“Angela has written a wonderfully heartfelt book, sharing her love of people and her love of selling. The life lessons she brings to you here are timeless, yet presented in a personal manner that is engaging and up to date. These principles will enrich your own life when you take the time to read, reflect, enjoy and apply what you learn. To successfully sell and serve others, open your heart...open this fun book!”
Ron Kaufman
In today’s highly competitive global sales environment, you have wished someone could show you the essential ropes for effective selling. You want to overcome the obstacles you are facing, craft out your own market, and get ahead of your competitors. Now you can. In “Heart Sell”, Angela Oh draws upon her own sales experiences and key lessons from sales gurus around the world to help you rise above your circumstances, create possibilities, and be exceptionally good in sales. She has filled this book with inspiring stories and proven sales techniques, aimed to spur you to think and stay positive, plan to win systematically, and turn problems into opportunities. Step into this sales journey with Angela, and be the successful salesperson you are meant to be.
ANGELA OH
Angela Oh is a sales veteran with 21 years of extensive sales experience behind her. She has covered wide ranging industry and markets, from private to government sectors, local to international markets. She has spent a substantial part of her career in the commercial and security printing industry. In her long career, Angela has constantly emerged as a top performer in the organisations she joins and has won numerous coveted sales awards. Angela receives her Diploma in Business Studies from Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Singapore, and Advanced Diploma in Marketing Management from the Griffith University and University of Humberside, UK. She is currently a program consultant with a training and consulting company. Angela is happily married with two young children.
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Cultivating Authentic Sales that Last
Best-selling Author, “UP Your Service!”
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Heart SELL
“To successfully sell and serve others, open your heart...open this fun book!”
Cultivating Authentic Sales that Last
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“Angela has written a wonderfully heartfelt book, sharing her love of people and her love of selling. The life lessons she brings to you here are timeless, yet presented in a personal manner that is engaging and up to date. These principles will enrich your own life when you take the time to read, reflect, enjoy and apply what you learn. To successfully sell and serve others, open your heart...open this fun book!”
Ron Kaufman
In today’s highly competitive global sales environment, you have wished someone could show you the essential ropes for effective selling. You want to overcome the obstacles you are facing, craft out your own market, and get ahead of your competitors. Now you can. In “Heart Sell”, Angela Oh draws upon her own sales experiences and key lessons from sales gurus around the world to help you rise above your circumstances, create possibilities, and be exceptionally good in sales. She has filled this book with inspiring stories and proven sales techniques, aimed to spur you to think and stay positive, plan to win systematically, and turn problems into opportunities. Step into this sales journey with Angela, and be the successful salesperson you are meant to be.
ANGELA OH
Angela Oh is a sales veteran with 21 years of extensive sales experience behind her. She has covered wide ranging industry and markets, from private to government sectors, local to international markets. She has spent a substantial part of her career in the commercial and security printing industry. In her long career, Angela has constantly emerged as a top performer in the organisations she joins and has won numerous coveted sales awards. Angela receives her Diploma in Business Studies from Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Singapore, and Advanced Diploma in Marketing Management from the Griffith University and University of Humberside, UK. She is currently a program consultant with a training and consulting company. Angela is happily married with two young children.
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G
E
L
A
O
Cultivating Authentic Sales that Last
Best-selling Author, “UP Your Service!”
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Heart SELL
“To successfully sell and serve others, open your heart...open this fun book!”
