I hope you’ve been enjoying this look back at our “From the Vault” series, and I hope you’ve been able to learn some new lessons from old videos. I’ve got my head down and my nose to the grindstone working on my latest book, but I promise we’ll have some fresh new content out for you here very soon. In the meantime, please continue to point out to me all the differences between today and four years ago. A man can get a lot grayer in four years; just ask any president.

Whether you sell homes, cars, jewelry, luxury services, or any big ticket item, chances are you are not the only salesperson a customer will run into in their search. You have competition and the customer won’t give you any more attention than they give anyone else. That is, not unless you take it. One of the best way to grab a customer’s attention is to follow up with them as soon as possible. Think about it. If a customer sees ten salespeople in a day, how are you going to be the one who stands out? You remind them! And you do it quickly!

A lot of you got a kick out of seeing one of my old videos last week. Way back then, I didn’t know that a black muslin sheet or a high school portrait backdrop didn’t make for the world’s most interesting or engaging set pieces. Regardless, I found another old video with a great lesson for this week.

I recorded this video way back in June of 2009 for salespeople in the new home industry. But in reality, this messages holds merit for any salesperson who considers themselves a trusted adviser to their customers. Nobody wants to be thought of as a “pushy” person. But the truth is, there are appropriate times when a little push is exactly what some customers need.

I decided to take a nostalgic trip down memory lane recently, and I found a lot of my old newsletter sales tip videos. Look at the guy in that video! Remember when I had hair?!?! Please enjoy some of these videos from the archive. And definitely enjoy that awesome fake plant in the back ground!

In this video from 2010, I shared a best practice for how we handle objections. Remember, when a customer brings up an objections, they’re not just coming up to you because they want to complain. They are looking for your help. And the only way you can provide the help is if you fully understanding what’s troubling them. The video may be old, but the lesson is timeless.

In our discussion of the Maximum Market Share Mindset, we’ve been talking about how you can get more than your fair share of sales. You get more by deserving more, by outperforming the competition and by being at the top of your game.

Now, that doesn’t mean you’re going to get every sale. Even top performers see prospective customers walk out the door. But the difference is this: Top performers are never at fault when a customer walks away without buying. Top performers take every sale as far as it will possibly go. And if the sale stops, they aren’t the one who stopped it.

Your job is to take the sale as far as it will go. Your perseverance will go a long way towards obtaining more than your fair share.

P.S. Click here to begin The Maximum Market Share Mindset Series from the beginning. ]]> http://jeffshore.com/2013/04/the-maximum-market-share-mindset-advancing-the-sale/feed/ 0 http://jeffshore.com/2013/04/the-maximum-market-share-mindset-energy-in-the-demonstration/ http://jeffshore.com/2013/04/the-maximum-market-share-mindset-energy-in-the-demonstration/#comments Fri, 12 Apr 2013 23:56:56 +0000 jeffshore http://jeffshore.com/?p=10206 High Energy, High Emotion

Are you passionate about your product? I hope the answer is “yes” because if you aren’t passionate about what you sell then you’re going to have a heck of a time trying to get other people to be!

People (not just customers) gravitate towards other people who demonstrate high levels of passion and excitement. We are attracted to that dynamic energy in others, we respond to it, and (most importantly) we ADOPT it and reciprocate it!

Energy is contagious. So there’s no reason to sit around waiting for someone to come in who is already excited. YOU BE EXCITED. Your high energy and passion and emotion will carry them through to the sale!

Have a great weekend!

P.S. Click here to begin The Maximum Market Share Mindset Series from the beginning.

The sales people who get more than their fair share of sales know something important: They know what they don’t know. They know that when a customer first walks in the door, that customer comes with a story to tell. And uncovering that story can make all the difference.

Every customer is on a mission to improve their lives. There is element in their lives that isn’t working for them and that’s why they need your help. Effective sales people understand that if you don’t know what the element is all you can do is pitch your product, you can’t truly sell it.

Learn to understand your customer’s mission on a far deeper level than you currently do. It’s the best way to change their world!

P.S. Click here to begin The Maximum Market Share Mindset Series from the beginning.

]]> http://jeffshore.com/2013/04/the-maximum-market-share-mindset-understanding-the-mission/feed/ 0 http://jeffshore.com/2013/03/the-maximum-market-share-mindset-relational-connection/ http://jeffshore.com/2013/03/the-maximum-market-share-mindset-relational-connection/#comments Fri, 29 Mar 2013 07:23:00 +0000 jeffshore http://jeffshore.com/?p=10148 Take Off the “Sales Hat”

As salespeople, what do we think when we see a customer? We think “Potential buyer.” What does a customer think when they see us. Well, possibly they think “Person who will try and take all of my money.”

That’s a big gap to overcome as a starting point of our interactions with a customer! This is why establishing a Relational Connection with every one we meet (customer or not) is so crucial. Before you can think about selling to someone, you must first gain their respect.

Forget the traditional buyer-seller standoff. This is one person talking to another person. It may take practice, but the results are powerful!

And click here to catch the beginning of The Maximum Market Share Mindset Series.

The first attribute of top performers we are taking a look at is full engagement. Top performers never pay partial attention to their customers. They eliminate their mental distractions and concentrate their full focus on their buyer. Check out more in this quick video.

You have the industry sob-story trump card! I shared this phenomenal upside of working through a tough market at last year’s Sales Leadership Summit. Check it out below and enjoy!

Congratulations my fellow obnoxious survivor! Let’s all be insufferable together!

Have a great week!

As we wrap up our Be Bold series, I want to recommend that you begin your journey towards greater and greater boldness with small steps. You should look for Bold Little Victories that you can take pride in. More in the video below.

And click to view the past lessons in this series.

It’s time to learn to ENJOY discomfort! Think about it. If pain equals gain, and we LOVE gain, we need to learn to love pain as well. Watch the quick video below for more.

