What's Your Advice on Becoming a Star Salesman?

by CFamm
50 replies
Hi guys,

I know questions about how to sell and the best products to teach selling are a dime a dozen on this site. I've played with the search function so much it rolled over and went to sleep; but I haven't found a thread that gives the kind of answer I'm looking for here.

I've been consuming lots of sales information on and off over the last few years. Books, seminars, articles, newsletters etc etc.

My way in actual, practical selling as been very limited. I have excuses but what does that matter?

Back to the question (finally, right?)

If you were to start over what would you do to get yourself back to your level of selling ability today?

What books would you read, what jobs would you take, what would you listen to, watch, and what would you do each and every day in order to build your skills as quickly and as completely as possible.

I know that sales materials are plastered all over the internet like acne on a 15 year old boy's face. But some are clearly better than others, and some are pretty shit (I'm looking at you, any encyclopedia of closes)

Which materials offer the most bang for your buck?

And most importantly, what habits need to be formed to build powerful selling abilities?

What advice can you give to me and everybody else who comes to this thread on the best ways to build yourself into a star salesman?
#advice #salesman #star
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  • Profile picture of the author Oziboomer
    Originally Posted by CFamm View Post

    What advice can you give to me and everybody else who comes to this thread on the best ways to build yourself into a star salesman?
    Read some of Claude Whitacre's books and chat to him on the forum.

    Look up some of Ewen Mack's - Dr E Vile - threads - contact Ewen as he has a some valuable perspectives to add to help you with your predicament.

    Most people will say join a sales team and find a good mentor.

    Sometimes that's a lot harder nowadays than what is was in the past.

    Experience by watching real masters at work is golden but many of the true star performers are busy and it does take a degree of luck an persistence, investigation etc to find some good guidance that is relevant in today's marketplace.

    It takes some time to hone your skills but people like Claude and Ewen shorten that time.

    Best regards,

    Ozi
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    • Profile picture of the author ewenmack
      Originally Posted by Oziboomer View Post


      Look up some of Ewen Mack's - Dr E Vile - threads - contact Ewen as he has a some valuable perspectives to add to help you with your predicament.

      Ozi
      He is already exhibiting traits which stop him from being a star salesperson.

      Putting all the reason for his failure onto others.

      Nobody will want to attach themselves to that,
      unless they are clueless or a masochist!

      Best,
      Ewen
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      • Profile picture of the author umc
        Originally Posted by ewenmack View Post

        He is already exhibiting traits which stop him from being a star salesperson.

        Putting all the reason for his failure onto others.

        Nobody will want to attach themselves to that,
        unless they are clueless or a masochist!

        Best,
        Ewen
        Where did he put the reason for his failures on others?
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        • Profile picture of the author ewenmack
          Originally Posted by umc View Post

          Where did he put the reason for his failures on others?
          "My way in actual, practical selling as been very limited. I have excuses but what does that matter?"

          "I haven't found a thread that gives the kind of answer I'm looking for here."

          The first statement is the story he is repeating to himself over and over again.
          He needs to divorce himself of that story to move forward.

          The second statement tells me he is looking for that one thing, that one magic
          trick which will make him a star salesperson.

          If he doesn't find it, then he has an out, a reason to tell himself
          why he didn't become a star salesperson.

          It's not his fault, it's others.

          He's not taking full responsibility for his life.

          2 superstar sales guys I've worked with didn't come with that thinking.

          By superstars, I mean helping them get their first jobs in sales and within 5 months
          breaking the company record by bringing in a deal 50 times bigger than past record.

          Then he breaks the division record in another company 5 months after arriving
          selling advertising space over the phone.

          The other salesperson sells stocks over the phone.

          He sold more stocks as a rookie than any other in the first year
          in all branches around the world.

          They only just scraped in to get those jobs because the guys hiring them
          were doubtful they had what it takes.

          And that's the BIG problem in sales organizations,
          they don't know what a superstar looks like before
          he/she becomes one.

          The poster hasn't come back in to reply
          which speaks volumes as to whether he has what it takes
          to become a star salesperson.

          I welcome him to come in and prove me wrong
          because at the end of the day, we all want others to be successful.

