Some of us go shuffling into a meeting dreading the moment when we have to get down to the hard facts of money. So we uh-price them.

“What’s the cost?” the customer asks.

“Well, that one is-uh-it’s about-let’s see, with tax and freight and the small installation charge we have to make-uh-its going to run you right at-well, maybe just a shade under, tuhthzzert. Um, yeah that’s about it.”

“What? I didn’t catch the price you’re quoting me.”

“Ten thousand.”

“Dollars?”

“Yes, ten thousand dollars, more or less.”

“Well, which is it, more-or less? It better be a lot less if you expect me to buy it.”

“Uh-let me double check my figures.”

While the hapless salesperson frantically adds and subtracts, the buyer sits back and calmly plans his next move to keep him off the buyer sits back and calmly plans his next move to keep him off balance and drive a better bargain. Or his next phone call-to the competition.

Never uh-price a possible client. Control the money issue by facing it squarely and boldly. The triplicate of choice for money allows you to win every money vote that can be won. Use it. This technique is a reliable workhorse-if you know your figures, adapt the phrases to your offering, and practice them carefully.

Diagnose Your Strengths and Weaknesses as a Salesperson

As a corporate sales trainer, I am often asked about the traits and characteristics salespeople should develop in order to increase sales.  Here’s a personal inventory test for you to determine how you stack up against a top champion sales closing professional. How many characteristics and traits can you say that you have? (more…)

The phrase “buyer interview” may not be one you’ve heard, but it’s one I strongly recommend you understand. Conducting an effective buyer interview is similar to what a good journalist does when interviewing someone for an article. You ask questions that get them talking about their situations, their needs, their desires, their concerns. In other words, you get them to tell you what they want to own. It will also help you realize those situations where what the buyer is telling you they want may not be what they truly need. (more…)

According to Leads360′s latest report, The Ultimate Contact Strategy – How to Best Use Phone and Email for Contact and Conversion Success, “Lead response persistence is critical to maximize conversion. Making more than one call and sending even just one email can have a positive impact on lead conversion, yet 50% of leads are never called a second time and 59% of leads never receive an email.”

When leaving a voice message for a new lead keep it simple. Leave your name and number twice – once at the beginning of the message. Again at the end. Refer to the fact that you’re calling about the information they requested. Then, state a benefit of your offering to pique their curiosity to learn more (thus increasing the chances they’ll either return your call or accept your next follow up call.) (more…)

What do you say when you hear this one? “The home is very nice, but we  really wanted another bedroom.”

When they say this, what does it really tell you? They don’t need that extra room. They were really hoping for it, but the odds are good, since you did a good job of qualifying that both you and they know they can’t afford a home with that extra bedroom.

Your job now is one of asking questions to help them gain a more realistic view of their situation. Try these words, “John and Mary, I know when we first talked you were hoping to find a home in this neighborhood where you could possibly have an extra bedroom. Knowing inventory the way I do, I’m afraid there just isn’t one available in your price range. If you’re open to considering a different neighborhood, or school district for the children, I might be able to find a nice home with the extra bedroom. I would be happy to research that for you, but have to ask, what will you base your final decision on: having that extra bedroom or having your children attend the schools you (and they) prefer?”

In most cases, the quality of the children’s education will far outweigh having that extra room that they were “hoping” for. Of course, if you work in an area with an open enrollment, perhaps the parents would be happy to drive their children to the better schools and live a little farther away in order to have that extra room. (more…)

How to Motivate Salespeople
Excerpt from Tom Hopkins on Management mp3 series.
Other topics on this program include:

• Solving the Management Puzzle
• Effective Recruiting Strategies
• Powerful Training Techniques
• Sales Management – The Interview
• Salespeople — Knowing and Understanding Them
• Motivation and Counseling
• Handling Terminations

Questions? Contact Customer Service: info@tomhopkins.com or 800-528–0446 (Continental U.S. & Canada)

What is the emotional process that leads to the purchase of a new vehicle? It begins with a new development in the buyer’s self-image. That is, the buyers see themselves in a new way — as the owners of that new car, truck, van, or SUV and all the status it affords them.

If the projected vehicle purchase is small in relation to the buyer’s income, the self-image change need only be small. But if the purchase is a large one, the change in self-image that makes the purchase possible will be large. Such a change can come about very quickly. It can take place within a few minutes, or even within a few seconds.

Champion automotive salespeople are adept at spotting these changes in self-image as they occur during sales presentations. They are quick to reinforce the buyers’ realization that they can have, enjoy, deserve, need, and are worthy of the marvelous new vehicle they like. Do that, and they won’t just like it; they’ll want it, need it, and realize they can’t get along without it — then they’ll buy it. (more…)

When someone says they don’t have time for your opportunity, to book a party, or even just to meet with you, with sincerity say, “I understand, Mary. We all have 24 hours in a day, don’t we? Most people work eight hours. Then, they sleep about eight hours. That leaves eight hours every day of what we can call discretionary time. That means, we get to choose how to spend those hours. I like to call it ‘opportunity time.’ What I do with my opportunity time makes all the difference in the amount of success I achieve in my life, don’t you see? A lot of people who take advantage of the benefits our business has to offer only invest a couple of hours a day in the business. They still find that they have plenty of quality time left for family and other obligations. Why not at least consider the potential gain you can get with a relatively small investment of time?”

By asking questions as part of your response to “I just don’t have the time.” you are getting them started agreeing with you. Of course, they’ll agree there are eight hours of discretionary time. It’s simple math. They’ll agree about whatyoudo with your time and once the ‘yes’ momentum is going, more often than not they’ll agree to take a more serious look at your opportunity.

For a free e-book titled, “Helping New People Get Comfortable with Network Marketing,” CLICK HERE.

Copyright Tom Hopkins International, Inc. For reprint permission, contact Judy Slack (judys@tomhopkins.com).

     Think for a moment about what the greatest enemy is to the process of helping people come to a decision that’s truly good for them. What is it that jumps in and brings presentations that were previously sailing smoothly along to a screeching halt? You may think it’s the financial aspects of your offering. Perhaps you think it’s the prospective client’s inability to make a decision.

     Well, if you think any of those things, you are right. But, with selling being what it is — a bottom line business — let’s dig deeper and find the bottom line of what lies between you and your ‘future client’ coming to an agreement.

     If you look at all the enemies to the sale that you and your associates can come up with, you’ll find they have a common denominator. That common denominator is a thing called FEAR. Fear is the greatest enemy you’ll ever encounter as a financial services professional. This includes your fear, the potential client’s fear, market and trend fears and so on. (more…)