And click to view the past lessons in this series.

Today we’ll take it one step further. I want to suggest to you that it’s not enough to simply confront your discomfort. I want you to EMBRACE it! Because, good news, if you’ve hit an uncomfortable obstacle that means there’s a wonderful opportunity on the other side! Watch the quick video below for more!

And check out the rest of this series here!

We have to. Because the alternative is rationalization. Whenever we have a moment of discomfort, we also have a moment of decision. We either overcome the discomfort, or we rationalize why we can’t. Check out this week’s video for more on making the BOLD decision.

And click here to see the other videos in this series.

If you acknowledge your discomfort, you will quickly realize that its power is limited. Check out the quick video below for more.

And don’t forget to check out the past newsletters see the rest of this series!

I don’t mean in a moral way–I believe whole-heartedly that sales is a noble profession and the old-school “sales tricks” are both beneath us and over with.  No, I mean do you ever just feel… awkward about some aspect of the job.  Maybe you, like me, have  telephobia, or you don’t like handing someone a reg card.  Maybe you’re uncomfortable doing site tours or asking the final closing question.

I’m here to tell you that you aren’t alone.  EVERYONE has some natural discomfort with some part of their job.  That’s not going away.  They key is to find the way to work through it.  Watch the quick video below for more from our Boldness series.

Check out the whole Be Bold series on the blog!

That being the case, the one piece of advice I have offered to salespeople more than anything else over the years has its origin not in sales but in the study of interpersonal communication. The advice is given by the late Stephen Covey in his classic book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Covey suggests: “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.”

This principle is at the core of effective sales, and it is paramount to healthy relationships. Covey points out that, “most people don’t listen with the intent to understand – they listen with the intent to respond.” So true.

The direct application of this concept (both in sales and in life) revolves around a critical life skill: childlike curiosity. Most people are just not curious enough about the lives of those around them. I know I’m guilty. I tend to get self-absorbed with my own problems, concerns, goals and dreams. This precludes me from becoming deeply interested in the person I am talking to. This is a shame, because everyone has a story tell and everyone has something to contribute.

The issue really comes down to one critical skill, both in the sales arena and in our work relationships: the ability to ask good questions. Curiosity demands questions; just ask any 4-year-old. Curious people are more about being interested in others than about being interested to others.

Let me offer a direct application here. One curiosity question that is most definitely worth developing is the phrase: “Tell me more about that.” This simple request encourages people to go deeper. It gives them permission to open up. And it is the basis of a deeper understanding. “Tell me more about that.” “Can I ask you to go a little deeper there?” “Talk to me. I want to know more.” Find a way to encourage the other person to share on a deeper level.

This communication tactic works because the really important points that lead us to understanding are not typically found at the top level of a conversation. Even though we might ask the direct question, “How are you?” when we see someone, the response is typically shallow, and in many cases inaccurate. The follow-up questions – the “go deeper” questions – challenges the other person to share what’s really going on.

You can take the two most disparate people on the planet and put them in the same room. As long as one of the two is about understanding more than about being understood, they will find common ground somewhere.

In your day-to-day relationships, start practicing the principles of understanding and childlike curiosity. Take an interest in other people, and you’ll change their world!

It’s important to remember that Boldness isn’t something that you either have or you don’t.  Boldness can be developed over time.  Take a look at this week’s video about strengthening your Boldness muscle.

See last week’s video here.

This week we’re kicking off a new video series on one of my favorite topics: Boldness. Boldness is the key to overcoming our discomfort. And here’s the key. It’s not simply a quality that some people have and some don’t. Boldness can be nurtured and strengthened over time.

Let’s start by taking a look at how we define boldness.

I would have told you at the time that I was a great salesperson – and I would have meant it. I was driving a brand new BMW. I bought a new home. There was food on the table and a decent pair of shoes on my feet. By 1989 I was making more than my parents had ever made in one year – combined. Oh sure, I was highly leveraged and in debt, but with my income there was certainly no need to worry, right?

For those of you who are familiar with California economic history you know where this story is headed. In early 1990 the real estate market began its rapid decline into a deep slump. The downturn was sudden and unexpected. The decline was head-spinning.

At first there was denial. “This is a temporary thing. The market is bound to correct itself at some point.”  After that came excuses. “The problem is we just aren’t getting good quality traffic. We need better ads.”  After a short while the confidence began to erode. And then the desperation began to set in. I had to face the reality that I was not prepared for a market downturn. I did not have the skills and I certainly did not have the mental toughness.

And that is when I first learned to sell. I recognized that in a strong market I could blow off the customers with the tough situations. After all, there were always more (and easier) prospects just outside the door. But in a tough market I needed to embrace the difficult challenges that my customers raised.

One of my early mentors in sales was a gentleman (and I use that term with all its best meaning) named Bill Kinnaird. He was a veteran who had already seen tough markets and had lived to tell about them. Bill had a way of counseling his customers through their concerns with grace and ease. He was self-confident without being the least bit arrogant. The most important thing I learned from Bill was that it shouldn’t matter what is happening in the market – a sales counselor should always be prepared to handle the challenges of any customer in any market condition. Bill taught me that handling tough situations in a strong market means you will maximize the opportunities that come your way, and that handling the tough situations in a weak market means you will get the sales that others will not.

I was a successful salesperson right out of the gate. But I was only an effective salesperson when I learned how to handle some of the more tricky aspects of sales in challenging conditions.

A couple came in on Saturday and right away I could tell the wife was going to be the one I needed to get over the fence. They both agreed we found the perfect house, the perfect lot, very limited availability, and their financing seemed doable. Perfect fit right? Well when I tried to close them at the end the wife had some deep seeded preconceived thoughts about having to have $20000 to put down on a house. She seemed to think the 0 down VA loan that her husband qualifies for was too good to be true. I gave her all of the contact information of our preferred lender and encouraged her to ask questions. She agreed to me calling her during the week to follow up. I couldn’t help but to think I could have done more to have finally ended this couples two year new home search based on a false preconceived notion of a giant down payment needed. What is the void in my actions?

