Table of Contents. Rochelle Togo-Figa

Transcription

1

2 Table of Contents 7 Tips for Breaking through Voice Mail and Reaching the Prospect... 1 Get More Clients by Asking for Referrals... 2 Four Ways to Turn Follow-Up into Sales... 4 Tips for Turning a Prospect's "No" Into "Yes"... 5 Close the Deal with a Super Sales Presentation... 6 Overcoming the Fear of Cold Calling... 8 Uncovering the Real Objection Sure-Fire Ways to Get the Business It s Never about the Money Setting the Foundation to Getting More Business! Managing Yourself Not Your Time Achieving Sales Goals that Knock Your Socks Off Grab the Prospect s Attention in 60 Seconds Steps to Turning Cold Calls into Hot Appointments Marketing Ideas for Selling More Get More Business by Staying Visible Ways to Authentic Selling Breaking Through Your Sales Barriers Are You Getting What You re Worth? Want to Close More Sales? It's Simple...Start Listening! What s Your Unique Selling Style?... 29

3 The Best of the Sales Breakthrough Collection 7 Tips for Breaking through Voice Mail and Reaching the Prospect So often when I'm speaking to groups or individuals, they'll ask me "what do I say when I leave a voice mail message that will have the prospect or client call me back?" That's a question that many sales professionals and business owners are eager to have answered. What are the magic words that will have them call you back? Well I have the answer for you and you may not like it. It doesn't much matter what you say, because they probably won't call you back. I know you may not be too happy to hear this. But, it's your job to call them until you reach them. While there may be prospects or clients whom you have a relationship with who will eventually call you back, assume that a new prospect will not call you back. Make your goal be to reach a specific number of prospects rather than leaving messages. Be persistent, call at various times and on different days. When you do make your calls have a prepared outline of what you want to say. Here's (7) valuable tips to help you reach your prospect while avoiding voice mail. Persistence pays off. Don't give up. Call at different times of the days and throughout the week. Eventually someone will pick up the phone. Call when the prospect will pick up the phone. The best times to call are early in the morning, before 8:30 am, late in the day, after 5:30 or during lunch. If the prospect has an assistant, there's a better chance they'll pick up their phone during those times when their assistant is not there. When you find a time that works for reaching the prospect, write that time down. You've been calling and calling the prospect, and you finally reach the prospect. Write that time down as it may be the best time to reach the prospect the next time you call. Dial another extension that is close to the extension you've been calling. When the person picks up, ask if they know if the prospect you're calling is in or out of the office. If they're located near the prospect, they may be able to tell you if the prospect is in that day. If the prospect's not in, they may know the best time to call back.

4 Call on Fridays. Fridays is a day when many people tend to be winding down from the week's work and more apt to pick up the phone. The prospect may be more receptive to having a conversation with you on a slower day. Call around the holidays. Many sales professionals stop calling prospects around the holidays. They think the prospect has taken time off so why bother. Actually, it's an opportune time to call. The prospect may be catching up on their paperwork and more apt to answer their phone since they're not receiving as many calls. Find the person in charge. If you're not sure you're calling the right person, trying dialing nearby extensions and when someone picks up ask them, "Perhaps you can help me. Can you tell who is in charge of?" Saying these words can lead you to reaching the decision maker. People want to help, and will help you when you ask them. If you feel that you must leave a message, be brief in what you say. Do not leave your entire pitch or ask for an appointment. Let them know why you are calling and that you will be calling back. Speak slowly, leave your name and company name, and repeat your phone number twice. Get More Clients by Asking for Referrals When I ask a new client what's one of their biggest challenges, I often hear "getting referrals!" Some of the most common reasons that stop people from asking for referrals are: Don't know how to ask for a referral, and when to ask for them. What if they say "No?" Don't want to upset the client. Don't want to put the client on the spot. We know that being referred to a potential new client is much more appealing than prospecting and more likely to lead to a sale. It's also one of the most effective and inexpensive ways to increase your business dramatically and one of the most unused sources of generating new business. The endorsement of the person making the referral carries a lot of power, immediately increasing the "know-like-and trust" factor. When you develop trust and credibility with your clients, along with great service, they want to give back to you. They are your biggest cheerleaders. But, if you sit back waiting for your clients to give you referrals, I'm sorry to say you'll be waiting a long time. It's your job to be proactive and ask for what you want, not your client's. 2

5 Here's some proactive steps to follow: Plan ahead and prepare what to say to your client. You'll feel more confident and achieve the best results when you've written out what to say ahead of time. Practice saying it aloud until you're comfortable saying the words. Set up a face-to-face meeting with your client. It's more effective sitting across from your client when you ask for a referral, rather than on the phone. At the meeting, you can introduce a new product, discuss industry changes, or make sure they're satisfied with your service. The time to ask for the referral is immediately after you receive a compliment or close a sale. Here's an example of how to ask for referrals: Client: "Thanks for helping me with my financial needs. I'm really pleased with your services." You: "You're welcome. I'm happy I could help you select the best investment plan. I take great pride in the service I provide my clients. By the way, I'm looking for other people who want to get the same results that I've produced for you. Would you know of people I could contact?" (Pause don't say anything give them a moment to think.) Client: "Yes. Let me think of some names and get back to you." (They probably won't. Here's where you get proactive.) You: "Thanks very much. I realize you may have a busy schedule. What I'd like to do is touch base with you next week for their names and phone numbers. I can call you either on Wednesday or Friday. Which day is better for you?" (Then set up a time and be sure you both write the date and time in your calendars.) Following up with the client is key to getting the referral. When you follow up with your client, say "Is it okay if I mention your name?" Always remember to thank the person who made the referral. Be sure to keep them in the loop regarding the outcome. They'll be appreciative and want to refer you again. 3