Cultivating Authentic Sales that Last
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Copyright @ 2010 Angela Oh Poh Suan The moral right of the author has been asserted. Design and Production by JMatrix Consulting Pte Ltd, Singapore. A Publishing & Communications Company Email: info@jmatrix.biz www.jmatrix.biz All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval systems, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without the prior written permission of the author. Request to the author should be addressed to angelaoh68@yahoo.com.sg. Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the author has used his best efforts in preparing this book, he makes no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaims any implied warranties or fitness for a particular purpose. The author shall not be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages. Printed in Singapore ISBN 978-981-08-5810-0
Contents Preface
v
Acknowledgements
ix
Part 1
Think and Feel Success 1
Attitude
3
2
Pride and Passion
13
3
Patience
23
4
Perseverance
33
5
Discipline
45
6
Overcoming Rejection
57
7
Managing Your Emotions
67
iii
Part 2
Plan to Win 8
Winning Strategy
79
9
Turning Goals into Reality
91
10
Making An Impression
103
11
Presentation that Lasts
125
12
Nurturing Relationships
135
Part 3
Beyond the Basics 13
Niche Selling
149
14
On-the-Line
159
15
Overseas Selling
171
iv
Preface Many of you think that a good degree will lead you to a good job. My mum-in-law told my daughter, “You must study hard. Then you can get to work in a bank – easy job in an air-conned office.” That is the old school of thought where working in a bank is equated to a good life while hard, manual work belongs to less educated people. I have seen far too many examples to prove that this thought is very wrong. I am sure we have all heard of school dropouts like Bill Gates, Adam Khoo, Nicholas Cage, Jim Carrey and many others who may not have very high education but are successful in their own ways. These people do not have the highest education they could possibly achieve but they know what they are good at and excel in what they do. They prove to the world that having a good academic education is not everything. I have also met many people who are street smart with a high level of entrepreneurship but who have not gone through much education. Then there are others who are university graduates but who are very narrow minded and averse to risk. I must emphasise here that I am not biased against the educated but I have asked myself several times if education has made us more “kiasu” - thinking too much, counting costs and weighing the risks. Perhaps, ignorance is bliss; as I had discovered on many occasions when, the more I know, the more I held back for fear of failure. When I graduated from Ngee Ann Polytechnic and started to work, I could not help but compare myself with my peers who were university graduates. Initially, there was a sense of v
inferiority as I felt inadequate because of my lack of that extra “paper” they possessed. However, as time went on, I began to realise that my working experience somehow compensated for the degree I lacked. I have learnt and grown so much as a result of my job that I feel it is not something I can gain from books alone. I began to dispel those thoughts that I was not as good as a university graduate. Of course, I am not saying that I have learnt enough and don’t believe in education. I am still constantly upgrading myself and I find out that, the more I learn, the more there is to learn. However, in summary, I feel that one should not feel inferior simply because of less education. I have a word for those of you who feel that you have not made it in life because you do not possess a degree. Life has a way of teaching us lessons. Education does not stop the moment we graduate from school, be it secondary school, college or university. Sometimes, we stop learning after we finish schooling. But we do not realise that our daily experiences have a greater value that is found beyond textbooks. Life is constantly challenging us and if we are open and teachable, we can be transformed to be better people, making a greater contribution to society and impacting other people’s lives. I notice a lot of youngsters nowadays tend to get stressed very easily. Perhaps they have been leading a very comfortable life and once there are some slight changes in their lifestyle, they start to feel uneasy. Well, I admit that life can be stressful, especially when we first come out to work and we are not prepared to face the working world. After all, we are not taught in school about how to handle human relationships. Do not look down on yourself or let others look down on you. Academic education is not everything. You can still make it in life if you put your heart and soul in whatever you do. Always strive to be the BEST. This book was birthed out of a desire to share the 21 years of vi
sales experience I had in my sales career in the hope that many will benefit from it, avoid pitfalls and be more successful at what they do. For those who are considering sales as a career, I hope this book will give you a good overview of what sales is all about and then decide if this is your “cup of tea”. For others who are just embarking on their sales career, may this book serve as a good guide to propel you forward and avoid those mistakes that I made. I believe my learning curve would have been smoother and shorter if I have had a mentor. All these lessons I am about to share are learnt from hard knocks and I hope I could save you some years of learning the hard way. Sad to say, a lot of companies nowadays do not provide new salespeople with the proper training and expect them to pick up selling skills by themselves. Being in sales for the last 21 years does not mean that I have learnt everything about this profession. There are always new things to master about sales. My experiences may not be unique but this book contains real life examples which one can apply or relate to. I started my sales career serendipitously, just as some people say, “Before you know it, you are in it.” I graduated from Ngee Ann Polytechnic and, like all fresh graduates, I was unsure what working life would be like. What was supposed to be a temporary job turned out to be permanent. I stayed in my first job for slightly more than a year. I must say that it was a tough job as many of my colleagues left before me. However, this first company turned out to be a good training ground as I was taught the fundamentals of selling. I am forever grateful to the boss of this company for his willingness to spend time training his sales staff from scratch. I do not believe there is such a thing as a born salesperson. We are all molded to become better salespeople as we allow ourselves to learn as much as possible every single day. vii
This book may not cover everything about selling. However, I try to cover as many elements which I think are vital for success in selling as possible. The process of writing this book itself has taught me many things. It has allowed me to recall past selling experiences and to learn from many successful sales gurus in the midst of my research. I had to practise discipline by catching those pockets of free moments to write amidst my day job, taking care of my children and doing household chores. It requires a lot of patience and it is no easy feat to find sufficient material to write about, but I persevered. I looked upon it as a challenge and I am happy to say that “I finally did it!� So, I wish you all the best in your sales career. Happy selling!
