OK, todayâs Top 20% deals with how to properly handle objections.

Letâs fact it, most sales reps hate getting objections.  Their hearts sink into their stomachs, their palms start to sweat, and they start wondering how they're going to pay the rent.  Sound familiar?

When sales reps ask me how they should handle objections, they are often surprised by my answer.  I tell them they should never answer objections.  When they look at me like I'm crazy, I explain:

âObjections are often stalls or smokescreens hiding other objections that your prospect doesn't want to disclose.  As soon as you begin answering objections, have you ever found that they have another and yet another?"

âOh, yeah,â they say.  So hereâs what you should do:

Instead of answering an objection you must first isolate and question it.  Let's take two of the most common ones â âYour price is too high," and âI need to speak with, talk toâ"

If your client says, âYour prices too high," you should respond with:

âI can understand that, and let me ask you a question -- if this price was exactly what you were willing to pay, is this (your product/service, etc.) the solution you would go with today?"

Now that you've isolated the objection you will see if price really is the only objection.  Any answer other than âyesâ and price isn't what is stopping your prospect form moving forward (which means you have more work to do to find out what is!)

Same thing with the âI've got to speak to, talk this over withâ.â objection.  You should say:

âI can totally understand that, prospectâs name, and let me ask you -- if you did speak with _______ and they said whatever you thought was fine with them, would you go with this today?"

Again, any answer other than âyesâ and that objection is just a stall.  Answering it will get you nowhere.

Do you see how this works?  The whole point of questioning and isolating the objection first is to uncover what is really holding your prospect back.

And until you find that out, there will be no deal.

So stop answering objections and start isolating them.  You will become a much stronger closer, and you'll begin making more sales.  Kind of like the Top 20% do!

Have a great week!.

With Todayâs Top 20% Secret, Iâm going to share with you another technique you can use to instantly double your closing ratio.

I talk a lot about the techniques that separate the Top 20% of the money earners from the other 80%.  As you know, this newsletter is dedicated to providing you, often word for word, with the exact tools, tips and strategies that you, too, can use to become a Top 20% producer.  And today I'm going to share with you one of the most effective and easiest ways to double your sales.  And it has to do with what you say when you call a prospect back to close the sale.

Here's what 80% of the inside sales reps currently say:

âOh hi, this is _______ with the XYZ Company.  I'm calling to follow up on the  (proposal, information, etc.).  Did you have a chance to review that?"

Or, another equally weak opening most sales reps use is:

âHi, this is ________ with the XYZ Company, how are you?  Good, I was just calling to see what you thought of the (proposal, information, etc.)?"

Wrong, wrong, wrong!  I cringe when I hear sales reps open the close this way!  First, you're giving all control over to your prospect -- why would you want to do that?  Second, you're just opening yourself up for a stall or put off â âNo, I haven't had time yet, why donât you call me back next week?"

If you want to be a Top 20% closer, strike the phrases âjust calling to follow up" and âjust wanted to see if you..." out of your pitch â FOREVER!

Here is how the Top 20% start their closing callbacks, and how you can double your sales starting with your very next call:

âHi _______ this is ______ ______ with the ABC Company.  You know, I've been looking forward to getting back with you and getting you started with our (award-winning newsletter, number one industry ranked product, world-class service -- fill in your product/service/investment here).  I know you'll be as happy and satisfied as my other clients are.

Now, I'm sure you (read/received the information), and I'm sure you see how it will benefit you.  My question is: do you want to start with our professional position of _______, or does the _______ position work better for you?â

Now shut up and listen.  Earth shattering to you?  Perhaps it is.  But so will be your results.  This works on so many levels:

1) You're asking for the deal right away (and youâll be surprised because some will buy on the spot!)

2) It immediately starts the close on an assumptive and positive note. 

3) You eliminate any put-offs and stalls.

4) You immediately get the prospect to tell you where they stand and what they're thinking (and what you'll need to do to close the sale).

This is a powerful technique.  I guarantee that if you begin using this approach on every sales call, you will be well on your way to doubling your closing percentage and income.

But don't take my word for it -- try it and let me know your results.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Todayâs Top 20% Secret is Discovering and Learning the one technique you can use to double your sales in just 90 days.

Sounds too good to be true, doesnât it?  Stan Billue, a top telemarketing sales trainer in the late 80âs, claimed that he had a sure fire technique that could double your sales in 90 days if you just followed it.  So I did.  And it worked!

