This is a smorgasbord of tidbits about best practices in modern selling and building a business full of referrals. It was prompted by an interview with Dr. Jeffrey Magee in June of 2019. Magee has 20 books to his credit, including 4 best sellers and 3 college graduate management text books. The link to his interview is at the end of this post.
On Reputations and Sleazy Tactics
Nowadays people already know who you are before you even call. They can go to Google and LinkedIn and learn your reputation before you even arrive. It is easy for them to check references and to find people in your market who might know you.
Cheesy tactics like selling for the up-sell and all the old “closes” and gambits simply do not cut it anymore. You need to be better than that.
On Best Practices and How to Be the Best
If you want to know what is working best, all you have to do is to look at the best of the best in your industry. Almost nobody asks the superstars why they are superstars. Why? Because people know that what they are going to learn is going to blow up their universe. The champions will typically tell you what they are doing. But you have to let go of your ego, and it can be humbling. Then you have to make changes, which can be really uncomfortable.
Focus on Relationships
In the top level it’s about relationships. Always. The top people know their customers and know how to connect. Not connect to win, connect to connect.
Here’s a wild and crazy idea. Every week, reach out to people the old fashioned way – call them on the telephone [GASP!!] – and see how you can help them.
Do you want referrals? Call and give them a referral first. Find them a resource. HELP them.
Earn introductions instead of begging for them.
Yea, I know. I’m a total rebel.
Serve the Whole Customer
Think about 100% of the customer and how you can be of service to them. Most sales people explore a very limited range of the possibilities in a customer, in an account. They talk to maybe 10 – 15 % of the potential and then go looking for new pastures. Focus on your core product. Then use the 100% of 100% strategy.
Until you have talked to 100% of the people in your pipeline or in your customer base about 100% of what you offer, you don’t talk to anyone else about anything else.
Serve your customers completely and let them know about everything you can do for them.
This means you have to KNOW everything you can do for them. Do you know that? If not, that is a good place to start.
Introductions
Be sure that, whatever they are buying, they are getting more than what they’re asking for. Then, you’ve earned the right to talk to them about anything else you have to offer. You have earned the right to go onto LinkedIn to see what boards and organizations they are in and say, “Would you mind introducing me to ___?”
Listen to some energetic and insightful conversation from the interview here
Do you want to talk about this newsletter? Maybe see how to implement some of this in your business?
☏ Call me.
Michael Stammer is a Sales | Life | Performance coach available for individual and group coaching and speaking to organizations. For more visit www.coachmichael.com