6 Four Ways to Turn Follow-Up into Sales One of the most effective ways in getting more business is following up with the prospect. Sadly, 80% of sales opportunities are missed because people do not follow up consistently. Studies have shown that most prospects, who do not buy short-term, usually make a purchase within 12 months. When they make the purchase, it's usually with the person who's in touch with them on a consistent basis. Prospects do business with people they know, trust, and who understand their needs. Some of the reasons salespeople don't follow up are: There is no organized system in place. They're afraid they'll appear too pushy. They're afraid they'll be rejected. They don't know what to say. They call once or twice, and move on to the next thing. Here's the good news although for some of you it may seem like bad news! It takes 5-10 followups to close the sale. Yes, that's the truth. So if you're routinely giving up after 2-3 tries, you're giving up way too soon. They may not be ready to buy from you now, but if you remain fresh in their minds you'll be the one they'll buy from when they are ready. Here are 4 ways for turning follow-up into sales: 1. Create Follow-Up Systems Select a follow-up system for tracking your accounts that works for you. There are several systems that help you track your accounts efficiently and effectively. a. A personal computer. There are contact management programs designed for organizing your accounts. The program I use is called ACT. b. A notebook. Use a single sheet in your notebook for each client and enter the dates of your calls along with notes. Keep your top hot prospects in the front of your notebook, alphabetized by client name. c. A business card file. Although the space is limited, you can write tiny notes on the card. The card file can be used before information is entered on computer. 2. Implement Follow-Up Sales Tools It's pretty standard to use the telephone and for those 5-10 follow-ups with a prospect. 4

7 That means you want to find different ways of being visible to the prospect over a period of time. Some other tools that work are sending letters, faxes, brochures and literature. To be really creative, use testimonial letters from satisfied clients, invite them to a seminar or to lunch to get to know them better, send them a small item with your company name printed on it, or if appropriate, give tickets to a sports event, the theater or a seminar. 3. Develop the Habit of Persistence The key ingredient to effective follow-up is persistence. Persistence with the right attitude leads to more business. With persistence, obstacles and problems can't stop you. Most important, other people can't stop you. Your ability to follow up will determine your success in sales. 4. Don't Get Stopped by NO You have to be willing to do what it takes to move past the seventh "no" or "I'm not ready yet" to get the sale. A "no" is nothing personal. The prospect is saying "no" to the product, not to you. Think about the fact that when you really want something important to you, nothing stands in the way. Why not bring those same qualities to your business? How many "No's" are you willing to take before you give up the sale? Tips for Turning a Prospect's "No" Into "Yes" "No, I'm not interested." This response from a prospect has the power to send chills down your spine. It's an answer that you may have heard more times than you'd like to count! The truth is, in sales you are going to hear "no" a lot more than you are going to hear "yes." Keep in mind that all you need to hear is one "yes" to get a sale. If you are persistent, you may very well get to change a "no" to a "yes" much more often than you think. What do you do when a prospect says "no?" Chances are you might simply listen, retreat, and hang up the phone. You may think the prospect isn't interested in your product, then cross the name off your list, never to call again. Wrong! You're eliminating a future sales opportunity. It takes approximately 5-7 follow-ups to close a sale. It's good news to know that with persistence and good follow-up, a "no" for now can be turned into a "yes" later on. You just have to have the stamina to get past the seventh "no" or the third "I'm not ready yet" to get the sale. Realize that it's not personal. They're saying "no" to the product (for now), not to you. Here are (5) tips that will help you move the prospect from "no" to "yes": 5

8 1. Create a timetable. Ask the prospect: "Does this mean you're not interested now or not interested forever?" If she or he responds, "I'm not interested at this time," ask if you can touch base in a couple of weeks or months. The prospect will let you know when you can call back. 2. Open a dialogue. Ask the prospect: "I'm curious as why you're not interested." A client of mine did just that when trying to get an appointment with a prospect. She simply asked why. The prospect opened up and gave her a lot of information. My client displayed genuine interest in what the prospect had to say, and the prospect sensed that. They talked for quite awhile. My client ended up getting an appointment. 3. Be persistent. When the prospect says, "I'm not interested," you can respond by saying "Many of my clients had the same response when I first called, before they saw what we can do for them." Then share any success stories with similar companies you've worked with. 4. Do not take it personally. Don't let the "no" mean anything more than what it is. "No, I'm not interested" doesn't mean you are being rejected. It means they're only rejecting the offer for now. 5. Remember some "yes" experiences. When you think about it, you've been hearing "no" since you were a kid, and it probably never stopped you. Imagine yourself as a child. Perhaps you were with your mom in the supermarket and you really, really wanted a candy bar. The response might have been, "No, it's too close to dinnertime!" Did you take "no" for an answer? Absolutely not. You asked again and again and again, each time committed to convincing your mother that you could eat the candy bar and still eat all your dinner. Finally, after at least (7) more tries, Mom probably gave in. Congratulations! You didn't give up. You got the candy bar! You kept going back in and moved your mother from a "no" to a "yes." When you really want something in your life that's important to you, nothing stands in the way. So why not bring those same qualities to your business? Close the Deal with a Super Sales Presentation Congratulations! Your persistence paid off, you had a great first meeting with the prospect and you were asked to present your product to the key decision-makers. The presentation is one of the most crucial parts of the sales process. If you want the business, it s important to be confident and knowledgeable about your product. How well you deliver the message at that meeting will determine whether you ll get the business or not. 6

9 Here are 11 valuable presentation tips that will have you stand out from the competition, help you win any audience, and most important, will help you close the deal. 1. Plan the Outcome Before you begin preparing your presentation, plan the outcome. What do you want your audience to walk away with at the end of your presentation? Do you want the prospect to take action or are you at this point simply informing them of something? 2. Know Your Audience Learn the names and titles of the decision makers and others who will be attending the meeting. Do they already know something about your product or service? Plan your remarks accordingly. 3. Practice Your Presentation Get in front of the mirror and practice your presentation until you are extremely comfortable with it. Tape your presentation and then listen to it several times to fine-tune your wording. If possible, videotape yourself when rehearsing, if the client will allow it, when you give your presentation. Get a good night s sleep before the presentation! 4. Tailor Your Introduction Design a concise and clear introduction specific to your audience. Deliver it with energy, confidence and enthusiasm to hold the audience's attention. Based on your delivery and presentation, the audience decides in the first few minutes whether or not they like you as a presenter. This colors the feelings your audience has about your product. 5. Start with an Overview Let the audience know at the beginning of your presentation what you will be covering during your talk and how long you will be speaking. You can also write the agenda on a flipchart, include in your PowerPoint presentation, or have it as a handout. 6. Limit the Visuals People are visual and often remember more of what they see than the words you say. Use visuals to enhance your presentation, but limit the number you use. The average attention span is about 20 minutes. Keep your visuals simple, with not too much information. Remember that you want the attention to be on you. The visuals will serve as anchors, reminders of what you are saying. 7. Make Eye Contact Making eye contact with a few specific audience members is the key to coming across as a credible and confident speaker. It helps you establish an immediate connection with the audience, controls your nervousness, and keeps you focused. 7