The technique?  Record your calls.  Everything that you are doing right, and every area you need to improve in will be revealed to you in just a few days.  And by being able to calmly listen to your qualifying/closing calls all the way through, here are just a few of things youâll hear that youâre probably missing:

ÂWhat your prospectâs true buying motives are.
ÂWhat your prospectâs objections are.
ÂWhether or not you listened to these and answered them.
ÂWhether you were listening at all.
ÂHow often you talked past the close.
ÂHow many objections you created.
ÂWhether you heard their objections and answered them and then confirmed your answer and asked for the orderâor just kept pitching!

Everything will be there on tape and you and your manager can then go about correcting your technique and immediately improving your success on the phone.  The bottom line for all sales teams and sales reps is that if your fundamentals and techniques are wrong, then you will keep getting the same results -- you won't make quotas, you will be frustrated at the end of each day, and you won't improve.  Period.

You must correct the fundamental problems.  And to do this you must first know what they are!  Recording your calls is the fastest, easiest, and best way to do this.  All highly successful companies do this all the time.  Start listening to the next on hold message you get and I'll bet you hear, âPlease note that this call is being recorded for training and quality assurance."  Guess what they are doing with these recordings?  They are using them to train and improve their inside sales teams!

Without a doubt, this one technique was the most important thing I did that catapulted me into the Top 20%.  I relentlessly recorded myself and began improving in all areas and on each and every call.  I listened to them at lunch, on the drive home, with my manager, etc.  Because of recording myself, I literally doubled my income in 90 days.  And I never looked back.

For managers and business owners, recording your sales reps is the single most important thing you can do to increase revenues. 
ÂWant to know why someone is in making sales?  Record them and you'll have your answer in the day. 
ÂWant to see if your training is working?  Record them before and after see how many reps are implementing your training. 
ÂWant great sales training material for your next meeting?  Record your top reps and play the good parts in your next meeting.

Bottom line -- if you want to double your sales and income selling over the phone, and want the fastest most effective way to do this, then go to Radio Shack today (or search online) and have a recorder in place tomorrow.  Start recording and listening to your tapes, correcting your fundamentals, and watch your closing rate and income soar.

I don't know about you, but 24 hours in a day doesnât seem like itâs enough. And 8 - 9 hours for work just barely covers the paperwork, order follow-up, client calls, e-mails that need answering, voicemail messages, etc. 

"And you mean you want me to prospect and find closing time, too?  What, are you kidding?!â

Sound familiar?  It should.  Sales reps and their managers constantly tell me they are on the run the moment they get in the office.  Just opening and answering their email can take them on an hour journey away from what they should, want, or need to be doing to drive sales (like the prospecting calls or reorder calls).  What to do?

I just finished giving a seminar on time management to a company here in Southern California, and boy did I need the reminder.  I'm much better - and so are they â now that I'm following these Five Keys to Time Management.  Use them and you'll feel better too!
 

Key #1 - Begin each day with a written list of three priorities.  Ask yourself: âWhat are the three things that are crucial for me to accomplish today?"  (Hint: ask yourself what 3 things you can do today that will most affect your bottom line, meaning, dollars in your pocket?)  Write them down -- in order of importance and thenâ.

Key #2 - Start each day with your top three priorities and work each one through until it's done.  Then cross it off and work on the next one.  Resist the temptation to multitask.  Working each one through to completeness is the key.  Make sure and cross each one off when you're done!
This builds momentum, a sense of accomplishment and empowerment, and most importantly you'll actually be getting your important priorities done each day.

Key #3 - Start with your most important (or most difficult) task first.  Accomplishing one or two important tasks always leads to more success -- and always frees up the most energy.  Once those âmountains" are out of the way, you can easily and more enjoyably take on your other priorities.
Most people do the opposite: they put off the hard (and most important stuff) and get caught up in the time robbers.  This is a sure recipe for feeling overwhelmed.  Do the opposite -- start with the hard, and watch your day get easier!

Key # 4 - Group your other activities.  Paperwork, checking e-mail, checking voicemail, etc., are incredible time drains.  The worst thing to do is to keep checking them every few minutes.  Make a schedule - perhaps after you cross off a priority, you allow 15 minutes to check these things and then go right back to your next priority.  Paperwork and other non-essential activities especially are best grouped at the end of the day.

Although these things seem important (and some are) don't keep getting tangled up in them. You must stick to your top three or five priorities (like 2-3 hours a day spent cold calling -- a top five priority that pays for itself many times over).  Grouping your activities allows you to get all of the other âstuffâ done but not at the expense of your priorities.

