Lighten Up Sales People

Sales professionals take it on the chin every day don’t they… not only are people telling them “NO” more than they tell them ‘yes,” they have to live up to that old adage, “the customer is always right.”

Well I think that old adage is old for a reason. I also think that statement is a bunch of crap.

I say the customer (client in my vocabulary) is right sometimes and the client is wrong sometimes. Doesn’t that make a whole lot of sense to you? It does to me. If something goes wrong, sometimes it’s our fault as sales people, sometimes it’s the fault of someone in our service department or billing department and sometimes, believe it our not, it’s the clients fault.

Who are some of the worst clients? Other sales people. Yep, admit it.

When things go wrong and we’re the client, we get really crazy and sometimes say the most revolting things. Why? Because our clients do it to us and we want a little revenge. A little payback. (You’re doing one of three things right now: 1. Smiling. 2. Grimacing. 3. Pondering.)

If you are number three – it means you may have taken someone’s head off before when they have missed your expectations. Perhaps you’ve fallen into the habit or you just identify with the concept. If you are doing this… stop now. Give your sales “brethren and sisters” a break the next time they fall below your expectations. Ask them to make things right if it’s appropriate, but don’t look to hang them out to dry and don’t get verbally abusive.

If you are a number two – that means you most likely don’t have this challenge.

If you are number one – you are a sadistic piece of work and you must stop this practice immediately! Ever heard of Karma?

Here’s my advice on dealing with clients who get out of line… tell them they are out of line. Tell them you understand that there is a challenge and that you’d like to find a solution that is best for both parties. BUT tell them that acting rude or making ultimatums that cannot be met is not a solution.

Remember, some clients are not worth having. Have you ever heard that before? I’ll say it again… some clients are not worth having. Selling is about building relationships and helping other people. Some products and services are more complex than others, but an interaction is taking place and it doesn’t need to be unpleasant.

I don’t like “mean people” and I try not to be a “mean people.” As a fellow sales person let me admonish you not to be a “mean people” either. Next time a salesperson blows it, don’t stick a nuclear weapon down their shorts.

Lighten Up.

TK

Jack Welch and Tough Managers

I like Jack Welch. I like his direct approach and I have always liked his perspective on excellence. Pursue it, demand it in yourself and in everyone around you. Jack was an advocate of evaluating his entire team at regular intervals, identifying the bottom 10%, and replacing them with people who are looking to operate well above the “basement level.”

In the April 24, 2006 issue of Business Week, Jack and his wife Suzy wrote in their “The Welch Way” column about “tough managers.” The piece was in response to a question from a reader who was inquiring about tough management styles and do tough managers get more out of their people and really benefit their organizations in the long run.

Jack’s answers… Yes and Yes.

After dismissing any manager who is tough just for the hell of it, or for the purpose of making other people feel small, Jack hit the mark:

1. Tough managers get results, and
2. Not everyone sees the same manager the same way (tough or otherwise)

According to Jack’s experience, many people see a manager as being “tough” because those same people aren’t pursuing excellence (either they are not capable or no longer interested.) If expectations have been agreed upon, the real challenge may be misaligned purpose. Management in pursuit of it and certain team members not interested in the “hunt.”

If your purpose as a manager is to pursue excellence you’ve got to constantly surround yourself with team members who share that vision. I believe that’s why Jack was always evaluating and always looking to improve the entire General Electric organization. It wasn’t about cutting staff, it was about growing excellent people.

Here are six suggestions for your organization – sales team or not for building an excellent team:

1. Make sure everyone knows the mission of the group and the goals the organization is pursuing. (Best results come when the team sets the goals.)
2. Define everyone’s role within the group and what the expectations are for their position in terms of results – what will things look like when a job function is done correctly.
3. Review everyone often. Often means more than annually and semi-annually. (Quarterly, bi-monthly or even monthly is best.)
4. Reward success and take action on poor performance.
5. Give everyone a second, third and fourth chance, but always…
6. Replace your bottom 10%.

If you do steps 1 – 4 only a weak person can say your “tough” without purpose. Steps 5 and 6 will make you a developer of true talent and the builder of a successful team.

TK

Voice Mail 101

As an owner of a company I get quite a few calls each week from sales professionals. Not very many make an impression on me and a very low percentage call more than once. Both are major mistakes in selling over the phone.

