What if you only needed to know 4 words to create an amazing presentation?
What if those 4 words could communicate to your audience 100%?
And with those 4 words would come a framework – a framework you could use every time you plan a presentation, a promotion, or an idea.
Before I give you free access to the framework and workbook, let’s cover the first word:
Why.
35% of your audience needs to know why they have to do something – why they have to listen to the information you’re about to share.
This section of your audience absorbs your information after you explain the reason behind a certain action – why they need to know this information and why they should use it.
If you notice that you lose your audience early in your presentation, it might be as simple as including a ‘why’ at the beginning.
PLUS: WHENEVER YOU’RE READY…Here are 4 ways I can help you make more sales in your business – whether your business is big or small.
1. Want to become a Sales Mindset Blueprint Member? You get access to an exclusive coaching session with me and full access to my sales programme every month. Get the deets here.
2. Try the new ‘7 Days to Sales Success’ framework. Make more sales in 7 days—the framework of everything you need to start making more sales in your business. The Sales Success Framework is based on a simple 7-day challenge. Click here to learn how to grow your business by making more sales.
3. Join our private Facebook group – The Sales Mindset Inner Circle. Get all the latest up-to-date sales ideas. Every week we do Facebook Live updates on all things sales. Tips, ideas, free coaching, and much more. Join me by clicking here
4. Could you work with me one-on-one? If you’re a small or large business owner or in professional services, you might have a few strategies, tactics and tools away from doubling your lead flow, revenue and impact. Please jump on a FREE 30-minute brainstorming call with me by clicking here.
In my previous post two weeks ago, I covered some personal messages from the book “Only Two Seats Left” www.onlytwoseatsleft.com
I have collected a few more for discussion.
Have a simple written business plan with objectives & goals.
As I have said, any goal-setting I do is always ongoing, but it follows an underlining theme. In the case of John Anderson at Contiki he sets his goals this way.
5 pieces of paper laid out in front of him
First-page overall long-term goal and objectives
Second- personal objectives
Third page- business objectives
Personal and business- for the following year
Income and expenditure for the next two years.
Don’t make your prices the cheapest – offer the best value.
That might be easy for me to say, but if you are in the business of just price only, then you become commoditised, something no one wants in this world of competition.
That tactic only gets you in a scrap with your competition; you are better to dominate that position by being unique and different.
If you are not in that businesses make a promise to yourself that you will walk away from a bad deal once a month. It’s liberating, and they may respect you more and ask you back.
Have fun Selling your stuff.
Mike
PLUS: WHENEVER YOU’RE READY…
Here are 4 ways I can help you make more sales in your business – whether your business is big or small.1. Want to become a Sales Mindset Blueprint Member? Every month you get access to an exclusive coaching session with me as well as full access to my sales programme. Get the deets here.
Try the new ‘7 Days to Sales Success’ framework. Make more sales in 7 days. The framework of everything you need to start making more sales in your business. The Sales Success Framework is based on a simple 7-day challenge. Click here to learn how to grow your business by making more sales.
Join our private Facebook group – The Sales Mindset Inner Circle. Get all the latest up-to-date sales ideas. Every week we do Facebook Live updates on all things sales. Tips, ideas, free coaching, and much more. Join me by clicking here.
Work with me one-on-one.If you’re a business owner, small or large or in professional services, you might have a few strategies, tactics and tools away from doubling your lead flow, revenue and impact. Jump on a FREE 15-minute brainstorming call with me by clicking here.
Over the festive holidays, I talked with a young salesperson selling hardware out of a super DIY store. His job is to be on the road most days, visiting building sites and converting builders, plumbers and such like into customers.
As we got talking, I asked him, “What is your biggest frustration with your job right now.”
Well, he said, “Writing up the orders” I laughed for a bit, but he didn’t. He was genuine, which was the most frustrating part of his job.
The truth is that productivity is very critical to your success. I explained that if he could not do it himself or found it hard, he better find someone who could help him.
Share the load
Productivity is so critical to your success. I wanted to make sure he saw this. I explained to him as far as I’m concerned, you MUST be doing this to increase your productivity, no matter how small or large your business is.
What is it?
Get someone else to do it… Outsource it.
I knew a top biller on a TV network that outsourced everything except his one-to-one, face-to-face appointments.
Here are 3 tips to get you thinking about how to share the load and focus on what you’re good at.
