BRIAN TRACY
EFFICIENT SALES METHODS
ÓÄÊ 339.1+658.8 BÁÊ 66.9 (7ÑØÀ)30-5 Ò66
Translated from English by D. V. Serebryakov according to the publication: ADVANCED SELLING STRATEGIES (The Proven System of
Sales Ideas, Methods, and Techniques Used by Top Salespeople Everywhere) by Brian Tracy.- N. Y.: “Firesides”., 1996.
Tracey B.
T66 Effective methods of selling by Brian Tracy / Per. from English. D. V. Serebryakov; - Kyiv: Hummingbird firm, 2001.- 192p.
ISBN 966-7801-17-2.
One of practical applications famous "The Science of Brian Tracy": by collecting, studying and summarizing information about ideas, methods and specific techniques, thanks to which smart people reach the pinnacle of success in trading with any partner, the author provides a wide range of interested readers with the opportunity to master the most advanced marketing strategies.
Introduction
I believe that all the best sellers are similar in many ways. Sometimes in seminars for salespeople I conduct an experiment, the essence of which is that I describe the best employees in their company. I present in more or less detail their character, behavior and appearance. And every time they ask me how I know so well their best workers, whom I described so accurately.
To which I reply that all these people are fashioned from the same dough. They have almost the same temperament. They have the same distinctive features. They evoke the same feelings and reactions in their employees and customers. All operate in relatively the same way and achieve similar results.
I am an extremely practical person. I treat myself and my clients like “guinea pigs” when I want to demonstrate the effectiveness of some new idea or concept by example. And yet I constantly ask myself: “Is this right for me?” Because I never believe in anything just like that. I also expect from you that without evidence you will not believe me.
As you read my tips for achieving the best results in trading, listen to your inner voice. Compare the ideas, methodological and technical developments presented in this book with personal experience. Pay attention to your feelings. If a thought seems reasonable to you, apply it to your daily job as a salesperson and be patient. Start implementing it. Success can only come when you get up from your chair and start doing something new. But only do it when your inner voice tells you that this is the right thing to do in your situation.
This book is designed so that each time you read the chapters in the order in which they are presented. Take notes in the margins, underline important paragraphs that you will want to come back to later. After reading the entire book, consider it a kind of reference book, a tool and look for something in it that could be useful to you in a particular situation.
The book you hold in your hands will show you how you can improve your trading methods and make them highly effective. It introduces the essential foundations of know-how and helps you discover all your abilities. By putting into practice what you learn in these pages, you can become one of the best sellers in your country.
This book is a synthesis best ideas, methods and strategies that I have learned during my thirty years of practice as a salesperson. I must thank all the sellers with whom I worked in those years and from whom I
learned. I am especially grateful to my friends and partners with whom I have worked for many years on the material presented here and processed the tutorials.
I express my gratitude and deep gratitude to all those who contributed to the publication of this book.
BRIAN TRACY
STRATEGIC WORK PLAN
Personal strategic work plan - essential condition achieving the set goal. With this method, you can reach your destination from anywhere, no matter where you are. Personal strategic planning radically affects your development in all areas of life.
As a salesperson, you need to know that the most important thing in this profession is to realize that you are acting independently, that is, you are the president of your own trading company. It involves taking full responsibility for yourself and everything that happens to you. You are the creator of your own destiny. There is nowhere else to wait for clues, and you can no longer blame others for the problems and difficulties that arise.
Jack Welch, CEO of General Electric, often said, "If you don't take your chance with your own hands, someone else will." By devoting enough time to thinking in detail and planning everything that you are going to do, you will greatly increase the likelihood of achieving the profits and earnings that you have planned for yourself. It appears that planning is the single most important skill you can develop to ensure you have the strength and ability to achieve maximum success.
In 1953, a survey was conducted among graduates of Yale University, where the respondents were asked to answer the following questions: “Do you have your own, clearly expressed and formulated goals that you want to achieve in life?” and “Do you have a detailed plan for how you want to achieve them after graduation?” The results of this survey were amazing. Only 3% of graduates had clearly expressed and formulated along with an action plan life goals, which were going to be implemented after the completion educational institution. True, 13% of the respondents strove for certain goals, but they never clearly formulated them. The remaining 84% had no other goals than finishing their studies and enjoying themselves during the upcoming holidays. Twenty years later, that is, in 1973, the participants of the questionnaire were asked about their property status today.
After analyzing the results of both questionnaires, it turned out that all those 3% of the respondents, i.e. those who twenty years ago, before graduating from university, had clearly formulated and written life goals and a clear plan of action, owned more wealth than the remaining 97% combined. the only common feature those graduates who achieved success was that they
set specific goals.
Some of them graduated with poor grades, some with good grades. They worked in different areas. Some moved, some stayed in the same place. However, the general feature successful graduates of Yale had a determined aspiration
ê achievement of the set goals.
 Over the years, talking with the best sellers, I have become convinced that they have something in common, namely that they all have clearly expressed and written goals that they strive for. They
took the time and made a plan for their future life. Each of them saw firsthand the importance of a clear strategic plan. Over time, each of them achieved in trading matters the goal that he set for himself. The basis of the success of each of these wonderful sellers was the results of thinking about their personal life and professional future, as well as a carefully designed and detailed plan of work until the achievement of the goal,
I really like one definition of happiness: “Happiness is the relentless pursuit of chosen ideals or goals.” If we are constantly working on something important, then the reward will be a constant feeling of success in our affairs. Then the person feels himself the master of his life. He is a winner, and therefore he knows that he will be able to overcome and eliminate all obstacles that would lead to despair. ordinary person. When work is underway to achieve an important goal, such an inner strength arises that crosses out all previous plans.
WORLD OF VALUES
What values do you profess? What is your position in life? What are the rules of your life? What underlies your beliefs? What qualities that you like in others would you like to develop in yourself? What do you not accept? When are you capable of self-sacrifice? What could you suffer or sacrifice your life for?
Few people ask themselves these extremely important questions but this small handful are the most important and powerful individuals in our society.
When I set out to define my own scale of values a few years ago, I made a list of 163 qualities that I aspire to have. It seems that I have written down all possible qualitative definitions of a positive property that would relate to the personality and character of a person. All of them seemed important to me, and I wanted to implement them all in some way in my life.
But then I stood face to face with reality. I have noticed that it is already difficult for me to develop some new qualities or to try to change behavior in at least one of them. Posted by new list. I compromised and left only a few values in it. When I finally established the five main ones, I could already begin to work on myself and, as a result, I made some progress in the development of my character,
Your value hierarchy
You must do the same. Write down five qualities that are most important to you in life. Distribute them according to the hierarchy. What comes first? What's on the second, third, etc.?
How can you find out what your values are today? It's very simple. Observe your behavior, especially your actions in critical situations. The values that really matter to you show up in action. What matters is not what you say or wish for yourself or what you are going to do, but only what you do. If you want to know what the world of your values is, analyze what you did in Lately, and notice what decisions you made each time you had a choice. The decisions you make and the actions that follow will show you and those around you what is most valuable to you, what is most important to you.
Here is an example. Imagine two people for whom family, health, and professional success are equally important. The only difference is that each of them has a different hierarchy of these values. One of them, say Bill, states:
“For me, my family is the most important thing, health is in second place, and my professional career is in third place.”
Although Tom recognizes the same values, he talks about them like this: “Professional success, my career is the most important thing for me, then
My family and health."
Do you think there is a difference in the personality and character of these two people? Certainly! Is this a big or small difference? Can you tell these people apart during the conversation? Which of these two men do you like better? Which one would you trust more? Which of them would you like to get to know better, make friends?
