Sales Caffeine Issue 317
December 4th, 2007
Publisher: Jeffrey Gitomer
Contact at: salesman@gitomer.com
Producer: Gill Kilcoyne
Contact at: gill@gitomer.com
FRESH BREW FOR YOUR BRAIN
by: Jeffrey Gitomer
Are you the master of what you do? Very few are.
By luck of the draw, my seat mate on a flight back to Charlotte was
Zach Johnson. You may have only recently heard of him. He won the 2007
Masters Golf Tournament.
A nice, friendly, family man, and (oh yeah) he just won the most
prestigious golf tournament in the world. He beat the master (Tiger
Woods) to become the master.
We began to talk "golf." And I began to take notes. When a champion
begins to espouse feelings and philosophies, I become the master -- the
master student.
Here's what I learned about the master golfer and his approach to the game:
* He doesn't get upset at a bad shot or a bad round.
* He plays consistent as a golfer and a golf strategist.
* He stays in the hunt and is always there to make a run at winning.
* He doesn't get nervous at the end of a round. (One of the first
questions I asked Zach was whether he was nervous on the 18th at
Augusta. "No," he said. "I just played to win. And played my best.")
* He plays for fun. (He loves the game, the competition, the thrill of
winning, and the youthful exuberance of just "being there.")
* He plays to win. (Every time Zach Johnson goes out on the course, he believes he'll win the round, and win the tournament.)
"It's a job - a fun job. But it's a job." Zach smiled broadly. "It's my
number four priority. Family. Faith. Friends. And then fairways." Cool.
Zach graduated in 1998 from Drake University in Des Moines. YIKES --
1998! I have underwear older than he is. How does such a young man get
so high on the success ladder in so short a time?
According to the statements I collected in our hour-long
conversation... He was blessed with skills, started playing young (age
10), practiced every day, started played competitively at age 11, and
has a coach -- actually several coaches and teachers -- one for each
vital area of his game. Yes, one of the top golf professionals in the
world has coaches and teachers. Do you?
"You have to have a system, a family of coaches, and an inner circle of
people who are masters of THEIR game." Zach refers to his coaches and
his family as "the invisible team." "When you see me on the golf
course, I appear to be alone. But you have to understand I got there
with the help of a hundred other people. From corporate sponsors and
family members to coaches and investors to agents and mentors. All of
them are there with me, but no one sees them as I play."
"My primary coach is a great golf teacher named Mike Bender." Zach smiled.
"What makes him great?" I wanted to know. "He doesn't drive me nuts
with angles and percentages. He tells me what to do, and I do it," Zach
said in a matter-of-fact manner. "He's now one of my best friends."
Keep this in mind as you struggle to be a master: Zach Johnson was NOT
number one on his high school golf team, and he was NOT number one on
his college golf team. But he knew he had talent, he knew he had skill,
and he loved the game. "After college, I wanted to see how far I could
get as a golf professional, and I didn't want any regrets, so I went
for it."
He realized he had the talent and the drive, the itch to play, and the
desire to win. And Zach took advantage of the opportunity. Big time.
"I'm driven to compete. I compete at anything from backyard basketball
to pinball. I'm a natural competitor. And I compete to win at anything
I do - it's not just golf. If I'm playing cards against my grandma, I
wanna win."
Besides his system, Zach Johnson has a philosophy. He believes that
it's a combination of hard work and the bounce of the ball, the right
people and the right approach to the game. He says, "You must
have a combination of the itch (the desire) to play, the deep want to
excel and win, the drive (pun intended), and the love of the game.
That's the personal piece."
He goes on to say, "If you can get others to believe in you as much as
you believe in yourself, you can become a master. And not just in golf
or business or sales - a master in life."
The Zach Johnson qualities I saw were a great attitude, a constant
smile, a "real-person" humility, and a man that loves his family.
He's is not just a golf champion, he's not just a master. Zach Johnson is a winner.
Are you a golfer? Play business golf? I have developed rules of success
on the golf course. Make the birdie, and make the sale. Go to
www.gitomer.com, register if you're a first-time user, and enter the
word GOLF in the GitBit box.
Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of The Little Black Book of Connections
and The Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude. President of Charlotte-based
Buy Gitomer, he gives seminars, runs annual sales meetings, and
conducts Internet training programs on sales and customer service at
www.trainone.com. He can be reached at 704/333-1112 or e-mail to
salesman@gitomer.com.
(c) 2007 All Rights Reserved - Don't even think about reproducing this
document without written permission from Jeffrey Gitomer and Buy
Gitomer . 704/333-1112
BLEND OF THE WEEK
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A SHOT IN THE WALLET
Jeffrey,
I am currently a student and enjoy your books as a counterpoint to my
curriculum. I have this question for you: I like to get feedback from
people when selling and after I close a sale. This helps me better
myself for future clients. For the most part, I use your technique of
open-ended questions during the sale process to gain trust and an
understanding of my clients needs. But during the close I like to get
into it and get a yes from my client. First I start with a leading
questions like "Do you like (product) well enough to own it?" Following
a yes response I ask for the sale, "If I can comfortably fit this into
your budget are you ready to go forward today? A sales trainer/teacher
told me that I should remove anything personal from my sales pitches
and I would come across less threatening and less of an affected
individual if the sale is not made. That changing my close question to
the following will result in a more positive response rate. "If this
comfortably fits into your budget, is it something you would use and
enjoy having?
Do you think that the advice above is good advice or not?
Thank you,
Tony
Tony,
In sales, there is very little right and wrong. Most of the time you
have to take into consideration the person or the people that you're
dealing with. A more universal question would be, "If you owned this,
how would you be using it?" Followed up with, "Do you believe that
we're offering you fair value." The close is more of a natural thing
than a canned thing. I'd rather hear someone say "I'll take it" than
feeling like I have to deliver some type of closing line. I've always
stressed assuming the sale. You walk in. You know you're their best
value. You know your product or service is the best. And you take the
assumption position that the customer will buy. To me, those situations
are way more powerful than trying to change a word or two in a closing
scenario. My philosophy has always been, if you have to "close" a sale,
you probably have not opened it properly.
Best regards,
Jeffrey
Jeffrey,
I saw your show last month in Syracuse and I must say I thoroughly
enjoyed every minute of it. Here's my question: When I'm going for a
new customer and they've had the same vendor for years and years
offering the same service but at a very low price, how can I get them
to listen to the questions I have that my competition has never asked
-- that could help with the sale? Most just say not interested!
Thank you,
Kathleen
Kathleen,
"Not interested" means not interesting. When the customer says not
interested, they're telling you that you're not interesting. Any
customer that is already established with your competition will not
leave unless the disparity that you can present outweighs their
tolerance for the risk of change. And from your letter, it sounds like
that's not happening. I'm not being critical. Rather, I'm throwing you
the challenge of creating a desire on the part of your customer to want
to listen to your offer. You do that by making them want to listen to
your information. You do that by making the information valuable to
them.
Best regards,
Jeffrey
DEAL OF THE WEEK
Money in the bank for the holidays...any objections?
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will show you the way to put the money in the bank this holiday season.
And in case you encounter any objections, you'll be informed how to
overcome them after listening to Jeffrey's teleseminar CD on Overcoming Holiday Objections. Finally a tin of Platinum Mints will keep your outlook fresh throughout the holidays and beyond. All for $35.00
SHOT IN THE BUCK
Reality is Selling and Authenticity is Winning
By Andrew Corbus and Bill Guertin
Three hundred Spartans, at war against a million Persians. The
battle is ancient, but the movie is modern. When "300" was released in
early 2007, the epic war film of the Battle Of Thermopylae, the critics
were appalled; blood, gore, devoid of a plot, and 'more severed meat
than you'd find in a Brazilian steakhouse,' they howled.
Then the movie opened. Consumers responded. And in two
days' time, the critics words were like the Persians, lying in bloody
heaps on the ground. People loved the movie; they passionately
spread the word to their friends and their cyberfriends, in their
blogs, and on their online forums. They ignored the critics, if
they had ever heard them at all, and showed up at the theatres in
droves.
