The Myth of PersistenceWritten by Bill Brooks
In most cities across country, one sure sign of persistence is facing daily commute. Prime time commuters are superstars at art of persistence. Most don't have a choice, so they face daily crush with steeled nerves and tight jawed commitment.Most salespeople believe that they don't have a choice, either. Worse yet, they have been taught to believe that nothing takes place of persistence. That price of success is dogged and determined tenacity. There is a fine line between being persistent and being obnoxious. Perhaps most misunderstood and underutilized secret to selling anything is to understand critical role that timing plays in successful sales. You see, customers and prospects buy when they are ready to buy, not when salespeople need to make a sale. Not when they are worn down by pesky salespeople. I'll bet that whenever you have made a successful sale, no matter what you sell, there are certain essential characteristics that your new customer had. Here they are: · A need for your product or service · An awareness of need for it · A sense of urgency about obtaining it. It was not your dogged determination to pursue them to end of earth to either (a) create a need, (b) make them aware of it or (c) create a sense of urgency that made them buy. In fact, I'll suggest this to you. If, after three attempts to secure an appointment with a prospect you are still getting brush-off, find another prospect! Invest your time with right people. But you're probably asking this: "How do I make sure my non-responsive prospect doesn't buy from a competitor while I'm out talking with someone else?" Good question. The truth is that very prospect who scorned you will likely become a qualified prospect at some time in future. That person may even be a highly qualified prospect right now. But not for you.
| | Selling to the Four Temperament StylesWritten by John Boe
To be effective in sales you must learn to develop trust and rapport quickly with your prospect. People want to do business with people that they feel understand their needs and treat them as an individual. Being able to identify your prospect’s primary temperament style is critically important and will allow you to adjust your style to communicate effectively with theirs. Twenty-four hundred years ago, Hippocrates, father of medicine, theorized that we are born into one of four primary temperament styles and that each style has it’s own unique physiology, character traits and outlook on life; Choleric (aggressive), Sanguine (emotional), Phlegmatic (passive) and Melancholy (analytical). According to Hippocrates, extroverted Choleric (Worker) was short-tempered and ill natured, but had a dynamic desire for action! The extroverted Sanguine (Talker) was cheerful, outgoing and optimistic, but not very serious or organized. The introverted Phlegmatic (Watcher) was slow and sluggish, but could stay calm, cool and collected under pressure. The introverted Melancholy (Thinker) was deep, sad and depressive, but also a thoughtful, gifted and analytical genius. Each of four primary temperament styles requires a different approach and selling strategy. With a little training and practice you will soon be able to use temperament knowledge to enhance all of your relationships. The extroverted Worker temperament style prefers a fast, bottom line presentation and is generally quick to make a decision. They want you to respect their time by being well prepared, on time and to point. They ask “what” questions. Keywords to use are: Results, Speed, and Control. Workers are practical and are interested in how you can save them time and money. Maintain good eye contact and don't let their demanding nature and intimidating body language unnerve you. Avoid details when possible and give Worker options so you don’t threaten their sense of control. Allow them to set pace of presentation.
|