Angela Oh
viii
Acknowledgements There are many people I am thankful for in making this book possible. As I reflected on my life, many of them have helped in one way or another to shape me to who I am today. My special gratitude goes to my sister, Diane, who had helped me tremendously in building my foundation of English when I was young, as she was always quick to correct my grammar. I am indebted to my former bosses – Paul Wong, Charles Cousins, Tim Merchant, who have always been so supportive and gave me several opportunities in the selling arena. My special thanks goes to Mr Chong, the founder of Bookworm Consultants, who always makes an effort to train his staff and thus helped to build my basic foundation in sales. I am eternally grateful to Mr Ron Kaufman, who has kindly agreed to endorse my book, amidst his busy schedule. I would also like to thank my editor, Chin Kar, for challenging me to write this book in the first place. I am impressed with the team at JMatrix Consulting for giving the book the professional touch. Not forgetting my family, for their support; in particular, my husband for his views, insights and encouragement. Last but not least, I am thankful to all my customers, of whom some have become my friends, like May Lim, for helping to sharpen my selling skills.
ix
PART 1
Think and Feel Success
Chapter 1
Attitude “When you wholeheartedly adopt a ‘with all your heart’ attitude and go out with this positive principle, you can do incredible things.” – Norman Vincent Peale
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here was once a story told by a nurse. There was this lady who was 92 years old. She was petite, well-poised and dignified. She was fully dressed each morning by eight o’clock, with her hair fashionably coifed and her makeup perfectly applied, in spite of the fact that she was legally blind. She had just moved to a nursing home. Her husband of 70 years had recently passed away, making the move necessary. After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, she smiled sweetly when her room was made ready. As she maneuvered her walker to the elevator, the nurse provided a visual description of her tiny room, including the eyelet curtains that had been hung on her window. “I love it,” stated the old lady with all the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy. “Mrs Jones, you haven’t seen the room…just wait,” the nurse said. The old lady spoke words that the nurse will never forget: “That does not have anything to do with it. Happiness is something you decide
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on ahead of time. Whether I like the room or not does not depend on how the furniture is arranged. It is how I arrange my mind. I have already decided to love it. It is a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice. I can spend the day recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work or I can get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do. Each day is a gift and as long as my eyes open, I will focus on the new day and all the happy memories I have stored away…. just for this time in my life.” Charles Swindoll, a popular and successful Christian author, once said, “I am convinced that life is 10 percent what happens to me and 90 percent how I react to it. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day.”
Definition of Attitude How true. What then is attitude? If I were to describe it in my own words, I would put it as “one’s perspective of life that is translated into one’s thoughts, feelings and actions.” This will include positive thinking, confidence, belief, courage, etc. Attitude, being intangible, may appear insignificant but it can make a tremendous difference in people and their results. Findings have shown that our attitude determines 80 percent of our sales success. That is the reason why a new, inexperienced salesperson can sometimes outshine a seasoned salesperson, simply because of attitude. For instance, when the economy is bad, one can choose to sit around and complain or one can be resourceful and work even harder to seek untapped opportunities. It is having the right attitude that allows us to carve a niche for ourselves. Brian Tracy says it so correctly, “You cannot control what happens to you but you can control your attitude towards what happens to you and, in that, you will be
Attitude 5
mastering change rather than allowing it to master you.� We certainly do not deliberately set out to lose a sale or be rejected by a prospective client. However, when we choose to respond positively, our energy level will help us to move on to the next customer. Attitudes form our behaviour and responses. By being conscious of our attitude, it will help us greatly in our selling. When a person has a positive attitude, he is aware of his strength and weaknesses. He will not view his shortcomings as a disadvantage but as areas for improvement. On the other hand, a person whose attitude is negative will indulge in an inferiority complex and see his efforts as futile. The attitude we have towards ourselves also affects the attitude we take towards others. A person with a positive attitude will see others in a favourable light. He will recognise the potential in others and the value they bring to any dealings. Likewise, a person with a negative attitude does not have high regard for others and views them as problems rather than solutions. Attitude is a mindset. It is important how we take control of our thoughts and adjust when required to maintain a healthy attitude. To stay positive, we should regularly feed our minds with positive things, by reading books, quotes on positive attitude and listening to CDs. I have often found it far too easy to spot negative people around me and, thus, it is all the more important for us to make an effort to surround ourselves with positive people. Never assume that you can influence negative people for the better. They will change you before you can change them.