I love the way you’re thinking this through. We should all be theorists about how to maximize our performance. There is one thing I’m missing in this scenario that makes it difficult to render an opinion: Why are they moving in the first place? I say this because the single greatest factor in influencing a move is not interest rates or low down payment…or even finding the perfect home. The greatest motivating force to make a move is DISSATISFACTION. That is, the greater the dissatisfaction in their current situation the more they HAVE to move. I’m wondering if she isn’t feel some pull of comfort in her current surroundings??? Tell me more about why they are moving in the first place.

They are currently renting and have been for years. They are dissatisfied with throwing away the rent money each month. Also they have 4 children and not enough bedrooms for everyone or storage space. They really seem genuine when they tell me that they are ready to be homeowners, I just couldn’t comfort them enough to make the decision today.

And sometimes that will happen – it’s a scary moment, so dont beat yourself up. I would suggest that you offer a timeline of when they should make a decision. “I know this is a lot to digest. Tell you what – I’ll give you tonight to sleep on it and I’ll call you first thing tomorrow to see what you decided.” It’s actually a favor to a customer to give them a time frame – it allows for more constructive conversations. You’re close – hang in there!!!!

A different salesperson who shall remain nameless was a competitor in my very next sales community, but his tactics were far less admirable. He slammed my community, my builder, the quality of my homes, and even me personally. He was ruthless and unashamed.

In the long run, Paul was not only more ethical but also far more successful. Prospects were turned off by the second salesman, so much so that his sales pace was consistently lagging. He is out of the business now (and perhaps in jail somewhere!), while Paul is a very successful executive.

No matter the sales situation you must always take the moral high road, not because you’ll get more sales (although it is likely you will) but because it’s the right thing to do. You still have to live with yourself. You still have to sleep at night. You still need to be proud of the work you do.

I don’t care what that other salesperson at that other builder is saying or doing – stay above the muck. Two sayings come to mind on this topic:

* “When you throw dirt you lose ground.”

* “Never wrestle with a pig. You’ll just end up dirty…and the pig will like it.”

Stay morally strong, my friends. It is always the best way to live. Now go change someone’s world…in a very positive way!

Instead, this month we will dedicate the Funnies section to the most humorous decorations of the season.  There doesn’t appear to be a shortage of creative things homeowners can do with their abodes this time of year.

I’m finding that there is a disconnect between what the Buyer wants – what solves their dissatisfaction – and what they can afford.  Some customers think the bad economy will give them a $600K house for $375K.  It means I have to solve their dissatisfaction in two ways: by what they want AND by the price they can actually afford and then try to bring those two aspects together.  The problem I’m encountering is that I can do all kinds of educating but it still ends up being a disappointment – and some actual disbelief.  They end up refusing to make a decision because they’re certain that what they want for what they can afford will be out there if they just look long enough.  Any suggestions?

Getting in touch with this concept we call “reality” is a normal part of the homebuying process.  The only difference between the prospects is the length in that journey towards acceptance of the facts.  The good news is that all builders are playing from a level playing field; the homes are priced on the same platform so you’re not going to lose a buyer to another builder (or even to the resale market) in the scenario you described.

The biggest issue however is whether the buyer wishes to move at all.  I can fight the battle over timing, and I’ll take my chances in persuading that I have the best home for that prospect.  But if the prospect is considering staying put the battle becomes much more difficult.

Your first order of business is to identify both the motivation for moving and also the urgency to make a move.  If they simply cannot stay where they are at based on their current situation, you know they’ll quickly come to grips with the realities of pricing and terms.

If they are stuck on the perception of a $200,000 discount from your at-market pricing, we have a name for that person: Non-Buyer!

We have a new poll this week. How fast do you turn those sales around?

]]> http://jeffshore.com/2012/11/which-visit/feed/ 0 http://jeffshore.com/2012/11/they-say-you-cant-take-it-with-you-but/ http://jeffshore.com/2012/11/they-say-you-cant-take-it-with-you-but/#comments Sat, 10 Nov 2012 01:04:07 +0000 jeffshore http://jeffshore.com/?p=9576 Uh oh, It looks like the relocation buyer now has options. Although, I’ll bet failsafehouselifting.com charges a ton on shipping.

I need complete honesty on this question. Please don’t answer unless you are willing to be totally honest. And remember, this is 100% anonymous. No one will know how you answered. Here you go…

One mistake often made by salespeople is the failure to constantly involve the customer in the sales conversion through active commitments. Too many salespeople go through the process assuming there is an acceptance on the part of the customer without actually asking for that commitment.

The rationale in not asking these commitment questions sounds like this: “I already know they love this kitchen – why would I need to ask that?” Actually, there is a very sound reason for asking for a commitment in this instance. You see, we don’t ask closing questions for our own benefit; we ask closing questions for our customer’s benefit. Their active acceptance cements their commitment.

I read of this example this week from a restaurant that was seeking to increase customer commitments to keeping the reservations they made. The restaurant dropped their no-show rate from 30% to 10% on phone reservations. How?

Instead of saying, “Please call if you have to cancel”, they changed the line to, “Will you please call if you have to cancel?”, then they waited for the response.

Where could you get more active commitments from your customer? Take advantage of that opportunity and you’ll shorten the buying process.

Scenario 1) A customer comes into your office, but you’re busy with another buyer, so she goes to the model by herself. While she’s there, she finds something that is a deal-killer for her. She comes back through the sales office and can’t wait to get out. There’s nothing that you can do to convince her to stay.

Scenario 2) A customer comes into your office, but you’re busy with another buyer, so he goes to the model by himself. While he’s there, he finds something that he perceives to be a problem – let’s say railroad tracks. He comes back into your office with an anguished look on his face. He says, “Oh man, those railroad tracks are so close by. That’s a problem.”