For a movie slated for mediocrity by the experts, "300" grossed $70
million in its first weekend, far outpacing the second place movie at
$27 million. With its release on DVD and in rental outlets, it
has gone on to gross over $300 million in its first nine months.
What the critics forgot was that they aren't the movie-going public. You are.
Consumers are now in love with authentic communication that is
unfiltered and unbiased. The explosion of electronic
communication like text messaging, IM, and blogs provide strong
evidence that hype is no longer hip. Reality TV, the ultimate
unfiltered mass entertainment vehicle of the new millennium, is the
anti-script. The stars are now everyday people, and the
influencers are now consumers with keyboards.
People care what others with similar interests think, and it has never
been easier to discover what they are thinking, what they like, and
what they don't like. This is the new advertising; it's
word-of-mouth to the millionth power.
Ironically, the more we communicate in open, honest "wiki" ways, the
more we become repulsed by hype and empty promises, as consumers and as
business owners. Those salespeople stuck in the tired, plaid
tactics of the past are finding it harder and harder to sell with
Reality. They wave their arms around, obliviously blaming the
economy, the competition, and the new guy for their lack of results.
Those who have found Authenticity are winning.
In business, Reality = Authenticity. Authenticity is being real
about what you do, the promises you are making, and who you are.
Unlike charisma or charm, Authenticity is attainable through
practice. Utilizing your assets, forging an original story, being
open and honest, and being consistent are all components of discovering
your Authentic story.
We created the Four Laws of Authenticity to help you discover - or
re-discover - that wonderful, powerful and GENUINE story that the
public wants to hear today. These Four Laws - The Law of Freedom,
The Law of Originality, The Law of Transparency, and The Law of
Repeatability - are critical for you to learn and understand if you are
to be perceived as one that others can trust.
When you become Authentic, you and your business become more
interesting. You get much better at starting conversations.
You learn how to bridge your personal experiences with your sales
message. You stay focused on the attributes of the brand that
meet your customers' needs. And you become more successful at
whatever it is you do.
Reality Sells. How real are you?
Andrew Corbus and Bill Guertin are the co-authors of Reality Sells:
How to Bring Customers Back Again and Again By Marketing Your Genuine
Story. Bill is a sought-after expert in sales and marketing, and
is Chief Enthusiasm Officer (CEO) of The 800-Pound Gorilla
(www.The800PoundGorilla.com), a business development company whose list
of sales training clients include teams from the NBA, the NHL, and
Major League Baseball. Andrew is a specialty food franchise
owner/operator, an adjunct university professor in marketing and
finance, and President of Authenticity Points, a business consulting
company specializing in internal and external communication.
To learn more about Andrew and Bill, please visit www.RealitySells.com,
or to buy their book "Reality Sells" at Amazon.com and find out more
about the importance of Authenticity in business, click here.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"A sale based on price has no loyalty attached to it. If you make it on
price, you'll lose it in a heartbeat to the next lowest bidder."
-From Jeffrey Gitomer's internationally syndicated column Sales Moves
RECOMMENDED READING
Reality Sells
By: Andrew Corbus and Bill Guertin
"Reality is a place that every salesperson needs to be in. If you're
in business, reality means your message has to match your sales and
your service. The reality is most don't. Finally here's a book from the
sales, marketing, AND advertising perspective that delivers a congruent
message for all three. The reality of this book is that it will lead
you from sales to market domination. Buy it today."
-Jeffrey Gitomer, author of The Little Red Book of Selling
HOUSE BLEND
Your Success Strategy.
I've been using your risk-elimination technique. I do driver safety
training and it's a hard sell to the average manager. To overcome
resistance, I eliminate risk. To eliminate the risk entirely, I offer
to perform a trial class that they pay for only if they decide it's
worth it. I tell them if the trainee's written evaluations are not
overwhelmingly positive they can send back the invoice with a note
declining payment. I eliminate the risk they will be embarrassed in
front of their drivers by a shoddy presentation. And I eliminate the
risk of their being questioned by their management because the only
feedback they will receive is positive. By the way, no one has ever
exercised the option not to pay.