The Law of Attraction When we expect negative things to happen, we tend to prove ourselves right (that is, get our negative results). The reverse
6 Heart Sell - Cultivating Authentic Sales that Last
holds true – it is called “The law of attraction.” So, focus on what you want and you will attract more of it. I have also noticed that when we allow our eyes to focus on certain things, we tend to see them better. I remembered when I was pregnant, I seemed to see more pregnant people during that period than ever before. If you don’t believe me, try a little exercise. Think of something to look out for. You will be amazed that the particular thing you were looking for suddenly becomes more apparent. As the saying goes, “You see what you want to see.” I believe that this goes to show the power of the mind once we put our hearts into it.
Our Response to Situations In the book, “Confucius From the Heart” written by Yu Dan, she narrated the story about Confucius’ favourite student, Yan Hui. Yan Hui came from a very poor family and never had enough to eat or wear and lived in a run down little alley. Yet Yan Hui never complained and his outlook on life was very optimistic. This goes to show that it is never the external factors but our attitude that determines our happiness. This writer also gave a simple illustration of how our attitude determines our reaction to the things that happen around us. Learn to be thankful and appreciate what you have. By counting our blessings everyday, we will become happier people with better attitudes. When we suffer a cut, do we fuss about it like a sensitive little girl or do we act like a tough young man who does not even notice the wound? When we have a broad mind, we will be able to put things in perspective. We often hear about how differently men behave when they are courting and when they are married. Somebody once shared with me how her husband changed his attitude after they got married. During the courtship days, when she fell down, her
Attitude 7
boyfriend would be very worried and asked, “Are you hurt?” Yet this same man, upon marriage, would feel disgusted when the same incident happened. He would exclaim to his wife, “Why are you so careless?!” They are both the same people, the circumstances are the same, but the attitude is different. Thus, it is up to us to decide how we want to react.
Feed Our Minds With Positive Things Andrew Matthews in his book “Follow Your Heart” wrote about how positive thinking shapes our subconscious. He believes that “any conscious thought, repeated over a period of time. becomes a programme.” In other words, if we fill our mind with negative thoughts over a long period of time, we develop in our subconscious negative behaviour that sabotages our lives and health without even thinking. That explains the importance of disciplining our mind with positive thoughts for a period of time in order to create positive thinking in the subconscious mind which will in turn improve the quality of life in our relationships, health and prosperity.
Importance of Attitude Herb Kelleher, the former chairman and CEO of Southwest Airlines in the United States, once said, “It is difficult to change someone’s attitude – so hire for attitude and train for skill.” I can’t agree more with this statement. When I was recruiting salespeople in my previous company, one of the criteria I looked for was Attitude. It is easier to train a person who has a teachable and positive spirit than one who may be experienced but is laidback because he thinks that he knows it all. We must learn to develop a positive mental mindset as I believe our mind is instrumental in setting the stage that
8 Heart Sell - Cultivating Authentic Sales that Last
determines if we are going to be successful in sales or not. When we think positive, our attitude will be positive. It will send out positive signals and radiate the confidence in ourselves and the product or service we are offering. Assume that your customer already qualifies you and, instead of trying so hard to convince the customer that you are the right choice, begin caring about what they care about and why you care about their needs.
The Power of Positive Thinking To start us on the positive thinking process, we must first check what comes out of our mouths. What do we say about ourselves to others? If we are always telling others that we are broke, we will forever be broke. As the Bible says in James 3:5, “Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.” We should remain silent if we have nothing good to say. What we become is determined by our thoughts. Positive thinking does not mean wishful thinking. It is about staying positive while recognising the negative. Winston Churchill, the former British Prime Minister, exemplified this ‘sunny’ attitude when he was fighting for the survival of his country. President Ronald Reagan, when facing the terrifying Cold War, remained positive and went on to experience victory and left a great legacy. So, believe in yourself and stay optimistic even when confronted with daunting challenges. If we allow ourselves to entertain negative thoughts, we will not dare to try a lot of things and we will deprive ourselves of enjoying the rewards. Make it a habit to draw positive assumptions. Begin each day by telling yourself, “It is a great day today. I am in a great profession. I am glad to be alive and healthy. Bountiful opportunities are waiting for me this day.” Then your mind will start to justify why these statements are true.