In the first scenario, the problem that that the woman finds is a truly a deal-killer. Customers with deal-killers don’t stand around and describe them to you. They just leave.

In the second scenario, the problem that the man finds might just fall under his level of acceptable dissatisfaction. This is obvious for one reason: because he hasn’t left. If the railroad tracks were a deal-killer, he would have been gone just like the woman in the first scenario. If he doesn’t leave, you can assume that the railroad tracks are a problem, but not a deal-killer. The customer is giving you a chance, and what he really is saying is, “I don’t like the railroad tracks at all, but I like everything else, and I might need to accept the railroad tracks. This is something that I might consider in my acceptable level of dissatisfaction, but I need your help. Give me some assurance that this is a good thing to do.” The message this customer is sending you is “help me!” He wants to consider moving to the next step, but he needs your help to get there. The next move is yours.

When customers raise objections, they are telling the salesperson two things. First, they are saying, “I’m not comfortable with this compromise, and I need to talk through it with someone.” And, secondly, they are saying, “I trust you to help me.” In other words, the raising of objections by a customer is a powerful buying sign. The salesperson shouldn’t panic; he should be excited. He has three powerful phrases at his disposal: “Talk to me,” “Tell me what concerns you,” and “I understand – let’s talk about it.”

And two months before that, there are Halloween decorations.

Ok, to be honest, if this was the toilet in the bathroom of a friend of mine… I’d hold it.

Get it, “Grounded!” Ba-Dum-Ching!

This isn’t actually a decoration.  RIP last 3 exterminators.

Of course we saved the scariest photo for last.

What would your garage door message be?

There is an argument that for many years in many markets the sale itself was low-hanging fruit, with buyers lining up to purchase and waiting lists being the norm.  In that case, the fruit was falling off the tree and into the salesperson’s hands!  Those days, of course, are gone. Stand at the bottom of the tree and look for the easy pickings and guess what – you’ll starve! It’s a fact: that fruit is higher up the tree.

So how to we get to it? How do we get the sales that are way up the tree?  I think there are four things we need to do to get to that point.

1) Learn how to climb.  You cannot reach the fruit if you don’t know how to get up the tree.  Do you have the knowledge of how to get up there? Here I refer to understanding the sales process well enough to utilize the proper techniques to reach the sales that no one else can get to.  If there ever was a time where it would be in your best interest to know the process as well as you can, it would be today.

Ask yourself, “Have I radically improved my knowledge of ‘tree-climbing’ so that I am prepared to reach sales that others cannot get to?”  There might be an action item for you – beef up your knowledge of how to get sales!

2) Get in shape. There’s a big difference between knowing how to climb and actually being in shape to do so.  You must get beyond just knowing the principles – you must actually prepare yourself to use what you have learned.

Too much sales training is about increasing head knowledge.  But it is the practice of what you have learned that best prepares you for the actual climb.  Don’t kid yourself – you’re not any better when you go to a training class.  You are better only when you practice what you have learned so that when that moment hits (when you need to jump from branch to branch in a hurry) you’re prepared.

3) Be prepared to work hard. The fact is that high-hanging fruit takes work to get to.  The reason the fruit goes unpicked is because too many salespeople only take what is easy to grasp.  But the harder you work the farther up the tree you go, and the more unpicked fruit you will find.

Can you really say that you are doing all you need to do to reach for the tough sales?  Are you knocking on doors in your community, asking for referrals?  Are you willing to drive to an internet prospect’s home to drop off a brochure in person?  Are you making all the calls you can make?  Are you following up on web leads diligently?  The sales go to the hard workers.

4) You have to reach for it! When you get within the grasp, you still have to reach.  It does you no good to get to the fruit and then not to pull it down.   This would be a ridiculous thought to a farmer.  You plant, you water, you grow… and then you reap!!!!

Are your closing skills where they need to be?  Are you bold to ask for the sale whenever appropriate?  Or are you unwilling to take a risk and grasp for the hard to reach fruit?

Here’s the good news – the hardest fruit to pick is the sweetest of all!  And while others are starving because they are waiting for the fruit to fall off the tree, the best of the best go out and get it – they reach the high-hanging sales!

Say you have a big meeting at work and decide to skip lunch one day. You might feel a bit hungry, but it really isn’t a pressing matter and you’re able to hold off until dinner with no sweat. Imagine though, that you have gone 24 hours without food. The urgency to eat becomes stronger and instead of reaching for your usual healthy meal, you pull into a drive-through and get the greasiest burger they sell. Probably not the best option, but hey—you were hungry.

Now, imagine yourself out in the wilderness. You haven’t eaten in four days. You’re lightheaded, irritable, sluggish and your stomach feels like it’s eating itself. You see a cicada latched onto a tree, and suddenly something you never thought you would eat looks incredibly scrumptious. You are ravished, so you pick it off and eat it because at this point, you’ll do anything to quell the ache in your empty stomach.

Your own hunger acts as a motivator for change in this situation and you’ll do anything to make that change happen. Even things you may not have considered before.

That’s dissatisfaction.

I once had a woman walk into the men’s room at the intermission of a concert and say, “Sorry fellas, the line to the women’s room is too long and I just can’t wait.”

Again, dissatisfaction.

In the decision to move there is no more powerful factor than dissatisfaction. But wait—it gets better because not only does dissatisfaction prove to be a powerful motivator, dissatisfaction is also the driving force behind urgency. Just like the urgency experienced by the person who hasn’t eaten in days or the woman who used the men’s room because the line to the ladies room was too long, clients who are dissatisfied with their home have that same emotional thought pattern. They need to move and they needed it to happen yesterday. If you can answer the call of their urgency, you will be their hero.