Two important points to remember if you don't get anything else from this posting:

1. You can't suck when you leave a message on voice mail.

2. If a prospect doesn't call you back after you leave a message for them don't worry. They are not supposed to call you back.

If you take these two points to heart, you'll make more money from your voice mail opportunities. You'll sound better and you'll be more persistent.

Those are the basics. Voice mail is a great tool for getting the attention of your prospects and getting past the person who is "chief-get-rid-of-you." Receptionists and assistants have the same job - protect their boss. Here are three reasons why I return voice mail messages:

Number 1 - The person leaving the message is pumped up and excited about the product or service they are offering and has peaked my interest.

Number 2 - The person leaving the message is "real" and conveys such by being funny or naturally conversational. They aren't talking "up" to me but act like they are on an equal footing.

Number 3 - The person leaving the message is number 1 or number 2 and is leaving their message consecutively. Could be for a second time, but usually for the third or fourth time. They deserve an "E" for effort and I give it to them for calling back and being persistent.

Remember though, they have to be "1" or "2" for the call back. If they are boring, monotone or sound like they are reading a script - no call back - even if they've called a dozen times.

Be aware of the simple fact that if a sales manager is doing their job - they are busy - sometimes very busy. Look at their daily planner and you won't see "take phone calls from people I don't know." You are an interruption so if you're going to interrupt someone you better be good.

Your voice mail message may be a take off of your opening statement from your normal sales presentation. One thing it MUST be though, it must POP with enthusiasm and get to the point. If you don't, you risk "POWER DELETE." Power delete at my office is when I push the number 3 on my phone within seconds of hearing a really weak sales person giving a really weak presentation over the phone. Bye-bye.

Your message may also leave a question on the mind of the person your calling or leave a "tip" or a positive quote of some type. I really like the idea of leaving a cool website - just make it something unique. Like being enthusiastic or humorous, the objective is to be DIFFERENT from the other ten people who have called the same potential client that day.

One idea I really like is to leave multiple messages that build on one another... like a story. Add excitement, humor and good information and you will blow away your prospect. I tell you people will call you back!

Want more information on this story idea? Give me a call at 800-486-7586, extension 216. Leave a message... if I call you back, that's a good sign.

TK

Prospecting Insights

My company just had Art Sobczak in to conduct an inside sales training session. This guy is good - really good - when it comes to working with inside sales professionals. If your interested in finding out for yourself, check him out on the web at www.businessbyphone.com.

Art shared some ideas on prospecting that I wanted to write about because they just made sense. I pulled Art's message from his workbook, added my own notes, and came up with five important points on prospecting. Check these out:

1. Prospecting is not just a numbers game... it's about getting RESULTS. Make sure you are measuring your efforts so you can determine what works and what doesn't. Don't blow time by not prospecting, but don't waste time by heading in the wrong direction.

2. No's don't take you any closer to a yes if your presentation sucks! I know that sounds harsh, but it's the truth... and the truth will make you better. Sometimes you're presenting even when prospecting so make sure you are giving it 100%. Tape yourself on the phone and listen to how you sound to others.

3. You don't need to love rejection. Who really likes to have people reject them? Art teaches to have a "secondary objective" when prospecting. Do you want an appointment - of course you do! If you don't get an appointment have you been rejected? Only if you don't have a secondary objective like a referral or at least the opportunity to leave a positive impression. If you only did that, leave a positive impression, you'd be doing more for your future business and the profession of selling than you can imagine.

4. Prospecting, like sales, is a process. Think of prospecting like it's a "system" and that you either owe the system or it owes you. Prospect correctly and eventually sales will come - the system owes you. Do nothing productive all day and you owe the system. Not much will be coming your way until you get your assets in gear.

5. Prospects must first hear a good reason to speak with you, and then more, in order to want to set an appointment with you. You have to reveal what benefits you bring to the table and you have to do it quick! Today's business leaders are not going to wait while you spit out a weak opening statement. You've got to make it POP and you've got to get their attention.

Depending on the industry you work in, prospecting may or may not be a major issue; however, this much is clear, prospecting new business will make you more money than not prospecting.

TK

What Are You Waiting For?