10 8. Be Animated Studies show that 55% of the impact of communication comes from the actual presentation more than the words themselves. When you are standing in front of a group, all attention is on you. If you feel comfortable, your audience will feel comfortable and will be better able to pay attention. Don t be afraid to move away from the podium if you re using one or to use you hands to emphasize certain points. 9. Speak Loudly and Clearly Increase your volume when giving a presentation so everyone in the room can hear you. Speak slowly. Try to make your voice sound as relaxed as you (hopefully) feel. No matter how fascinating your words are, if you can t be heard or if you speak in a monotone, you will lose your listener. 10. Call to Action At the close of your presentation, review the important points you want your audience to remember. Let them know with confidence and conviction that you want their business, and what you propose as the next steps. Walk out of the presentation knowing what s next. 11. Remember, You are the Expert! There have been times before I give a talk when I think to myself "Will I do a good job?" "Will I make a difference?" If you ve had similar thoughts, remember that you are the expert. Prepare yourself mentally before you speak by saying to yourself "They will like me," "I am good at what I do," and "I will do a good job." Then go out there and show them your stuff! Overcoming the Fear of Cold Calling Do you dread picking up the phone and calling prospects? Like many other sales professionals, it s not uncommon to dread cold-calling. It s an important part of what you do. The fact is, if you can t get an appointment with the prospect, you re not going to sell. To become successful in sales, you have to continually be out there prospecting. I ve created the following six (6) steps to show you how simple it is to move through your fear of cold-calling. Once you know exactly what to do, you ll be ready to make those calls with confidence. Focus+preparation+practice = Confidence in cold calling! 1. Focus on Your One Goal When you are cold-calling, you have one goal and that is to get the meeting. Get the meeting and get off the phone. It s very simple when you think about it. 8

11 2. Make the First 30 Seconds Count The prospect decides in the first 30 seconds whether to stay on the call or get off. Make those first 30 seconds count by projecting enthusiasm, confidence and energy. They can t see you, so how you sound matters most. 3. Find Your Power Hour Every day dedicate one (1) hour to making calls to prospects. Start calling early in the day, at the same time every day, so that it becomes a habit. If you do this consistently, you ll see a significant increase in the number of meetings you get. 4. Craft a Compelling Statement That Gets the Meeting Create a compelling reason for the prospect to meet with you. Describe the problem, the solution and the results. Example: A company similar to yours came to us because We helped them in the following way and the results were 5. Close For the Meeting and Set a Date After you have covered everything in step 4, and before you end the call, say to the prospect, I d like to show you how we can do the same for you, so that we can see if there s a fit. I ll only need 20 minutes of your time. Is this Thursday good or would next Tuesday be better? 6. Practice, Practice, and Practice Some More Write a script that starts with introducing yourself when the prospect picks up the phone to setting up the meeting before you hang up. Practice your script over and over again. Find a buddy and role-play. Uncovering the Real Objection As you move through the sales process with prospects, it s very likely that you will run into resistance. When an objection is raised, it s not necessarily a stop sign. The prospect may just be saying he or she hasn t been sold yet and they want more information before making a decision to buy. Make sure you know what the real objection is. Once you identify the real objection, you can then determine how to overcome it. The most common objections used are: I m happy with my current vendor. I want to think about it. I never make quick decisions. 9

12 Call me in several months. Your price is too high. Many times the prospect will not tell you the true objection, for fear of hurting your feelings. When a prospect uses one of the objections listed above, what he or she really means is: I don t have the money. I think I can get a better deal elsewhere. I want to shop around. I don t think I need your product. I have something else in mind. I don t like, trust or have confidence in your product. I m not impressed with your presentation. I think your price is too high. Here are 7 steps to uncover and overcome the real objections: 1. Listen carefully to the objection. Do you feel it is a valid objection or perhaps might be covering up the real objection? Try to find out by using this phrase: Don t you really mean? or Usually when a client tells me that, my experience has shown me they really have a price (e.g.) problem. Is that true for you? 2. Get the prospect to commit to the objection. Reword the objection as a question. Example: In other words, if price weren t an issue, would you work with me? This gets the prospect to answer you directly and commit to the objection, so that you can begin to overcome it. 3. Determine whether it is the only stumbling block. Ask the prospect if the reason they ve given is the only reason they re not doing business with you. Example: If I could resolve this issue, are there any other issues standing in the way of our doing business? 4. Ask a question that leads to the close. Example: If I could show you how would you be ready to do business with us? 5. Answer the objection to resolve the issue and get agreement. Use everything you have in your arsenal to answer the prospect s objection. Show different cost options, prove benefits, comparison charts, testimonials, product knowledge, and believe in yourself. 6. Ask a closing question that confirms the sale. Make a non-pressuring statement that leads to the close. Example: If I could, would you? Or If I check with my office and it s a go, I m assuming we have a deal. Is that right? 10

13 7. State the next steps. Confirm the sale by asking for a starting date. Example: When is the best starting date to begin? 6 Sure-Fire Ways to Get the Business Is this you? You re in front of the client, you ve asked the right questions, you re at that moment when it s time to ask for the business, and you don t. Or, you ve left a meeting wondering whether or not the prospect is interested in your product or service. If this happens to you, you re not alone. Many sales professionals and business owners simply don t know how to ask for business. Put yourself in the prospect s shoes. As they get closer to making a buying decision, they become anxious about their budget and expenditures. They may wonder, Is the product going to solve my problem? Can I really afford it now? They may have shown interest earlier in the meeting; however, you might notice that as they get closer to making a decision, they start pulling back and expressing their concerns. Your job is to reassure them they re making the right decision by doing business with you. This is a crucial time in the sales process. Here are 6 sure-fire ways that will reduce prospects anxieties and make them feel confident about doing business with you: 1. Summarize what you ve heard so far. Review and play back the points you and the prospect have discussed and agreed to so far. Playing back has definite advantages: Playing back keeps the prospect on track. Keeps you clear on where you stand with the prospect. It allows the prospect to agree or disagree, add more information, or simply confirm what you ve said. 2. Respond to objections. When a prospect raises an objection, it shows he or she is seriously thinking about doing business with you. Answering concerns are part of the sales process. They will always come up and they will always need to be resolved and handled if you re going to get the business. Make a list of the typical objections you hear and possible responses. When you prepare in advance, there will be no surprises and you ll feel more confident. 3. Prepare closing questions. At this point in the meeting you want to lead the prospect to saying, Yes, I ll do business with you. Here are some examples of closing questions: Are you ready to get started? 11