In my work with real estate companies around the world I am constantly hit with the same question: “How come we can’t get these buyers off the fence?” That’s a good question, but I have a better one: “What got them on the fence in the first place?” Figure out what got them on the fence and you’ll figure out how to get them off the fence. If you’ve ever wondered what makes customers get off the fence, start with their dissatisfaction.

]]> http://jeffshore.com/2012/10/first-things-first/feed/ 0 4R021fdYf0Gfq615AIDT_A2 http://jeffshore.com/2012/10/9411/ http://jeffshore.com/2012/10/9411/#comments Sat, 06 Oct 2012 03:47:36 +0000 jeffshore http://jeffshore.com/?p=9411 Read More...]]> “I’ve always been an optimist. Frankly, I never saw much use in being anything else.” Winston Churchill

Psychologist Martin Sigelman discovered a strong link between optimism and results in a detailed study with sales professionals at Met Life Insurance. The study concluded that those who ranked in the top 10% of the organization when it came to optimism outsold by 88% those in the bottom 10% of the company.

That statistic may not surprise you, but think through the underlying aspects of the study. These were salespeople, and they were hired because they were optimistic people in the first place. Those in the bottom 10% still would have considered themselves to be optimists, and compared to a lot of other professions they probably were.

What does this mean for the top 10% of the salespeople in the organization? It means they were more than optimists – they were super-optimists. These were people who did more than pretend. They were optimists in their core, and they carried that optimistic purpose into every sales encounter.

Are you a “super-optimist” in the sales presentation? Show me, don’t tell me. I’ll see it your approach, in your energy, and in your facial posture. I’ll see it in a clear sense of purpose in your conversation. I’ll see you drive the sales process along, and I’ll see that you do not give in to negative energy.

How optimistic are you? Optimistic enough to change someone’s world?

Of course, this is a mistake; when a salesperson allows his own biases to influence the sales conversation, he ends up increasing buyer anxiety. Consider power lines. Power lines are generally objected to by buyers because of three reasons: aesthetics, health, or resale value. After polling people around the country, I have found that the three objections are evenly spread among home buyers. In other words, about one-third of those polled objected to power lines on the basis of aesthetics, one-third objected on the basis of health, and one-third objected on the basis of resale value. If a salesperson projects his own personal basis for the objection onto the buyer, he will be out of sync with the buyer’s concern two-thirds of the time. This will result in the salesperson bringing up an objection that the customer never had considered.

This is how this interaction would look:

Customer: “I’m really concerned about the power lines.”
Salesperson : “I understand. But we’ve got all kinds of literature from the utility company regarding potential health concerns from EMF’s emitted from the lines. You actually have more health danger from your microwave oven or your hair dryer.”
Customer : “Did you say health concerns? I just thought that they were ugly.”

This salesperson has given a second concern or anxiety to the buyer without even addressing the principal issue. In a tough market, buyers are looking to eliminate; they are seeking out deal-killers. The last thing a salesperson should do is to add his or her own personal biases to those concerns that the buyer has already adopted.

We are selling a 28 unit active adult community in Long Island, NY. Currently we are about 80% sold, most of which have been recent full price deals. The problem we are seeing is we have loads of prospects that love the community and the homes that we are offering, are fine with the pricing because they see the current sales, but have a home to sell in order to make it happen. Most of the folks are conservative and aren’t ready to make a move to a contract despite the above. We even have a program that gives them the time to sell their home. Their response to all of this is “if I sold my house I would buy here today”. I believe them because most of the recent sales are from prospects that have recently put their home into contract and came back to us to move forward and at full asking price. How do you suggest moving this situation along any differently?

Jeff:

This is, of course, a common issue these days and not just for the active adult buyer. But the deeper concern must me more clearly defined. Let’s break it down.

The customer has a home to sell and that causes an objection. But what is the easiest way to sell the home quickly? Simple. Do a market survey and then price the home at $100,000 under the comps; it will sell in no time. Of course that’s not feasible; I’m only trying to make a point. When a customer says, “I can’t sell my home”, that’s not an accurate statement. Of course he can sell his home; he just doesn’t perceive that he can sell it for enough.

Which leads us to the next questions in this process: how much does he need to sell his home for, and why? If a prospect states that he needs to sell his home for a certain price in order to qualify for the home he is interested in, that’s one thing. But often times (and this is particularly true for the active buyer with lots of equity) the prospect is really thinking, “I can’t sell the home for what I think it’s worth.” In other words, we are not dealing with having to sell the home for a certain price, but rather with a reluctance to sell for less than what he thinks he should get. After all, he poured that back patio with the sweat of his own brow!

So the first order of business is to find out whether this is a financial issue or a psychological one. If it’s just a matter of value perception, then an education on “fair value” is in order. And if he waits for his home to climb in value, he’ll be waiting for yours to climb as well. Try this statement: “When it’s such a great buying opportunity, as it is today, rule #1 should be to live in the right home.”

Some salespeople love the shopping experience and some loathe it. But here’s my advice to you: get over your emotion and start looking for the significant learning opportunities. You may have tallied a low score, but that means there is plenty to learn and correct for immediate improvement. You may have registered a high score, but I’ve never seen a shop that didn’t have provide some opportunity to hone the skill.

Terri Rouse, VP of Sales at Impact Marketing – a nationwide shopping company – puts it this way. “Our task is to shine the light on the opportunities that salespeople have to improve their performance. The sales professional needs to this as an opportunity to really improve their skills. Those salespeople who see the shop as a valuable asset in performance improvement get the most out of it.”

My suggestion to you: disregard the score – good or bad – and look for the lessons that will make you better for the next customer to come through the door. You may love the shops or hate them, but that’s not really the point. The point is that as a professional you are always looking for the chance to take your game to a new level. Look at your last shop with fresh eyes and see if you can’t find the low-hanging fruit that will get you more sales!

