Jeffrey Gitomer November 20, 2013
November 20, 2013
By Jeffrey Gitomer
November 20, 2013
The minute I get a thought, I capture it. For the past year or so, I’vebeen texting myself through voice dictation. It works. It’s the same way I am writing this column. Voice to text. It works.
I’m about to show you, and share with you, some of those random thoughts. They arein no particular order, and as I paste them into this word document I’mreading them aloud and altering them. (That’s how I edit.) I’m readingthem and expanding them on the spot so they become even more valuableand applicable to a salesperson. You.
ON QUESTIONS:
When someone asks you a question, ask yourself, “Why are they asking this,and what does this mean in terms of this person moving toward apurchase?”
There’s a motive behind every question a prospectasks. And that motive is the sales driver. In reality they’re thinkingto themselves, if this function works, I can increase my sales. That’sthe motive, not the function.
For example, they may ask you,“Can this function take place?” If you answer, “Yes,” then you’ve goneright past sale. If you answer yes and then ask, “What will thisfunction lead to?” or “What makes this function important to you?” youwill then uncover the real buying motive. In sales this is known as thehot button. The reality is, it’s your money.
WHAT ARE YOU THINKING:
• In sales, the largest chasm is the difference between knowing anddoing. You already know everything; the problem is you’re not doing it.
• How many of you cannot afford to buy what it is you are selling? Andhow does that affect your belief system? And how does that affect yourpassion to close the sale?
• Whoever said, “Thoughts arethings,” only had it partially correct. The better statement is,“Thoughts become things when plans are made, belief is strong, andaction is taken.”
• In a game of “sales chess” you have to be thinking at least two moves ahead or you’ll likely lose your queen.
WHAT DO THEY REALLY WANT?
Your customer doesn’t want to buy a ball bearing. They want to keep theirplant producing. Customers want outcome, not product. Your customer does not want a can of paint, brushes, and rollers. Your customer wants abeautiful room or a updated look to the exterior of their home. SellOUTCOME, not product.
BE SPECIFIC.
Is yourpresentation full of generalizations or customization? If you onlygeneralize for the enterprise and generalize about the business, youwill lose. But if you customize for your customer, or their customer,they can visualize what’s in it for THEM, and they will buy.
SHOW ME THE MONEY, NOT THE PERCENTAGE:
Don’t give me a percentage. Give me a dollar amount. EXAMPLE: You say, “Welost 7% of our customers this year.” Really? HOW MUCH IS THAT INDOLLARS? That will make you mad. Large companies refer to this as“churn.” I define churn as management’s inability to keep customersloyal. And these same companies who call it churn only present it as apercentage. Our churn rate is 3.2%. Why doesn’t management have theintestinal fortitude to present that as a dollar amount? Answer: Theydon’t want anyone to know, and it places the burden on salespeople toreplace the 3.2% in order to get to last year’s numbers. Not good.
WHAT’S THE REAL CHALLENGE WITH CRM? Customer relationship management is the most purchased, least-used, and least-adopted software in the history of computers. Why? Thesalesperson looks at it as management’s tool for accountability. CRMadoption rates would triple if salespeople viewed it as something thatcould help them make a sale.
If you have CRM software for yoursales and service people, and you have a 72% adoption rate, that means28% of your sales team, and/or your service team, did NOT adopt it, andmost likely hate it. I feel reasonably certain that of the 72% that didadopt it, a high percentage of them look at it as something they “had to do” rather than something that would help them.
ON IMAGIINATION AND WOW!:
Salespeople are missing huge opportunities for engagement and opportunities to gain response from customers by not being imaginative or creative in theircommunications.
• Show me a sales script, and I’ll show you a boring message.
• Show me a slide deck prepared by marketing, and I’ll show you a boring message.
• Show me an email prepared by a salesperson, and I’ll show you a boring message.
Where’s the value? Show me the value. Where’s the WOW? Show me the WOW! If youshow me WOW and value, I will respond, I will engage, I will connect,and I will buy.
Those are my thoughts and ideas of the moment.All captured the second they occurred to me. Hope they get you thinking, taking action, and capturing yours.
Jeffrey Gitomer is theauthor of twelve best-selling books including The Sales Bible and TheLittle Red Book of Selling. His new book, 21.5 Unbreakable Laws ofSelling, is now available. For information about training and seminars,and information how you can become a Gitomer Certified Advisor, visitwww.gitomer.com or email Jeffrey personally at [email protected]
© 2013 All Rights Reserved. Don’t even think about reproducing this document without written permission from Jeffrey H. Gitomer and Buy Gitomer. 704/333-1112
November 20, 2013
The minute I get a thought, I capture it. For the past year or so, I’vebeen texting myself through voice dictation. It works. It’s the same way I am writing this column. Voice to text. It works.