14 Shall I draw up a contract? Is there anyone else involved in the decision-making process? Would you like to sign up? Is my proposal acceptable? Shall I finalize the details? Which plan do you want to go with? 4. Ask for the business and then stop talking! Once you ve asked your closing questions, be quiet. A few moments of silence allows the prospect time to process the information and to decide. 5. Commit to the next step. Closing a sale can take a series of meetings over time. Make sure you set up the next meeting or the next call. Take out your calendars, together select and write in the date to speak or meet. You always want to leave a meeting with the next step in place. 6. Write a summary of the meeting. Whether or not you ve closed the sale, put the main points of the meeting in writing and send via or letter to the prospect. It reminds them what you ve discussed and what they ve agreed to. Include the next step you ve planned, whether it s a telephone check-in, another meeting, or some information you ve promised to provide. The prospect will be impressed with your professionalism and superb follow-up! It s Never about the Money Are you frustrated again and again by the number of sales lost because of the issue of money? It s not uncommon to spend your valuable time with a prospect, only to find out at the end of the presentation that your product or service is too expensive. Here s a typical situation: You come to the point in the sales presentation when the prospect asks you how much your product or service will cost them. When you give the information, they either respond that it s too expensive or they will have to think about it and get back to you. Needless to say, this can be extremely frustrating. There is an easy solution to this common problem, though. Asking money-related questions early on will let you know where you stand with the prospect in an instant. Determining whether your prices are in the ballpark will determine whether you continue to the next step. Bringing up money allows you to qualify the prospect quickly, and gives you a sense of what you can recommend during the presentation stage, so you know where you stand competitively. Too many salespeople neglect to ask these all-important questions. 12

15 If you are in any way reluctant to talk about money early in the sales call, keep one thing in mind: Serious prospects don t mind hearing money questions. In fact, they expect to be asked these questions. Unqualified prospects run when they hear these questions. That usually happens because they re not serious about buying. When you ask money questions, be sure to word them in a way so they ll help the buyer. Here are some examples: Position the question by saying: I want to make sure we re in the same ballpark here I m asking the next question because it will help me determine exactly what I ll recommend Just to be sure we don t invest a lot of time up-front needlessly, I want to be sure our price ranges are compatible with what you re looking for Then ask the question: Approximately, what were you looking to spend? About how much has been set aside for this project? What would be too expensive? What budget range were you thinking about? With the response you hear from the prospect, you now have room to negotiate the price with them by positioning the value of your product. Setting the Foundation to Getting More Business! Before you start making those calls and seeing more clients, you must be fully prepared to get the business. Although you may be eager to close more sales, there are several things to take care of before you re on your way to achieving your sales goals. Imagine building your dream house. The first thing you would do is pour cement into the ground to create a solid foundation on which to rest the house. Once the foundation is in place, you ll be ready to build a dream house that will last forever. It s the same with growing your sales and building your client list. When you have a strong foundation in place, you re powerfully prepared and confident to call on prospects, and go after new business. 13

16 The foundation to bringing in more sales is made up of the following 4 key qualities: 1. Acting from Integrity 2. Taking Responsibility 3. Keeping Promises 4. Creating a Plan Successful people embody these 4 qualities consistently in their lives. Let s take a look at each of these qualities and how it works. Acting from Integrity. When you re a person of integrity, you value and honor the word you give to do something. You are someone who is being accountable, trustworthy and honest. If you say you re going to deliver your product by a certain date, you deliver it by that date. If you say you re going to make 30 calls a day, you make those calls each day. You never step over anything with anyone including yourself. When you live your life from integrity, you experience freedom and power that impacts all areas of your life. Success begins with integrity. Taking Responsibility. When you take responsibility for your actions, you give up any reasons or justifications not to do something. As Brian Tracey, well-known author and speaker says, The mark of excellent people is that they refuse to make excuses, blame others, or complain about their situations. Instead, they say, over and over, I am responsible! When you re being responsible, you know you re the one to get the job done and expect no one to do it but yourself. Keeping Promises. When you make a promise, you are stating your commitment to the result. Your word becomes action. Your promise supports your commitment rather than your mood. It engages you as a player in life, and you cease to be a spectator watching from the stands. When you give your promise to another person, you are holding yourself accountable to that person. It s now out in the world and becomes more real for you. This is true for all aspects of your life. You will see your sales increase when you keep your promises. Creating a Plan. When you create a sales plan, you are designing the steps that will lead to achieving your goals and keeping your promises. With a clear and specific plan in place, you have a road map to follow that will get you where you want to go with an end in sight. A well thought-out plan helps you to be organized, focused, and on track to reach your sales goals. I invite you to start putting these qualities into your day-to-day business and see the results that will follow. You will be surprised at how much success you will achieve. Have a great Sales Breakthrough week! 14

17 Managing Yourself Not Your Time As the end of the year approaches, you may find yourself rushing around, feeling you ll never get everything done. That often does happen, even when it s not holiday season. We live in a world in which there never seems to be enough hours in the day. Even with a to-do list, it s difficult to be organized and to anticipate the inevitable interruptions. It is frustrating to end a day with not one item crossed off the list. Imagine being in control of your time! Imagine ending a day energized, with time left over to do the things you love to do. After all, at the end of your life, would you look back and say, I wish I had spent more time at the office? It s more likely you d be saying, I wish I had more time to do the things I love the most. Here are some strategies to open up more time for you. 1. Track your time. You can t manage your time if you don t know where it s going. Start by logging what you do at work each day for a week. Write down the time you begin and end an activity. Include everything, even the time you take for a coffee break. 2. Analyze your time. Notice what you spend most of your time doing. Create categories, with number (1) representing where you spend most of your time, number (2) next, and so forth. You may be surprised to see how much of your day gets taken up dealing with non business-related issues. 3. Set your priorities. List the most important items from your activity time log and list them on a separate sheet of paper in the following categories: Today, Tomorrow, Next Week, and Future. Think about what items are most important and select the category. Your goal is to accomplish 2-3 items each day, depending on the size of the task. Revise your categories at the end of each day as you plan for the next day. 4. Create your daily routine. Now that you know what s using up your precious time, you re ready to create a new daily routine. Organize your day according to your energy flow. If your energy is high earlier the day, then making calls to clients first thing may work best for you. If there is a task that requires close concentration, schedule a break in the middle. Under-schedule yourself, if possible, so that you don t feel pressured all the time and are able to finish projects as planned. Eliminate non-related tasks during business hours. 5. Set boundaries. In the course of your workday, there are likely to be interruptions. It may seem at times that things are out of your control and it s impossible to get your work done. 15