Key #5 - Prepare your next day the night before.  Before you leave the office, make sure you have your written list of priorities and grouped activities timed and written down.  This helps you get off to a running start, and allows you to mentally prepare for your day the night before.  It also allows you to get more rest because you're not worrying about or planning your day as you're trying to fall asleep at night.

These are the Five Keys to Time Management.  Any one of these Keys will make you more productive, reduce your stress, and help you squeeze more out of your day.  Use them and you'll get more done - and you'll feel better!

So go ahead and start right now.  With your top three priorities for today?

You know I talk a lot about the techniques that separate the Top 20% of the money earners from the other 80%.  As you know, this Podcast is dedicated to providing you with the tools, tips and strategies that you, too, can use to become a Top 20% producer.
And today I'm going to share with you one of the most effective and easiest ways to double your sales.  And it has to do with what you say when you call a prospect back to close the sale.

Here's what 80% of the inside sales reps currently say:

âOh hi, this is _______ with the XYZ Company.  I'm calling to follow up on the  (proposal, information, etc.).  Did you have a chance to review that?"

Or, another equally weak opening most sales reps use is:

âHi, this is ________ with the XYZ Company, how are you?  Good, I was just calling to see what you thought of the (proposal, information, etc.)?"

Wrong, wrong, wrong!  I cringe when I hear sales reps open the close this way!  First, you're giving all control over to your prospect -- why would you want to do that? 

Second, you're just opening yourself up for a stall or put off â âNo, I haven't had time yet, why donât you call me back next week?"
If you want to be a Top 20% closer, strike the phrases âjust calling to follow up" and âjust wanted to see if you..." out of your pitch â FOREVER!

Here is how the Top 20% start their closing callbacks, and how you can double your sales starting with your very next call:

âHi _______ this is ______ ______ with the ABC Company.  You know, I've been looking forward to getting back with you and getting you started with our (award-winning newsletter, number one industry ranked product, world-class service -- fill in your product/service/investment here).  I know you'll be as happy and satisfied as my other clients are.
Now, I'm sure you (read/received the information), and I'm sure you see how it will benefit you.  My question is: do you want to start with our professional position of _______, or does the _______ position work better for you?â

Now shut up and listen.  Earth shattering to you?  Perhaps it is.  But so will be your results.  This works on so many levels:

1) You're asking for the deal right away (and youâll be surprised because some will buy on the spot!)

2) It immediately starts the close on an assumptive and positive note. 

3) You eliminate any put-offs and stalls.

4) You immediately get the prospect to tell you where they stand and what they're thinking (and what you'll need to do to close the sale).

This is a powerful technique.  I guarantee that if you begin using this approach on every sales call, you will be well on your way to doubling your closing percentage and income.
But don't take my word for it -- try it and let me know your results.

In fact, one of the biggest mistakes 80% of salespeople make when qualifying is to overlook or not react to obvious Red Flags prospects give during the initial call.

In their haste or desperation to âgenerate a lead" or to âfill their pipeline." most sales reps hope that the possible objection they just heard will miraculously go away once the prospect sees their information or product or service, etc.

But you all know from experience -- it never does.  In fact, the law for calling back leads is that:

âLeads Never Get Better." 

What appears to be an objection or deal killer always is.

Red Flags are those answers â or non-answers - prospects give you that make your gut hurt.  Itâs the answers or vague blow offs they give you that mean theyâre going to be a tough close, or hard to reach, or not very cooperative when you get back to them.   You know what I mean.

So what to do?  Do what the Top 20% -- as soon as you hear something that triggers your intuition or that gives you that feeling in your gut, stop and ask the tough questions! 

Here are some examples:

If someone says that they usually buy from ________, but would like to see your information, ask:

âWhy would you switch vendors?"  Or

âHow many other companies have you looked at in the last six months?"

And then: "And how many did you go with?" 

If someone says that they will pass it on to ________, say:

âThanks.  So that I make sure I'm not wasting her time it's best that I speak with her for just a few minutes.  Can you please tell her that (your name) is holding please?"  (If you're then told they are not available, make sure and get their direct line or the person's extension and keep calling until she picks up.

If someone says you can send them your information (a sure blow off), ask:

âGreat, and after you see it and if you think that it can help you, when would you move on it?"

OR,

âGreat.  And let me ask you a question: What would you need to see in it to put me and my company to work for you?â

Or,

âMr Prospect, I sometimes tell people Iâm trying to get off the phone to Just Send Their Information, when Iâm not really that interested.  Is that the case here â or are you really serious about considering me and my company as a potential solution?

