If you have a nervous or stilted manner when trying to establish rapport with clients, instead of relaxing them, you’ll put them on edge. If you’re nervous, they’ll get nervous and start raising their walls of sales resistance. They’ll question your reasons for wanting to talk with them. They’ll become suspect of your every move.

In selling situations, many of your clients will respond to your demeanor in kind. What that means is that if you come across friendly and non-threatening, they’ll feel friendly and not threatened by you. In other words, you get what you give. That’s why it’s so important to be well-prepared before meeting with your clients. (more…)

During one of the most brutal battles of World War I, the fighting stopped for one particular evening. Christmas Eve. Men on both sides of the battle lines hunkered down in their cold fox holes for at least one night of peace.

Soon, a Christmas carol was heard floating on the cold air across the contested ground. The language was different, but everyone knew the tune and soon both sides were singing together. Before the evening was over several of the men emerged from their muddy trenches, met in “no man’s land,” and exchanged greetings and even humble Christmas gifts with their enemies.

If battle-hardened men who were in the midst of trying to conquer each other’s territory can find common ground in no man’s land, then certainly we salespeople can do the same thing on the showroom floor, at the executive desk, or the dining room table.

Finding that common ground is critical to building a level of trust that lowers sales resistance. During this early segment of the sales process, you should search for areas of interest you share with each new person you meet. The supply of topics is practically endless. For example, family, the weather, sports, hobbies, or current events are natural choices in consumer sales. If you’re in business-to-business sales, you can always ask those questions as well as questions about their company, products or industry. (more…)

The Feel, Felt, Found technique is an age-tested, proven strategy of moving your customers gently to a new way of thinking. There are three separate parts to Feel, Felt, Found: “I understand how you feel.” This wording lets a customer know that you heard him or her and can relate. “Initially, other (top purchasing agents

The Feel, Felt, Found technique is an age-tested, proven strategy of moving your customers gently to a new way of thinking. There are three separate parts to Feel, Felt, Found:

‘Y’ is something positive your customer will receive that he or she cares a great deal about.

This other group of people changed their minds, did what you recommended they do, and were very pleased with the outcome.

Phraseology: “So, Steve… tell me something you would like right now.”

Steve responds, “I want to be as successful as you, Tom.”

“Steve, I understand how you feel. Initially, other ambitious salespeople felt the same way. What they discovered by staying positive and working hard at their craft each day was that they were very pleased with their own success.”

, CEOs, mothers…) felt that way.” You are letting him or her know that this initial thought is common, meaning that the situation can change. “What they found, however, was that after doing ‘X’ was that ‘Y” happened. ‘X’ is what you want your customer to do (purchase your product or put a deposit down now…). ‘Y’ is something positive your customer will receive that he or she cares a great deal about. This other group of people changed their minds, did what you recommended they do, and were very pleased with the outcome. Phraseology: “So, Steve… tell me something you would like right now.” Steve responds, “I want to be as successful as you, Tom.” “Steve, I understand how you feel. Initially, other ambitious salespeople felt the same way. What they discovered by staying positive and working hard at their craft each day was that they were very pleased with their own success.”

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I recommend the use of intent statements to set the stage for every presentation. An intent statement is designed to reduce sales resistance that is created by the unknown. When potential clients don’t know what to expect next their minds tend to wander and their anxieties build.

Your intent statements tell your clients clearly what they can expect from your time together and relieve any sales pressure they are imagining. It accomplishes two very important tasks:

1. It introduces an agenda of sorts so everyone has a clear picture of what to expect.

2. It lets your potential clients know that it’s okay to say “no.” (No, I’m not crazy…read on!) (more…)

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 and getting an agreement for them to own your product or service. 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 competition or maybe the financial aspects of your proposal. 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 you and your associates can come up with, you’ll find they have a common denominator. That common denominator is a thing called FEAR. (more…)

If you do business with people from cultural groups different than your own, you would be wise to invest some time understanding their cultures as well as their needs in terms of your products and services. You may not necessarily be doing business with people in another country, but with those from other countries who have relocated near your place of business. If you want their business, you have to understand their needs on many levels.

Also, if you are building a web site for your business, you need to consider who the viewer might be and their cultural situations. Some words and phrases just don’t translate to have the same meaning that you may wish to impart, thus, confusing the visitor.  Or, worse, the translation may unintentionally be offensive when made. (more…)

Fear is the greatest enemy you’ll ever encounter as a real estate professional. Hopefully, you’ll learn to recognize and conquer your own inner fears. The toughest job is when you have to help others admit to and overcome their fears so you can earn the opportunity to list and sell their homes for them. Fear is what builds that wall of resistance we so often run into. You must master the skills to either climb over or break through that wall. (more…)

From the moment we are born until the moment we die, everything we say and do is for the purpose of satisfying some want or need. A basic rule of selling is that a person will buy what they want, whether or not they need it.

One of the most common mistakes salespeople make is in assuming that a client will make the purchase because you have convinced them that your property is a great buy. Now, I don’t claim to be a psychologist, but in my selling experience, I have found that there are two basic appeals. We react from logic and emotion, and when there is conflict between the two, emotion will always win. (more…)

Fear is the greatest enemy you’ll ever encounter as a professional salesperson. Your fear, the prospect’s fear, market and trend fears and so on.

What do we fear? As salespeople, we fear saying or doing things that may halt a potential sale. Hopefully, you’ll learn to recognize and conquer your fears through continual education, practice, drill and rehearsal of strategies and tactics that will keep you ahead of the pack.

A tough part of our jobs as salespeople is in helping others understand and overcome their fears so we can earn the opportunity to help them make decisions. Fear is what builds that wall of resistance we so often run into. You must master the skills to either climb over or break through those walls.

Here are some other common, normal and potentially paralyzing fears that many people face in decision-making situations and what you should do about them. (more…)