18 However, you have a say in the matter. You can set boundaries with co-workers by letting them know when you can be interrupted and when you can t. When taking phone calls, plan to complete the call in 10 minutes. If possible, let people know at the onset how much time you have to speak, or schedule a time to call them back. People are more understanding than you think when you communicate authentically. 6. Spend time with yourself. Your most important priority is YOU! The first thing that drops off the list when we re busy is taking care of ourselves. Block off on your calendar when you re going to the gym, as if it s a business meeting. Take time each day away from your work, and schedule something special to do for yourself at the end of the week. For the holidays, give yourself the gift of time. When you take care of yourself, you ll have more to give to your work, your family, and your own life. Achieving Sales Goals that Knock Your Socks Off It seems pretty simple to create your goals. You think about what you want to accomplish for the year, write the goals down on paper and keep them visible so you don t forget. At the beginning you re motivated and committed to staying on track. But as time goes by, you find yourself getting caught up in the everyday details of running a business. Before long, time goes by and achieving those goals seems like a far off dream. Without a clear plan of what it is you want to accomplish and how you re going to accomplish it, chances are you won t reach all your goals. Clarifying your goals is the first step to achieving them. The next step is making your goals clear, specific and measurable in time. If you say I want to make lots of money this year, you re not being specific enough. By stating I want to increase my business by 50% in 2006 and accomplish this by December 31st, you re clearly and specifically describing your goal. The wonderful thing about goals is they give you a sense of control over the direction of change in your life. Goals make you feel your life is going in the direction you want it to go. The definition of a goal is a dream with a plan and a deadline. Here are ten steps to follow that will help you achieve all your goals and dreams. 1. Define what is important to you, and WHY? Clearly define what you really want to accomplish and more importantly, why? Many of us get caught in the reactive cycle of doing so many little things that seem critical. We lose sight of what we are really trying to accomplish. 16

19 2. Take risks Design goals that cause you to stretch yourself further than you would normally go. Step outside your comfort zone and be willing to take risks the bigger the game, the bigger the result. You are the one steering the ship in the direction you want it to go. 3. Declare your goals Powerfully declare your goals to yourself and others who you know will support you in reaching them. It shows that you are personally committed to the result. You are now on the court playing rather than being a spectator watching your life from the sidelines. Also, put it in writing so it is in existence for you. 4. Design action steps Within each goal, there are action steps you need to create to accomplish your goal. If your goal is finding a new client, a step towards achieving that could be going to (3) networking events this month. Breaking your goals into action steps makes it easier to achieve. It gives you clarity and a process to follow. 5. Establish "By When" dates Set dates you will reach your goals by. Be realistic when setting your deadlines. Establishing by when dates provides you with an end date to work towards. You can plan in advance the amount of time needed, cash flow, and support from others in meeting the deadlines. 6. Organize your daily objectives Write your daily objectives. A daily list of your priorities will keep you focused and on track. List (3) important items you want to accomplish for the day. You will feel satisfied at the end of the day with what you have completed. 7. Create accountability You are taking responsibility for doing whatever it takes to reach your goals. Tell a friend or colleague what you are committed to achieving. Ask them if they would check in with you at specified times to support you in staying on track with your goals. 8. Be intentional Put your attention on your intention to reach your goal. Then let it go and move onto other things. You will get what you focus your thoughts on. Relax, get out of the way and trust it will come. 9. Acknowledge yourself Along the way to reaching your goals you will complete many tasks. You have much to be proud of. Take a moment to acknowledge yourself for what you have done so far. Also, let others know how far you have come. 17

20 10. Celebrate your accomplishments Take time to celebrate your accomplishments, big and small. Give yourself a special gift. It could be taking a few hours off from work, or spending quality time with your family. These special moments will keep the momentum going and motivate you to continue pursuing all your goals. Grab the Prospect s Attention in 60 Seconds As a sales professional or business owner, you re always selling yourself or your product. Whether you re attending a networking event or trade show, you only have a few seconds to introduce yourself and grab the prospect s attention. Do you remember how you introduced yourself to a prospect at the last networking event you attended? The prospect probably asked you, What do you do? You probably said something like this: I am a graphic designer and I design marketing materials. I am an account executive and I sell advertising space in magazines. Now, these are typical responses that describe what you do. There s nothing unique about these statements that sets you apart from the competition. If you want your prospects to sit up and listen, create a message that grabs their attention in the first 60 seconds. Creating a compelling sales message that addresses your prospects needs is both an opportunity to promote your services and a way to separate yourself from the rest. It will make the prospect want to know more about you. Your selling statement must be vivid, specific, and easy to remember. Your main objective for your sales message is to get the prospect to say, Wow, you re exactly what I need! Can I have your card? Better still, it will make them say, I want to work with you! When can we talk? As you create your compelling sales message, consider two strong motivators that drive people to buy or take action. The motivators are Pain and Gain. The first motivator is Pain. Pain is another way of avoiding or fixing a problem, concern, or predicament. When creating your compelling sales message, focus first on the pain you can alleviate because it appeals to the stronger of the two motivators. Examples: I work with business owners who find it challenging to design their marketing materials. 18

21 I sell ad space to people who want to sell their product, but are afraid of putting their advertising dollars in the wrong publication. The use of verbs such as challenged, frustrated, concerned, worried, stopped, and afraid in the sales message addresses the prospect s pain. The prospect wants to be relieved of pain as quickly as possible. The second motivator is Gain. People are motivated to buy or take action in order to improve a situation. Saving money, making money, saving time, becoming more efficient, improving service are just a few examples. Examples: I help business owners create marketing materials that stand out in the marketplace, attracting new clients with ease. I help people make advertising decisions that save them money and bring them many sales. Expressing in positive words the ways you help people and the results they gain from working with you will motivate potential clients to find out more about your service. 7 Steps to Turning Cold Calls into Hot Appointments When you hear the term cold-calling, a number of thoughts may come up for you. You re calling people you don t know, you may not get through to them, and if you do, they may not want to talk to you. Doesn t sound like much fun, does it? Having been a salesperson for many years, I ve made my share of cold calls. Last year I decided I wanted to offer sales training to banks located in the area where I live. I developed a list of banks, created a letter, ed the letter to the appropriate contact person at each bank, and started making calls. Lo and behold, I was able to get a meeting. I met with the prospect, learned about the bank s training initiatives, and submitted a proposal. The outcome is that the bank is interested and I ll be meeting with the decision-maker shortly. This happened because I created a step-by-step process and followed it. 19