And so on.

The bottom line is that if you want to close like the top 20% then you have to start questioning the Red Flags. 

Remember: It's better to disqualify the non buyers early then to spend your time and energy chasing and pitching people who are never going to buy.

Plus it means that you have more time to find real buyers. 

So this week, write up questions to the Red Flags you currently get and begin using them!  You'll feel so much stronger as a closer, and youâll begin making more money.  Believe me, itâs a win/win. 

And if you need more scripts and questions like this, visit my website and check out my 110 page ebook: âThe Complete Book of Phone Scriptsâ. 

Youâll be happy you did!

When I was in the financial industry, Iâll always remember that the top closer in the office used to hold his lead cards over the trash while he was qualifying people.  And as he got answers he didnât like, heâd lower the lead closer and closer into the mouth of trash can. 

After three vague or suspect answers from the prospect, heâd let the lead fall away and heâd move on. 

Isnât that a great image? 

The bottom line is that 80% of your competition is trying to create a qualified lead from prospects who will never buy, while Top 20% producers are more interested in finding the real buyers -- not in generating useless leads.

And the way they do that this is by disqualifying prospects rather than qualifying them.

Itâs the attitude shift here is that's so important.  80% of sales reps are desperate to âfill their pipelines," as we talked about last week, and theyâll send out anybody with the pulse just so they have someone to pitch later on. 
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Companies and sales managers train them in this way (a big waste of time and money), and then the sales reps spend their time chasing unqualified leads, getting rejected, practicing poor sales skills, and barely getting by. 

Sound familiar?

It's sad, but that's how 80% of your competition spend their sales careers.  This leads to poor morale, upset managers, and a lot of turn over.

The Top 20%, however, would never think of sending out unqualified leads and instead eliminate prospects who don't fit their strict criteria of a buyer.  The Top 20% have the mindset to disqualify rather than qualify and usually send out the fewest leads in the office, but they have the highest closing rates and they make the most amount of money.

Now for the Top 20%, part of disqualifying means stopping and questioning the âred flags" they get,

It means asking the tough questions about budget, about real interest, about decision timelines, and decision processes. 

When they are done with the qualification call they can tell you why the prospect will buy, what it will take, and in many cases they've asked trial closes and can tell you when the prospect will buy.

The bottom 80% are afraid of asking these tough questions and they pay a steep price because of it. 

If you're listening to this podcast, and youâre in sales, then I know you know the difference between these two ways prospecting, and right now in your career you have a decision to make: 

Either keep chasing unqualified leads, or step up to the plate and learn how to be a Top 20% producer.

If youâre ready to become a Top 20% producer, then congratulations!  In next weekâs podcast Iâm going to give you word for word scripts on how to question some of the red flags you get while qualifying.  So make sure and tune in.

Now I know you're all familiar with the idea of the sales pipeline, right? You go out and cold call, prospect and generate as many leads as you can. You put all these leads into your pipeline and then hope and pray that some of them come out the other end and turn deals, right? 

That's the basic idea and itâs how almost every sales company I've ever worked with or have read about currently run their sales departments.  When managers draw this on the board, it looks like a funnel, doesnât it?  The larger end at the top is where you put all those leads, and then you watch the smaller bottom end waiting for some deals to trickle out.

In fact, there are even ratios and numbers you assign to measure this. Out of 10 leads you might close one deal, or out of 15 leads close one or two deals, and so on.

Now, this is how 80 to 90% of salespeople and companies run their business.

But not the Top 20%

You see, there are problems with the pipeline idea. The biggest problem is that 80% of salespeople are more focused on putting prospects into the pipeline than they are on really qualifying who goes in it.

Their motto is, "If I throw enough crap on the wall, some of it will stick." Well, excuse the pun, but that method stinks. And top closers know this

The Top 20% have thrown their sales pipeline away and instead they use a sales cylinder. They spend most of their time disqualifying prospects and only let in the select few who are highly qualified and most likely to buy.

They know they don't need practice pitching unqualified leads, rather they need practice finding real buyers.

Because of this, the Top 20% usually generate the lowest number of leads but have the highest closing rates in the office. In other words the same number of leads that go into their cylinder usually come out.

Here are 5 things you can do today to begin exchanging your pipeline for a sales cylinder. 

Number 1: Look at all the leads currently in your pipeline and assign a #1 to the ones you know will buy, a #2 to those that might buy, and a #3 to those you have no idea about or probably won't buy.

Number 2:  Now this is going to take some courage, but  Throw your #3 leads away!