The answer to these questions is simple. You are more suited to someone whose value hierarchy is similar to yours.
Your scale of values determines your character. If you have chosen values such as honesty, love, courage,
sincerity, perfection or responsibility, and coordinate your actions with them, then soon and in fact you will become the best person. It is your values that nurture the qualities of your personality.
What does character really mean? Character is the ability to live in harmony with positive values. A person with a flawed character gives high value to short-term benefits or does not recognize any values at all. Your attitude to this, your view of these things is the real measure of your character and personality, which determines your position in life.
You can determine what place a particular value occupies in your life by observing how much time you devote to this subject, how much money or emotions you spend on it. A lot of people speak out in favor of lofty, noble values until they find themselves backed up against the wall and forced to make a specific choice. If your choice is for the highest values, then it can cost you dearly, and even very much. When you choose lower values, you pay less for it, at least in a material sense, not necessarily in feelings, but whenever you make a choice, it shows you what is really more important to you.
Let's say the value for you is maximum efficiency.
In this case, your definition would sound like this: “Maximum efficiency means that in everything I do, I set the bar high for myself. In every situation, I try to do my best, as soon as I can. I try to further improve my work, my personal life, my relationships
ñ surrounding. I am aware that the maximum result requires the efforts of a lifetime and daily work in order to become better and better.
Ñ by this definition you have a clear principle by which you organize your actions. You set a certain standard
ñ through which you can change your behavior. you created
certain limits within which you make a choice. You have a yardstick by which you can evaluate your actions and which you can try on yourself from time to time. You have clearly defined the goal you are striving for and around which you organize your work.
The same goes for other values. If your family is your number one priority, then define your choice as follows: “The needs of my family are more important to me than anything else. When I have to choose between the happiness, health and well-being of one of my family members, or some other value, I always put my family first.” With this perspective, it will be easy for you to make a choice. Your family comes first.
While her needs are still not completely satisfied, you do not allow energy to be spent on other, less important things. A clear picture of the hierarchy of your own values is important because it gives you the opportunity to take control of the formation of your character. When values and goals, your inner and outer life in perfect harmony with each other, then you will achieve excellent well-being. You will learn to respect yourself. Your self-esteem will increase. The moment you achieve absolute harmony between your values and goals (imagine a hand in a tight-fitting glove), you will feel strong, happy, healthy and absolutely harmonious. A lion will wake up inside you, who will overcome any fear of having to choose, and therefore you will always make the right decisions. When you live in harmony with the values that are most important to you, your whole life will become more beautiful.
All successful firms have an ideal they aspire to. Every good salesperson has this ideal. As the president of your own firm, in charge of your life and career, you need two distinct ideals that complement and reinforce each other. The written formulation of one's life ideal is a logical consequence of establishing a hierarchy of values. It will become your personal credo, determine your future and serve as a guide for all your actions. Your personal ideal is a description of the person who fits you and what you aspire to be. In the description of the professional ideal, you define how you want to look.
in the eyes of your customers.
An example of a description of a personal ideal.“Apparently, I am a wonderful person. For all the people important to me, for my family and others, I am cordial, benevolent, attentive, sincere and unforgiving. I am a wonderful, devoted friend, known for my generosity, responsiveness, understanding and patience. I think positively, I am full of enthusiasm, I am happy and cheerful. All the people I know love, respect and admire me.”
An example of a professional ideal description.“Apparently, I am an excellent professional salesperson. I know everything about the products that I offer, I know the scope of my duties, I am perfectly familiar with the affairs of my clients.
I am always well prepared for a conversation with a client. I have a good character, I am sociable, disciplined, positive. I am a cordial, friendly person who cares about my customers and is a pleasure to deal with.
Thus, you determine how you want to appear in the eyes of your customers, how you want to be talked about and how you want to be presented to third parties. As the president of your own trading firm, you have at your disposal a formulated professional ideal, which is a set of all necessary positive qualities. This will help you to act correctly in all your professional endeavors.
Formulate your ideal in the present tense, as if you were already the person you are writing about. Always use positive language, not negative. Describe the qualities you would like to develop, not the weaknesses you want to overcome. Always speak for yourself. Start with the words: “I”, “I can”, “I will achieve”.
The subconscious mind will perceive your ideal as a guide to action only when the description is given in the present tense, as positive and personal instructions for action. The phrase "I'm a great salesperson" is a perfect example of a relevant premise. After each conversation with a client, read the description of the ideal and ask yourself to what extent your behavior matches the qualities of the person you want to become. As a top salesperson, always compare your trading performance with your best performance and strive to continually improve. Try to be better and better. Every day, in every possible way, consciously work to get closer to your chosen ideal.
For example, your goal would be within a year, and maybe earlier, to develop the ability to negotiate with clients in a way that matches the ideal you describe. Clients, of course, do not know what your ideal is, but they will use the same expressions when expressing their opinion about you. This will be because you will treat customers the way you described in the ideal example.
When you have already identified and put down your ideal, you must constantly reread what you have written, exercise, correct and regularly improve these qualities. You can add something new or refine already formulated features.
As a result, they will become your life credo, your philosophy and code of conduct in any contact with people. You can evaluate your behavior on a daily basis and compare it with
Brian Tracy, Effective Selling Methods by Brian Tracy, M: Potpourri, 2002, 240 pp. – Review
Effective Selling Methods by Brian Tracy
Among books about business, I prefer those whose authors went through a harsh school of life in their youth. As a rule, their books are devoid of academic schemes and are more practical. When I came across the electronic version of Brian Tracy's book Effective Selling Methods, I first looked into the author's biography: he left school, worked as a worker, sailor and salesman. Returned to school at 30; then there were the university and academic degree. Like "our man". The book, indeed, turned out to be without diagrams, but ... it has a very, very relative relation to real modern sales.
Brian Tracy created his own company Brian Tracy International, then Brian Tracy University and iLearningGlobal. He has written about 50 books (gives out several books a year to the mountain - Damn it!), Released countless CDs, audio versions, etc. on almost all topics related to business, and not only business. I think that in terms of fertility he scored even such a "writer" as Jack Trout. His favorite topic is success. By the way, this book was published in the "Success" series.
In Russia, he also has a branch www.briantracy.ru, which is busy with his books and organizing seminars. This site advertises Brian Tracy as "the most respected business guru." An hour of his remote consultations allegedly costs $2.5 thousand. Guru allegedly holds thousands of conferences in Russia - something like Christ from business.
In short, without a doubt, Brian Tracy can serve as a model of American success. This model of impudence is already gaining followers in Russia.
As for the sale, then ... let's get back to the book.
When reading the book, one constantly feels the author's lack of a proper school education. It manifests itself in the confusion of the text, the randomness and far-fetchedness of some pieces and even chapters, and a striking eclecticism. It is rare to find texts in which the main, secondary and tertiary would be so skillfully dumped into one heap. I'm not talking about the mass of erroneous and outdated provisions.
An essential part of the book consists of chapters that are clearly transferred from the author's texts about success, the power of charm, the psychology of achievement, self-realization and other lyrics. By the end, you get a little tired of a string of such passages:
“The written formulation of one's life ideal is a logical consequence of establishing a hierarchy of values. It will become your personal credo, determine your future and serve as a guide for all your actions. Your personal ideal is a description of the person who fits you and what you aspire to be.
It is amusing that a person who tried several professions in his youth, and least of all adhered to any plans, then suddenly, in all seriousness, invites humanity to write a plan for his whole life in the form of a treadmill almost at school. One would like to ask a question - do you yourself believe in all this, Mr. Tracy?