Spend more time on what you love about your sales job – Many salespeople do not like to do the paperwork. Get someone to do it for you. It’s that simple. Doing up contracts and such like can be taught to someone.
Stop wasting time on time-consuming tasks – Very similar to #1. If you dread doing something in your work, then that’s a signal to delegate it. I learnt that a little while ago, and it is so true if you’re about to do something you do not want to do, guess what happens? You procrastinate. So, therefore delegate it.
Have more free time to spend with your friends and family – We all want time with our friends and family, don’t we? Outsourcing the tasks that free up spare time potentially allows you to be happy and organised. Do you want that?
As the year unfolds and you think about your workload, maybe also think about what you dread everyday and delegate.
Whatever career you choose, getting help is always good.
Mike
P.S.
Everyone wants to make more sales in their business – want to know how to do it?Invest in yourself and enrol in the Sales Mindset Blueprint course; to ensure you’re setting yourself up for selling success.Sceptical? Find out more and see what people say about the course here –– https://www.thesalesmindsetblueprint.com/course.
PLUS: WHENEVER YOU’RE READY…
Here are 3 ways I can help you make more sales in your business – whether your business is big or small.
1. Try the new 7 Days to Sales Success Framework.
Make more sales in 7 days. The framework of everything you need to start making more sales in your business. The Sales Success Framework is based on a simple 7-day challenge. Click here to find out how you can grow your business by increasing sales.
2. Join our Private Facebook Group – The Salesmindset Inner Circle. Get all the latest up-to-date sales ideas.
Every week we do Facebook Live updates on all things sales. Tips, ideas, free coaching, and much more. Join me by clicking here.
3. Work with me One-on-One.
If you’re a small or large business owner or in professional services, you might have a few strategies, tactics and tools away from doubling your lead flow, revenue and impact. Jump on a FREE 15-minute Brainstorm call with me by clicking here.
Over the last two weeks, the theme of my blogs has been questioned. The ones we ask ourselves and the ones we ask others.
Many people struggle with sales because they think selling means using the tricks and techniques that slick salespeople use.
However, we make little progress until we figure out what the client is thinking.
This was certainly true in my business. Once we stopped selling our stuff upfront, things got a lot easier. We had to work hard to construct the right questions to ask, but the process flowed after that.
Keep ’Em Talking
If you want to discuss with someone about a service you offer or a product you sell, isn’t it better to ask questions that keep the exchange flowing? Wouldn’t you agree?
Questions change the progression of a sale. They move it forward to a conclusion. One of my mentors, Brian Duffy, used to drum it into me repeatedly. “If the client is talking, the sale is moving forward,” he’d say. “If you don’t shut up, it isn’t!”
How do you ask the right questions?
In my book, I explain the difference between “Can I help you” and “Open them up for a discussion” questions. Some people refer to them as closed-ended and open-ended questions. By analysing the distinction, you will see why you might lose clients.
“Can I Help You” or Closed-Ended Questions
Definition: If you can answer a question with only a “yes” or “no” response, you are answering a close-ended type of
question. Examples of close-ended questions are:
• Can I help you?
• Is that your final answer?
• Should I call her and sort things out?
• Can I help you with that?
• Would you like to go to the movies tonight?
• Is science your favourite subject?
• Are you interested?
• Are you happy with your purchase options?
• Are you just looking?
• Hi.
• Just let me know if you need anything.
Unfortunately, these questions often shut down the conversation. There are exceptions, but closed-ended questions don’t allow you to uncover your customer’s concerns.
In my next blog, I will talk about Open-ended questions designed to open up the conversation. and allow you to find out your client’s problems much faster.
Have a great week, and talk soon.
PLUS, whenever you are ready…here are ways I can help you grow YOUR business.
My favourite thing is to show you what’s working right now. It’s not as good as being a client, but it’s close.
2. Take advantage of a FREE 45-minute consultation
Need some sales support? Make an appointment, and let me take you through the past, present, and future templates.
3. Work with me one-on-one.
If you want to take your product or service from face-to-face to virtual selling, then I have a product that may be able to help you. You can get started for as little as $250 a month. If you’re interested, email mike@mikebrunel.com and put ‘Virtual Selling’ in the subject line…tell me a little about your business, and I’ll get you all the details.
In my last blog, I talked about Selling what you can’t see, and how Doug Gold, my business partner and previous owner of the More FM network came up with an idea to sell media inventory that went on to dominate the direct media sales world for well over 20 years.