“If you had one shot, or one opportunity, to seize everything you ever wanted, in one moment, would you capture it… or just let it slip?”
Eminem – Lose Yourself

If you’ve ever seen the movie “8 Miles” then you might have heard the lyrics from the tune “Lose Yourself.” I heard the song on a recent iPod/iTunes commercial. (That’s right, I didn’t see the movie and I don’t listen to rap music), but the opening lyrics are pretty powerful and it made me think about the absolute choice we have over our own lives…

Here’s a question: Is 2006 shaping up to be your best year ever? If yes, I congratulate you! Now keep it up for 10 more months and you’ll have another excellent year in the bag. If you are behind, what are you waiting for? What are we all waiting for?

Here’s another question: Is something holding you back mentally or physically? Is there something you need to start doing? Is there something you need to stop doing?

In about thirty days, 25% of the year will have passed by... soon after that, it will be June and summer will be in full swing. Things move pretty fast after that and about 75% of the year will be gone before it cools off again here in the Arizona desert. Then the holidays will be here. So much begins to happen with Thanksgiving, Christmas and Hanukah that before you know it, you’ll be celebrating New Years Eve 2007. It happens that fast and you know it.

Jim Rohn says that our daily disciplines are what make us great. The more we focus on key disciplines, the more successful we will be. He also tells us that we continue to make mistakes in our choice of daily disciplines because the result of a poor choice doesn’t “befall us” in the same moment we make it. The consequence is often delayed, and thus our mistakes become disconnected from our ultimate failures, and when that happens we often begin looking for reasons why, usually missing the real culprit which is ourselves.

Success, like failure comes the same way… it takes a bit of time to see the fruits of your labor. You won’t see it instantly, and that’s why many people give up daily disciplines such as reviewing goals, saying affirmations, reading good books, making 100 calls a day, sending in referrals, setting meetings in the field – you name it.

On the other hand, if we can be consistent, we can seize everything and quit wondering when success is going to come our way. The truth is, you capture it.

You see, it’s not a sale, it’s a decision, and you make a decision in a moment. You can have every tool you need, every opportunity in front of you, but until you make a decision to be successful you won’t achieve all that is possible for you.

You can do it… or just let it slip.

I really don’t like rap… but I just added this tune to my workout playlist…

TK

BlackBerry Friday

If you've ever watched the movie Ben-Hur there is this scene when Judah (played by Charleton Heston) and Messala (played by Stephen Boyd) are about to start the chariot race and they meet up just prior to the start.

These guys hate each other and someone isn't going to come out of the "circus" alive... as Messala passes by Judah Ben-Hur he gives him this evil look and says "today is the day Judah" and Judah stares back at him and says "yes, today is the day." I love that movie and that scene is awesome. (Ben-Hur is the winner of 11 Oscars.)

Anyway, "today is the day BlackBerry..." This could be a huge business story or absolutely much to do about nothing. No prediction here, but check out this link to read more about what is happening from CNET News.

Nick Fletcher in our group has already changed his phone just in case something happens today. It's definitely a prudent move and I salute his vigilance. We will know more by the end of the day. Good luck all you BlackBerry people!

TK

Attention BlackBerry Addicts

This is important for everyone using a BlackBerry, but especially important for our Results Team members using this troubled device: Ron, Tom, Thomas... anyone else?

February 24th is D-Day for Canadian company RIM, maker of the BlackBerry and it's patent challenge from US company NTP. If this were a hockey game, my money would be on the Canucks... but since we're "playing" in US Federal Court anything is possible.

My intel leads me to believe that no matter what happens, there will be a brief period of time given to RIM to implement a "fix" for the software that is in question. This will give BlackBerry users time to decide whether they want to move to a Treo or other similar device. I've got review of a Samsung product that I'll be posting on www.salestechnologyreport.com so check that out.

I have really been blown away by my 8700c and find the Blackberry to be more of a business device that is easier to use than the Treo 650. However, it needs to have service or who cares if it has a scroll wheel!

Keep your fingers crossed for the Canadians! Everyone likes those guys so let's hope that includes US District Judge James Spencer... he's the only one making the decision.

TK

Cancer Kills a Team

I was listening to one of my favorite radio programs the other morning and I heard an interview with Stephen Covey. Although I think Mr. Covey is tough to listen to, his material is inspired and applicable. He is a powerful influence in the personal development industry.

