Bruce Keith
Here are some sales myths that no longer apply…things that some “experts” are still hanging on to long after others are proving them wrong. While these “experts” are telling you what you can’t do, someone else is out there doing it. That’s why these are just myths.
1. Prospecting in the morning doesn’t work because no one is home.
Wrong. About 22 per cent of people are at home.
2. Scripts sound canned.
Wrong. They are only canned if you don’t practice or you try to memorize them.
3. Calling people and asking for business/referrals before 9:30 am is invasive.
Wrong. There are more people home at 8:30 am than there are at 9:30 am. That’s just your excuse for not calling.
4. Prequalifying my prospects early in the process is too aggressive. I will ask those questions when I get to know them better.
Wrong. Are you prospecting for friends or are you prospecting for leads?
5. Practicing my presentation is unnecessary. My more natural style is better.
Wrong. Natural only comes from familiarity with the material. Winging it usually ends up with you talking too much.
6. Asking for referrals is pushy. If they have someone, they will send them to me automatically.
Wrong. Learn how to ask smoothly, then it won’t be pushy. “Let me ask you, who do you know who needs my help to…”
Each of these sales myths are just that – myths. There are many superstars out there right now doing the exact opposite. They are the myth busters. They succeed because they realize all the opportunities that are available by swimming upstream and getting out of the box. What myths have you been telling yourself that you need to bust? No excuses.
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The fly on the wall: One of the best ways to develop a successful sales practice is to model other people who are already successful. There is no need to reinvent the wheel – just find out what someone else is doing well and mirror their approach.
This certainly works well when it comes to lead generation and prospecting. A major component of success in the business of sales is creating new leads. This is a critical skill, one that too many salespeople perform all too infrequently.
Find a successful salesperson, ask them to let you be a “fly on the wall” and watch them prospect. Whether they are on the telephone or face-to-face, you become the silent observer. You do not add to the conversation, just watch, take notes and learn. Here’s the procedure:
1. Observe their style and delivery and take note of what skills they are using that you could add to your repertoire. Usually a minimum of one hour is advisable.
2. Recognize where you are falling short and pay attention to opportunities to improve your delivery.
3. Don’t interrupt them. Take notes and have a review every 15 minutes. It is important that you not only observe their style but are cognizant of the rhythm they create while contacting various prospects. Do they allow a lot of interruptions or do they just keep going to generate more contacts?
4. Generate questions for your partner from these notes. Pay attention to their rate of speech, tonality, use of scripts (did they stick to them?), conversation style and closing techniques. Find out why they do certain things.
The next time you get together, reverse the roles and now you become the teacher and they become the student. One of the benefits of this exercise is that the person prospecting will always perform at their best when someone else is watching. It’s win-win for both of you. Have fun with this and at the same time follow the above guidelines. It’s not a time to get together and chat and make a few phone calls… it’s show time! No excuses.
Bruce Keith is a leading trainer for sales organizations in North America. He was trained in the corporate world as a marketing and sales manager for 15 years. His education then moved to 25 years in the real estate industry, 10 years as a successful sales rep followed by the last 15 years as a keynote speaker, seminar leader, author and one-on-one coach. His high energy coupled with a “No Excuses Accountability” approach has helped thousands increase their production significantly. He says, “It’s all about Results”. BruceKeithresults.com
Bruce Keith is a leading Real Estate Coach/Author/Speaker. Like Bruce Keith Results on Facebook or connect with Bruce on Linkedin. Email Bruce Keith.