From the lyrics to the theme of actual sales, the author moves somehow reluctantly, with a creak. At first, these are small pieces, from a paragraph to a page, interspersed with revelations dear to the author's heart on the topics: "Seven rules for creating good relationships", "A solid reputation - everything is taken into account." These pieces are very interesting: they can be used to judge the marketing culture of our sales guru, his understanding of the client and the sale itself.
In the original, the book is pathetically titled "Advanced Selling Strategy". But I did not find any strategy in the book, much less advanced. Most of the material would have looked bad even in pre-computer times (when I was taught sales), because even then no one in sales started from such wrong premises:
Marketing- He shines in the book with his absence. Brian Tracy never understood that selling is part of marketing, delivering carefully crafted selling information about the product and the company to the buyer. The salesperson for our author is a lone handicraftsman with no marketing support, no sales manual developed by marketers, no website, etc. Tracy had never heard of selling points. He talks only about the characteristics of the goods, believing that they are clear to the non-specialist buyer and can sell something.
Client There is very little space devoted to him in the book. The author believes that the client became more professional after the war (it is not explained why). This is true only in the sense that the client has a lot of sources of information that were missing before. If by professionalism we understand the presence of the correct criteria for choosing a product, then little has changed here. Rather, it can be said that he became less professional. His helplessness is reinforced by the fact that he has to deal with much big amount product categories than his fathers and grandfathers. Most of the new categories are unfamiliar to him, many are high-tech and difficult to understand. If we add to this the rapidly changing situation in the markets, then you will not envy the modern client.
Further, the client is passive for the author: he does not show initiative, does not scan the market, does not compare offers on the market. This client allegedly clearly knows what place hundreds of firms occupy in the market. He sits and waits for a charming salesman armed with "methods" from Brian Tracy.
fears– The client is allegedly stuffed with fears to the eyeballs – they are given an unfairly large place in the book. “If a potential buyer refuses to buy, this comes from his fear of making a mistake” . In other words, the buyer does not analyze anything, but only shakes with fear.
Now write down the author's wisdom: “The conversation between a salesperson and a customer is a collision of two worlds that present their own the worst sides (!?). On the one hand, the seller, paralyzed by the fear of being rejected, and on the other hand, the client, determined to avoid a mistake at all costs. . Nice meeting, isn't it?
Remote 3-month
Needs– The client supposedly knows his needs perfectly, even in highly specialized areas (Where, I wonder, did the author find such clients?). It only needs to be pushed a little: “If the buyer feels that you can help him, he will become more frank with you - he will entrust his problems and worries to you” . If the author were to open at least one serious book on marketing, he would find out to his surprise that in the vast majority of cases a person has a very approximate idea of his problems and needs. The art of the seller of serious and expensive products lies precisely in making the hidden, unconscious needs of the client explicit. And to offer the satisfaction of all his needs.
Sale – “This is only a response to the expectations of the buyer” . Very nice. I wonder what expectations a customer has when purchasing hundreds of products that he has never bought before. Selling from the point of view of the author is exclusively a personal sale. His buying scenario lacks websites, sales pitches, and promotional marketing materials. The purchase decision is made by one person - the author has not heard anything about a complex purchase (when a group of people makes the decision).
Product“The answer is the product, but it gets very little attention in the book. There is a tiny "What Am I Selling?" section, which reveals only that the author has not opened any marketing books. Since the author does not know that the seller does not need to sell products, but solutions to customer problems, his instructions to sellers are as follows: “You must know perfectly everything about your product from A to Z. You must know all the details and details, understand how it is designed, how it functions and what its purpose is” . I have no words, product knowledge- a very useful thing for the seller, but far from the most important thing.
The author casually drops: “The next step in analyzing the situation is to take a closer look at the goods or services that you currently offer. Analyze the state of affairs. Use the Pareto Rule ». As it turns out, everything is simple! What does "look at" mean? And what does the Pareto rule have to do with his meeting with a client?
The author states: “The best sellers, unlike mediocre ones, are able to adapt their goods to the needs of the client”. That's right, but this is possible only when all his needs are clear to the client and the seller is able to tell him the relevant selling points of his products and the company, related to the satisfaction of open (often with difficulty) needs and requirements. But for the author, all this is empty: “The seller had a carefully thought-out typical presentation of the goods, full of optimism (!?) and designed to break the resistance of the buyer (!?) and bring it to the signing of the contract for any price (!?)» .
Buying decision Here the author makes a startling discovery: “A purchase decision often occurs in the first 30 seconds (!?) . A person is very sensitive to the influence of external factors, so customers are very susceptible to impulses coming from the seller, react to his appearance and behavior.. And here is the epoch-making discovery of our guru: « As you know, the left hemisphere of the brain is responsible for analytical thinking, while the right (!?) is responsible for making a purchase decision. . That's it! If you are purchasing, say, an IT system worth a million, then train your right hemisphere first, please.The impression made by the seller on the client– From the author’s right hemisphere perception of purchases, his bias towards impressions logically follows: “During the first meeting, you make an impression on the buyer that cannot be changed in the future. From this point on, the client already collects only that information that confirms the first impression, and rejects everything that contradicts this first impression. ”. The client has no other worries and cannot be.
And now chop on your nose: “The impression we make on the client is 95% depends on our costume (!?) ... A lot of experiments, where photographs of bearded men were used, showed that bearded men are considered eccentrics, artists, eccentrics, creative people rather than ordinary people. The client is afraid to deal with a person whom he considers eccentric and who, perhaps, represents an equally eccentric firm.. – Our dear “successful” guru, are you serious?
So much talk about the salesperson impression suggests that the guru learned sales from Arthur Miller's drama Death of a Salesman.
The author is constantly brought into global generalizations. It becomes sad at the thought that many naive people, especially in Russia, will believe in the author's maxims sucked from the finger. For example, in these: “Imagine that you work for a firm that ranks fourth in the industry.(Who determines the positions and by what criteria? Who knows? Where is the directory of these positions by industry?). This means that there are three best firms that offer similar products or services, but of better quality (!?). But there are still other firms that are considered worse than yours. The position of the firm determines mainly the amount of income and remuneration of employees (!?). What is the position of your firm?
In the second half of the book, the author finally decides to take up sales more seriously. There is also a lot of controversial and frankly wrong. There is absolutely no understanding of the modern marketing philosophy of selling: selling not goods and services, but solving problems and satisfying customer needs.
However, there are also good times. Here are some of them:
“The buyer wants to make a reasonable decision himself. Therefore, in the process of selling, try so that in no case does he get the impression that someone is pointing him out or manipulating him, because he is forcing him to do something that does not correspond to his interests ”. Although this truth has been known since the time of King Solomon, the authors of many of our sales books speak of manipulation and even violence against the client.
The author's views on the objections are absolutely correct: “It is best to prevent objections while they are not raised. This is called prevention. If you know from experience that some kind of objection comes up in almost every sales conversation, you can bring it up in advance and thus seize the initiative from the client. Thanks to this, he will no longer think about this issue and this will not prevent him from focusing on the presentation..
I liked a few specific formulations, phrases and words when dealing with objections. We can partly agree with the author on the following:
“I have seen many sellers who business cards there were traces of a ballpoint pen, some notes, stains, curled corners. I saw salesmen serving up price tags with corrections in pencil, drenched in coffee, wrinkled or unevenly folded. But the worst thing I saw were those salespeople who showed irrelevant materials and could not answer customer questions, because required documents they forgot in the office. Such sellers lose confidence and disappoint the client, who begins to regret that he agreed to the meeting.
Alas. Unfortunately, such moments are rather an exception. Yes, and it is difficult to call them defining.
In the book summary I read: "This book represents a synthesis the best ideas, methods and strategies that I have learned during my thirty years of practice as a salesperson".
