Do You Sell Like Mike, or Ike?
How to Sell like Mike, Not Ike?
How to Sell More By NOT Being A Hurricane
Being in Texas we are all affected by Hurricane Ike. In Dallas we experience rain and wind that kept us inside most of Friday. Our thoughts are prayers are with those affected by this storm.
Are you or your sales team a hurricane or a gentle breeze? Do you rush in and show up and throw up? Do you think just because you show up people show do business with you?
If you have this mentality you have a long way in learning ‘real’ sales strategies.
Most beginning sales people, business owners and entrepreneurs have a skewed perception about how sales are to be conducted. They think just by showing up and doing a presentation a customer should do business with you. That’s not the case.
Most people hate sales people and they hate to be sold. They do however like consultants and want to do business with someone that will stick around a while. They don’t like hurricanes to stick around. Follow these simple rules and you’ll be in like cool gentle breeze, something people want to stick around.
- Talk about solutions you offer to your clients. Don’t talk about how long you’ve been in business even if it’s been 100 years. They don’t care.
- Talk about benefits of them using you over your competition. Something like, I’m here 24 hours a day, I’m here to help you become more successful; is much better than telling them you are better, faster and cheaper.
- Follow up. Don’t just come in like Ike, blow through their office spouting what you can do (showing up and throwing up) and then leave.
You should plan for two things to happen before you enter a meeting and after.
- What is the one thing I want to get out of this meeting? It’s not a sale…it’s about building relationships.
- What is the one thing I want my client to get out of this meeting? What is the one thing I want them to remember when I leave?
After leaving your meeting you should ask yourself:
- Did I accomplish my one thing I wanted to get out of the meeting?
- Did I accomplish my one thing I wanted my client to remember about me?
In like a lamb, out like a lion is not the maxim of the day here. For most of us we want residual clients not a one time hit.
Be like Mike (your author), not like Ike.
Tags: michael j gilbert, Sales, sales training, street level consultants, streetlevelconsultants.com