Covey was talking about the "Five C's" that can destroy a company (from his book, The 8th Habit.) As he rattled them off I was focused on each point, drawn to what he was saying from tough personal experience of managing a team of sales professionals for over a decade.

With each point he described, a picture of a former team member flashed across my memory, their "death" replayed and my remorse rekindled. This took place in about 3 minutes. What a waste. What a waste of excellent sales people and what a waste of my time and energy. The battle against cancer of the body and cancer of a team sucks the energy from everyone - the victim and those trying to save the victim.

Here is what Dr. Covey was talking about - The Five Cancerous Behaviors:

Criticizing
Complaining
Comparing
Competing
Contending

Each of the five deadly behaviors capable of metastasizing and destroying an entire individual. Combine them, and a person can be a walking destructive force, tearing down an entire organization faster that a brush fire.

I love what Covey says about these behaviors... "People who don't have their own deep internal act together seek their security from forces outside themselves." If I may carry this to a conclusion, this leads insecure people to gossip about other people and events that don't concern them, that are usually negative, so they feel better about their own lame lives.

(Key to note, people find themselves where they are as a result of the choices that they have made over and over again. They are "lame" because they have chosen to make lame decisions. Thus criticizing others, complaining about others, comparing themselves to others, competing with others and finally contending with others makes them feel good about themselves.)

Unfortunately, most people don't want to do the "heavy lifting" that comes with real personal development. Growth comes from focusing on yourself, not other people, and their are no shortcuts.

Covey also says that "These five emotional cancers literally metastasize their cancerous cells into relationships, and sometimes through an entire culture. Then you've got an organization that's so polarized, so divided, that it's almost impossible to consistently deliver high quality to customers. I might add that it is almost impossible to do ANYTHING when this disease is ravashing your organization. So what do you do?

Kill it. Kill it fast.

As soon as you can diagnose the difference between one of your people "having a bad day" and one of them being ravaged by "behavioral cancer" you must attack. Be direct, tell them you've seens their behaviors before and that there is no place for them in your organization. Finally, if you cannot help the person make change, you must make the change and let them go.

Better to have them go then have your entire company become infected...

TK

Love at the Office?

Is it okay to have love at work? You bet says Steven Dearien owner of Sundance Dental Laboratory in Scottsdale, Arizona. Now get this - it's not the type of love you may be thinking of... it is real love. Caring for people and their personal needs.

I had a chance to bring a group of Scouts over to Sundance and take a tour of the lab and learn more than I wanted to know about what happens when your natural teeth "expire" for one reason or another. (The fact is - it was interesting and obvious that a good looking smile is a big confidence booster!)

Back to love at the office...

As we were leaving our tour guide took us past a rack of publications that had a picture of Steve on it and was a promotion piece for the lab. In small print at the bottom it outlined his company philosophy for Sundance - here it is:

"Love what you do. Love who you do it with. Love who you do it for."

I stared at those three sentences for a few moments and then outloud said "that's cool." What an awesome way to describe what we all want from our careers. Love is such a powerful word that you shouldn't associate it with anything unless you truly feel passionate about what you are describing.

Wouldn't everyone want to LOVE what they did for a living day, in and day out? Wouldn't you LOVE to be around uplifting people ALL day long that helped you become a better man or women in everything they said and did? And finally, would it not be awesome to love your clients and the people that you serve in your business? To really care about their success and profitibility?

You bet.

Let's make this simple... this is Mr. Dearien's company philosophy because HE BELIEVES IT. It is something he most likely conveys in everything he does in his office (I sure hope so because I have never met him), it seemed like it from the person who gave us the tour. It appeared to be a really cool place to work. I'd bet money that it is...

I would also bet that Steve wouldn't mind if every company in America adopted his philosophy. The marketplace would be a much nicer place.

TK

Pass the Show Up Test

Have you ever heard the phrase "showing up is half the battle?" I don't know who first came up with it but I do know that it makes sense to me. Another way that I have heard it put is you have to "pass the show up test."

I have taken this phrase and compiled a list of key things to do on any appointment, meeting or assignment. Here they are according to order of importance:

1. Show Up
2. Show Up on Time
3. Be Prepared
4. Have a Positive Attitude
5. Do Your Best

If showing up is half the battle, then showing up on time must advance you forward in some measurement. Show up early and that will move you forward even further.