After his first launch of the Gold Key Programme in Wellington New Zealand, we knew we were on to something special. The product and the problem had changed, as had our approach. Spots and Dot selling were out, and membership was in.
Looking back, it was revolutionary, no one was selling media this way. Subscription-based selling had been around for 50 years, now everyone thinks it’s the ‘new new thing”. All we did was apply that model to selling inventory on media companies.
I was initially invited into the company as a consultant, but when I saw what Doug had created, it was as if a light went on, I knew that if I could build a sales system that could duplicate the concept he was presenting in that room in a hotel in Wellington, I could leverage it.
I sat in on all the presentations as an observer for a week, and watched how all the salespeople sold. I monitored how the clients bought. I recorded the presenter’s speeches and analyzed all the ways that they presented the product. Then I went away and created the first Image Plus programme. A predictable lead generation product that would pretty much guarantee a result. Then I took it to my partner who had just gone to Australia to set up our consultancy services, the wonderful Mr Duffy.
I think we are onto something”
Brian Duffy trusted me to package it up and take it to a client of his in Hobart, Tasmania. I went in and said, “If you follow this system, I can write a million dollars in revenue for you guaranteed” We launched the program and generated $1 million in four days. In today’s money that’s around $4.5 million. Our cut was a commission fee on the revenue generated.
Boom! We were smoking! I remember at the time watching Brian writing on a small business card how many we had sold each session, after the third session, he came over to me and said. ” I think we are onto something, I count thirty gone of our allocated 100 memberships and it’s only day one, I’m excited”!
Success is Natural
People look at that success and assume it takes a team of natural salespeople to develop and execute such an idea; they don’t believe they can do it themselves. Granted, I have a passion for business, but I came from a very small country where nobody was doing this sort of thing. We had some brave, courageous risk-takers as our first clients.
The early adopters in Hobart said, “Yeah, we’ll give it a go” and we were grateful. You may not think you are a salesperson, but if you are in any kind of business, you are just as much a salesperson as Doug, Brian, and me, and you can find clients willing to take the leap with you.
Practice Makes Perfect.
Of course, the journey that NRS Media took has not always been easy. I remember one time I was presenting near Lincoln, Nebraska, expecting 300 people to attend our seminar. Five turned up.
When something like that happens, all you want to do is hide. If you could, you would actually crawl in a hole, pull the cover over the top, and not come back out. Sometimes it seemed like I was on my own and the rebuffs were never-ending. I had a bit of natural resilience, but it really is a lonely place, selling in America is a tough gig. Many people avoid sales because they fear rejection.
Sell something you Believe in.
What you have to remember, though, is that if you are doing something you love, selling something you believe in, then you are performing a service. You are not ripping off the customer, or doing the wrong thing by them. Someone is going to buy it from you. As long as you remember that, you can lift your head back up and start again.
Take Flight from Fright
You should realize that most people don’t take naturally to selling. I often see people so frozen they’re afraid to pick up the phone. Folks freeze with fear, unable to make the call. They’re paralyzed with fright. Excuse my language, but they’re sh*$$!ng themselves because they’re so afraid of the reaction. Many people find selling terrifying; it’s a natural human reaction. The thing is, this fear comes through in their work and makes them less effective.
If you own a product, service, or business, you have to sell. If you’re passionate, believe in that product, and know that your customer should have it, then don’t be afraid to go and present it.
Try not to think of it as asking a yes-or-no question. Instead, picture yourself helping the customer through the decision-making process. Simultaneously, you come to comprehend their needs, wants, and desires. If you can honestly say, “Look, this is my product. I believe in it. I think it’s right for you,” and you come from a position of integrity people will respond. All it takes is a shift in perspective. Stop thinking, “I’m not in sales.” Reframe that thought.
Call it Something Else.
Call it something else. Recognize it for the relationship-building process it really is. Changing my mindset has helped me personally banish the fear of rejection. At first, I tried half-heartedly and then gave up, just like anyone else. I realized, though, that if I didn’t change the way I thought about sales, I was going to lose. Today, I help salespeople change their frame of mind so they’re working steadily toward a reward rather than flailing about trying to avoid failure.
I remember working with a new salesperson on this issue. He was seriously afraid of going out and talking to people, so we gave him some new words to practice just before the sales call.
We asked him to say “relationship building” instead of “selling” in his mind and we saw right away the fresh connections he was making. His new vocabulary changed his mindset. He was much more comfortable—and successful—in his calls after he implemented this simple tool.
