Ping Pong Sales...not what you think!

All too often salespeople get jammed up on a live sales call because they are trying too hard or they are following some kind of predetermined script. Practice in low risk situations and practice often. Then, when you get to the live meeting, just let it happen. Trust your gut! Get out of your own way! Stop thinking and start listening.

If you are worrying about what kind of objections you’ll hear, you’re not actively listening to the person in front of you; you’re talking to yourself.

We all know we are supposed to listen to the prospect. Yet, we often find ourselves listening so we will have an opportunity to offer our advice. Or maybe, we are listening only for a break so we may ask more poignant questions. Sometimes, we are listening to the sound of our own voice pontificate about something that is irrelevant to the moment in time. (Check out our online Emotional Discipline course for more information.)

A few weeks ago, my daughters had some friends over hanging out in the basement. I was summoned by the self-proclaimed “King of Ping”. Devon was undefeated against his peers. He challenged me to a game, then another, then another, and another. I let him play for a while without using too many spins, back SLAPS, and SLAMS. I didn’t want to intimidate him, but more importantly, I wanted to learn his style, his weak points, and his strengths.

Like most winners, his attitude was strong! He had some pretty good moves for an intermediate player. I’m no pro by a long shot, but it is my table! And I started playing in junior high school with a group of overly competitive friends. I took him apart and set him up time and time again. Not because I was so much better, but because I was playing to his weaknesses. Of course, I had to be observant and patient. I had to discover what his weaknesses were before I could exploit them.

After several games, he began to lose confidence, become emotionally involved, and lost stamina. I asked for the next player. Mike had never played the game before and I began to teach him. “Serve like this.” “Hold your paddle this way.” “Change the angle of your wrist.” “Don’t hit it so hard.” “Learn to control.” And so on and so forth. Mike is right-handed. After 10 minutes of practice, he began to do a little better. Then, I floored him with a change. I asked him to switch hands. “Use your left hand.” With a bit of hesitation, he switched.

What an awesome sight! He began hitting the table more often. His returns were stronger. The serves were more on. His instincts kicked in as opposed to thinking about what he had to do then sending the signals to his body and being late to the ball. Mike was amazed, as were the other teenagers in the room.

To prove this theory I did the same thing with three other kids. We could argue over motor skills, natural left-handedness and all kinds of other things if you would like. However, the point I’d like to make is that we need to stop thinking during our sales calls and simply react. Trust yourself to do the right thing at the right moment and stop thinking so much.

Do your thinking before and after the meting. Practice in your office, at home, in social situations. Pro athletes don’t practice on the field during game time, why should you?

For more information about sales development goto www.mytraininganddevelopment.com

Creative Entries

Have any of you ever found: The harder it is to get your foot in the door, the easier it is to get the sale? That is the lesson I learned when I was selling vacuum cleaners door to door in the early eighties. As a rule, if I needed to put forth a substantial effort up front, my meeting was usually more productive and rewarding in the end.

The same principle applies in today’s fast paced world. The top dogs are usually pretty well-insulated. Battle-hardened executive secretaries or electronic gatekeepers work to help keep you and other “distractions” at bay.

It’s not easy to get in front of the decision makers in an organization. So, what's a sales professional to do? GET CREATIVE!

Below are a few ideas you can use to get the attention of an executive you want to meet with.

1. Find out the favorite restaurant of the executive. Go there, steal a menu, box it up and send it via FedEx or UPS along with an invitation to lunch.
2. Cut a 2x4 piece of lumber down to about a 3 foot length. Write a message on it something to the effect of, “Please beat me with this next week. Then, let’s have a real conversation about how I can help you.”
3. Hang out at the same country club the executive does and get to know some of their friends. Your mom was right, “Birds of a feather will flock together.” If the friends like you, the executive will be more open to meeting with you.
4. Park behind the executive in the parking lot, raise the hood of your car and pretend to have car trouble.
5. A client of ours claims to have gotten into see Donald Trump with the following progressive technique using a deck of cards. On Day 1 - Overnight the Ten of Hearts, Day 2- Overnight the Jack of Hearts, Day 3 Overnight the Queen of Hearts, Day 4 – Overnight the King of Hearts, and finally, on Day 5 – Overnight half of the Ace of Hearts card. On Day 6- Show up with the other half.

I want to make sure you don't take this information the wrong way. Remember: The best way to get your foot in the door is through a referral. In the real world, however, that is not always possible. If you decide to use one of the above listed tactics, proceed with caution and confidence. These ideas are not for the faint of heart.

Be unique, be innovative. It’s important to make contact and be prepared after you do. I invite you to try one of the suggestions above, or consider your own creative way to make contact with someone you want to get in front of.

I'm sure you have a way that has worked for you. Perhaps, you've heard of something that works for others. In the spirit of sharing, would you be kind enough to take a minute and post it here for the benefit of your fellow sales professionals?

For more information about sales development goto www.mytraininganddevelopment.com