Ask the experts and they’ll tell you that the biggest impact in efficiency comes through the productivity of the employees.  The company whose employees perform at the highest level will find the best chances of success.  Employees who perform at the highest level will find the greatest income, the greatest job security, and the greatest chance of advancement within an organization.

With many years of experience in managing people, I have found five distinct actions of the model employee.  Note I didn’t say “attitudes”, “characteristics” or “personality traits”. These are actions – clear and specific steps you can take each and every day.  Follow them carefully and you’ll increase the effectiveness of your organization.  It won’t hurt your career one bit.

1)    Exceed Expectations – Every Single Day. Model employees have a specific purpose to outperform, to rise above the minimum expectations of the job.  Mediocre employees ask, “What is the least I can do without getting in trouble?”  Top performs ask, “What specifically can I do today to exceed expectations?”  This mindset, when turned to action, will guide you in doing extraordinary things on a daily basis for your company, for your customers, for your coworkers and for yourself.  But it must be specific. Every day you must start with an action plan of what you will do above and beyond the call of duty.

2)    Arrive Early; Stay Late. When you get to work at the exact start time and leave at the exact ending time you send a message to your leadership that you really don’t want to be at work any longer than you have to.  Moreover, you live this part of your life with no margin, cutting the time too close and risking disciplinary action.  It doesn’t have to be a long time before and after the assigned hours, but padding the time just a little bit sends a message that you are fully devoted to getting the job done right.  One more thing on this topic – I’ve been in leadership for a long time, and somehow I always know when someone struggles in this area.  You may think the boss is blind to your arrival and departure times, but the boss somehow always knows.

3)    Be a Good Businessperson. You greatly increase your value to the organization when you understand the business of your company.  Read industry articles, search for information on industry websites, and develop an inquisitive mind in queries to your co-workers.  Learn everything you can about your organization and apply what you learn to improve your own performance.  This increases your value on a number of levels.

4)    Get Into Self-Training. Too many employees rely on their company to provide any and all training and skill development.  Top performers seek out their own growth opportunities and take ownership of their own development.  In fact, the greatest growth of your career will always be self-directed, if you allow that to be so.  When you set your own developmental agenda you are more likely to utilize what you learn because you have more personal buy-in.  You direct the learning, so you are more likely to also find the application to your work.  Make it a priority to develop a new skill or to learn something that will improve your performance, and do that every single day.

5)    Adopt the Boss’ Vision. Finally, find out what is important to the leadership of your company, and order your own activities to compliment that vision.  In the broad sense, your very job is to make your boss look good.  And that is never a bad way to go about your daily tasks.  If you don’t connect with the vision of the company there is little chance that you will ever perform even to the minimum standards.

So now it’s up to you.  Are you a mediocre employee, or are you an invaluable team member?  The choice is up to you, and you choose with your actions – every single day.

]]> http://jeffshore.com/2012/08/the-model-employee/feed/ 0 3361453_com_employee http://jeffshore.com/2012/08/the-school-district-challenge/ http://jeffshore.com/2012/08/the-school-district-challenge/#comments Sat, 25 Aug 2012 06:02:24 +0000 jeffshore http://jeffshore.com/?p=9142 I received an email from someone asking about a tricky problem they are having. What do you do if your community is located in a school district that isn’t well regarded. I have a few ideas that might help you overcome this particular objection.

What is the raw product? A prospective purchaser. What is the finished good? A homebuyer. And your very job is to manage the well-defined process of converting these leads into buyers.

So how would a plant manager see the situation?

1) Don’t waste the raw material. Plant managers are very careful to maximize the raw product so that they have the best chance of success. They know they can’t work with all the raw material that comes through the door, but they maximize all they can.

2) Define the process. Plant managers are obsessed with processes, and with flawless execution of those processes. They will not abide for anyone to make up the process as they go. There is right way to do this in order to ensure an excellent quality finished product.

3) Finish the job. Plant managers know that a job completed only 90% of the way is a 100% failure. So they take great pains to ensure that every process comes to a logical and well-executed completion.

What does your plant look like? And in which of the three areas do you need to focus? Change your paradigm, and you change people’s world.

A lot of you may also be familiar with a friend of mine, Jim Suth.  Jim, ever the comedian, decided to take a few wild stabs at what 4:2 could possible mean.  Here are his (completely insane) guesses.

Jim:

No worries. You can get a good and meaningful break in just 60 seconds if you do it strategically and really focus. Step away from your desk and find a quiet place (a bathroom will do). Close your eyes and concentrate as you take long, deep breaths. Make a decision towards positive attitude and energy.

You’ll probably find that 60 seconds is actually quite a long time for this exercise. But you’ll feel more energized and more in control when you step back into the job!

And finally, happy to be home.

Moving through the challenging market we’ve been navigating, direct and effective closing is becoming more important in establishing value for your community. Avoiding the time-consuming process of lengthy negotiations is even more crucial to achieving the sale. These days too many salespeople have been attempting to close via the fall back closing:

“Would you like to make an offer on this home today?”

This close will immediately communicate to the buyer that the salesperson has acknowledged that the terms/price are negotiable. It also assumes the buyer will demand concessions in order to move forward. “Offer” says we are selling from a place of weakness and are willing to look at whatever you might bring us. “Offer” means we assume the buyer doesn’t see the value and are anticipating as such. Why would a competent salesperson do this?

There are some explainable factors – such as direction from their manager. However, by simply by removing the word “offer” from the sales vocabulary, it shifts the presentation to selling from a position of strength. It instills belief in the product offering and pricing. If you are still using this type of close, try some of these direct closes instead:

Would you like to own this home today?

Are you ready to move forward?

Since Plan X fits all your needs, what is preventing you from moving forward with this purchase today?

Let’s get the paperwork started!

Are you ready to make your dream of owning a home come true?

