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Are your sales historical or hysterical?

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Summer’s over. Back to school.

Boy, there are some memories. High school. College. Subjects you loved, subjects you hated. Teachers you loved, teachers you hated.

THE QUESTION IS: What did you learn in school? What lessons are you still using?

I have 2.5 major, early and later school-learned lessons I am grateful for:
1. Grammar from 9th and 10th grade. It’s the basis of my writing and communication. In today’s world, misuse of the words they’re, their, their, your, and you’re create lasting (bad) first impressions.
2. In college (Temple University in 1964), my modern European history professor said, “It’s not the date of what happened that matters. It’s what happened in response to the date (events, outcomes) that creates history.”
2.5 Later in life I came to the realization that algebra was not about math, it was about learning how to solve problems logically. I wish my algebra teacher could have put it that way when I started.

And how about sales and business? What lessons have you learned? What lessons are you still using?

I have 2.5 major, early sales lessons I am grateful for:
1. Questions control conversations. The person that’s asking is in control.
2. Relax, find common ground, and be friendly with the prospect BEFORE you start the sales conversation.
2.5 Find out why they want to buy BEFORE you start to sell.

Here are 11.5 lessons you can use to start this school year off with a bang – and a bunch of sales:
1. Study your (or your company’s) last 100 sales. The history of where your last 100 sales came from will predict and help you complete your next 100 sales.
2. Videotape the buying motives of your top ten customers. Call your top ten customers and meet with them for a short, casual conversation about WHY they buy from you. Video the conversation.
3. Meet one customer a day for morning coffee. Just talk personally. In a year this will give you the personal insight of 250 customers.
4. Study service issues. Find out what issues customers have. Study how (and how fast) they were resolved.
5. Study backorders. Why did the back order occur? How was it dealt with? How was it resolved?
6. Talk to users, not just buyers. Go to your customers and talk to the people that USE your product or service. Find out what they love and what’s missing. Video the interviews. SECRET: Get purchasing people to be at the meeting with the people that USE your product, so they can understand the difference between price, productivity, value, and profit.
7. Talk to your loyal customers that don’t buy price. Find out the true non-price buying motive(s) for dealing with you.
8. Get involved on a deeper, hands-on level. Make a few deliveries yourself. Take a few service calls yourself. Work in accounting for a day. Find out what’s really happening with and to your customers.
9. Get short meetings with executives. Talk about the issues they value the most – loyalty, productivity, morale, and profit. Maybe ask a question or two about their vision or leadership philosophy, and leave. DO NOT ASK FOR BUSINESS. Just make an impression. IDEA: create a blog around executive leadership philosophies.
10. Start your own value messaging in social media. Post your ideas and thoughts on all social media outlets. Then email the links to all your customers and prospects so they can follow you.
11. Post customer testimonials on YouTube. Then email and tweet the links to all your customers and prospects.
11.5 Create a customer “reasons” book. List all the reasons why they buy, say no, stay loyal, or leave you. As you write, answers and actions will become evident.

KEY POINT OF UNDERSTANDING: The lessons you have learned from your history of doing business with customers is very valuable, BUT not as valuable as your customer’s history of doing business with you. A subtle but powerful difference. Both are valuable, but your customer’s input from their perspective can teach you how to achieve and maintain loyalty.

KEY TO IMPLEMENTATION: Re-construct your sales presentation around customer’s responses and perceived values.

WINNING NEW BUSINESS: Where is your new business coming from? The best way to find new business is to talk to old business, learn the lessons, and refine your practices and presentation to be in harmony with their needs and expectations.

Those are lessons you can learn from and earn from.

Reprinted with permission from Jeffrey H. Gitomer and Buy Gitomer.

About the Author

Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of The Sales Bible, Customer Satisfaction is Worthless Customer Loyalty is Priceless, The Little Red Book of Selling, The Little Red Book of Sales Answers, The Little Black Book of Connections, The Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude, The Little Green Book of Getting Your Way, The Little Platinum Book of Cha-Ching, The Little Teal Book of Trust, The Little Book of Leadership, and Social BOOM! His website, www.gitomer.com, will lead you to more information about training and seminars, or email him personally at [email protected].

Using Instagram is not an option; it’s an opportunity!