22 With a clear plan in place, cold-calling leads to appointments that lead to sales. Let s take a look at the cold-calling process and how to make it work for you. 1. Set a strong foundation for making calls. Begin by targeting an industry. Then make a list of companies, names of people to reach, phone numbers, and people s addresses. Visit websites to learn more about each company. Is a particular company growing or launching a new product? Did it have a great year? Write a letter introducing your company and your services. Mention early in the letter a success story based on what you found on their website. Talk about how you ve successfully helped similar companies and you can do the same for them. Send the letter by or snail mail. Send several letters at a time and begin making calls 2-3 days later. 2. The goal of your initial telephone call is to set the appointment and only to set the appointment. Every business has its own sales cycle. Getting in the door is step one. On a cold call or introductory call you are not selling your product or service, you are getting a meeting. You want your prospect to give you minutes so you can introduce yourself, your company, your product or your service. That is it! 3. Call when you have the best chance to reach the prospect. The best time to reach a prospect often is early in the morning before his or her assistant is in and before the prospect gets caught up in the day. Lunchtime or after 5 are two other good times to reach the prospect directly. 4. Grab their attention in 10 seconds. A prospect is not expecting your call, so you must get his or her attention instantly. A 10-second introduction is what you say when you shake someone s hand, call someone on the phone, or stand up in front of a group. It describes what you do and whom you do it for in a clear and memorable way. After you have a prospect s attention, mention you re following up on the letter you sent. 5. The purpose of your call is twofold: (1) to find out if this lead is actually a good prospect for you and, if so, (2) to get an appointment to make a presentation. After your 10- second introduction, move immediately to ask a question, such as, Do you have a moment to talk about how I can help your company get better results from its training programs? Or, I understand your company is launching a new product. Would you be interested in knowing how I can help you double the sales? If the need is there, ask for a meeting on the spot. 6. When asking for the appointment, state you ll only need about 15 minutes of their time. Once the meeting actually takes place, you ll almost always get more time, but it s a good idea to be sensitive to time constraints. Give a few choices. Example: I ll be seeing clients in your area early next week. Would Monday or Tuesday work for you? Then, Which is better, morning or afternoon? People will choose when they have choices. 20

23 7. Get on the phone like a winner! Your success in cold-calling depends on how you project your voice on the phone. A prospect can t see you so it s all in the way you speak. Project enthusiasm, confidence, and energy. SMILE! Have a mirror in front of you, and smile into the mirror as you speak. The prospect will sense your energy and enthusiasm. Marketing Ideas for Selling More Successfully selling your product again and again is the goal of every business owner, entrepreneur, and sales professional. If you want to sell many products, you must find new ways to reach as many prospects as possible. When I was a salesperson in the corporate world, I would call on leads and make cold calls to companies with the intention of getting in front of the prospect. Times have changed and it s more competitive in the marketplace nowadays than ever before. It takes more than just picking up the phone and getting the meeting to be able to sell your product. It takes learning new and creative marketing methods to bring in more clients. In the role of business owner and salesperson, I ve learned the importance of marketing. I ve taken what I ve learned about marketing and combined it with my sales knowledge. Marketing and sales together have doubled my business. Here are some of the new ideas I ve learned that I d like to share with you: Generosity leads to business. Be generous and give something away for free. Create an incentive offering to entice the customer to buy from you. People will be drawn to buy when they think they re getting more for their money. Come from a place of abundance and generosity. The more freely you give, the more you will receive. I lead free teleclasses, write a free e-zine and free reports for signing up for my newsletter. Following my teleclasses, I send out free sales information. I also offer free consultations. Create special theme offerings. Design special offerings you can send out periodically to your customer base either by or snail mail. Use a specific theme to promote your product that would appeal to the customer, such as a holiday special, a birthday special, or a seasonal theme. Let the customer know it s offered for a limited time. Create a marketing list. There are numerous ways to create visibility. Here are a few ideas that I created to market myself: I speak to groups, send out an electronic newsletter, send people to the Sales Breakthrough System website, and I write articles. The goal for you is to get your name in front of as many people as possible that will buy from you. The more they see you, the sooner you will be known as a respected expert in your field. Using these marketing tips, I ve doubled my newsletter subscriber base. 21

24 Network. Get your name out there and meet as many people as you can. Join a networking group, join an association, and attend trade shows that your customers attend. I highly recommend BNI ( as a networking group. Don t just join a networking group get involved. When you have a visible role, people will be more interested in getting to know you. Set yourself apart from the others. Create your unique selling statement that sets you apart from your competition. The statement should say just enough to stimulate the customer s curiosity to want to know more. Address their pain; tell them how you help and the results they gain from working with you. Practice saying it with enthusiasm and confidence at networking events and trade shows. Hire an expert. Reach out to people who are experts in their field. Don t try to be a lone ranger and do everything yourself. Be willing to seek out people who have the experience and knowledge to help you grow your business. The investment is worth every penny and will come back to you tenfold. I reached out to Client Attraction expert, Fabienne Fredrickson ( and she showed me how to market myself successfully. Implementing these marketing ideas will bring you interested prospects. Once you have the prospects, you ll be that much closer to getting business. Closing the sale means applying effective sales techniques that lead the prospect to say yes to doing business with you. If you re interested in learning how to close more sales, call me. I d be happy to have a chat with you to see how I can help. Get More Business by Staying Visible Here s the scenario: You ve been working with a client for a while and you d like to increase the business you re getting from them. You know there may be other opportunities to work with the company but you re not sure how and when to ask. There are simple steps you can take to ensure bringing in new business from your current clients. Here are 5 easy ways to grow business from an existing client. 1. Ask for a meeting. After a project has completed, ask to meet with the client to discuss the results of the project and to discuss some new ideas. If you ve done good work for a client, the level of trust and quality of the relationship has increased because the client believes in you. You have proven yourself to the client, so they will be happy to meet with you. 22