Remote 3-month
transcript
1 BRIAN TRACY EFFECTIVE SALES TECHNIQUES 1
2 UDC LBC 66.9 (7USA) 30-5 T66 Translated from English by D.V. Serebryakov according to the publication: ADVANCED SELLING STRATEGIES (The Proven System of Sales Ideas, Methods, and Techniques Used by Top Salespeople Everywhere) by Brian Tracy. N. Y.: Firesides., Protected by copyright. Violation of restrictions. imposed by him on the reproduction of this entire book or any part of it, including the design, is subject to prosecution. Tracy B. T66 Effective methods of selling by Brian Tracy / Per. from English. D. V. Serebryakov; Kyiv: Hummingbird firm, p. ISBN One of the practical applications of the famous Science of Brian Tracy: by collecting, studying and summarizing information about the ideas, methods and specific techniques that make smart people achieve the heights of success in trading with any partner, the author opens up the opportunity for a wide range of interested readers to master the most advanced marketing strategies . 2
3 Introduction I believe that all the best salespeople are similar in many ways. Sometimes in seminars for salespeople I conduct an experiment, the essence of which is that I describe the best employees in their company. More or less in detail I represent their character, behavior and appearance. And every time they ask me how I know so well their best workers, whom I described so accurately. To which I reply that all these people are fashioned from the same dough. They have almost the same temperament. They share the same distinctive features. They evoke the same feelings and reactions in their employees and customers. All operate in relatively the same way and achieve similar results. I am an extremely practical person. I treat myself and my clients like guinea pigs when I want to demonstrate the effectiveness of some new idea or concept by example. And yet I constantly ask myself: Is this right for me?, because I never believe in anything just like that. I also expect from you that without evidence you will not believe me. As you read my tips for achieving the best results in trading, listen to your inner voice. Compare the ideas, methodological and technical developments presented in this book with personal experience. Pay attention to your feelings. If a thought seems reasonable to you, apply it to your daily job as a salesperson and be patient. Start implementing it. Success can only come when you get up from your chair and start doing something new. But only do it when your inner voice tells you that this is the right thing to do in your situation. This book is designed so that each time you read the chapters in the order in which they are presented. Take notes in the margins, underline important paragraphs that you will want to come back to later. After reading the entire book, consider it a kind of reference book, a tool and look for something in it that could be useful to you in a particular situation. The book you hold in your hands will show you how you can improve your trading methods and make them highly effective. It introduces the essential foundations of know-how and helps you discover all your abilities. By putting into practice what you learn in these pages, you can become one of the best sellers in your country. This book is a synthesis of the best ideas, methods, and strategies that I have learned during my thirty years as a salesperson. I have to thank all the sellers with whom I worked in those years and from whom I greatly appreciate 3
4 learned. I am especially grateful to my friends and partners with whom I have worked for many years on the material presented here and processed the tutorials. I express my gratitude and deep gratitude to all those who contributed to the publication of this book. BRIAN TRACY 4
5 1 STRATEGIC WORK PLAN A personal strategic work plan is the most important condition for achieving the set goal. With this method, you can reach your destination from anywhere, no matter where you are. Personal strategic planning radically affects your development in all areas of life. As a salesperson, you need to know that the most important thing in this profession is to realize that you are acting independently, that is, you are the president of your own trading company. It involves taking full responsibility for yourself and everything that happens to you. You are the creator of your own destiny. There is nowhere else to wait for clues, and you can no longer blame others for the problems and difficulties that arise. Jack Welch, CEO of General Electric, often said: If you don't take your chance with your own hands, someone else will. By devoting enough time to thinking in detail and planning everything that you are going to do, you will greatly increase the likelihood of achieving the profits and earnings that you have planned for yourself. It seems that the ability to plan is the most important skill you can develop to ensure that you are strong and capable of achieving maximum success. In 1953, a survey was conducted among graduates of Yale University, where the respondents were asked to answer the following questions: Do you have your own, clearly expressed and formulated goals that you want to achieve in life? and Do you have a detailed plan for how you want to achieve them after graduation? The results of this survey were amazing. Only 3% of graduates had life goals clearly expressed and formulated along with an action plan, which they were going to realize after graduation. True, 13% of the respondents strove for certain goals, but they never clearly formulated them. The remaining 84% had no other goals than finishing their studies and enjoying themselves during the upcoming holidays. Twenty years later, that is, in 1973, the participants of the questionnaire were asked about their property status today. After analyzing the results of both questionnaires, it turned out that all those 3% of the respondents, i.e. those who twenty years ago, before graduating from university, had clearly formulated and written life goals and a clear plan of action, owned more wealth than the remaining 97% combined. The only common feature among those graduates who achieved success was that they 5
6 set specific goals. Some of them graduated with poor grades, some with good grades. They worked in different areas. Some moved, some stayed in the same place. However, a common characteristic of successful Yale graduates was a determined commitment to achieving their goals. Through years of conversations with top salespeople, I've become convinced that they all have something in common, namely that they all have clear, written goals that they strive for. They took the time and made a plan for their future life. Each of them saw firsthand the importance of a clear strategic plan. Over time, each of them achieved in trading matters the goal that he set for himself. The basis of the success of each of these wonderful salespeople was the result of reflection on their personal lives and professional futures, as well as a carefully crafted and detailed plan of work until the achievement of the set goal. I really like one definition of happiness: Happiness is the relentless realization of chosen ideals or goals. If we are constantly working on something important, then the reward will be a constant feeling of success in our affairs. Then the person feels himself the master of his life. He is a winner, and therefore he knows that he will be able to overcome and eliminate all obstacles that would lead an ordinary person to despair. When work is underway to achieve an important goal, such an inner strength arises that crosses out all previous plans. THE WORLD OF VALUES What values do you profess? What is your position in life? What are the rules of your life? What underlies your beliefs? What qualities that you like in others would you like to develop in yourself? What do you not accept? When are you capable of self-sacrifice? What could you suffer or sacrifice your life for? Few people ask themselves these extremely important questions, but this small handful are the most important and powerful individuals in our society. When I set out to define my own scale of values a few years ago, I made a list of 163 qualities that I aspire to have. It seems that I have written down all possible qualitative definitions of a positive property that would relate to the personality and character of a person. All of them seemed important to me, and I wanted to implement them all in some way in my life. 6
7 But then I stood face to face with reality. I have noticed that it is already difficult for me to develop some new qualities or to try to change behavior in at least one of them. Wrote a new list. I compromised and left only a few values in it. When I finally established the five basics, I could already begin to work on myself and, as a result, I made some progress in the development of my character. Your hierarchy of values You should do the same. Write down five qualities that are most important to you in life. Distribute them according to the hierarchy. What comes first? What's on the second, third, etc.? How can you find out what your values are today? It's very simple. Observe your behavior, especially your actions in critical situations. The values that really matter to you show up in action. What matters is not what you say or wish for yourself or what you are going to do, but only what you do. If you want to know what your world of values is like, analyze what you've been doing lately and notice what decisions you've made every time you had a choice. The decisions you make and the actions that follow will show you and those around you what is most valuable to you, what is most important to you. Here is an example. Imagine two people for whom family, health, and professional success are equally important. The only difference is that each of them has a different hierarchy of these values. One of them, say Bill, states: For me, my family is the most important thing, my health is second, and my professional career is third. Although Tom recognizes the same values, he talks about them like this: Professional success, my career is the most important thing for me, then my family and health. Do you think there is a difference in the personality and character of these two people? Certainly! Is this a big or small difference? Can you tell these people apart during the conversation? Which of these two men do you like better? Which one would you trust more? Which of them would you like to get to know better, make friends? The answer to these questions is simple. You are more suited to someone whose value hierarchy is similar to yours. Your scale of values determines your character. If you have chosen values such as honesty, love, courage, 7