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QUESTION: Why did Facebook pay one billion dollars for Instagram?
ANSWER: So that instead of worrying about how many people joined Instagram (and abandoned Facebook), they could brag about it.

Are you on Instagram? I am. All of my family is. ALL of my family is. Daughters, granddaughters, in-laws, outlaws. All of them. All of my close friends are too. And a few hundred other people I don’t know, who looked me up or found me through a hash tag. Are you on?

Do you post on Instagram? I do. Almost every day. Why? Because I take pictures on my iPhone that I believe are worth sharing. That’s what Instagram is all about.

With more that 130 million ‘users’ Instagram is what’s new and what’s next. If you doubt it, ask yourself why Facebook bought a company – that never made a dime of profit – for a billion dollars.

I’m certain that in a Facebook research-marketing lab someplace in Silicone Valley they’re talking about Instaface or Facegram.

Instagram is an app of the future. It’s really only usable on mobile and tablet devices. But it makes sense because mobile is where you take pictures.

Take a look at mine @jeffreygitomer

Here’s what Instagram offers to your social media mix:

  • It’s instant. Shoot the photo, minor edit, short description, add the people you’re with and or the location the photo was taken, and post it.
  • It takes less time than other social media. Not just for you, but for everyone else you’re connected to.
  • People typically post positive things. They ‘like’ it, and they can say a few words.
  • No drama. Facebook is a soap opera. Instagram is a happy place.
  • It’s a document of your daily life. In a light and non-time-consuming way.
  • It’s personal. Family sees family. Friends see friends. And you are able to stay in touch with family friends in a personal way. KEY: Invite your family and friends to join you.
  • It’s available to others. Your business friends and close customers can get a glimpse of your personal side without all the Facebook crap and your past life.
  • You don’t have to be a writer, just a smartphone user. Very few words are needed – just photos and short videos.
  • There’s a chance to be ‘liked.’ For your photos, your travels, your creativity, your career, your achievements, your cute kids, your passions, and your family.
  • There’s a chance to comment. And you can send words of praise to those you follow.
  • There’s a chance to acknowledge others. When you appear in a photo with others or want to send them a message.
  • It’s fun. It is by far, my favorite of the social media options.

YOU MUST: Get your parents, kids, close relatives, and friends involved to ‘share’ the spirit of Instagram.

IT’S NOT A TREND, IT’S A MOVEMENT: Kids are ON IT, and ALL OVER IT. My grandchildren have all but abandoned Facebook in favor of Instagram.

NOTE: I just texted Morgan, my 15-year-old granddaughter, and asked her when her last post on Facebook was. ‘September 16, 2012’ (Almost a year ago – and she was on it every hour before then). Last post on Instagram? ‘Yesterday.’ Morgan has 447 followers (knows most of them), is following 272 people, and has posted 584 photos. She is the future of Instagram – and Facebook knows it.

WAKE UP – Microsoft Word still thinks the word Instagram is a misspelling. Sad.

WANT MORE FOLLOWERS? Besides your inner circle of people and family, if you want more followers, take great photos and #hashtag key words and places of interest when you post a photo or video. Others go searching for those words and places, find you, and (some) will follow you.

Here are a few more things about Instagram that will help you learn more and take full advantage of the opportunity:

  • Hashtag (#) search for a few things you love, and find a few people to follow that have similar interests. I follow people who photograph Paris. It has led me to other amazing photographers.
  • Be authentic – post your own photos.
  • Study the experts. There are hundreds of them on Instagram.

Do it. If you’re already doing it, improve and expand your doing. It’s an easy way to share joy, memories, and passions. Oh, and it’s FREE.

Reprinted with permission from Jeffrey H. Gitomer and Buy Gitomer.

About the Author

Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of The Sales Bible, Customer Satisfaction is Worthless Customer Loyalty is Priceless, The Little Red Book of Selling, The Little Red Book of Sales Answers, The Little Black Book of Connections, The Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude, The Little Green Book of Getting Your Way, The Little Platinum Book of Cha-Ching, The Little Teal Book of Trust, The Little Book of Leadership, and Social BOOM! His website, www.gitomer.com, will lead you to more information about training and seminars, or email him personally at [email protected].

Like me! Why should I like you? Eh, I have no idea!

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If you can remember that far back in Facebook history (2007), it started as a ‘fan’ page. Then one day (way back in 2010), out of the blue, Facebook decided to change it to a ‘like’ page.