25 2. Ask for feedback. Find out if the client is satisfied with the most recent project s delivery and ask if there are any suggestions for improvement. Then ask what the company s future needs are. If the client tells you there are no opportunities at this time, ask when it would be good to follow up. Before you leave the meeting, confirm the agreed-upon time you will be in touch. Staying in touch with the prospect keeps the door open for future business. 3. Ask for referral business. After the client has expressed satisfaction with your service, ask for referral business, either within the company or outside the company. Say to the client I m delighted you re happy with our service. It s been a pleasure working with you too. Is there anyone else you think would benefit from speaking to me? Ask if they can give you the names then. If they cannot, set up a time in the next week to follow up for the names and phone numbers. 4. Keep the client updated. Another way to stay visible is by keeping the client informed of new products, services, or programs, either developed by your company or that have recently come on the market. Your client will appreciate being informed of the latest cuttingedge products for their employees. This shows you re thinking of ways to help the client and you ll soon become their trusted partner. 5. Stay in touch. Your client may not have an immediate need for your services, but that can change. A no today can easily become a yes tomorrow. Stay visible by touching base with the client periodically via phone or . I keep an ongoing list of prospects who have expressed interest. I then send them a brief letting them know I was thinking of them and their business, asking if they d be interested in having a chat with me. More people respond quicker to than the phone. 9 Ways to Authentic Selling When we think about what we know about selling from the past, for some of us the image of the stereotype pushy salesperson comes to mind. The first thought many of us have is someone is trying to get me to buy something. None of us likes the experience of being sold. We become distrustful and will quickly say, I m not interested. Do you have to be like all those images we have of pushy salespeople? No. We all have different selling styles. Have you ever watched individuals speak and you found yourself listening to every word they said? You didn t know the individuals, but there was something about them that drew you to them. It happened because they were being genuine and real. They were being themselves. 23

26 Being successful in sales doesn t come from being slick or pushy, or copying someone else s selling style. That never works because people can sense you re not yourself. The key is to understand who you are and be yourself. Sales success begins with being who you are. It s really is as simple as that. The prospect will come to you because they re attracted to your authenticity. When you re being real, your honesty and trust shines through, and people are drawn to you. Let s start to define what selling really is. Once you begin to uncover your own authentic selling style, you ll start closing more business faster and with ease. Here are 9 ways to get you started: Selling is no longer being the slick, aggressive, and pushy salesperson. Selling is being more interested in the prospect than in what you have to say. Selling is creating a trusting and honest relationship with the prospect. Selling is being a keen listener and listening for what s most important to the prospect. Selling is thinking of ways of helping the prospect. Selling is going the extra mile and doing the unexpected for the prospect. Selling is showing you genuinely want to help them get to where they want to go. Selling is making yourself easily accessible to your clients either by phone or . Selling is being you. Remember, you are unique and special so let that shine through! Breaking Through Your Sales Barriers Many business owners come to me because they re stopped when it comes to getting out there and selling their product or service. They think they don t know how to sell or the right steps to take. They create limiting thoughts. The more and longer they think these thoughts, it becomes the truth for them. They say I don t want to be pushy, or I don t have a sales personality, or I m not good at this. They hold themselves back from selling and moving forward in their business. They become so frustrated that they re ready to give up. 24

27 Dr. Shad Helmstetter, author of What to Say When You Talk to Yourself says this about the mind: In your first 18 years, if you grew up in a fairly average, reasonably positive home, you were told no or what you could not do more than 148,000 times. Most of the negative programming we ve all received unintentionally, in many cases, has come from our parents, our teachers, our friends, our associates, advertising, the newspapers, etc. Leading behavioral researchers have said that as much as 75% of everything we think is negative, counterproductive, and works against us. Other behavioral researchers have come to the conclusion that whatever you put into your mind, in one way or another is what you will get back out, in one way or another. It makes sense that whatever you hear, think, or say repeatedly over time will become real to you. You will live your life as if those thoughts are the truth. I want you to know that any personality can sell. When you get out of your way you can achieve anything. It starts with replacing those negative thoughts with positive and empowering thoughts. Make a list of all the negative thoughts you have about selling. Ask yourself the following questions: 1. For each sales goal, what s the limiting thought you have? What s it costing you in your life? (Happiness, fulfillment, success, satisfaction, money, vitality, relationships, health, selfexpression, and you may have others.) 2. Is this thought the truth or is it a thought you ve made up? 3. How do you react when you think that thought? Make a long list of your actions, behaviors, feelings, and other thoughts you have at the moment of thinking the original thought. 4. Who would you be without that thought? For example, if you were facing a business challenge, such as asking clients for referrals, and you simply could not have the thought, It s hard for me to ask for referrals. Who would you be without that thought? 5. What would your life look like without that thought? Finally, turn that thought around. State the limiting thought as a powerful thought. Instead of saying, It s hard for me to ask for referrals, take that limiting thought and change it to I ask for referrals and get them. Then ask yourself if that new statement is true as or truer than the original thought? Take all the limiting thoughts you ve rewritten as powerful thoughts and write them on a 3 x 5 index card that you can carry around with you. Periodically, read aloud your new powerful thoughts. 25

28 Once you move through the barriers, you ll be energized and have more fun selling! You ll have more freedom and confidence to go after what you want. When you re no longer at the affect of your thoughts, you re excited and eager to get out there, meet new people, and sell more. You ll start experiencing less struggle and more of a flow. That s when sales results start happening. You get in a momentum and begin closing sales much faster and with ease. Are You Getting What You re Worth? Are you making the amount of money you really want to make? Do you struggle with what to charge for fear the client will think you re too expensive? If the answer is yes to either of those questions, you may be stopped by your beliefs and thoughts about money. Our thoughts and beliefs about money shape our actions. Limited beliefs create limited finances. If you believe you have to work hard to make money, you probably won t have an easy time getting rich. Many of those beliefs come from our family, what we ve been taught, what we ve read, and what we ve been raised to believe. Some common negative beliefs about money are reflected in expressions such as: Filthy rich It takes money to make money Money is the root of all evil Money can t buy you love You can t take it with you The best things in life are free Money isn t everything All the statements you heard about money when you were young remain in your subconscious mind. You ve heard them over and over again, so your mind is programmed to believe it is true. It s no surprise that you relate to money as something negative and put a limit on how much money can come into your life. Do any of the following statements seem true to you? People with money have an easier time making more money. I cannot invest in myself until I have more money coming in. 26