8 sincerity, perfection or responsibility, and coordinate your actions with them, then soon and in fact you will become a better person. It is your values that nurture the qualities of your personality. What does character really mean? Character is the ability to live in harmony with positive values. A person with a flawed character gives high value to short-term benefits or does not recognize any values at all. Your attitude to this, your view of these things is the real measure of your character and personality, which determines your position in life. You can determine what place a particular value occupies in your life by observing how much time you devote to this subject, how much money or emotions you spend on it. A lot of people speak out in favor of lofty, noble values until they find themselves backed up against the wall and forced to make a specific choice. If your choice is for the highest values, then it can cost you dearly, and even very much. When you choose lower values, you pay less for it, at least in a material sense, not necessarily in feelings, but whenever you make a choice, it shows you what is really more important to you. Let's say the value for you is maximum efficiency. In this case, your definition would sound like this: Maximum efficiency means that in everything I do, I set the bar high for myself. In every situation, I try to do my best, as soon as I can. I try to further improve my work, my personal life, my relationships with others. I am aware that the maximum result requires the efforts of a lifetime and daily work in order to become better and better. With this definition, you have a clear principle by which you organize your activities. You have set a certain standard by which you can change your behavior. You have created a certain framework within which you make a choice. You have a yardstick by which you can evaluate your actions and which you can try on yourself from time to time. You have clearly defined the goal you are striving for and around which you organize your work. The same goes for other values. If family is your number one priority, then define your choice as follows: My family's needs are more important to me than anything else. When I have to choose between the happiness, health and well-being of one of my family members, or some other value, I always put my family first. With this perspective, it will be easy for you to make a choice. Your family comes first. 8
9 While her needs are still not completely satisfied, you do not allow energy to be spent on other, less important things. A clear picture of the hierarchy of your own values is important because it gives you the opportunity to take control of the formation of your character. When values and goals, your inner and outer life are in perfect harmony with each other, then you will achieve great well-being. You will learn to respect yourself. Your self-esteem will increase. The moment you achieve absolute harmony between your values and goals (imagine a hand in a tight-fitting glove), you will feel strong, happy, healthy and absolutely harmonious. A lion will wake up inside you, who will overcome any fear of having to choose, and therefore you will always make the right decisions. When you live in harmony with the values that are most important to you, your whole life will become more beautiful. THE IDEAL All successful firms have an ideal they aspire to. Every good salesperson has this ideal. As the president of your own firm, in charge of your life and career, you need two distinct ideals that complement and reinforce each other. The written formulation of one's life ideal is a logical consequence of establishing a hierarchy of values. It will become your personal credo, determine your future and serve as a guide for all your actions. Your personal ideal is a description of the person who fits you and what you aspire to be. In the professional ideal description, you define how you want to appear in the eyes of your clients. An example of a description of a personal ideal. Apparently, I'm a wonderful person. For all the people important to me, for my family and others, I am cordial, benevolent, attentive, sincere and unforgiving. I am a wonderful, devoted friend, known for my generosity, responsiveness, understanding and patience. I think positively, I am full of enthusiasm, I am happy and cheerful. All the people I know love, respect and admire me. An example of a professional ideal description. By the looks of it, I'm a great professional salesperson. I know everything about the products that I offer, I know the scope of my duties, I am perfectly familiar with the affairs of my clients. 9
10 I am always well prepared for a conversation with a client. I have a good character, I am sociable, disciplined, positive. I am a cordial, friendly person who cares about my customers and is a pleasure to deal with. Thus, you determine how you want to appear in the eyes of your customers, how you want to be talked about and how you want to be presented to third parties. As the president of your own trading company, you have at your disposal a formulated professional ideal, which is a combination of all the necessary positive qualities. This will help you to act correctly in all your professional endeavors. Formulate your ideal in the present tense, as if you were already the person you are writing about. Always use positive language, not negative. Describe the qualities you would like to develop, not the weaknesses you want to overcome. Always speak for yourself. Start with the words: I, I can, I will achieve. The subconscious mind will perceive your ideal as a guide to action only when the description is given in the present tense, as positive and personal instructions for action. The phrase I'm a great salesperson is a perfect example of a relevant premise. After each conversation with a client, read the description of the ideal and ask yourself to what extent your behavior matches the qualities of the person you want to become. As a top salesperson, always compare your trading performance with your best performance and strive to continually improve. Try to be better and better. Every day, in every possible way, consciously work to get closer to your chosen ideal. For example, your goal would be within a year, and maybe earlier, to develop the ability to negotiate with clients in a way that matches the ideal you describe. Clients, of course, do not know what your ideal is, but they will use the same expressions when expressing their opinion about you. This will be because you will treat customers the way you described in the ideal example. When you have already identified and put down your ideal, you must constantly reread what you have written, exercise, correct and regularly improve these qualities. You can add something new or refine already formulated features. As a result, they will become your life credo, your philosophy and code of conduct in any contact with people. You can evaluate your behavior daily and compare it with 10
11 ideal. Over time, you will discover something interesting. When you compare the description of the ideal with your actions, you will see that the corresponding words come almost subconsciously, and the chosen formulations describe your behavior in such a way that you are gradually approaching your ideal. Over time, others will also notice the change in you. Then you will realize that you have managed to change your character and your personality according to your ideal. Thus, you will become the blacksmith of your own happiness. The following words are very important for your personal views, values and ideals: be good to yourself! You have worked all your life to become who you are today. If you are the same as everyone else ordinary people then you are not perfect. But there is still a lot of time to improve. You have many opportunities to change character and personality, if you only want to become the very perfect person that you dream of being. However, the change of personality will not come by itself and will not happen overnight. Be patient! The reason why people develop and become better while performing their tasks is the belief that they are striving to achieve their goals and fulfill their desires. They don't expect change immediately. Even when success does not come immediately, do not despair, but work on. And you should do the same. If you have a clear idea of the person you want to become, if you know what kind of life and what kind of career you can expect, take the first step! Analyze your behavior daily and compare it with the ideal. Think of different possibilities for improving the qualities you want to embellish your personality with. Always remember that only your behavior towards others gives a true picture of your personality. If you keep patience, you will eventually become like your chosen ideal. SITUATION ANALYSIS In order to achieve your goals, you must first do the following. First, you must determine exactly where you are in currently and what are you doing. Secondly, you must look into your past and establish how you got to the point where you are now. Finally, decide how from the point where you are at this moment, to get to the place where you want to be in the future. Here is an example. Imagine that you are walking from point A to point B and, say, you have to walk 40 kilometers. Somewhere in the middle of the road, that is, at the 20th kilometer, you are far from each of the 11
12 of these items. You look back at point A, but you no longer see it. Point B is not yet visible from this location. In the initial phase of establishing a personal strategic action plan, you are in a similar situation. Let's say point A is the past and point B is the future. The place in between where you are now is the present. Let's say you can grow without limits (and even reach a height of one hundred meters) and you can simultaneously see point A, or the starting point, yourself now, and point B, that is, your possible future. And suddenly you see that you and your career are connected into a single whole with your past, present and future. Similarly, the analysis of the situation will allow you to simultaneously see the past, present and future, your life and your career. Thanks to him, you will see how they are interconnected. When you have a clear idea of where you came from, where you are at the moment, and where you are going, you can control your plans and goals much more effectively. The first stage of the analysis: your income Start with your real earnings and income. How much are you selling and earning now? What were the volumes of sales and earnings two, three years ago? What prospects do you see in your sales career? Do earnings and incomes increase every year? Or maybe they remain at the same level or are constantly in decline? The Tip of the Iceberg Technique One of the most important thinking abilities of an exceptional person is to use the technique of the tip of the iceberg when analyzing a situation. This trick is that whenever something happens in your business or in your personal life, you can consider it as some kind of pattern until the situation changes. You should, as far as possible, assume that this event, the rise or fall in business, or some change in your personal life, is just the tip of the iceberg. It points to some larger damage, some trend, something that at the moment can neither be seen nor explained. You may notice that increased income is only a separate phenomenon, not related to the real state of affairs. You may also decide that this is a manifestation of some general trend, which, perhaps, will be of significant importance for your future. Real professional salespeople are very sensitive to the likelihood of such symptoms. They regularly pay attention to the symptoms in order to analyze 12