Attitude 9
Recently, I had the chance to join a trainer on a sales call to pitch to a new prospect. We were told that we would be competing with two other vendors. During the meeting, I noticed that the trainer spoke to the client with such confidence and passion as he patiently went into great detail about the training programme we were proposing. At one point, I wondered, “Why did he bother to go into such detail when we are not even sure if we will get the job?” Towards the end of the meeting, the prospect was very candid with us as he commented that he had a “good feeling” about us and added that he especially liked the fact that we showed him the full training programme which he found to be ideal for his requirements. It was then that I realised the importance of the attitude of selling as if the deal had been closed. If my trainer had possessed the mentality that the customer may not buy our programme and did not bother to go into the contents in such great detail, the customer might not be convinced to use our service in the end! A successful real estate agent once shared with me his “secret” for success. Whenever he shows a potential customer around a house for sale, he will use words like, “This is YOUR master bedroom and you can have YOUR private corner here.” This enables the prospective client to visualise better and have a sense of ownership. In fact, with each assumption you voice, you are gradually removing the barrier of asking for the sale as they already own it in their minds. I had a similar experience when I visited a beauty salon not long ago. My initial intention was to enquire about their service. But the manager in charge was very quick to ask me to sit down and to fill up a questionnaire. I told her that I had not decided to use their service yet. The manager assured me that filling in the form was just a way for them to get to know their customer and insisted that I complete the form. This is a very good example of how an “Assumptive Close” works. Instead of
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asking the customer if they want to buy, you assume that the customer is going to buy and say something like, “I will get this processed and you will receive this in about five working days.” At this point, I am not recommending any pushing but rather a test close. It is up to the customer to protest that he has not decided on the purchase. However, most customers would be caught up in the moment and get carried along with the sale. I guess they do not feel good about disagreeing with the salesperson’s assumption. Confidence is the key as this is what customers want to see and be reassured that they are making the right decision. Imagine if you are the customer and you sense nervousness in the salesperson, you would also feel nervous and hesitate to purchase. This “Assumptive Close” has been used widely and can be very powerful if applied correctly and in a timely manner. It may sound very presumptuous and impersonal but it is a way of helping our customer to move to the next step, especially if the customer is ready but doubtful about what to do next. To be effective, we have to be selective in our choice of words such that everything we say in our discussion and presentation assumes that the deal is done and we are merely working on the formalities. One common question I ask my prospect is, “Are you looking at any particular date for us to conduct the training for you?” If the customer is comfortable with me, he will not only tell me the training dates but also ask me to check the availability of my trainer. Our attitude must be right the moment we step into the customer’s office and the things we say have to be consistent all the way through. Attitude comes from within us and is not dependant on external factors like the current economic climate or our competitors. Confidence will change our sales behaviour and how we face challenges. It affects our actions and results. It changes our image, appearance to others and our influencing
Attitude 11
skills in selling. When we do not assume the sale, we create doubts in the customer’s mind that we ourselves are not sure that our product is the best for them.
Confidence Confidence is a fundamental trait of all successful salespeople. It should not be dependant on the results we achieve but on who we are inside. I know there is always this tendency to use our performance as a yardstick and, consequently, our confidence erodes away when sales are not coming in. I am guilty of this myself as I would start questioning my own selling ability, especially when I do not see any sales results or when sales are slow. We must choose to believe in ourselves and our abilities regardless of whatever befalls us. When we learn to put in our best, our confidence will grow and allow us to be more focused and face challenges more calmly. Confidence comes with knowledge and strong belief in the product or service we provide. We have to be sold before we can sell it to our customer. Most of the time, when our customer requests for a discount, it is an indication that we have not communicated the level of confidence that justifies why the customer should pay the full price and, thus, he is not convinced about the value offered. There is this temptation then to offer a concession in order to close the sale. However, the irony of this is that, when we give in, the customer begins to wonder if he has been taken for a ride. I remember a time when I was in Vietnam and I was bargaining with a shop owner over a handbag. When I was finally given the price I asked for, instead of feeling triumphant over my victory, I began to wonder if I got the best deal and whether I should have asked for an even lower price. I also began
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to doubt the quality of the bag since the shop owner was willing to lower the price so readily. I believe this is the mentality of our customer when we go too easy on our price and short-change ourselves in the process because we could not identify the benefit and value we are offering.
