My Thoughts Exactly May 2010
Sales Training for 2010 & Beyond
“The Key is Psychology”
By Mr. Gary Tilkin,
Founder Gary Tilkin Consultants, Inc.
Author, Consultant, Facilitator and Educator
www.garytilkin.com OR www.professionalforlife.com
Email: Gary.Tilkin@garytilkin.com OR Gary.Tilkin@professionalforlife.com
Skype Name: gary.tilkin Phone: 1.205.540.7371
Overview
Before we begin, let me give you some background on my past. I started my retail automotive sales career at age 20 just after I graduated from Concord University located in Athens, WV. My first automotive sales position was for Dominion Dodge in Roanoke, VA. I was REALLY bad and should have been fired for lack of production. The dealers, Andy and David Kaplin, kept me on because (they told me later) they saw true potential in me. Dominion Dodge used a well-known selling system called APB (Automotive Profit Builders) as their foundation development.
I was supposed to get two weeks of formal classroom training and I got two days. I thought all I had to do was to be nice and clients would buy from me. So people liked me very much and other sales consultants got all the sales. I was confused, frustrated, and ready to change careers. I then found a world famous sales trainer called Mr. Tom Hopkins. He had audio cassettes called, “How to Master The Art Of Selling Anything”. They were $195.00 and I borrowed money to purchase them. That is when my love of sales and management training began. (NOTE: Tom’s book and tapes are still available and excellent.)
Tom Hopkins taught me that you need to have structure in your approach, yet still stay flexible. He also, without saying it, convinced me that selling professionally means you have to become really good at reading people both verbally and non-verbally. Over the years I have evolved this concept to focusing on understanding the “psychology of selling and managing”. Cause and effect is the key. When you strategically use a sales technique you also need to notice whether it’s working consistently. If not, you need to make (usually minor) adjustments to match your personality as well as the client. Once I applied what I learned and did my best to refine it, I got really good, really fast. I met Tom Hopkins live in Birmingham, Alabama, years later and he was as warm to me as anyone I have ever met. This guy is the real deal.
Later in life I met another mentor, Mr. Richard Franey who was somewhat of a master prospector. He was a high-level executive with the Key Royal Automotive Group. Key Royal was the first Mega Dealership Group as we know it today. Richard taught me that; “it was my responsibility to keep in touch with prospects rather than expecting prospects to keep in touch with me”. This is why I rarely give out business cards, and make a habit of getting future prospects’ information at the time I meet them. Richard was then and now a personal friend as well as a true automotive founding father.
Finally, I met and studied the great Mr. Tony Robbins. The day I saw Tony, he had thousands of learners in an arena in St. Louis, MO. Before he began, I found out from a mutual associate that Tony was ill and his back was completely out. The man was simply incredible and no one would have ever noticed he was sick. If any of you reading this document want to model a GREAT presenter, that presenters name is Tony Robbins. The next day, an associate of mine took me to breakfast with him and Tony Robbins. That day I learned a valuable lesson. What you see on stage and who a person really is inside often times are two different people, and that’s OK. Let’s just say I use Tony’s techniques to this day, but I would never want to meet him face-to-face again. Never the less, he is an important part of my life and career development, so “thank you” Tom, Richard and Tony for all you have done for me both personally and professionally. I dedicate my Professional For Life™ Series to you all.
The Stress/Enthusiasm See Saw
We as sales consultants need to make a strategic decision whether to apply stress OR enthusiasm to our clients. There is a relationship between stress and enthusiasm that needs to be outlined. When a client first meets us, they are low on the enthusiasm scale and high on the stress scale. The goal is to get your client to a 10 on the enthusiasm scale and when you do, ask them a closing or trial closing question. The way to drive enthusiasm is by either: 1) increasing enthusiasm by creating rapport, being client-centered in our presentation/demonstration and being the best listener we can be, or 2) Reducing stress especially when developing our business relationship and right before asking a client to buy with a trial close or closing question.