Be prepared for your appointments, meetings and any other assignments. Do your homework and make sure you can convey that you are ready to do business, make recommendations and demonstrate that you are an industry expert in your field.

Ever heard that attitude is everything? That's not true - if showing up is half the battle (50%) then attitude cannot be everything (100%), but it is HUGE. Let's face it, there is enough negativity in business that we don't need to add any fuel to the fire. In fact, a positive demeanor and a positive approach will get you noticed. Enthusiasm SELLS!

Finally, do your best. Only you know if you are giving 100% in your appointments, meetings and other important encounters. In selling it is tough to do it day in and day out - you know it too if you are in the arena every day. As a manager I can only imagine and appreciate those that do it well.

Outside of selling this formula is just as true... teaching a Sunday School class - show up, be on time, be prepared, have a great attitude and do your best! You get the idea...

In all that you do pass the show up test!

TK

Inspiration + Action = RESULTS

I created this “tag line” last year when our group updated our logo and the rest of our promotional materials.

It seemed to make a lot of sense at the time, and to me, it still does. It is the essence of what we do at the Results Group in partnership with our students who hit the streets every day selling their product or service.

Get this… the ideas and techniques we share in our one-day training seminars inspires our clients to want to “do better” and “be more successful.” The skills they take away from our events combined with their own actions (the implementation of those ideas), equals the RESULTS they will achieve.

Each item in the equation is of equal importance. Results will never come without taking action, and action without inspiration sometimes leads to nothing.

TK

Best Year Ever Award Concept

For those of you sales leaders out there that are preparing to hold and run year-end meetings I wanted to share a concept we've had at the Results Group for a number of years... The Best Year Ever Award.

We give this award out each year to anyone in our company who earns the most money they ever had in selling (or any other position for that matter!) The great opportunity with this type of award is simple - everyone can WIN and you can have MULTIPLE winners. There will only be one top producer in a particular division, but with the BYE Award everyone on your sales team can win.

My goal is to have 50% or more of our sales team winning this trophy and I love presenting them along with Ron Marks to our people who continue to get better each year. Try it out - Best Year Ever Award.

Other awards we give out are the rookie of the year award for the best efforts of each person in their specific division who is in their first year of employment and our annual "wingman" of the year award. Typically these go to the sales people on our team that have contributed in some special way to the accomplishment of our corporate mission.

These awards are a great way to reward the team members that are establishing themselves as long term players but have yet to reach the top producer level of production.

These awards are easy to implement and easy to determine if they have been acheived - try them out!

TK

Blackberry Alternatives

The article below was taken from the Washington Post and has solid information on what you should be doing if you currently own a Blackberry device...

TK

Just in Case: Alternatives to BlackBerry

The fate of your BlackBerry is uncertain. You're worried that one day you'll wake up and the service will be turned off. You're definitely not going back to the old way of reading and sending e-mail on a -- gasp! -- computer. You're ready to run out and buy a Palm Treo or one of these other gadgets that you've heard are going head to head with the BlackBerry.
Remember that BlackBerry is both a device and a service -- and that means switching to an alternative isn't as easy as it might seem. There are plenty of things to consider -- compatibility among devices, e-mail providers, the wireless carriers and other technological restrictions.
Before you act on your BlackBerry anxiety, take a moment to review some helpful hints.
Keep using your BlackBerry. Service is still on, and it's too early to be sure about court injunctions and legal settlements that may affect your mobile e-mail.
Talk to your wireless phone providers and ask them about business e-mail services. Some of them have exclusive relationships with alternative e-mail providers.
Check with your employer if your BlackBerry manages your corporate mail. Many companies have restrictions on which wireless e-mail providers and devices can access corporate e-mail servers. Your employer, for example, may not let you grab mail through a Treo.
Go window shopping for various types of smartphones. Hold them, tap on their keyboards, look at their other functions. Wireless e-mail service providers list supported devices on their Web sites.
Remember that e-mail on a mobile phone usually uses data minutes, not voice minutes. Don't go out and change the service plan on your cell phone, thinking that you'll need those minutes for e-mail.
Don't forget that mobile phones with a Web connection can access most Web-based mail accounts, such as Yahoo, Hotmail and Gmail -- even if it's still a bit slow and clunky.

