All animal life (including human life) revolves around two powerful motivators:

• Pain
• Pleasure

Every minute of every day, you and I are either trying to avoid pain (problems, frustrations and dissatisfactions) and/or seek pleasure (dreams, desires, goals and aspirations).

Of the two motivators, pain is by far the greater. People will do almost anything to get out of pain. (Think of the desperate people who travel to Mexico to purchase highly questionable drugs that are illegal in their country to treat their illnesses. Think of the Cubans who risk their lives on flimsy rafts to get to America in search of a better life.)

If you know the specific pain your prospects are concerned about and the pleasures they’d like to experience, and if your products and services and/or your business products can help meet those needs, the odds of them being attracted to you and your business are extremely high. (This is, of course, conditional upon your presentation not being the pushy or aggressive type.)

What Motivates People To Take Immediate Action?

All significant buying decisions are based on emotion. It doesn’t matter whether someone buys a toy for a child or a multi-million-dollar office building, emotion plays the major role when making buying decisions.

Now, think about this: The more emotional a person becomes about particular issues, the more likely he or she will take an action to address those needs.

Emotion plays such a major role in buying decisions, it often leads to actions and decisions not previously considered. For example, a person who would normally not consider your services becomes worried about layoffs or downsizing and then your offer is considered. Insecurity sets in. All of a sudden you become more attractive.

When approaching potential prospects, your first goal should always be to uncover specific problems they may have. Once you do that, you can (through a dialogue exchange) elevate those problems to such an emotional level that your prospects are ready to look for solutions. Then, and only then, do you show them how your products, services and your business program are the solutions they need.

This is the sales strategy of the most successful salespeople, business people, and corporations on earth. we call it, “Total Quality Selling.”

So, how do you get people to talk about their problems? That’s easy.

We start the emotional ball rolling by getting our prospects to reveal their dissatisfactions, needs and desires. Asking the right questions does this.

We then elevate those emotions by asking even more questions (reverses) that cause them to elaborate on the pain and / or pleasures they are concerned about. As they begin to discuss and think about their situation, they begin to see the emotional impact of not having solutions to their present and future needs.

Note: Keep in mind that you’re not creating pain for your prospects, the pain is already there. You’re simply helping them to see and “own” the pain for what it really is. You’re helping them see the impact on their lives and their families.

Isn’t that what a good doctor, attorney, coach or therapist is trained to do? Why should it be any different for a professional, consultative salesperson?

Good selling,

Dave Rothfeld

Powerful words, to be sure, as they relate to success and setting and reaching goals. If you can visualize already having attained your goal, you’ll be able to reach it. If you say, “Sure, I’d like to have a Mercedes, but I could never earn enough to make the payments,” forget about it. No chance. Similar logic can be applied to sales and the buying process.

KEY SALES POINT: People are most likely to buy when it’s easy to see themselves already enjoying the results of your product or service.

Make that visual and sensory image easy for them. One way to do this is to refer to objects in the person’s environment, or to relate to images that are familiar to the listener. For example:

• “If you take a look at your computer keyboard, it’s about that same size.”
• “It’s very lightweight … about the same as your standard office stapler.”
• “The unit would easily fit on the corner of a desktop, without hindering the ability to spread your work all over the top of the desk.”
• “The texture is comparable to regular commercial grade office carpet.”
• “If you took your hands and held them about twelve inches apart, that’s how wide it is.”
• “I’d say the color is the same as a manila file folder.”
• “Take a look at the top of your desk. It’s about that tall from the floor.”

The more senses you can engage; the better. Get your listener actively involved, and you enhance your chances with them.

Good selling,

Dave Rothfeld

Instant Mentor? Can someone buy experience in the form of a franchise and become an effective mentor, coach or consultant? I’m sorry to report that I come across this more and more every day. Not so surprising in this down economy with numerous layoffs, leaving many displaced people looking for a position. Often what they find is a “business opportunity” in the form of a training franchise or a canned marketing presentation representing and promoting a national spokesperson.

Webster defines mentor as “a wise and trusted counselor, a loyal advisor”. In Greek mythology, Mentor was the wise advisor of Odysseus (Ulysses). Coach is defined as “a private tutor who prepares a student as for an examination, by private tutoring, to give instruction or advice to in the capacity of a coach.” Consultant can be defined in one word, “expert.” It doesn’t mean “someone with little or no relative business experience, no formal business education and training to teach, no real expertise, but that’s O.K. if they have sufficient funds to buy a “program.” Sound familiar? It should because they’re out there, and they want your money.

I’m not saying that it’s impossible for someone who doesn’t have a successful track record in corporate or general business experience ,or specific training successes, to be a good mentor for you or your company; it’s just not very likely that the advice you get will help you as much as the money you pay for it will help them. Yet, there certainly is a need for coaches, trainers and mentors today. The problem is trying to find the right one. I’d like to offer some suggestions that may help you to find that person or consulting firm and avoid the sharks.

Try these questions with anyone representing themselves to be a consultant to you or your firm. I learned a long time ago to observe the behavior and track-record, rather than merely listen to someone trying to sell me something. Remember to “inspect what you expect”.

A Guide For Selecting The Right Mentor For You . . . And For Your Business

What is their orientation? Are they selling workshops, books or tapes. Or, are they selling customized HELP for you and your business?

How long have they been in business? (In the training / consulting industry, 10 years is long, and less than five years is a newcomer).

Do they have any experience helping people in your industry or a directly related industry?

Will they provide you with a list of references?

Is the curriculum they are teaching material they have developed, or is it a “franchised, canned program”?