Self-esteem The way we perceive ourselves affects our attitude. It is thus vital for us to build up our self-esteem. It is a chain effect. When we believe in ourselves, others will believe in us and this will ultimately transform into sales for us. Being positive is powerful. People are drawn in by people with positive attitudes. A lot of life’s great opportunities are often disguised as “misfortune” or “disaster.” We should take full advantage of a bad situation and turn it for the good. When I was retrenched from my previous job, I determined in my heart that I would not let the free time I had on hand go to waste. This resulted in the birth of this book. I would like to end with this advice from Norman Vincent Peale – “Any challenge facing us is not as important as our attitude towards it, for that determines our success or failure.”
Chapter 2
Pride and Passion “Passion is the genesis of genius” - Anthony Robbins
“Without passion, you don’t have energy. Without energy, you have nothing” - Donald Trump
M
y friend was considering taking up sales as a profession and she asked for my advice in terms of whether there were any criteria to fulfill in order to be successful in sales. Without hesitation, my reply was, “Love for people.” I think that it is important for us to like people as we are dealing with people most of the time. It may sound like common sense but I have encountered people who just cannot imagine themselves dealing with people and they would rather be facing a computer or animals. This explains why not everybody can be in sales. As salespeople, we meet various kinds of people and are challenged to ‘handle them with care” as they are human beings and emotions come into play. When I first started working as a salesperson 20 years ago, the sales profession was not very popular and, in fact, it was frowned upon as a beggar’s job. Salespeople were often viewed
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as “liars”, “interested only in money”, “pushy” etc. Many people would not opt to work in sales if given a choice. Even for those who are already in sales, they are too embarrassed to mention their occupation during social gatherings because of the negative connotations linked to the sales profession. Some would deliberately leave out any words that associate with their selling function. Do we realise that the way we look at our job will greatly impact the way we sell? We must love our job if we want to do well in our field.
The Role of Sales In fact, we are in a respectable profession that has been around for a long time. Salespeople are problem solvers. Customers buy solutions to problems and they are paying us to bring solutions to their problems. We are great contributors to society and we make the world go round. Things like your car, your house and your clothes would not be around if not for salespeople. We improve the quality of life and are instrumental in changing the way of life. We help people to recognise their real needs and assist them to make important and, at times, life-impacting decisions. We have played a major role in growing our world economy and we should not be ashamed to tell people that we are in the sales profession.
How the Sales Profession Has Changed Me Somebody once asked me, “Why do you want to be in sales?” My reply was, “I like meeting people. Besides, it gives me a great sense of achievement when I hit my sales target and, at the same time, turn my customers into my friends.” Frankly, there is more. The sales profession has molded me to be who I am today. I learn communication skills as I meet various kinds
Pride and Passion 15
of people and get to know their needs. I can detect changes of mood, be it fear, joy, reluctance or desire; and I build trust and confidence in customers as I converse with them. I understand human dynamics better as I recognise that there are certain “hot buttons” that will make people buy. Good listening skills have also been acquired along the way as I have to ensure that I know what my customer needs. I have built many wonderful relationships with my customers as I learn more about human interactions. Meeting nasty customers has toughened me up and helped me to be better equipped to handle rejection. I learn to stay positive and motivated as it is important to keep myself going during times when sales are not coming in. Perseverance is another quality that I have developed after facing situations that involved complex and long selling cycles and I had to follow up customers consistently. I am also challenged to be resourceful and creative as I have to search for new customers and build my customer base. I still remember the times I had to look at all possible avenues to “hunt” for new prospects as I was not given any leads and was expected to meet up with new clients every day. Overall, the sales profession has trained me to be more confident as an individual. Best of all, I am not restricted as to how much I get paid. It depends on how hard I work. Someone told me, “The best paying job is in sales as the sky is the limit.” One interesting thing about sales is that it is so dynamic that we learn new things every day if we constantly seek to be aware of the things happening around us. It could be new products in the market or new technology. Otherwise, our knowledge would be obsolete and we would not be able to value-add to our customers. I must confess that I have stumbled upon this sales profession, but without regrets. The selling skills I have acquired will never become obsolete as every industry requires them. Like it or not, we are selling every day in our personal lives. As long as we try
16 Heart Sell - Cultivating Authentic Sales that Last
to influence someone’s behaviour, we are selling. When we try to win over our friends, our family or our spouse to agree with us on certain issues, we have to first sell them our ideas. The same applies when we deal with our children and we want to encourage them to do certain things.