At Strategic Sales & Marketing, we focus on maintaining values at our communities and assume each home is sellable exactly where it’s listed. Anything else is an uncertainty!

Where exactly are you supposed to stand in an earthquake?

Recycling is great and all, but…

I sneezed eight times just posting this photo.

Oddly, dressing up your toilet only makes it more unsanitary.

“I told you three times to erase that chalkboard before the buyers show!”

“And, if you buy the house, you get legal guardianship if this family!“

Sounds great, doesn’t it? But is customer satisfaction all that it’s cracked up to be? Is it really the end-all of success in taking care of our homebuyers? Best-selling author Curt Coffman says, “Not necessarily”.

The fact is, according to a recent Gallup Organization study, the drive towards customer satisfaction doesn’t really get the job done unless the customer is more than satisfied. They must be delighted, elated, and fully engaged. The study points out that the attrition rate of customers who are merely ‘satisfied’ is no different that of customers who are dissatisfied. Only the fully engaged and delighted customers can be counted on to be loyal to a customer.

In your heart you know this is true. Think about a company that delights you, a place of doing business where you feel ‘fully engaged’ in the process. Are you loyal to that company? Of course you are. Now compare that with a company that merely ‘satisfies’ you. You’re not hacked off, but you’re not elated. Are you loyal to that company? Probably not.

I love the Cheesecake Factory. I am delighted with the food and the experience. I go there often and I talk about the company frequently. I am a loyal customer. I am satisfied with Chili’s. Nothing to write home about, but it’s a decent meal when I’m out and about. And if another restaurant opened up next door I’d try it out.

What are you doing to drive customer engagement, customer delight? Your future success (in the form of referral business from homeowners, Realtors and general traffic) depends on your actions in this critical area of customer care.

~ “You’ll find all the neighbors are very close in this community!”

~ “No, no….. The deck is so large our pool just LOOKS like a bath tub. Trust me.”

~ “Why give the dog a bath inside and get water all over the place? Your own outdoor dog wash! Or for your husband when he forgets your anniversary.”

Now consider for a moment the most successful people you know, or know of. Do these words describe that person? Would you consider them to be profoundly ‘Resolute’? In all likelihood, it fits them to a tee. Successful people (successful businesspeople, successful athletes, successful mothers, and yes, successful sales counselors) have this inner quality in abundance: they are committed to excellence in everything they do.

You’ve probably already guessed the next question, but here it is anyway: Did I just describe you and your career? Are you resolved to become the best sales counselor you can be? Are you unyielding in your attempt to learn more and more about your trade? Are you stubborn when it comes to sticking to the standards of excellence? Are you determined to do your very best each and every day, with each and every customer?

I training for a living.  And I’m the last person to shun the idea that training is anything but critical to success and development, both for individuals and for an organization. But training without resolution of application is hardly worth the time. Improving your knowledge without a steadfast desire to apply what you’ve learned won’t get you anywhere. We start with our beliefs, and let our beliefs guide our actions.

It’s a decision you and I can make today. Am I resolute in my decision to be the best I can be?

Happy Selling,

~  Jeff

Answer: Don’t worry about it.

Let me explain, and I’ll do so by addressing the two voices in your head: the Action Voice and the Filter Voice.

The Action Voice is the one that says, “Go for it! It’s all yours baby – get ‘er done!” The Filter Voice says, “We must always be respectful; we don’t want to ruin the relationship; you must earn the right to ask for the sale.”

Here’s my advice for Filter Voice: Take a long walk off a short pier!

I’m going on the premise that none of you reading this are going to look at a prospect who walks through the door and immediately shout, “What’s it going to take to get you to buy my home today?” I’m not talking about being obnoxious or icky or manipulative.

Action Voice speaks to us in appropriate tones and at appropriate times. It’s that little voice that says, 45 minutes into the conversation, “It’s time to ask for the sale.” Filter Voice says, “No, the prospect will let you know when she’s ready.”

We all know the voices, don’t we? May I offer some advice? Embrace Action Voice. Smack Filter Voice in the face!

Don’t worry; it’s not your conversation I’m most interested in – it’s your buyer’s.

I regularly visit new sales offices, and while I’m there I love to talk with new home sales professionals. But I also love to walk the models and listen in to the conversations of home shoppers.

What do I learn?

• What people are looking for in a home – what they love and what they hate these days.
• How people make decisions – how they process strategically.
• How people deal with conflict – what happens when he likes the home and she doesn’t.
• How really motivated people are – how close they are to buying.
• How passionate people are on the topic of buying a home.

Try it. Put on jeans and a comfortable shirt and go visit models on your next day off. Trust me, the conversations will blow you away.

Wall Street Journal: Housing Passes a Milestone

The housing market has turned—at last.

The U.S. finally has moved beyond attention-grabbing predictions from housing “experts” that housing is bottoming. The numbers are now convincing.

Nearly seven years after the housing bubble burst, most indexes of house prices are bending up. “We finally saw some rising home prices,” S&P’s David Blitzer said a few weeks ago… Continue

USA Today: Housing starts in June highest in four years

Housing starts jumped 6.9% in June to a 3 ½-year high, underscoring the residential real estate’s slow recovery as a bright spot in a sputtering economy.

Construction of homes and apartments rose to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 760,000 in June, the Commerce Department said Wednesday. That exceeded analysts’ estimates and was the highest level since October 2008. Single-family home starts increased 4.7% to 539,000, highest since March 2010, though activity that year was inflated by a federal tax credit for home buyers… Continue

CNBC: Housing a Bright Spot in a Dismal Summer

In a summer with precious little positive economic news, housing is proving to be a bright spot. June housing starts, at 760,000, was the best print since October 2008.

The NAHB Housing Market Index, out Tuesday, was at the highest level since March 2007, and the change (to 35 from 30) was the largest monthly increase since September 2002.  Continue

The market is changing!  Make certain your company is changing with it.  Our 2012 Sales Leadership Summit is coming very soon.  Click the link below to learn more.