13 of them in two directions as confirmation or refutation of the fact that there will be some kind of trend that can affect income growth. Throughout your career, the annual amount of sales profits should increase. Income growth should also come. You can set a goal to achieve annual revenue growth of 10 to 20%. A personal strategic work plan will help you with this. What has been the trend of income growth over the past three or five years? If the answer does not satisfy you, develop a new plan and change course of action. Think about the fact that if you always go in the same direction, you will definitely reach your intended goal. The second stage of the analysis: the range of goods offered The next step in the analysis of the situation is to take a closer look at the goods or services that you currently offer. Analyze the state of affairs. Use the Pareto rule. When it comes to trading, the rule is that 80% of your income comes from 20% of the goods sold. Then it will probably turn out that 80% of your professional time gives you only 20% of your income. What products or services do you sell, how do they relate to you, and how do they relate to the time you spend trading? What trends are emerging in this business? What have you been able to sell lately? Should the achieved level remain the same? How much, then, will you be selling next year and beyond? Third Stage of Analysis: Your Customers Analyze your customers as well. Who are your main clients at the moment? Who do you consider insignificant? What do they have in common? What companies do they work for, what positions do they hold? But above all: how have your customers changed in the last year or two? Do you have new clients every year, or do you sign most of the contracts with existing clients? Who do you owe the most money to? If this situation continues, to whom will you sell your products or services next month and next year? Is the current state of affairs a manifestation of a positive or negative order for your career? One of the most important aspects of trading will be for you to discover that you work best with certain 13
14 people. There may be many potential buyers in the market, but not everyone will be good customers for you. Because of your individual character and personality, you feel best with a certain type of people, and the more they fit you, the more they will buy from you. Wise salespeople are well aware of the strengths and weak sides of their customers and organize their activities in such a way that they can devote more time to people who are likely to make the quickest decision to buy. What is the common feature that characterizes the clients with whom you receive the largest income? The Fourth Stage of Analysis: Your Own Financial Situation The next step is to analyze your own financial situation. Imagine that you have to submit an application for a loan, make a list of assets and liabilities and calculate the net value of all available assets. Make an inventory of all tangible property and calculate its value. Also make a list of debts, obligations and determine their total amount. The balance will show what financial situation you are currently in. About 70% of all sellers do not have free money, spending their monthly earnings, and sometimes even more. Also, the average young family, according to survey results, spends about 110% of their real income, and covers the resulting difference with loans or money borrowed from their parents. In business, among other things, pay special attention to your net income. After paying taxes, paying off all debts, your real income remains. This is the measure of the income that you received during your professional life, the measure of your productivity and efficiency as the president of your own firm. Divide your total income to date by the number of years you have worked. This way you will get your average annual income. For example, if after ten years of work you have twenty thousand dollars net, then every year you earned two thousand dollars. With 250 days of work a year, after accounting for expenses, you averaged eight dollars a day. It's profitable? Maybe you could run your business better? Analysis of the financial situation is the way to financial independence. 14
15 The Fifth Stage of the Analysis: Your Career The analysis of the situation includes an assessment of your current career. Take a moment and think about your first position, then the next one, and the rest. Make a list of all positions you have ever held. Then ask yourself: Where did I get the best results? What work did I do? How much did I receive? What kind of education and what professional skills did I have at the beginning of my. career? What common feature can unite all the positions I have held? What trends do you see in the course of your career? Were the next posts more difficult, responsible, required more knowledge and experience, or did you earn more? Have you been doing the same with the same result for the last few years? If the status quo holds, what are you most likely to be doing in a year? What awaits you in two years, in five? Will you improve in your activities, will you earn more? If not, what can you do to move forward and accelerate your career development? What qualification training did you receive in the companies you worked for, and what was really useful to you? What have you learned over the years that have had the most impact and impact on your income growth? What opportunities do you have for further professional development where you work? How did self-education go, what books did you read that especially influenced your work as a salesman? What instructional cassettes did you regularly listen to while driving? What trade seminars have you attended? What are your innate talents and abilities? What knowledge and skills have influenced your success in trading? Is there something that you have easily learned and put into practice without difficulty that others have difficulty getting? What knowledge and skills will be needed in the future to grow your income and profits? The truth is this: your life will be better when you are better. You may not achieve anything at all if you do not improve. If you want to have the best customers, you must first be the best salesperson. If you want to have the best employees, you must be the best boss. If you want to have the best family, you must be the best spouse and parent. If you want to have best relationship with those around you, you have to become a better person. Your world will only get better when you get better. What do you need to fix in your personal and professional life, 15
16 if you want her to be more successful? To think about a plan of action in your personal life, as well as in the work of the seller, treat yourself as a source of materials that you must analyze. See yourself as a collection of talents and abilities that you could use to achieve a variety of goals. And you have these opportunities. The results of many studies confirm that one of the qualities of natural leaders is the ability to organize actions with the greatest benefit for themselves. Such people constantly think about how best to use the time to complete the task and achieve the expected results. And how do you use your spiritual, emotional and mental qualities to achieve better results? Analysis Stage Six: Your Personal Situation Your sales job and professional activities are directly related to your personal life, but do you equal amount attention? The best salespeople are able to harmonize work and personal life in such a way that the boundaries between them disappear. We can say that the profession and personal life of the seller complement each other. As you analyze your personal situation, you should take an impartial look at your family and contacts with people. Are you married or single? Are you divorced or perhaps a widower? Are you happy? Think about whether you want to stay in an existing union for the rest of your life? What do you do every day to be in a different position in a month or a year? You are responsible for your position. It is you who controls your life. Regardless of who you are and what you do, how and with whom you maintain relationships, you have made your own choice. After all, life is not a rehearsal. We ourselves are actors in this performance. You will not make a sales career until you solve the problems in your personal life. Do you have any children? How old are they? How are they with their studies and personal affairs? If the children are still young, what are your plans for their future? Do you want them to get a university education? Have you taken care of the financial support for your children's studies? If not, when will you start saving money for their education? For many, children are the strongest motivation for activity. Truly superhuman efforts are often made to provide children with a better future. What material and spiritual needs of your children can you meet? How do you see the condition of your house or apartment? 16