The 3 Keys to Sales Success

For years my company has been teaching a simple concept - top producers do three things very well. When you analyze the "keys to success" (and everyone has their own list of keys, steps etc.), you find that they apply to any business endeavor and not just selling.

Key Number One - Have an outstanding attitude. In all that man attempts to do in this life, maintaining a positive, success oriented and abundant attitude is the toughest endeavor. To those that were born with a natural dispostion to "think positive"I say "thank God everyday!" To the rest of us that battle the enemy inside our heads on a consistant basis I say "it's worth the fight!" There is nothing as unattractive to other human beings as negativity. Think about the person you most admire, are most attracted to, or most influenced by... I bet they don't have a negative attitude.

Key Number Two - Top Producers have an awesome skill set. They have taken time and invested their energy into the profession of selling and the product or service they represent. Few top people can get reach the top levels of success without being an industry expert in their product and dedicate themselves to the study of pursuasion.

Just as important is their immersion into personal development. The study of success and acheivement is the growth tonic of top producers. Whatever they are doing in their daily selling career is only enhanced by their nightly study of the master motivators such as Napolean Hill, Earl Nightingale and Jim Rohn. For more information on these individuals check out www.nightingale.com.

Key Number Three - Committment. That simple word is best described by my business partner...

"Committment is a measure of how much pain a person can handle before they quit!"
Ron Marks

That means top producers in selling (and life) don't quit for minor reasons. They don't quit because clients tell them NO, don't follow through on their committments, don't show up to appointments, don't return phone calls and don't blah blah blah! Top producers see these challenges as the catalyst to their other clients saying YES. Top producers don't quit because they don't like change in their organization. They work to influence policy and then work within established guidelines.

These three keys to success are part of the make up of most top producers. Show me someone that doesn't posess these keys, and I'll show you someone who is only temporarily at the top and headed for a fall...

TK

Law of Reciprocity

One of the largest challenges facing our sales professionals is getting future clients to take our calls, call us back and most of all... get that initial appointment. Sound familiar?

Last week a friend of mine, Jeff Nelson, gave me a lecture on marketing and schooled me on the "Law of Reciprocity." Simply put...

"The Law of Reciprocity states that when you give something of value away for free the recipient is grateful and feels obligated to give you back something in return."

David Frey, Author of the Small Business Marketing Bible

In another book that Jeff let me borrow there was a story about a man who was giving away a bottle of Coca-Cola and asking for the recipients to purchase raffle tickets in return. In some cases the recipient was purchasing two raffle tickets when asked in return for the bottle of Coke. Not a big deal right... the interesting fact is that at the time, a bottle of Coca-Cola was a dime and the raffle tickets were 25 cents. Thus the "premium" was garnering a 500% return!

The key seems to be giving away the premium before you ask for reciprocation... how much would you spend on a premium knowing that you could recieve a 500% return? I'm on board for $20 or $30!

Perhaps your company is already trying this marketing technique, it's pretty basic marketing 101, but I'd love to hear how it is working! Email me at tomk@closemoresales.com.

TK

Inspection is the Key to Results

From a sales management perspective, have you ever designed, implemented and run a fantastic training program only to see no measurable results? It's pretty common.

In fact a training program can be perfect and not produce results.

Why? If everything WAS perfect than the KEY to getting results is inspection - inspect what you expect.

It's really the tough part of training - making sure your people implement the curriculum into their daily routines and presentations. It requires time - you've got to spend time with your team to insure they are committed to change.

Don't waste time and money designing and executing a training program and not follow up with your people. Inspect what they are doing and make sure it's what you expect... then watch the results pour in!

TK

RE Pros - Stop Discounting!

Below is an article my partner Ron Marks wrote for our quarterly newsletter. If you are in the real estate profession I know you've dealt with the challenge of clients wanting you to discount your fee for service.

Before you ever do that again read what Ron has to say on that topic...

As Tom Hopkins and I travel around the country speaking to real estate sales professionals the biggest challenge we hear is clients asking agents to discount the listing fee when they authorize the exclusive right to sell of their home. Being asked to provide full service at a reduced rate creates stress at many levels for today’s agent.

With the proliferation of so many discount real estate agencies, this challenge is compounded because the expectation of lower real estate fees becomes the norm.