I’m about to show you, and share with you, some of those random thoughts. They arein no particular order, and as I paste them into this word document I’mreading them aloud and altering them. (That’s how I edit.) I’m readingthem and expanding them on the spot so they become even more valuableand applicable to a salesperson. You.
ON QUESTIONS:
When someone asks you a question, ask yourself, “Why are they asking this,and what does this mean in terms of this person moving toward apurchase?”
There’s a motive behind every question a prospectasks. And that motive is the sales driver. In reality they’re thinkingto themselves, if this function works, I can increase my sales. That’sthe motive, not the function.
For example, they may ask you,“Can this function take place?” If you answer, “Yes,” then you’ve goneright past sale. If you answer yes and then ask, “What will thisfunction lead to?” or “What makes this function important to you?” youwill then uncover the real buying motive. In sales this is known as thehot button. The reality is, it’s your money.
WHAT ARE YOU THINKING:
• In sales, the largest chasm is the difference between knowing anddoing. You already know everything; the problem is you’re not doing it.
• How many of you cannot afford to buy what it is you are selling? Andhow does that affect your belief system? And how does that affect yourpassion to close the sale?
• Whoever said, “Thoughts arethings,” only had it partially correct. The better statement is,“Thoughts become things when plans are made, belief is strong, andaction is taken.”
• In a game of “sales chess” you have to be thinking at least two moves ahead or you’ll likely lose your queen.
WHAT DO THEY REALLY WANT?
Your customer doesn’t want to buy a ball bearing. They want to keep theirplant producing. Customers want outcome, not product. Your customer does not want a can of paint, brushes, and rollers. Your customer wants abeautiful room or a updated look to the exterior of their home. SellOUTCOME, not product.
BE SPECIFIC.
Is yourpresentation full of generalizations or customization? If you onlygeneralize for the enterprise and generalize about the business, youwill lose. But if you customize for your customer, or their customer,they can visualize what’s in it for THEM, and they will buy.
SHOW ME THE MONEY, NOT THE PERCENTAGE:
Don’t give me a percentage. Give me a dollar amount. EXAMPLE: You say, “Welost 7% of our customers this year.” Really? HOW MUCH IS THAT INDOLLARS? That will make you mad. Large companies refer to this as“churn.” I define churn as management’s inability to keep customersloyal. And these same companies who call it churn only present it as apercentage. Our churn rate is 3.2%. Why doesn’t management have theintestinal fortitude to present that as a dollar amount? Answer: Theydon’t want anyone to know, and it places the burden on salespeople toreplace the 3.2% in order to get to last year’s numbers. Not good.
WHAT’S THE REAL CHALLENGE WITH CRM? Customer relationship management is the most purchased, least-used, and least-adopted software in the history of computers. Why? Thesalesperson looks at it as management’s tool for accountability. CRMadoption rates would triple if salespeople viewed it as something thatcould help them make a sale.
If you have CRM software for yoursales and service people, and you have a 72% adoption rate, that means28% of your sales team, and/or your service team, did NOT adopt it, andmost likely hate it. I feel reasonably certain that of the 72% that didadopt it, a high percentage of them look at it as something they “had to do” rather than something that would help them.
ON IMAGIINATION AND WOW!:
Salespeople are missing huge opportunities for engagement and opportunities to gain response from customers by not being imaginative or creative in theircommunications.
• Show me a sales script, and I’ll show you a boring message.
• Show me a slide deck prepared by marketing, and I’ll show you a boring message.
• Show me an email prepared by a salesperson, and I’ll show you a boring message.
Where’s the value? Show me the value. Where’s the WOW? Show me the WOW! If youshow me WOW and value, I will respond, I will engage, I will connect,and I will buy.
Those are my thoughts and ideas of the moment.All captured the second they occurred to me. Hope they get you thinking, taking action, and capturing yours.
Jeffrey Gitomer is theauthor of twelve best-selling books including The Sales Bible and TheLittle Red Book of Selling. His new book, 21.5 Unbreakable Laws ofSelling, is now available. For information about training and seminars,and information how you can become a Gitomer Certified Advisor, visitwww.gitomer.com or email Jeffrey personally at [email protected]
© 2013 All Rights Reserved. Don’t even think about reproducing this document without written permission from Jeffrey H. Gitomer and Buy Gitomer. 704/333-1112
