Real Secrets of the Top 20%

Don’t Answer Objections, Isolate Them!

OK, today’s Top 20% deals with how to properly handle objections.

Let’s 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:

“Objections 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?"

“Oh, yeah,” they say.  So here’s 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 – “Your price is too high," and “I need to speak with, talk to…"

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

“I 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 ‘yes’ 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 “I've got to speak to, talk this over with….” objection.  You should say:

“I can totally understand that, prospect’s 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 ‘yes’ 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!.

Another Way to Double Your Closing Ratio

With Today’s Top 20% Secret, I’m 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:

“Oh 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:

“Hi, 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 – “No, I haven't had time yet, why don’t you call me back next week?"

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

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

“Hi _______ 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?”

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 you’ll 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.

Real Secrets 007: Double Your Sales in 90 Days

Today’s 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, doesn’t it?  Stan Billue, a top telemarketing sales trainer in the late 80’s, 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 you’ll hear that you’re probably missing:

·What your prospect’s true buying motives are.
·What your prospect’s objections are.
·Whether or not you listened to these and answered them.
·Whether you were listening at all.
·How often you talked past the close.
·How many objections you created.
·Whether you heard their objections and answered them and then confirmed your answer and asked for the order—or 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, “Please 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. 
·Want to know why someone is in making sales?  Record them and you'll have your answer in the day. 
·Want to see if your training is working?  Record them before and after see how many reps are implementing your training. 
·Want 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.