If you are a full service agent and are committed to earning what your time is worth, then we have some good news and some good ideas for you. By law, the commission paid by a seller of a home to an agent is negotiable and cannot be fixed by any one government entity. Even though there are traditional fee structures, you can decide what your services are worth and if you provide the appropriate value, the market will pay you.

As Tom Hopkins teaches, there are three ways to handle any objection you face. You can bypass it, brag about it or respond to it. Bypassing an objection means that you “shelve it” and do not address the concern right away. This approach is only effective if the discounted listing fee objection comes up right away before you have really had a chance to give your full listing presentation.

Of course if you have given the full presentation and then the objection come up at the end, bypassing it will only aggravate the seller. At that point you will need to respond, however if the concept of discounted listing fee comes up in the beginning, then it is best for you to acknowledge the objection and then shelve it for later.

For example, when a future client asks what is your fee or if you will discount it your fee in the opening moments of your presentation, you can respond with:

“I understand you are concerned with the costs of selling your home. At this point, we have not fully discussed all of the objectives you have in marketing your home and therefore it would be difficult to quote a number. Ultimately you want the highest selling price in the shortest period of time don’t you? Let me make a note of your concern and then I will show you how we can help you achieve those two objectives.”

In this strategy you have acknowledged the sellers concern, but you have not been tied to a specific number. The fact is that until you can describe all of the services you can provide for them, it is unfair for you to concede or reveal any listing fee information.

The next strategy is designed to build more value in your listing presentation and brag about the objection of discounted listing fees. In order for this strategy to work you need to be prepared to walk away from discounted business. When you are new to the real estate profession this is difficult to do, yet the true professional is willing to stand their ground and make sure they are compensated according to the value they bring to the marketplace.

As you transition into your listing presentation, try the statement below. It will establish the foundation for your position on discounted listing fees and make it more difficult for the client to ask for the concession. Now, before I give you this phraseology, please realize that the risk of bragging about a specific objection is that you are bringing something up that the customer may not have thought of themselves. Having said that, the best times to use this strategy is when you anticipate the objection or you get to a point in your career where you hear it all of the time.

“Before we discuss how our firm can help you market your home, I wanted to let you know that I have learned something over the years. When people look to sell their home, they really look for three things: FIRST, they want the most exposure to ensure the highest selling price possible in the shortest time frame. SECOND, they want the best service from their agent throughout the transaction and FINALLY, they want the lowest selling costs.

I have yet to find a company that can provide all three of these things at the same time. They can not give you the most exposure, the best service all for the lowest selling cost. I am curious, which of these three are you most willing to give up? The best exposure, the best service or the lowest cost?”

By using this strategy, you establish right up front that the seller will basically “get what they pay for,” without using this old cliché. In most cases the client will respond logically and let you know they realize they can not get the most for the least and then it will be more difficult for them to bring up the objection later. Again, in a situation where you have a tough seller that says “they don’t care, they don’t want to pay the listing commission,” you may need to walk away from that seller.

This response can also work well if you hear the objection at the end of your presentation, although real estate agents around the country are telling us that the most effective way to “head-off” this challenge is to handle it up front.

The reality is that even if you end up taking a discounted fee, you need to establish your position of value so you have a better place to negotiate. This technique will work if you USE IT! Please let us know how this works for you so that we may share the idea with other real estate agents across the country.

Email me at ronm@resultsseminars.com

Nice Job Ron!

TK

May Tech Review - The Treo 650

Last year I reviewed the Treo 600 after using a few other smart phones... I liked it, but the email function was weak and after I experienced a couple of glitches I took it into Sprint and was ready to trade it in on an old reliable flip phone.

However before I could pull the trigger, a friend of mine picked up the newer Treo 650 and I had a chance to give it a real good look - and I liked what a saw. The improvements from the 600 to the 650 make me salivate for the 700! Here's what I like best:

1. The Graphics - The graphics between the two models is unbelievable. The 650 makes the 600 look like it was a black and white. You can talk in terms of pixels, but why? The 650 just kicks butt.
2. The Email Function - Sprint's VersaMail program rocks. It works perfect and syncs automatically. With VersaMail the Treo is equal to the BlackBerry in every way. Leave a copy of incoming messages on your server and they are always on your laptop or desktop for later review.