-John Brodbeck
HIGHER GROUNDS
by: Brian Parsley
The lottery wont make you rich!
How would winning $100 million dollars change your life? Would you move? Change jobs? Do what you really love every day?
How would your thoughts change? Would you act differently? If you didn't change jobs, would you take more chances in business?
What if I you're already worth $100 million now? You may not have that
much in the bank, but you probably wouldn't trade one of your five
senses for any amount of money. (not sure how the sentences fit
together. What is their purpose for the reader?) (comment: it means you
wouldn't trade your eyesight for any amount of money. since some
readers may have some type of disability, i was general on the five
senses. it shows that with or without money you are valuable already
and the wealth is in the mind)
The value of money has more to do with lifestyle and less to do with
your net worth. Your life's priceless and only a temporary assignment.
When your self-worth is more than your net worth, you'll find the
opportunities that appeared hidden before.
Here are a couple of things to remember to become rich:
Live with Purpose. Your business needs a plan and so does your
life. Most people go through life with no idea of where they want to
end up. Sit down and think about what's important to you and create a
roadmap to get there. If health is important, then what actions are you
taking and how are you measuring your results? With purpose comes
drive. Your drive is what will separate you from your competition.
There's lots of room at the top of your industry because living with
purpose requires planning and execution. Something most people just
aren't willing to do.
Try to Fail. I am not talking about "It's not whether you win or
fail, but you tried." It's more than just trying that counts. I'm
talking about taking chances in life. The biggest rewards come with
risk. Get outside of your comfort zone and try new things. If you have
millions of dollars, your willingness to takes chances would increase.
Most hall of fame baseball players strike out 70% of the time. Take on
the abundance mentality of "I'm going for it" instead of the
scarcity mentality of, "What if it doesn't work." Look at your failures
as recipes of success to build your self-worth instead of break it
down.
I've seen many people who have great potential but never live up to it.
Having the potential doesn't guarantee anything. It's like owning a
Porsche and never going over 10 MPH. The capacity is there for high
speeds and performance, but if it's not challenged or pushed, it's
wasted potential. You're already rich because you don't need money to
define your worth. Just take the time to create a plan for where you
want to be and take as many chances you can in order to reach it. The
capability is in you. Develop the mindset of having $100 million and
live your life accordingly.
TrainOne
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to enable tailored training, interactive selling situations and
simulations, and pre and post tests to monitor improvement, the
objective of this process is simple; build stronger relationships with
your customers, better prepare you to make productive sales calls, and
help you make more sales to new and existing customers. Tailored to fit
your specific issues and needs!
For more information on Jeffrey Gitomer's TrainOne, email sales@trainone.com.
Napoleon Hill
Yesterday and Today.
Failure Is Not A Disgrace If You Have Sincerely Done Your Best.
We live in a competitive world that measures success by winners and
losers, and insists that every victory creates a loss of equal
dimension. If one person wins, it seems logical that someone else must
lose. In reality, the only competition that matters is the one in which
you compete with yourself. When your standard of performance is based
upon being the best you can be-for yourself-you will never lose. You
will only improve. Make it a practice to objectively review your
performance from time to time. When you fall short, assess the
situation and ask yourself: "Is there anything I would or could have
done to change the outcome?" If the answer is "no," if you are
satisfied that you've done your best, don't waste time reliving the
past. Simply learn what you can from the experience, and then get into
action again. If you consistently do your best, your temporary failures
will take care of themselves.
Click here to subscribe to Napoleon Hill Yesterday and Today weekly
email magazine.
http://mailer.napoleon-hill-news.com/common/SignMeUp.html?customerId=3
Jeffrey's Upcoming Public Seminar Schedule
St. Pete Beach, FL - 12/08/07 - 12/10/08
Oklahoma City, OK - 01/29/08
Milwaukee, WI - 03/05/08
Baltimore, MD - 03/18/08
West Palm Beach, FL - 03/21/08
To learn more about any of these seminars, visit our Web site at: http://www.gitomer.com/index.cfm?GitAction=Seminars.Public
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