29 People with lots of money are ruthless and untrustworthy. The more money I make, the more I worry that I ll lose it. When I charge a higher fee, I feel guilty that I don t deserve it. All of these statements are symptoms of a scarcity mindset. Most of us have experienced some of these thoughts to some degree. The thoughts in your subconscious determine your thinking. Your thinking determines your actions, which then determines the results. Just as you have put those thoughts into your subconscious, you can change your thinking. There are 5 steps to changing your thinking about money: 1. Aware: Write down all the statements you ve heard about money, wealth, and rich people. Go as far back as you can remember and write down every thought that comes to your mind. 2. Understand: Write down how these statements have affected your life. Begin to understand how these statements came from others, what you learned, and what you read. These statements are not who you are. 3. Choose: Now you see that you have a choice. You can choose to create new statements and thoughts of whom you are, what you deserve, and what you want to bring into your life. 4. Visualize: See an abundance of money coming into your life. Close your eyes and visualize how much money you want to make, how much to increase your fees, and how much you know you re worth. 5. Action: Take the new thoughts you ve created and write them down. Read them aloud each day to yourself and say them to others. Make this a daily habit. The more you say these thoughts over and over again, the more real they will become for you. Before you can make more money, you need to believe you can do that. When you change your thinking, money will start coming to you easily and effortlessly. 27

30 Want to Close More Sales? It's Simple...Start Listening! Did you know that 85% of your success is based upon how well you relate to others? One of the key ways to relating to others is "listening." How well do you listen? Have you ever had a conversation and the person you're speaking to says, "Did you hear what I just said?" You immediately say "Yes, of course!" (hoping they don't ask you to repeat back what they've said.) If that's happened to you, you've been caught not listening. We may think we listen, but the truth is we listen only some of the time. There is a way to show the prospect that you're paying attention to what they're saying. When you take the time to listen, you'll uncover valuable information about the prospect that will help close the sale faster. Let me show you a process to use so the client knows you are actively listening. In a sales meeting or sales phone conversation, active listening is more than merely paying attention. To listen actively is to work, mentally and verbally to ensure the prospect's meaning is understood. That assurance must come from the prospect. To be sure you've understood what you've heard, play back to the prospect what you've heard. The playback is introduced by such leadin phrases as: "If I understand you correctly..." "Let me see if I have this..." "As I understand it..." "I hear you saying..." "So, what you're saying is..." "In other words, what you're telling me is..." There are three reasons for playback: Rephrasing to demonstrate that you're truly attentive Rephrasing to trigger more information Summarizing to reach agreement on what's been said If clients or prospects realize you take them seriously, you are seen as an attentive listener. The way to playback is through rephrasing. It shows the prospect you are listening. Unlike parroting back the same words; rephrasing requires that the listener grasp the concept of what they've just said. When they hear their own concepts played back in different words, they know you've listened. You're now on the way to creating a long-lasting business relationship by being attentive and taking the time to listen to their needs. 28

31 When the prospect feels heard and understood, you've established credibility and trust. You've now brought the prospect one step closer to wanting to do business with you. What s Your Unique Selling Style? Everybody has a different style of selling; there isn t one way to do it. The first thing to know is that the way you are is absolutely perfect. You re totally unique. The key is to understand who you are and to be yourself, and what a relief to know that. Furthermore, selling from your authentic, unique self is a more natural way of selling. The natural way of selling entails being your authentic self, and making those experiences as positive as possible. Often, we remember and react only to the negative experiences we ve had when we ve been sold to, overlooking the positive ones, without realizing that we re naturally sold to all the time, even in our relationships, and that it s just as frequently a positive experience. One important point to keep in mind is that even as your success increases, you simply can t expect everyone to become your customer. You can t sell to everyone. You need to focus on your target market. At the same time, you ll find that as your confidence increases, you re going to attract people to you the people you want to work with anyway. Sometimes, happily, it hardly feels like work. I d like to introduce you to a useful, simple framework through which you can look at yourself and the reasons why you operate the way you do. In order to make this as clear as possible, I have narrowed the vast field of potential types down to four, basic sales personalities: Driver, Social, Creative, and Analytical. Discovering which type or types describe your dominate mode of working in the world can help you to better understand why you do things a certain way, and how to maximize your authentic and unique sales potential. Let s take a look at each type. 1. The Driver personality is usually the one you see out there on the front lines, making the decisions and getting things done. Drivers are usually competitive, direct, take-charge people. They finish what they start and are not afraid to ask for business. The Driver s sales style is to be her own boss. She prefers not to report to anyone else; at the same time, she doesn t hesitate to take risks because she sees the big picture. Some famous Drivers are Donald Trump, Oprah Winfrey, and Mayor Giuliani. 29

32 2. The Social personality is adept at influencing others, positive and inspiring, and really cares about people. The Social type s sales style reflects a keen listener, someone who enjoys people, is great at inspiring and motivating a team, and gets the best out of people. The Social personality makes an excellent sales manager. Mother Teresa is a classic social type. Her generous work and dedication to working among the poorest so inspired people from around the world, voluntary helpers soon joined her and she received ongoing financial support. Although she was not a salesperson per se, she exemplifies all the wonders the Social type can manifest in the world. 3. The Creative personality can truly be said to think outside the box. This individual easily comes up with solutions for the team. His sales style demonstrates free and independent thinking, develops innovative solutions, and generates new ideas. As a salesperson, the Creative type will collaborate with the client for solving problems and creating new ideas. Some famous creative types include Richard Branson and George Lucas. 4. When you meet someone who is detail oriented, organized, cautious, and thorough, you know you re talking to an Analytical personality type. Her sales style is to take time to gather all the facts and figures before making a decision. She usually does extensive research before moving forward, and that means she asks a lot of questions. She is the one who always comes up with accurate and complete information. There are several sound reasons for determining your sales personality. For one thing, having this knowledge gives you permission to be who you are. It allows you to see that you can adapt sales techniques to fit your preferences and style. It also reminds you that you can t fight who you are. You can t force yourself to be what you re not. However, you can adjust your selling techniques to your preferred style(s). You may find you are overridingly one personality type, you are a combination of two of them, or that you seem to draw upon each of the types depending on the situation. Each one of the personality types described reveals different strengths that you can leverage in your own practice. These types also provide you with insight into how others may be behaving, including the people on your team, your clients, and your prospects. The motive for establishing and understanding these types is for you to begin accepting yourself as you are, accepting others, and a better knowledge of how to interact with clients. Always remember, beneath these exercises is the mantra, you re perfect as you are. We explore personality traits in order to understand better who we are and to stretch into new areas of ourselves that may have been dormant; this way, we become well rounded. Ultimately, this means selling becomes easier and easier. 30