SuccessCo

Business Humor * Self-Repair

When a man's printer type began to grow faint, he called a local repair shop where a friendly man informed him that the printer probably needed only to be cleaned. Because the store charged $50 for such cleanings, he told him he might be better off reading the printer's manual and trying the job himself.

Pleasantly surprised by his candor, he asked, "Does your boss know that you discourage business?"
"Actually, it's my boss's idea," the employee replied sheepishly. "We usually make more money on repairs if we let people try to fix things themselves first."

The silent treatment

There are times in your sales presentation when silence is truly golden. Use the two-second-pause rule immediately following an important statement. Pause for emphasis. While a well-placed pause may seem like forever to you, it will help the prospect assimilate what you have just said and add a bit of dramatic impact.

© 2007 SuccessCo.com

Verbal Turnarounds

When . . .
Strong views are expressed without any reasoning.
You might say . . .
“You might be right, but I’d like to understand more. What leads you to believe. . . ?”

When . . .
Several views are mentioned at once
You might say . . .
“We now have three ideas on the table (mention them). I suggest we cover them one at a time. . .”

When . . .
Others appear unwavering
You might say . . .
“Is there anything that I can do or say that would convince you otherwise?”

© 2007 SuccessCo.com

Quote

"Habit is a cable; we weave a thread of it every day, and at
last we cannot break it."

Horace Mann (1796 - 1859)

"OK". . . like this is a really good tip. . .

Monitor you speech for poor grammar and bad habits:
“Yeah”, “you guys” and “uh-huh” are obvious no’s. Other phrases used too frequently such as “OK” can also become irritants to people, especially in a business environment.

© 2007 SuccessCo.com

The Business Leader & How to Speak Their language

As you are aware, the successful business leaders of today tend to be inspired, confident, authoritative free thinkers. In other words, dominate. Here are some thoughts on dealing with the “dominate” types of individuals.

Limit small talk. Dominant types want to get down to business quickly. While you may feel it’s courteous to engage them in irrelevant pleasantries such as the weather or how their day is going, you will most likely loose the prospect.

Never convey that you “need” the sale. This will trigger the prospects instincts that you may be weak, therefore unconfident, thus diminishing the prestige of our organization.

The bottom-line. If the dominant type doesn’t bottom-line you first, try giving them the bottom-line, than work your presentation backwards.

Match their tone and tempo. The dominant types tend to have faster speech patters, by speaking too slowly; you will quickly loose their interest or patience.

Elaboration. Ask the prospect to elaborate on their answers so you may uncover the underlying issues.
* “Yes, I understand you clearly. Why do you believe that?”
* “Why is that important to you?”
* “What do you mean when you say . . . . ?”
* “I wonder if we could examine this issue further?”

Ask for summary. Dominant types aren’t the greatest listeners. Ask them to summarize what they believe or heard. At the end of the conversation, it’s always best to summarize the key points and any agreements made. (I.e., date of return call, commitments, etc)

© 2003 - 2007 SuccessCo.com

Simple Yet Profound

An objection is a stated reason that the prospect is for the time being, closed to your proposition.  The only way to allow them to change their mind is to let them do so without *losing face. When you meet an objection, don’t become defensive and emotionally involved. Your goal is to convince the prospect, not win an argument.

Quote: A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.
-Author unknown

*You must employ techniques that allow them to change their minds with respect, without losing face. They need to feel good about reversing their position

© 2003 - 2007 SuccessCo.com

Listen up!

Hearing and listening are not the same – Hearing means that your ears are functioning. Listening means that you are paying attention. No one ever listened themselves out of a sale.

Check your emotions and personal opinions at the door – Focus on the prospects views and opinions, however disagreeable they may be. Respectfully ask for the reasons behind their statements. Only when you know their rationale can you hope to guide them to choosing your product or service.

© 2007 SuccessCo.com

Business Humor * Top 10 Signs you’ve been In the Corporate World Too Long

Top 10 Signs you’ve been In the Corporate World Too Long

10. You decide to re-organize your family into a "team- based organization."

9. You refer to dating as test marketing.

8. You can spell "paradigm."

7. You actually know what a paradigm is.

6. You write executive summaries on your love letters.

5. Your Valentine's Day cards have bullet points.

4. You use the term "value-added" without laughing.

3. You believe you never have any problems in your life, just "issues" and "improvement opportunities."

2. You can explain to somebody the difference between "re-engineering," "down-sizing," "right-sizing," and "firing people."

And the number 1 sign you've been in the corporate world too long...

1. You celebrate your wedding anniversary by conducting a performance review.

Quote

"Not all horses were born equal.
A few were born to win."

Mark Twain (1835 - 1910)