High impact follow-up is one of your most effective tools for keeping your prospects interested in you and your homes.  And the good news is… it’s really easy to do!  Does your phone have a camera on it?  Of course it does!  Send them a quick (30-second) video email in which you talk about the model they saw and you thank them for coming in.  This takes two minutes of your time (including recording time!), zero-dollars of investment, and it could pay off huge!

I suggested this idea for high-impact, low-effort follow-up at a training session last week.  That very day I received this video email from an attendee, Adrianne Gallo, with a message that read: “Here’s a little note from my dog Grace. She loves when I learn new things.”

This 21-second video made my day!  Like you, I receive about 100 emails a day; but this one stood out.  Being memorable is your ticket to be chosen by your prospects!

Two minutes. No cost. High impact. Give it a try!

The secret is to not let you emotions dictate the strategy. Pay 50/50 attention to both people. Make it a game to bring that lagging person around, to build that relationship up even if it takes a little time. Everyone wins!

“Rest in Peace”.

The owner was angry and called the florist to complain. After he had told the florist of the obvious mistake and how angry he was, the florist said, “Sir, I’m really sorry for the mistake, but rather than getting angry you should imagine this: somewhere there is a funeral taking place today, and they have flowers with a note saying…

“Congratulations on your new home!”

The person replies, “180.” Einstein says, “Great! We can talk about astro physics!”

The second person he runs into he asks the same question, “What’s your IQ?”

The person replies, “120.” “Great!” says Einstein, “We can talk about events of the day!”

The third person he sees he once again asks about their IQ. This time the person says “45!”

Einstein says, “Great! Where do you think the real estate market is headed??!!”

Arthur was thrilled for the opportunity. He couldn’t afford much in the way of cars, and even with the work that needed to be done to the Explorer, it would still be the nicest car he had ever owned. As he worked around the house he checked in with me constantly, asking the question, “Does this look alright? I want you to be happy.”

Arthur worked around my house for a few days. I changed the fence plan a couple of times – no problem. I didn’t like the way he was building some steps on the side of the house – he quickly and graciously changed it. He dug post holes with the passion of a fly-fisherman in an Idaho stream.

As I watched Arthur busting his back for several days I asked myself three questions:
1) Am I as grateful as Arthur for the opportunities that are given me?
2) Do I pour my heart, soul, and strength into what I do?
3) Do I have a strong desire to please the people I work for?

It seems to me there is a lot to be learned from the Arthur’s of the world. And I’m thinking I might need those lessons as much as anyone.

Click here to learn more about the upcoming 2012 Sales Leadership Summit!

I love getting good questions from salespeople! I’m featuring a couple of recent ones in this week’s issue.

1. Ok, question for you. In my area where I am selling, we are getting 99% of our current traffic, (since April) coming in and saying they are two years out and after questioning, are not in a position to by a second home. What HGTV show are they watching that is telling them to say this, so I can figure out what to do with these people, besides market to them for two years. They are coming through my door, and this is how I make my living, they must be in the market now for a new home. Are other areas besides mine experiencing this type of buyer and how would you suggest dealing with this?

Great question, and one of the more difficult things that salespeople have to face on a regular basis. Of course, the situation will be different for every prospect, but the core of the issue for any given customer who is dragging their feet is a lack of urgency. I know that sounds obvious, but it begs the question, “what is urgency based upon?” I believe that, more than anything else, urgency is most specifically tied to dissatisfaction. What that means is that the people you are talking to are not sensing a great enough dissatisfaction in their current situation. Your task, rather than showing them how great your home is, would be to first help them understand the deficiencies in their current situation. Start by understanding why they are thinking about moving above everything else. If you can get to the pain, it helps them to understand that staying put is not an option. Mark my words: the single greatest predictor of urgency is dissatisfaction.

2. 5+5+5 system question. I love this idea and the suggestions for ways to add a personal touch to the message. Do you have any advice for ways to add a similar personal touch when you have never met the prospect and the notes may be vague or non-existent? I am stepping into this scenario. I can elaborate if you need me to. Thanks!

First of all, do anything you can to make it personalized. Look in the database for any clue that this is tailored to them – any notes about preferences, hot buttons, interests, etc. Or even just the part of town they live in. Find something to make it personal.  Then use the note as an introduction and write, “I’d love to bring you up to speed as to the most recent developments here at —- . I’ll call you in the next few days to talk in person and to answer any questions you might have.” Be sure to make the tone upbeat and positive, like you’re really looking forward to talking with them. Let me know how it works out!

• Are you just not dreaming big enough? If so, it’s time to get out of that rut. Life is a buffet – eat up!
• Are you not planning big? Remember that if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. And if you’re going to make plans why would you NOT want them to be big???
• Or perhaps you fall short in the execution. If so, keep the journey big but make the steps small. Sometimes it’s just a matter of breaking down the big journey into little steps.

Dream Big – Plan Big – Execute Big…. And you’ll change the world in the process!

One particular point the author made has stuck with me; to this day I think of it often. He stated that one aspect of finding the blend between success and happiness is a trait that he calls “Bare Adequacy”. Paraphrasing, this would suggest that I’m good at what I do, but not that good.

I’ve translated this concept into my own language as follows:

This concept applies to everyone, but let me speak in particular to the veterans out there. If you’ve lost the joy of a business you have always loved, it might stem from a lack of a sense of ‘bare adequacy’. It might mean that you have reached a plateau and you need to push yourself to entirely new levels.

Let’s look at it this way: you might be completely adequate for a strong market, but that would make you an incomplete sales professional. Perhaps you need to re-think your sense of adequacy for a tough market, where the buyer psychology changes dramatically, where macro-economic shifts effect every single transaction, and where the sale is made in the tiniest corners of the sales process.

Figure it out, and you’ll change the world!

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