17 Everyone certainly dreams of the perfect home. And you? Are you satisfied with your current home or are you hoping for something better? If yes, how are you going to implement it? Where do you think you will live in two, three, five years? Know that under a lying stone and water does not flow. If you want to correct the present situation, you must do something. Make a list of all your possessions. What car do you have? Does it meet your requirements? Would you like to have a car bigger, better, faster than this one? Where are you going to get the funds for it? How are your wardrobe, jewelry, furniture, appliances and other personal possessions? You can do the following experiment. Make a list of everything you would like to have in life and what you would like to enjoy. Don't worry about the funds for all this. The most important part of the experience is the boundless creative attempt to create more living space. If you are married, sit down with your partner and write down everything you need and wish you had. The longer and more complete the list is, the more you will focus on work and develop more energy in yourself to achieve large earnings and incomes that would allow you to realize these dreams. Imagine that the answers to all the questions asked are the elements of the mosaic that you poured out of the box onto the table. Take a look at individual elements and start gradually adding up the big picture. Pick it up piecemeal. In the same way, you can piece together a wonderful life from the pieces of the past, present, and planned future, and use it to prepare one big plan for the future. If you work out a personal strategic plan of action, then thanks to it you will be able to quickly achieve your goals. DETERMINING FACTORS OF SUCCESS All events are subject to the laws of cause and effect. There are no accidents. Both success and failure are the result of some cause. Success in trading is an expected result that has a specific reason. And he's pretty much predictable. One of the biggest achievements in connecting personal and professional success was the discovery of the theory of the determinants of success. Here we are talking about each factor that decides the question of the prospects or futility of a company or person. A wrong decision in one matter will be enough to jeopardize the entire enterprise. Luckily, there are only 17
18 multiple factors. But always, as soon as there are problems in business, the main reason is mainly an inattentive attitude to one of the success factors. This book talks about the determinants of success in trading. These include: finding new clients, scheduling meetings, identifying the problem and proposing solutions, presenting, overriding objections, closing the deal, working out the formalities, and getting things done right. Deficiencies in one of these areas can reduce intended success or lead to failure. Each of these abilities must be mastered in the best possible way in order to be able to use them in other situations. The theory of determinants of success is applicable to many life situations. We meet the determining success factors in professional activities, in the family, in maintaining health and physical fitness, in matters of financial well-being, etc. In order to have exceptional results in each of these situations, it is necessary to establish which factors in a particular area depend on success. Then you must analyze, on a scale of one to ten, what you are capable of in each of these areas. Based on the results obtained, you can draw up a plan for professional development. Remember that in the first place you should pay attention to those factors that deserve the lowest rating. Let's say that your performance in all the areas assessed by the determinants of success, you rated seven points, and only in one area you had to be satisfied with a mark of three. It is this three that determines the results that you will achieve in all other areas, using your various abilities. This assessment will determine the boundaries of your earnings and income. Your weakest determinant of success will indicate the fullness of your achievements in all areas. Let's say you're doing a great job with everything else, you only have problems with the organization of working time. Your inability to properly manage your time negatively affects all trading results. You spend too much time on unproductive activities, and as a result, you have too little time left for the things that are essential for a successful sale. You have too little time for better and more promising clients. This can jeopardize your future sales career. The same applies to traveling sales activity. You may be exceptionally successful in all subsequent phases of the sale, but when you are unable to connect with a new potential buyer, this weak point can cause a sudden 18
19 the end of your career. What factors determine your success? What are the determining factors for success in your profession? How would you rate yourself on a scale of one to ten in each specific area? What area of work do you feel most confident in? If you don't know how to evaluate yourself, ask your management, colleagues or even clients! Take your self out of the game. Your career depends on how sincerely you can answer these questions. One salesperson who attended my seminar took this advice too much to heart. He asked a trusted buyer at what stage of the sales process he was making mistakes. The buyer was convinced that the seller wanted to hear the truth, that he would not be offended or offended, and answered; You ask good questions, but as soon as I start answering, you interrupt me and start praising your product yourself, like a hurdy-gurdy. The seller was very surprised by the words of the buyer. He did not notice that he did not allow the interlocutor to insert a word. Of course, he did it unconsciously, but, unfortunately, this is what most people do. After this conversation, the seller wanted to know more about himself and asked other customers from whom he heard the same thing. It was this information that helped him think about his behavior and eventually influenced a significant increase in his income. When you ask others to evaluate your behavior and you don't really like the answer, you should not be offended or angry, just ask to be explained in more detail. If your interlocutor reproaches you for something that you do not yet understand, ask to explain it with an example. Don't make mistakes, don't argue with him, and don't make excuses. Just listen and remember his answer. If you get into the habit of it and regularly ask others about how you look in the eyes of others, you will be surprised how important everything you have learned turns out to be and how useful it can be. With this information, you can start working on yourself right away. Don't waste energy defending yourself or making excuses. What did you find out while doing personality analysis, in what area of activity were you the best? What is your exclusivity as a seller? How are you different from your competitors, how are you better than them? What is your excellence in your field of work? Why Customers Should Buy Product 19
20 from you, and not from another seller from yours or a competing firm? Each person has abilities due to which he can achieve fantastic results in a certain field of activity. You can be an excellent salesperson if you discover some exceptional qualities in yourself and work to develop them further. Focus on defining and improving them. You can use your abilities directly in working with the client. Perhaps your trump card is remarkable personal qualities and the ability to listen carefully to the needs of the client. Good sellers often say: Dear customer, you can probably buy the same product from someone else, but there is something that no one else can offer you. Except me! If you buy this item from me, you will get my identity for it. If you find a better deal anywhere, I'll be glad if you take advantage of it. Think also about your appearance. How do you look in the eyes of your client? Evaluate your costume, additional accessories and general appearance. Look at yourself in the mirror and ask: Do I look like the best salesperson in my field? If you have questions or uncertainty, ask others for advice. Ask people around you what you need to do to look your best. If you don't get offended, you will always receive valuable guidance that will help you improve your appearance. To draw up a solid personal work plan, you should devote a lot of time detailed description their values and the definition of priorities and ideals. Carefully analyze all aspects of the current situation in personal relationships that affect your professional activity. The more accurately and carefully you do this, the more objective the picture of the current state of affairs will be. This will give you a basis for thinking about where to look for a starting point and what means are needed to achieve your goals. Through this procedure, you will achieve success faster and thus increase your sales volumes. ENTERPRISE ANALYSIS Top salespeople spend a significant amount of their time getting to know their firm thoroughly. They know when the company was created, what positions the most important persons occupy in it, who has what competence, who has a decisive vote. They know the structure of the work of departments, and they are well informed about everything that concerns the company in which they work. Regardless of the size of the firm, you need to know what products it sells, what are the main customer groups and markets 20
21 sales with which the staff of the firm works. Well, if you know what the beginning of their activity was like and what they were selling then. You should know the main products and markets for the last three years. What has changed in the company since then? What trends are noticeable in the company, who are the main buyers? What important products, customer groups and markets will your firm serve? It is said that there are three types of people: the smaller group are those who do something and achieve something, a slightly larger group are those who observe, and the largest group is “those who constantly ask: What is happening anyway? If you want to be a man of action, you must keep a close eye on what is going on around you. What development plans exist in your company? What goals should be achieved, what should be avoided, what should be changed in the current market situation? What values are professed in your company? What principles? These may be written or unwritten rules, but they must exist. They show up in relation to employees and customers. Think about what these people mean to the firm. The values you profess are the foundation of your personality. Your company's values are the basis of its reputation. Ideally, your values and those of your firm should be in harmony with each other. In any case, there should be no conflict or contradiction between your value systems. It is very difficult to work for a firm that cultivates values that are not acceptable to you. You must be precise about your value scale and the firm's priorities. Pay attention to whether they are consistent with each other. What is the marketing strategy for your company? Why are the products offered by the company exclusive? In what industry does it outperform its competitors? In what area of activity did you achieve particular success? What does your company do better than others? Each person or enterprise is created to fulfill a specific purpose and perform certain functions better than others. All processes, affairs and services are connected with this special purpose. Just as you have exceptional ability, your firm dominates the market in certain areas. Think about what these areas are. What is your firm's position in the market? This question is as essential as each of the success factors in your sales job. One of the biggest reasons people buy or don't buy is the reputation of the firm. If you are a representative of a company that has earned its good name, you can easily negotiate with the buyer and sign contracts. 21
