgeted" salary plus bonus structure was yours, and the boss couldn’t wait to see you make it rain.

Only it didn’t rain. In fact, it did the exact opposite of rain. You hit the longest drought of your sales career and your employer can no longer afford to pay you on promises. They need cash to run a company and have decided to put you on straight commission.

What you need to understand is that selling by phone / cold calling / business development etc requires a different skill set than "managing" accounts. Kind of like how it’s one thing to be the running back, and it’s another to be the field goal kicker. Same game. You can even be on the same team. But it requires a different skill set in order to be successful.

So with the economy the way it is, high paying base salary jobs are hard to come by let alone keep and I get why your current employer realized that your impressive resume was no longer enough to justify what they were paying and you would be wise to see it from their view point as well, otherwise you will never grow as a business professional.

However… What I don’t get is how your employer expects you to generate what they need most – revenue - without giving you the tools you need to be successful.

Now don’t get me wrong, I wholeheartedly believe salespeople are responsible for their own success and that includes investing in themselves.

But if they believe in you, yet need to take away your base, I would think they would want to at least look into helping you get the skills you need in order for everyone to win.

Unless they think it’s a “motivational” issue and that you needed to be motivated to sell… But here’s the thing, no one stays motivated when they keep getting rejected on the phone. And the only reason salespeople get rejected a lot is because they haven’t learned what to do and what not to do.

If they’ve offered to provide you with the sales training needed in order to improve your cold call skills, my advice is take it and stick it out. Straight commissioned sales are where all the money is.

But if they’ve offered no help you have 3 choices:

1. Get help on your own
2. Go work for a company that is willing to help their inside sales team succeed
3. Find a job / position that is in need of the skills you already posses

Here’s what I love about all three of these options:

You control all of them. Your success (or failure) is up to you.

Michael Pedone
CSS: Chief Sales Scientist
SalesBuzz.com (A 2011 Sales Training Company Watch List Award Winner!)