Alright â you may not be ready for that stage yet, so at least close them hard and get an immediate decision)

Number 3: Determine what your current closing ratio is on each group of leads.  It should be pretty high on the #1 leads, and pretty bad on the #3 leads...

Number 4: From now on reduce the number of leads you send out by half. Either disqualify out the #3 category leads, and trial close potential #1's and 2's before putting them in your sales cylinder. 

Number 5: Repeat the process with each batch of leads that you turn into prospects. 

Bottom line -- if you want to become a Top 20% closer then you have to stop spending time with unqualified leads and start spending time finding, qualifying and closing real buyers.

In my coming podcasts, Iâll show you exactly how to go about doing just that.

I donât have to tell you that times are hard for companies these days.  And that means hard on you, too, the sales rep.  Now when companies tell you that they donât have the budget, you really believe them, donât you? 

Well not the Top 20%. 

Top 20% producers are still making 80% of the sales because they know how to adapt in a changing market like the one weâre in today.  They also know that companies are still buying their products and services, and what they are doing is adjusting how they sell so they can be more efficient with their time and energy.  And one of their top priories these days is improving their phone skills. 

Whether you only prospect and set appointments by phone, or if your entire sales cycle is conducted by phone, learning to use the phone more effectively is going to be crucial to your success in todayâs economic environment.

Here is Part One of 5 Secrets of Top 20% producers and 5 critical phone skills you need to master today:

Secret #1:  Use the phone to disqualify prospects rather than qualify them.  With gas prices around $5 a gallon, the last thing you want to do is set a bunch of unqualified or so/so appointments and then spend your time, energy, and gas running around accomplishing nothing. 

So do what the Top 20% do: when they get an answer that gives them that feeling in their gut (what I call a Red Flag), stop and qualify it!  Ask the tough questions.  For example, if your prospect says you can drop something off if you wish, ask: 

âIâd be happy to.  And let me ask you, after you see the information, when are you planning to make a decision on it?â

Or,

âIâd be happy to.  What do you need to see in it to move forward and put my company to work for you?â 

Donât be afraid to throw away the non-buyers!  Remember: Leads never get better!

Secret #2:  Be prepared with solid scripts to handle the common brush offs you get â especially the, âWe donât have the budget nowâ. When you get this, you should reply with:

âI completely understand.  Like most companies, I know you donât have extra money to throw around these days.  But I also know that you still need to advertise your business and drive customers in the door.  ________, let me ask you - if I could show you how advertising just $1,000 with us this month could bring you back $2,000 or more in business, isnât that something you should know more about?â 

(Adapt this script to fit your product or service)

Secret #3:  When closing, learn how to cut through smokescreen objections and find out what is really holding your prospect back â and whether they are ever going to be a deal or not!

To do this, start questioning and isolating objections rather than answering them.  If your prospect says: âThe price is too high,â say:

âI can understand that.  Let me ask you â if the price were right where you wanted to spend, is this something you would go ahead and order from me today?â

Any answer other than yes means that this is just a smokescreen and answering it will get you nowhere. 

Secret #4:  Start recording your phone calls and make it a habit to begin listening to them and finding ways to improve. 

This is without a doubt the most important thing you can do but, surprisingly, itâs the last thing 80% of sales reps will ever do.  You will learn and improve more in a week than you will in 5 years of sales training.  In fact, Iâve literally doubled my income in 90 days using this technique.  Try it â itâll change your careerâ

Secret #5:  Make a REAL commitment to improving every aspect of your phone calls and of your sales presentations.  I call it Practicing Perfection.  Youâve heard the saying that practice makes perfect, right?

Well thatâs wrong!  Only practice of perfection makes perfect.  If you keep adlibbing your way through your qualification calls and closing presentations, youâre going to keep getting poor results. 

But if you commit to finding and then using proven skills like the ones above, then youâll improve on each call and youâll make more sales.  Just like the Top 20% do right now!

If you found this article helpful, then you will love Mikeâs new book: âThe REAL Secrets of the Top 20% - How To Double Your Income Selling Over the Phone.â  You can read about this by clicking here: http://www.mrinsidesales.com/bookmarketing.htm

Mike Brooks, Mr. Inside Sales, offers FREE Closing Scripts, and a FREE audio program designed to help you double your income selling over the phone. He works with business owners and inside sales reps nationwide teaching them the skills, strategies and techniques of top 20% performance. If you want to Close Business like a Top Closer, then learn how at: http://www.MrInsideSales.com