A True Sales Professional If we are not comfortable with ourselves as sales professionals, how can we expect our customer to be comfortable buying from us? I understand that there are conmen out there who try to sell products that people do not need. However, there are always ‘black sheep’ in every profession. We have to earn the right to change this perception of sales; we have to prove that it is an honourable and respectable profession that guides people in need. A professional salesperson sells with dignity and he will not allow customers to be rude to him to the extent of losing his self-esteem. Although there is this slogan that says, “Customers are always right,” I do not think that we have to “kow tow” (bow) to our customers to the extent of being verbally abused or mistreated. A salesperson must be knowledgeable about his product but be frank to tell the customer that he will find out and get back to the customer if he does not have an answer. At this point, I recalled an incident where I was on a sales call with my boss. As it was a new prospect with great potential, my boss was very eager to please this potential customer. After the presentation, there was a time for questions and answers. As the group comprised about five people, each of them took turns to pose us questions. There was one particular question which we did not really know the answer to. My boss tried to salvage the situation by beating around the bush before he realised that he was talking
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nonsense. Then he blurted out, “What am I talking about?” I was shocked and embarrassed. At that moment, I wished I could crawl under the table. I felt that we had just lost our credibility. Things would have turned out better if my boss had admitted that he was unsure but would find out the answer and revert to the prospect later. I always believe that a true sales professional does not have to be a know-it-all and customers would respect us for being truthful. Great salespeople are concerned about the customer’s real need and will try to bridge the gap between a good product and an actual need. In other words, they are like doctors trying to diagnose the customer’s needs before prescribing the right medicine. They will not over-commit or under-deliver as they understand the importance of honouring their commitment. They would never put down their competitors as they know this would belittle themselves and make them unprofessional. Time is money and a good salesperson will be punctual for his appointment as he values and respects the customer’s time. There is always a debate about the truth of the statement, “If one can sell, one can sell anything.” From my standpoint, I believe it is true to a certain extent. It does not really matter if one switches to a different industry and sells different products or services. It is more crucial for the person to possess selling skills than product knowledge. Product knowledge can be picked up easily if one is willing to learn. Besides, it is untrue to say that customers will not buy just because you do not have all the right answers with regards to the product. Selling skills, however, have to be built over time and the great salesperson becomes sharper with practice. In fact, it is sometimes better to recruit from a different industry as the salesperson brings along a fresh and different way of selling that may not have been thought of before by the company.
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There are two common terms associated with salespeople – “Farmer” versus “Hunter”. One is considered a “farmer” if one is given an account and works hard at developing the account. However, a “hunter” is one who is very aggressive in seeking out new customers. In my opinion, we should work towards being both a “farmer” as well as a “hunter”. It is not enough to make our current customers happy by serving them well, we must also acquire new customers so that we can have a healthier and growing customer base. Over the years, I have discovered that a true sales professional is not an isolated individual. Just like the popular saying “Behind every successful man is a successful woman”, so “Behind every successful salesperson is a successful team”. Teamwork is crucial in determining the success of a salesperson. Sometimes, we are misled into thinking that we are the ones meeting the sales target and we forgot the people who supported us in processing the order and ensuring that the product or service was delivered on time and in good condition to the customer. Salespeople may be the front-liners but we still need the support of our colleagues to complete the selling cycle. Never take your fellow colleagues for granted and tell them, “It is your job.” Nobody likes to be ordered around. Learn to show your appreciation and try to share the “fruits of your labour” occasionally by treating them to snacks or drinks, etc. Such simple kind acts will go a long way in ensuring better support from your colleagues and make your work easier in the long run.
Take Pride In Sales Sales is a terrific profession and I hope you will take great pride in telling people that you are in sales, just like I do. Rafer Johnson, an Olympic gold medalist and a three-time world record holder in the decathlon, candidly shares his view of pride and aptly
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describes it this way, “Some of the greatest competitors I have ever seen on the athletic field and in life were the ones whose pride sustained them when their physical gifts gave up. They drew on the invisible strength. They didn’t need to win the race to be proud; they started the race with it. It permitted them nothing less than giving their best and when the last 10 yards seemed longer than the first 90 or the first thousand, their pride was the fuel that drove them on. Pride isn’t about what you deserve or what you’ll take. It’s more about what you give. No matter what race you are in, no matter what career, no matter what gets between you and your dreams, start the race with pride in your heart and aim to be the best that you can.”