Why did they change it? Here’s their reason: “To improve your experience and promote consistency across the site, we’ve changed the language for Pages from ‘Fan’ to ‘Like.’ We believe this change offers you a more light-weight and standard way to connect with people, things and topics in which you are interested.”

Huh? Oh, that’s corporate-speak. What it really means is to create a business page where your customers or fans can go and interact. Kind of like what it was.

REALITY: It’s hard to make fun of the third largest country in the world, so everyone went along – me included.

And then the begging began. PLEASE LIKE ME! Or LIKE US ON FACEBOOK! The signs were everywhere. Still are.

And many people did:
Zappos – 833,000 likes
Elvis – 8.5 million likes
Lady Gagam – 53.5 million likes
Chevrolet – 1.9 million likes
Tesla – 234,000 likes
Jeffrey Gitomer – 35,451 likes (Not bad. But not as many as I would like. I try to give people a reason to like me, rather than just ask.)

What about your business? Who is liking you? And why? What’s the reason customers would like you beyond the beg?

Want more ‘likes’? Consider the process, not just the ask. Asking for a like gives me or anyone else little or no incentive to do so. Can you imagine this conversation, “Honey, as soon as we get home, let’s like them.” No, not gonna happen.

Here are a few thoughts to get your mind wrapped around the “like” process and help you understand how to attract and earn more of them:

  • Maybe remind people WHY they like you. If you love our service, share the love on Facebook. Facebook.com/yourbusiness THANK YOU!
  • What’s to like? Ask yourself WHY people like you and talk about that.
  • Where’s the value? Like me – and my 10 best ideas for summer weekend getaways will be yours!
  • Where’s the one on one? Interacting with customers one-on-one will get people talking about you on THEIR Facebook page, and liking you.
  • Maybe if you LOVE me, then you’ll be more likely to like me. Your passionate customers are the ones who will like you.
  • Maybe if you’re LOYAL to me, then you’ll be more likely to like me. The customers who buy from you over and over are the ones who will like you.

STRATEGY: Instant like in your store or place of business. DO IT NOW! Where’s your iPad? Why aren’t you asking people to sign in at your cash register or welcome counter and like you on the spot? I mean really, do you think your customers head home and say: “I really gotta ‘like’ the dry cleaner as soon as I walk in the door.” Not likely.
STRATEGY: Smartphones can improve like. Ask customers to like you at the register. Give a coupon.

Okay, so they like you. THEN WHAT?
Like is a one-time click, what’s my reason to post, interact, and return?

STRATEGY: Instead of just asking people to like you, ask them to tell you WHAT they like – or WHY they like it. Or better, why they like YOU. Get people to post something, not just click a button. Expand the like so that others can see your value and your reality.

The value of like is undeniable. Lots of people liking you gives peace of mind to new and prospective customers. Like is proof – social proof that you are ‘safe’ to do business with.

Like is a vote of confidence to the business, not just other customers.
Like is a source of pride and affirmation of self-worth.
Like is reputation building.

PLAN A STRATEGY. You now have some additional awareness of both the value and the strategy of ‘like.’

If you invest a few hours with your team, and maybe an outside professional (we use www.onesocialmedia.com)…
1. You’ll attract more people
2. You’ll become interactive with them
3. You’ll make more sales.

That I guarantee you’ll like.

Reprinted with permission from Jeffrey H. Gitomer and Buy Gitomer.

About the Author

Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of The Sales Bible, Customer Satisfaction is Worthless Customer Loyalty is Priceless, The Little Red Book of Selling, The Little Red Book of Sales Answers, The Little Black Book of Connections, The Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude, The Little Green Book of Getting Your Way, The Little Platinum Book of Cha-Ching, The Little Teal Book of Trust, The Little Book of Leadership, and Social BOOM! His website, www.gitomer.com, will lead you to more information about training and seminars, or email him personally at [email protected].

What you listen to can determine your mood and your fate.

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Everyone has their own time machine.
The only question is: how are you using it?

The time machine I’m referring to is music. The music you grew up with and the music you listen to every day. I refer to it as the ‘music transportation department’ because the right song can transport you back to an exact place and time in an instant – and create a great feeling.

Hopefully a positive place.
Hopefully a peaceful place.
Hopefully an inspirational place.
And surprisingly a sales place.