Does the curriculum include specific information on incorporating the TQM and/or ISO 9000 principles into the sales process? Anything less today should be considered as ‘Jurassic.’

Since NLP is considered by most experts to be the key to developing rapport, does the curriculum offer training in NLP as related to sales or management?

What is the consultants experience with Desktop Marketing? Can they help you to incorporate today’s computer technology into your sales planning and administration?

Do they have a successful track record in business that would enable them to help you?

Do they have a formal business school education?

Will they help your employees until they “get it”?

Do they help you to analyze your sales performance?

Is there on-going personal reinforcement built in to the training?

What about the training program for your sales force? Is it results oriented, or just designed to entertain the troops and fill a time slot?

Does their curriculum include a complete system for selling? One that incorporates all related aspects of Behavior, Attitude and Techniques?

Review the teaching material. Is it written for specialists or non-specialists? Does it fit your requirements?

What is the commitment / investment in their business? Do they have a training center, or do they operate out of hotel rooms?

Other than the principal, is their full-time support staff available to you? How long will it take for you to get an answer to an important question? Are you dealing with a “one – man show”?

What is the average time it takes to see results, 90 days, 6 months, 1 year? It shouldn’t take longer than 90 days to see some meaningful, measurable results.

Are they “a product of the product?” Do they truly represent the professionalism that they talk about or is it more like a “Tin Man”, or “Glengarry, Glen Ross” sales con act. 

You shouldn’t have to settle for any one who doesn’t score a perfect “20″. If you apply these standards, you will find the right mentor for you or for your firm.

Good selling,

Dave Rothfeld

For my money, the most crucial word in sales today is obsession. Close behind it are two supporting ideas, utilization and implementation. Let’s talk a little bit about what these three words really mean for you.

Obsession

Every day I’m not training, coaching or consulting, I make fifteen dials. And by making fifteen dials, I can get through to at least ten people. Once I get through to ten people, I’ll usually set up five appointments. I do that several days a week, which, by extension, means that every week I have, on average, ten new sales appointments. I close nine out of ten, so at the end of the year, I should have hundreds of new customers for workshops, consulting or the Inner Circle.

Author and Vice Chairman of General Motors, Bob Lutz, comments in his book “Guts!”, that every successful business he has seen in his life has one thing in common: they are all driven by a leader who has a passion for their business. A leader who is obsessed about success and who is an afficionado of his trade.

I mention my daily routine-my obsession, if you will, my repetitive, second nature approach to sales so that you’ll know I’m not just talking theory here. Many sales articles are written by people who have retired or gotten out of business. I have not retired. I’m too young to retire, and I’m having too much fun to get out of the business. I am an active, professional. I also happen to be founder of one of the country’s top sales training firms. Part of the reason for our success is that the people we work with know that we practice exactly what we preach, day in and day out.

In order for you to be successful in sales, you must be absolutely, positively obsessed with your work while you’re doing it. You have to be so dedicated to the idea that you can satisfy a customer with your product or service that you move into a whole new work realm. A realm where there is simply no place for watching the clock, wishing it were time for a coffee break, or wondering how the Dolphins are going to do against the Patriots this Sunday. That’s not to say there’s no place for any of these things in your life-just that there’s no place for any of these things while you’re working. Now, this doesn’t mean you must take yourself so seriously that you become a workaholic and have a heart attack at thirty-eight. It means you must make a commitment to yourself, and build up a routine that is success-oriented.

Of course, we should note here that obsession without discipline often results in chaos. As obsessive as you want to get about being successful, all that energy must be coupled with discipline or you’re not going to get anywhere.

Utilization

This means utilizing everything at your disposal to increase your success. In a way, it’s being obsessive about getting the most from your environment. Burrow through company brochures and catalogs to learn everything you can about your product. Have regular meetings with your sales manager to discuss your performance and get new ideas. Work with a sales coach. Use motivational CD’s, to put you on the right track. In short, utilize your tools!

Such tools needn’t be limited to things you can hold in your hand. Have you shown customers your office or plant? Have you reviewed past company successes with your prospect? Have you invited current and potential clients to company social outings? Be creative. Once you stop to think about it, you’ll be amazed at how many excellent tools go completely ignored by salespeople.

Implementation

Or, if you prefer, just do it; make the effort in the first place. All the sales books in the world will not help you if you don’t try. Don’t fall prey to the “paralysis of analysis.” One of the beautiful things about sales is that it’s an extremely binary way to make a living. You’re either making a sale and in the process or you’re not. Make every effort to be “on” during every moment you actually communicate with potential customers. Take nothing for granted, and don’t get bogged down with over preparation. Do it.

I realize, of course, that research has its place. But you should never forget that if you don’t make the calls, your efforts are going to be in vain. Selling is selling: going after suspects and prospects and talking to them. Don’t lose sight of that, and don’t let your obsession be misdirected into something that won’t help you put numbers on the board.

Three crucial ideas-obsession, implementation, and utilization. How do you make sure you’re incorporating them? Here are some tips. Make a to-do list. Identify important objectives before you start the day; then work like crazy to attain the objectives on your list. Good selling!

Keep your motivation up. Whatever your approach, make a commitment to find one new idea a month and run with it. Start early. Try coming into the office forty-five minutes before everyone else does. You’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish, and how big a jump you’ll get on your day. Don’t think of it as an inconvenience-think of it as an advantage. And just do it.

Be obsessive, but disciplined. Utilize everything you have at your fingertips; then implement. It’s a proven recipe for success. Remember: obsession is essential… but obsession without discipline equals chaos!