The Improved Treo 650

3. Documents To Go - This 3rd party application works great on PDA and smart phones. It allows you to view, edit and even create Word, Excel and other documents. With the improved graphics even large spreadsheets can be viewed with clarity (if you know where to find your data).
4. Favorites - I have a favorite button for my bank website, google and even one that emails my entire company. In about 20 seconds I can email my entire team from anywhere in the country.
The real test of the Treo 650 was filling in for my laptop. A few months ago my laptop went "tango uniform" and I couldn't get it back from Gateway in time for a business trip. There was no way I was going to buy a new laptop so I hit the road with my Treo 650... and it did EVERYTHING my laptop would have done.

I bought a keyboard and with the exception of printing I was covered. I took two other trips while I waited for the laptop and each came off without a hitch.

If I had to recommend one piece of technology for 2005 it would be the Treo 650. Check it out at www.palmone.com/us/products/smartphones/treo650.

TK

The Plateau Principle

A few years ago I was helping one of our team members work through a decision they were making regarding leaving our group. It was tough – they were one of our top producers, a student of our business, a friend and someone that the entire organization looked to as a success story.

After reviewing consecutive years of earnings in which each year was easily a six figure income, I came to the conclusion that the challenge surely wasn’t money or the relationship we had between us. To complicate matters, they couldn’t express the reason why they really wanted to make a move (because it didn’t make logical sense), and I had to dig really deep to find an answer.

After some serious thought and the ultimate reality that we were going to lose this individual, I came up with the following description of what was happening from a business perspective and called it “The Plateau Principle.” Check it out:

“In any organization (business, sports etc.), an individual may ultimately reach a high level of achievement in which they can rise no further and thus they have reached their plateau. Unless the individual leaves their current environment (company, team etc.) and finds another organization to demonstrate their abilities and utilize their skills… they will soon digress in performance and attitude.”

What Leads to Plateau:

1. A real need on the part of the individual for something fresh and new.
2. Challenges with management that strain relationships to the point that severing the relationship is imminent.
3. The individual believes that their current opportunity is not attractive or is less than they deserve based on their perceived value of themselves.
4. The individual has risen to a higher level of responsibility but finds that they are incompetent to consistently perform at previous level of success. The resulting frustration can serve as a catalyst for any of the above three factors.

How to Prevent Plateau:

1. Provide opportunities for employees to try new lateral roles within the organization.
2. Cultivate an atmosphere of respect that allows employees to understand their role and management’s role within the organization.
3. Keep employees perceptions in line with reality.
4. Don’t give away opportunities and autonomy… make employees earn them over appropriate periods of time – no shortcuts.

Hope this helps the next time you have an opportunity to help an individual or an organization work through this very real issue.

TK

Motivation vs. Inspiration

Some time ago I came to the conclusion that what most people think is motivation is really inspiration. Email me if you think I'm off base - but only after reading further...

Motivation is often referred to in the following contexts:

1. "That was motivating"
2. "I need some motivation"
3. "We need to motivate our team"
4. "You de-motivated me" (I really hate this one as a sales manager)
5. "I need to go to a motivational seminar" (I love to hear this one!)

I believe what is really being said is:

1. "That was inspirational"
2. "I need some inspiration"
3. "We need to inspire our team"
4. "You did something and it did the oppostive of inspiring me"
5. "We need to go to a seminar and get inspired by some an idea or concept"

You see, motivation comes after you've been inspired to do something - you do it - and you see positive results. Thus you are MOTIVATED to continue a specific course of thought or action.

Here's an example of what I'm talking about... if I read a book on getting in shape and it has some great pictures of people who've used the ideas and look great that INSPIRES me. I want to look that way too.

If I use the information and techniques and see RESULTS in a few weeks, and start feeling better I then become MOTIVATED to continue using the information. Makes sense - doesn't it?
So as sales professionals, we shouldn't ask others to motivate us - we motivate ourselves by thinking and acting on good information. What we should do is look for inspirational ideas and put ourselves around inspirational people. If you seek, you'll find and then you need to act.

For sales managers, we need to make sure we are creating an INSPIRATIONAL enviornment where great people can have great success in our organizations. We also need to help our team members realize the difference between inspiration and motivation and help them take accountability for their own actions.

If I'm missing something here email me at tomk@resultsseminars.com, or if you agree, shoot me an email. It will inspire me...

TK