Just Show Up….You’re A Winner 80 Percent Of the time. Most accounts are won because nobody else is calling on them.
Show up on time… What could be more annoying than a salesperson who can’t deliver the first thing he’s promised to deliver, his or her own body? Mars, Inc., known around the world for its M&M’s, 3 Musketeers, Snickers, and Mars candy bars, is a $6-billion privately held company. This multinational corporation really places a premium on showing up on time. Everybody punches a clock, including the two Mars brothers, and every employee who punches in before 8:30 a.m. receives 10 percent added compensation called “The Punctuality Bonus.” Talk about positive reinforcement–that’s certainly nothing to “Snicker” at! Do it when you say you’ll do it, and you’re a winner 85 percent of the time.
Show up on time with a plan… Okay, you’re here. So what? You have to know your prospect’s strengths and weaknesses and be able to anticipate his or her concerns. Give your prospect a clear understanding of what the product benefits are and the specifics of price/delivery/service. Don’t expect to get by with vague, offhand answers to any objections to your proposition. If there are going to be any problems you know about, don’t try to lie your way around them; let your prospect know upfront. By being truthful and accurate in your answers, you’ll get orders that others, who may actually meet the customer’s needs better than you, won’t get, because they haven’t been clear-cut in their responses. Do it right, and you’re a winner 90 percent of the time.
Show up on time with a plan and a commitment to carry it out… If you don’t believe in what you’re selling, how can you expect anyone else to? Lack of commitment shows through like rust on a used car, and will kill a deal even faster. You have to look, act, and feel like you mean it. That’s why motivation is the single common denominator you’ll find in all topflight salespeople and the hardest attitude to maintain. If you have it, you’ll win 95 percent of the time.
Show up on time with a plan, a commitment to carry it out, and then execute it. Nothing is more deadly to a sales relationship, or any relationship, than a broken promise. Whatever you say you’re going to do, you’d better do it, and if you find you can’t do it, then the price/service/delivery concessions better be so generous that the buyer is glad you didn’t. Once you’ve put the other elements together, if you perform, or better yet, if you deliver more than what you promised, you’ll beat the competition 100 percent of the time.