Successful sales also mean maintaining relationships with clients over a long time period without getting the payoff of a “yes.” In the early days of my business, I remember approaching clients who would say no three, four, or five times. I considered that a failure. I thought, “Well, I just can’t do it.”
What did I learn?
Successful sales also mean maintaining relationships with clients over a long time period without getting the payoff of a “yes.” In the early days of my business, I remember approaching clients who would say no three, four, or five times. I considered that a failure. I thought, “Well, I just can’t-do it.”
What I discovered, though, was that I had to see rejection as a temporary setback and make plans to move on. I had to say to myself, “Okay, Mike, what did you learn and what could you do differently? Could you apply a different approach to that problem? Let’s try it and see what happens then.”
Selling is easy “it’s just how you think about it”
The question for your business, then, is how do you know what you—and your salespeople—don’t know? One way to develop insight into your own company is to use a SWOT analysis of your products and services.
The SWOT framework comes from Albert Humphrey, who tested the approach in the 1960s and 1970s at the Stanford Research Institute. Developed for business and based on data from Fortune 500 companies, the SWOT analysis has been adopted by organisations of all types as a decision-making tool.
As its acronym implies, a SWOT analysis examines four elements:
Strengths: Internal attributes and resources that support a successful outcome.
Weaknesses: Internal attributes and resources that work against a successful outcome.
Opportunities: External factors the project can use to its advantage.
Threats: External factors that could jeopardise the project.
When I do my sales training and coaching sessions with my clients, I carry out a simple audit to discover a SWOT analysis of their sales process:
Strengths:
What are you the best at?
Why do customers buy from you?
What are your competitors’ benefits?
Weaknesses:
Where do you need to improve?
Are there any gaps in product lines?
Should you add a guarantee?
What’s preventing you from making more sales?
Opportunities:
How can you take advantage of your new knowledge?
Is there something unique you have to offer?
What do these facts tell you about the future?
Threats:
Is this the right product or service for the current market?
What happens when the market changes?
Do you need to evaluate your clients?
Do you have a sales mindset?
Do you train well and consistently?
Does your team believe in your mission?
Evaluating your offerings helps you develop the insight necessary to sell them. Let’s look at one example of how insight, or lack of it, affects everyday sales interactions.
Your clients sometimes know more than you.
Imagine someone comes to your store intending to buy. They already have an interest in the product. They quite reasonably make an inquiry with the salesperson. This is where the relationship between seller and buyer can quickly break down. If the customer expresses interest in an item and the person who can sell it to them doesn’t demonstrate enough insight, the sale will drop dead right there. The once-promising customer will walk right back out that door.
For instance, suppose an appliance store supervisor has only trained the sales staff with minimum product knowledge. The salespeople on the floor know that a washing machine has a lid at the top, and it opens when you press a button, and that’s it. Your customers already know these basic facts and a lot more. The Internet now allows people to research your product thoroughly. If you are not careful—if you don’t always have some sort of valuable knowledge to add—you will lose the sale.
Plan your story about your product
Work out your strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities ahead of time and try to match them up against your competition. You want to be able to convince the customer of the benefit of choosing your product over any other.
SWOT Analysis Questions:
What are the three key benefits of your product?
What is the immediate benefit of using the product?
What information is this benefit based on? What’s the evidence?
Is this product as good as it sounds?
Does it have some sort of guarantee?
Is it unique?
Have I asked why my clients buy from me?
If a prospective client bought this product from someone else, why?
Why did a prospective client buy something similar in the past? Was it the delivery? Was it free shipping?
Asking these questions helps you formulate the best way to demonstrate your product knowledge. When a person buys a mobile phone, what does your store or service offer that differs from the store down the road? Ask yourself what problem you are trying to solve.
You’re not selling a phone; you’re selling a solution. Does the customer want faster download speeds? Great, because your company happens to have access to the speediest network around. Do they need a predictable monthly bill? Tell them about your recently launched steady rate package. Share those facts, and chances are the customer will buy from you, not any of the other six phone stores in town.
Do they need a predictable monthly bill? Tell them about your recently launched steady rate package. Share those facts, and chances are the customer will buy from you, not any of the other six phone stores in town.
Someone reading this blog might have ten, twenty, or only two employees. However large or small your staff, you need to train them to research your product’s strengths. Teach them to look for the key benefits and why people buy them.