22 The bad reputation of the firm can destroy the results of all your incredible efforts. Imagine that you work for a company that ranks fourth in the industry. This means that there are three best firms that offer similar products or services, but of better quality. But there are still other firms that are considered worse than yours. The position of the firm determines primarily the amount of income and remuneration of employees. What is the position of your company? The question of the quality of goods and services is usually decided by customers. The client's opinion about quality, for which he would pay more in comparison with other offers, changes over time. The quality is affected by the product itself, and related services, and even the way it is sold. The ratio of price to accepted value can also be part of the quality assessment. In other words, a moderate price can positively influence the assessment of the quality of a product, while an overpriced one can worsen the opinion about it. In any case, you should learn how the customer defines expected quality before using product quality rating as an argument in a conversation. Each company has a classification according to which the personal qualities of employees are formally or informally evaluated. How were you evaluated? AND main question: how can you improve your performance, become better? There is a direct relationship between your earnings, profits and quality scores. A place at the top should be one of your goals. Of course, in one night you will not jump from fifth place to first, first you will move to fourth, then to third, and so on. Your interest in improving quality is just as important to your career as your firm's interest in ranking higher in the marketplace. This is what defines success. How can this be achieved? MARKET ANALYSIS Every strategy boils down to a market capture strategy. Each strategic plan aims to achieve the best results in the competitive struggle for the market. The goal is to win the client and win over the competition. Its achievement and improvement of results is impossible without an appropriate strategy. The condition for success is the organization and streamlining of all actions, only in this way can income be increased. Most sellers succumb to the so-called business day offset model. They focus their energy on working out the allotted time and evaporating. And not for a second 22
The 23 will think about what might happen in a month or a year. When you add a personal strategic plan to the results of market analysis and this will serve as the basis for your actions, then you will move on to the manager model, i.e. you will determine the direction of your career yourself and will not be a passive seller, like most of your colleagues. To compare your products or services with those already on the market, first of all answer the question: what is their position compared to other products or services that are available on the market? Market development analysis has a radar function, i.e. constantly controls this market. Therefore, you can focus your efforts accordingly in order to achieve your goals and select the best buyers to whom you can quickly and easily sell your product. You should read the chapter on this subject in particular detail in order to assimilate the topics and concepts contained in it. SMART ENERGY USE The basis of strategic planning is to achieve a certain goal using a certain amount of energy. The meaning of market analysis is to develop such abilities and take such actions in order to spend a given amount of energy to achieve optimal results. Below are two metaphors that will help you maximize sales in your industry. This is a metaphor for a money tree and a metaphor for a farm. The Money Tree Metaphor The metaphor for the money tree is this: think of each individual customer as a likely money tree with many branches that will someday bring you profit and positive feedback, not only in terms of working for the firm, but in many other ways. This is sometimes referred to as the salami tactic. During the first contact with the client, do not try to take a big step, try to convince him to give you only a thin slice of what another supplier is now receiving. This thin slice will give you the opportunity to familiarize the client with your services, you can offer him, for example, an accelerated contract, goods highest quality, lowest prices or small benefits to show him all the benefits of your firm's offering. Thus, you are holding one branch of the money tree in your hands. If the client is happy, contact him again and try 23
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Brian Tracy
The Complete Guide for the Sales Manager
Foreword
German firms have spent a lot of money on vocational training of its employees and sales agents, but a significant lack was revealed in the training of the management. The consequence of this was a decline in production, dissatisfaction of workers, and the decline of enterprises.
Many sales managers are ex-salesmen who have achieved success in their field and have received this position in their firms. Sales agents who worked alone become group leaders, with the result that many firms lose good agents and acquire weak managers.
A survey conducted in 1996 by employees of "Tgacy College AG" among members of the board of trading companies showed that professional managers very few for sale. Brian Tracy took note of this and created a special training program "Managing the Sales Process". It gained huge popularity in Germany, becoming a bestseller in 1996. Given such a huge interest in the topic, we decided to create a practical guide for managers in the form of a separate book.
We invite you to familiarize yourself with this, perhaps, the most comprehensive publication on the work of a sales manager. The information it contains is based on fifty years of research, numerous courses, thousands of conversations with sales managers and analysis of their work in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Poland, France and the USA.
You shouldn't be one of those salespeople who failed, burned out, quit, or went back to sales after failing to adjust to the new demands of the job. We will help you acquire the necessary skills to become a new type of sales manager and, together with your team, be sure to achieve success in your work.
Good luck to you!
FRANK M. SHELEN
Waldshut - Tiengen, September 1997.
1 Key tasks
The success of an enterprise depends on many factors, but the main one is the efficiency of the sales manager. In every company, the sales manager is a key position. Business success or failure depends on it.
Management is not a separate discipline, and there are no proprietary rules that guarantee success.
But the tricks that all successful sales managers use have long been known. This book will introduce you to methods that have been proven over and over again in practice. Your task is to assimilate the information presented here and use it in your work. If you follow in your actions those managers who have succeeded in the sale, you will achieve the same results: success, respect and job satisfaction.
Tasks
In this chapter, we will cover the following topics:
The essential difference between a sales agent and a sales manager.
The seven roles of a sales manager.
The difference between traditional and modern selling techniques.
Three basic rules on how to succeed in your business.
The tasks of a sales agent and a manager are fundamentally different. The first significant difference is that the main task of a sales agent is to make a profit. The sales agent meets and negotiates with the client. The main task of the manager is to instruct sales agents. Selection, training, support in the implementation of their tasks is the main area of his activity, the manager is the teacher of his sales agents, and sales agents are those who directly affect the growth of income.
Another significant difference is that as a sales agent you work on your own. When meeting with a client, you were your own boss. But as a manager, you must cooperate with other people, you are part of a larger whole, part of a firm, a member of a team. You are no longer a loner, you can not behave and make decisions the way you did as a sales agent.
Working as a sales agent, you were like a professional football player left to his own devices. Now you are acting as a coach. You no longer play, but stand on the field line, inspire your subordinates to fight, mobilize, cheer, and maintain morale. You train those who play on the field. The biggest mistake all managers make is running out on fields they start playing, go with their representatives to meetings with customers and directly engage in sales. They spend 51% of their time doing things they shouldn't be doing.
Until now, you have been a member of the team of sales agents, one of those who operate directly in the market. Now you are no longer one of them, you are a member of the board of the firm. For sales agents, you are a management representative.
So far, you've had an easy job. Now you face more difficult tasks. The scope of your competence has changed, you must reckon with your employees, they are closely watching you. But the most important task if you want to perform effectively in new role, is to change their previous way of thinking. Of course, you need to study, improve your skills at seminars and courses, but if you do not change your outlook on life, you will not succeed as a manager. What does it mean? Imagine that you are looking into a kaleidoscope in which glass pieces are folded into some kind of picture: if you want to change the picture, you need to rotate the kaleidoscope so that the glass pieces change their position. You remain the same person, with your individual experience, you have the same needs, desires and hopes, but you must change your outlook on life and work, this will be your key to success. Now we will discuss seven main tasks that a sales manager has to solve:
1. You must formulate goals and determine how to achieve them. Until now, your job has been to achieve goals. Now you must install them.
2. You must plan a strategy for the area you are responsible for. Until now, you have received ready-made plans from superiors or made them only for yourself. The ability to plan is one of the most essential qualities of a professional manager.
3. The organization of the work of the entire team depends on you. This means that you must draw up an action plan and work it out in such a way that everything that needs to be done is described in great detail. You must distribute tasks in such a way that you achieve the expected results.