Passion In Sales Not only should we take pride in our sales profession, we must be passionate about what we are selling. To portray that, we must possess a strong conviction that our products or service will benefit the customer. When we are passionate about our work, we will devote our entire love, energy and creativity to produce results. We will not need motivation from anyone. Our enthusiasm will see us through. Charles Kovess, a lawyer turned professional speaker and the founder of Passionate Performance, wrote the book “Passionate People Produce”. He summarised passion as “a source of unlimited energy for your soul that enables you to produce extraordinary results.” Indeed, passion can mean a lot of things to different people. They may call it a feeling of inspiration, a feeling in the pit of the stomach, a sense of excitement, a state of arousal or even a belief that nothing is too much trouble. Passion is powerful and contagious. It is a positive force that can be felt and passed on. I am sure we all have met people who
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are so passionate about what they do that they cause us to feel excited and want to find out more.
Passion Comes From the Heart As passion is an emotion that comes from the heart, it cannot be faked. The customer will be able to detect it if you seek to put the customer’s needs first before the selling. When you are committed to sacrifice the short term gain, you will be rewarded in the long run, because the customer sees your sincerity and brings you referrals. Passion can also help tear down barriers to closing a sale and it differentiates us from our competitors. It is very easy to tell if someone has passion or not. In fact, when a person is passionate about his job, he will not find it a hassle even if it goes beyond his call of duty. A job will no longer be viewed as a job but a pleasure and an extension of oneself. Once, I stepped into a boutique and there was a sales promoter sitting behind the cash register. Instead of coming forward to greet me as her customer and ask if I needed anything, she just sat there polishing her finger nails. When I asked about a particular item, she answered in a matter-of-fact way, without even looking up at me, “Whatever we have are all on display.” In other words, she is asking me to help myself and not to bother her! In the book, “It’s not what you sell, it’s what you stand for,” Roy Spence wrote that ‘Passion is born when your heart gets away with a purpose greater than yourself.’ You cannot manufacture passion or switch it on and off. If it originates from a genuine source, it will continue to be there. In fact, given one’s determination and encouragement, it will flourish and create a strong influence on others.
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Passion With a Vision and Purpose Passion begins with a vision. It is a major element in getting people to buy. When someone has the passion in sales, he will be genuinely concerned about the customer’s needs and seek to understand by listening intently to the customer. It is displayed not just by his questions and tone of voice, but his body language also comes into play together with the after-sales action that follows. Roy Spence, chairman and CEO of GSD&M Idea City, a leading marketing communications and advertising company, also believes that high-performing organisations share a strong sense of purpose - the intent to make a difference in the world. I feel that the same principle applies to us even as individuals. We should try to discover our purpose. Is it just to make money? We need to know that purpose and understand why we get up and go to work every day. Customers can readily see what sort of salespeople they are dealing with. It is only when we are driven by a strong sense of purpose that we can continue to find the fire in us motivating and spurring us to achieve greater heights. I have noticed that complacency can set in and go unnoticed when one stays in sales for several years. For many seasoned salespeople, our initial passion can fade away once we are in the comfort zone. We may have already built a strong customer base and we can do our job “with our eyes closed�. This is a danger sign as it would also mean taking a lot of things for granted. Our passion can be subtly lost in this process. To guard ourselves against complacency, we have to be constantly learning new skills and upgrading ourselves to stay relevant and not become obsolete. When we do not give our best at work, the one who suffers most is not our boss but ourselves. We lose our enthusiasm, confidence and self-esteem. We give our best not to impress
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others but rather to enjoy our work. When we are passionate, we would love our work. Work becomes a vacation and no longer just a job. In fact, the activity itself becomes a source of energy. Passion provides you the strength and determination to press on. Steve Jobs, cofounder of Apple and Pixar, is one good example of someone who possesses so much passion for computer technology that he becomes one of the most creative innovators of our time. Being passionate does not mean that we have to be the most talented. There are many intelligent people who may have bright new ideas but, because they just sit on them, they do not get to experience success. Passion is the invisible force that propels one to complete the task to the very end. Without it, whatever we do will fade away or, at best, we will be an average performer. I believe that pride and passion go hand in hand. They should be taken seriously if we want to experience long term success in sales.