Business Leadership Skills 02 (Feb 13 - Apr 15)

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"The way positive reinforcement is carried out, is more important than the amount."
- B.F. Skinner

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"Pretend that every single person you meet has a sign around his or her neck that says, "Make me feel important." Not only will you succeed in sales, you will succeed in life."

- Mary Kay Ash, Entrepreneur

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"Ideas are a dime a dozen. People who implement them are priceless."
-- Mary Kay Ash, Entrepreneur

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"If you want risk taking, set an example yourself and reward and praise those that do."

-- Jack Welch

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"Concentration can be cultivated. One can learn to exercise will power, discipline one's body and train one's mind."

-- Anil Ambani

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"If you can see John Smith through John Smith's eyes, you can sell John Smith what John Smith buys."

- Old sales maxim

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A few words can go a long way in business

AVOID
1- You have to…
2- You can’t…..
3- What is your problem?
4- I’ll try, don’t know
5- I need you to…
6- We can’t do that

WORDS TO USE
1- Will you…
2- Would you…
3- Can you tell me about the problem?
4- Let me find out
5- Will you?
6- What we can do is…

- Alicia Lopez M

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Consulting vs Selling by Brian Tracy

One particular self-image possessed by high-achieving salespeople, is that they see themselves as consultants rather than as salespersons. Do you view yourself as a consultant?

High-achieving salespeople see themselves as problem solvers with their products or services rather than as vendors looking for someone who will trade them money for what they have to offer.


Approach Them As Clients

They do not approach their customers with hat in hand, hoping for a sale. They approach their "clients" with the attitude that they are consultants calling on the prospect to help him or her solve a problem or achieve a goal.


Ask Questions and Listen Carefully

Seeing themselves as consultants, they ask questions carefully and listen intently. They focus all of their energies on understanding the customer's situation, so that they can make intelligent recommendations based on what the customer really wants and needs.


Become An Expert in Your Field

As consultants, they recognize that they must be experts, authorities in their field. They know their products and services from one end to the other. They invest many hours familiarizing themselves with every single detail of what they sell, and of what their competitors sell as well.

They know the strengths and weaknesses, the advantages and shortcomings, the features and benefits of what they are offering. They have excellent product knowledge which their customers can sense and which gives both themselves and their customers greater confidence throughout the sales conversation.


Differentiate Yourself from Your Competitors

Top salespeople, positioning themselves as consultants, see themselves as resources for their clients. They see themselves and carry themselves as advisors, mentors and friends.

They become emotionally involved in their transactions and they are generally concerned that their product or service be the ideal solution to the real needs of the prospects they are dealing with.

They differentiate themselves from their competitors by being more concerned with helping their prospects than with selling their products or services. Their customers often feel that they care more about them than they care about making a sale. And it's true.


Action Exercises

Here are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action.

First, see yourself as a problem-solver rather than as a salesperson. Take sufficient time to understand the prospect's real need before you start selling.

Second, think of ways to tailor your product or service to your customer's needs so that he sees what you sell as the ideal solution for him.


Source: Brian Tracy International

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"You get the best out of others when you get the best out of yourself."
- Harvey Firestone

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"Feedback is the breakfast of champions."
- Rick Tate