Creating Enthusiam:
Let’s take the easiest way possible, through our presentation/demonstration. It is time to realize that generic or lock-step presentation/demonstrations are simply an average approach to creating enthusiasm. The reason is that the client has specific needs that have to be addressed and we are approaching everyone like they have the same wants, needs and motives. This practice of a generic presentation was created with the sales manager in mind, not the client. If a sales manager saw the exact approach, sequence and steps done, they assumed the sales consultant was doing their job correctly. Nothing could be further from the truth. Remember the old adage; “It is not what we say or do, it is how we say or do it”. Just think if you were a consumer and a truly professional sales consultant spent some quality time asking you your wants, needs and motives (Professional Counseling). Then began his/her “Professional Presentation” with the words; “As we discussed earlier”. Don’t take these powerful words lightly. They create a psychological connection deeper than one might think.
If your client sees that what you are going to present or demonstrate was directly related to what they said they wanted (learned during “Professional Counseling”), the client notices. They feel like you were listening and are truly concerned in exceeding their expectations. This also creates an emotion connection to the specific vehicle or product you are showing them. Again, do not under-estimate the power of reminding a client of what they said they wanted in the product. The more you tie the vehicle or product to their needs, the more the client likes you, your vehicle, and your organization. Too simple for you? Sorry, selling is a simple business made complicated by folks that want you to believe that their approach is “State Of The Art”. Remember, nothing is NEW since the wheel.
So the bottom line: show the client what they want to see, and you create enthusiasm.
Stress:
It is important to remember that establishing stress is a critical ingredient to selling anything. The art form is picking the right time to provide that stress. Above, I discussed getting a client’s enthusiasm level to a 10 and an approach (not the only approach) to achieving that objective. Since the rule is 10 on the enthusiasm scale means we should close or trial close, to do so creates the needed stress to gain a client commitment. If the client says “no” to our closing question, which they will, we simply have to realize they emotionally and psychologically are no longer at a 10 enthusiastically. Let’s say they went to a 7. Past sales and management training classes suggest to ignore the objection or ask “why?”. Both of these approaches create additional unneeded stress. Ask yourself whether adding stress at this critical point is the right strategy. Answer, absolutely “NO”. So stop teaching this and doing this RIGHT NOW. Really, it simply does not make logical or business sense.
Instead what the client needs after an objection is for us to start by acknowledging the objection. This means to let the client know that you heard their issue loud and clear. You also want them to know you respect their opinion and will never ask them to do what they are uncomfortable doing. Every study ever done in our industry on this subject and others relating to sales, tells us that the client wants to know we heard them. If you were to professionally acknowledge the objection, would that increase or decrease stress? Answer, decrease stress which by the way, increases enthusiasm, if you buy in to the Stress/Enthusiasm See Saw.
NOW, it is time to ask the client’s reasons for the objections and you will notice immediately that they will not only answer you, they will give you far more detailed information. When you know why a client is objecting, you can develop a custom approach to make them feel better and convince them to re-evaluate their decision. So, first, “I understand your objection (I don’t agree with it, just understand it)”. Second, “Could you help me understand why you feel so strongly about the objection”. Third, “Based on what you are telling me, here is a different way of thinking about this transaction”. Too simple? Sorry, again, I am a simple guy.
The Final Analysis
If we learn what is important to our clients and let them know our approach to professionally presenting/demonstrating our product is based on what THEY said was important, acknowledge the client’s objection and reasoning followed by our presentation directly related to their issue(s), then we sell more. I believe honesty is the best policy. I recently had an opportunity to do a presentation for a client of mine. I did not follow my own rules. It was an incredible disaster. It reminded me again to always follow my gut and never think I am SO GOOD as to be able to short cut what is right. Now that is the absolute fact, Jack. Until we visit again, remember to always be a Professional for Life™.