In 1983, I went to an ‘oldies’ concert in Philadelphia. A bunch of doo-wop groups reassembled to sing 25-year-old songs. The music I grew up with. The opening group was The Dubs who started the show singing “Could This Be Magic.” Please watch it here:

As I listened and sang along, I started to cry. It was the beginning of my true understanding of music. I’ve been a devout listener of doo-wop since 1955 and considered myself somewhat of an expert. But the memories it brought back were amazing. Overwhelming.

The Dubs provided my first recognized musical time machine, and I have been in the time machine warp ever since.

Fast forward to 2008. I started my subscription to a club here in Charlotte, North Carolina, called Music with Friends. They put on four concerts a year in a small venue (750 people) with great acoustics (actually an old converted church). I’ve got perfect seats (although there is not a bad seat in the house). And every event is TOTAL time machine music. Gladys Knight, Tony Bennett, Smokey Robinson, Hall & Oats, and Diana Ross to name a few.

Yes, I go to large arena music time machine events too. Carole King, Springsteen, and the incomparable Leonard Cohen.

And as a true music lover, I also see who and what is new. Justin Timberlake, Lady Gaga, Coldplay, Rhianna.

There’s magic in live music.

IMPORTANT MUSIC LESSON: Repetition is the mother of mastery. If you hear a song once, and you like it, you tap your foot to the music. After you hear that song five times, you can sing along. After you hear that song ten times, you can sing it on your own.

And if you hear that same song 20 years later, it instantly transports you back to the exact time and place you first heard it.

If I play the right song for you, I can take you back to your first date, first kiss, summer romance, travel, school, riding in a car, first wedding dance, even your first divorce.

In the late ’60s, one of the singer-songwriters I listened to most was Leonard Cohen. Compelling, clear, haunting music. In 1993, I was finishing the writing and editing of my Sales Bible in Hilton Head. Along with my editor, Rod Smith, and my cat Lito, I (we) listened to Leonard Cohen every day as the book was completed. Twenty years later I had a chance to see him live in Las Vegas. Sitting in the second row, the floodgates of memories and life opened. An amazing performance.

Last month we (my partner Jessica and I) flew to New Orleans to watch Leonard Cohen for the second time in two years. I could sing every song. It wasn’t just a concert. It was an emotional remembrance. The ’60s, The Sales Bible, the first concert, and this one. Very emotional. Very inspirational. Very impactful. Very life enhancing.

What’s your music?
What were you dancing to?
What are you dancing to?
What’s making your memories?
What’s keeping your memories alive?
What makes you cry with joy?
What makes you sing along (even if you can’t sing)?
What makes you stop and contemplate life?

SALES MUSIC: Music can also affect and impact your sales. Upbeat music makes the brain think and act upbeat. I prefer to call it ‘sales music’ because it gets you in a positive mood and can provide that extra passionate push.

Don’t you wish your prospect was thinking, “Bob is going to be here soon, I better play some rock music so I’m in a great mood when he arrives.” IDEA: Why not send a few songs to your prospect and ask him or her to listen to them just prior to your arrival. Okay, that probably won’t happen, but you get the idea.

MUSIC ACTION PLAN:
1. Document your music memory makers and get that music onto your music player or phone.
2. Identify the music that makes you wanna dance and puts you in a great mood. Download it all and put it in a separate ‘sales music’ file on your iPod.
2.5 Listen with the intent to be in a great frame of mind. A sales frame of mind.

I don’t know about you, but sales has always been music to my ears.

TELL ME: Got a favorite tune to set your sales mind on fire? Post it on my facebook page at www.facebook.com/jeffreygitomer.

Reprinted with permission from Jeffrey H. Gitomer and Buy Gitomer.

About the Author

Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of The Sales Bible, Customer Satisfaction is Worthless Customer Loyalty is Priceless, The Little Red Book of Selling, The Little Red Book of Sales Answers, The Little Black Book of Connections, The Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude, The Little Green Book of Getting Your Way, The Little Platinum Book of Cha-Ching, The Little Teal Book of Trust, The Little Book of Leadership, and Social BOOM! His website, www.gitomer.com, will lead you to more information about training and seminars, or email him personally at [email protected].

The POWER of Sales Success. It’s all within you!

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Last week I talked about the power of sales success and gave you the first ten personal powers you need to possess in order to have all of the sales success you desire. As a professional salesperson, you want more selling power and this two-part article reveals the sources.

Let me share with you the remaining powers you do possess and how you might be able to use them and take advantage of them to build sales, build relationships, build referrals, earn testimonials, and achieve the sales success that you are striving for…

11. The power of relatable example. Please don’t tell me how the product works. Rather, tell me how someone else is using it and winning right now as a result of it.
12. The power of truth. It’s sad I have to write about this. The elusiveness of truth has caused more business deals and more relationships to be lost to lack of truth than to lowest bid. Truth starts with you.
13. The power of trust. Trust is built slowly over time by taking consistent, value-based actions. Trust is lost in a minute by taking inappropriate actions, tellinguntruths, or failure to deliver as promised.
14. The power of service. The power of service is realized through actions, not advertisements. There is no power in telling me how great your service is, there is power in delivering it, and there is HUGE power in having your customers talk about it, brag about it, on social media.
15. The power of a relationship. Real relationships mean there is no bidding involved and no proposals involved in earning a sale. Relationships are based on mutual value provided, mutual loyalty exchanged, truth, and trust. Take a moment right now and list the ten customers that fall into this category. If there are less than ten your power isn’t close to what it could be.
16. The power of loyalty. I define loyal customers two ways: will a customer do businesswith me again and will they refer someone to me. Many customers may never be satisfied, but they continue to do business with you. That’s loyalty. Repeat business and unsolicited referrals are the report card that everything else in the relationship is excellent. Keep in mind that loyal customers are also your most profitable customers.
17. The power of reputation and social brand. Social media presence is no longer an option. And the most powerful part of it is the fact that your customers can interact with you one-on-one. They have access to your Facebook page. They can tweetabout you with a hashtag. They can post a video about how great you are on YouTube. Social media can make you a fortune or cost you a fortune. It all depends on the way you respond and the speed of your response.
18. The power of proof. When you make statements or claims about yourself, it’s bragging. When your customers say the SAME THING about you, it’s proof. Proof is a reputation builder, proof is a sales tool, and proof reinforces the belief of everyone in your company that you are who you say you are, and you do what you say you’ll do.
19. The power and joy of rejection. It’s amazing what you can learn when someone says no to you. Much more than when someone says yes. In both cases you need to understand why the yes or the no occurred. Celebrate the no. It will help you understand why and ultimately get to more yeses. The power of rejection, and learning from it, is the foundation for your resilience and your success.
20. The power, joy, and celebration of victory. YES attitude! When you’re in sales, nothing feels better than making one. The power comes one minute after the celebration. That’s when you start making the next one. Most salespeople stop after one. Big mistake. Your assertiveness is in high gear, your belief system is in higher gear, and your attitude, your YES Attitude!, is in highest gear. Once you learn that the best time to make a sale is right after you have just made a sale, you’re on the path to doubling your sales.
20.5 The power of opportunity. The most important realization in sales and selling is the one you give to yourself. You do not have a job. You have an opportunity. An opportunity to earn while you’re learning. An opportunity to earn based on your results. And an opportunity to grow without limits. If you look at your present position as an opportunity, then all barriers and all negatives will fall by the wayside as you challenge yourself to be your best regardless of your circumstance, regardless of your boss, regardless of the marketplace, and regardless of any obstacle that is in your way. I challenge you to take full advantage of your opportunity.

NOTE WELL: These powers do not act alone. Rather, they act in harmony with one another. One power will not put you over the top. It’s important to know them all and it is equally important to execute them all at their highest level.

Many of you are probably frantically searching for the first part of this article that appeared last week. Your search is over. Go to www.gitomer.com and enter the word POWER in the GitBit box.

Reprinted with permission from Jeffrey H. Gitomer and Buy Gitomer.

About the Author

Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of The Sales Bible, Customer Satisfaction is Worthless Customer Loyalty is Priceless, The Little Red Book of Selling, The Little Red Book of Sales Answers, The Little Black Book of Connections, The Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude, The Little Green Book of Getting Your Way, The Little Platinum Book of Cha-Ching, The Little Teal Book of Trust, The Little Book of Leadership, and Social BOOM! His website, www.gitomer.com, will lead you to more information about training and seminars, or email him personally at [email protected].