          Best,
          Ewen
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          • Profile picture of the author umc
            Originally Posted by ewenmack View Post

            "My way in actual, practical selling as been very limited. I have excuses but what does that matter?"

            "I haven't found a thread that gives the kind of answer I'm looking for here."

            The first statement is the story he is repeating to himself over and over again.
            He needs to divorce himself of that story to move forward.

            The second statement tells me he is looking for that one thing, that one magic
            trick which will make him a star salesperson.

            If he doesn't find it, then he has an out, a reason to tell himself
            why he didn't become a star salesperson.

            It's not his fault, it's others.

            He's not taking full responsibility for his life.
            You may be right. I read that first statement as him divorcing himself from that story, saying that those excuses are invalid. I read the second as him saying something as simple as that he hasn't found a good thread in his searches, nothing more, nothing less. You read a lot into what he said.

            We'll see if he comes back. I do think it says a lot when people post seemingly important questions and then disappear. It doesn't reflect well. Unfortunately, I see a lot of reading into what people say and jumping on them here. Lots of chips on shoulders. Oh well, not my question or thread, just trying to see what you were seeing in what he said.
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            • Profile picture of the author ewenmack
              Originally Posted by umc View Post

              You may be right. I read that first statement as him divorcing himself from that story, saying that those excuses are invalid. I read the second as him saying something as simple as that he hasn't found a good thread in his searches, nothing more, nothing less. You read a lot into what he said.

              We'll see if he comes back. I do think it says a lot when people post seemingly important questions and then disappear. It doesn't reflect well. Unfortunately, I see a lot of reading into what people say and jumping on them here. Lots of chips on shoulders. Oh well, not my question or thread, just trying to see what you were seeing in what he said.
              You are right, I do read a lot into the written word on this forum.

              I've experienced people coming on here asking for help.

              One occasion on how to cold call.

              I offered them to listen in as I make them for my business,
              which yielded national brands as clients.

              Lot of excitement,
              nobody showed up.

              I get private messaged asking for help.
              A recent case where I offered to hop on Skype to help.

              After that, not a message back.

              Vanished like a thief in the night.

              Other times I respond to private messages and not a thank you.

              Yes, I do pick up behavior patterns.

              All I'm doing is calling out what I see based on experience,
              not to shame people for it.

              It is what it is.

              Best,
              Ewen

              .
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  • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
    Originally Posted by CFamm View Post

    Hi guys,

    I know questions about how to sell and the best products to teach selling are a dime a dozen on this site. I've played with the search function so much it rolled over and went to sleep; but I haven't found a thread that gives the kind of answer I'm looking for here.

    I've been consuming lots of sales information on and off over the last few years. Books, seminars, articles, newsletters etc etc.

    My way in actual, practical selling as been very limited. I have excuses but what does that matter?

    Back to the question (finally, right?)

    If you were to start over what would you do to get yourself back to your level of selling ability today?

    What books would you read, what jobs would you take, what would you listen to, watch, and what would you do each and every day in order to build your skills as quickly and as completely as possible.

    I know that sales materials are plastered all over the internet like acne on a 15 year old boy's face. But some are clearly better than others, and some are pretty shit (I'm looking at you, any encyclopedia of closes)

    Which materials offer the most bang for your buck?

    And most importantly, what habits need to be formed to build powerful selling abilities?

    What advice can you give to me and everybody else who comes to this thread on the best ways to build yourself into a star salesman?
    Read sales books by star salespeople. Go to Amazon.com and buy the books with the most positive reviews.

    Keep notes of what happened on every sales call, whether you sold or not. Spend non-selling time, studying what worked and what didn't. Eventually, you'll see patterns in what works.

    Maybe my best advice is to only see people who have proven that they are buyers of what you sell (or at least the same category).

    In every market, most prospects are highly unlikely to buy from you...and a few are highly likely to buy from you.
    You need to concentrate on the people that are highly likely to buy...based on what they have done in the past.

    That may be the single most profitable realization I came to in 35 years of selling.

    My book on Sales prospecting covers all that.
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  • Profile picture of the author AlexTee
    If you want to read what the PROs read click here Selling Power | Success Strategies for Sales Management

    Read something on this site at least 15 minutes/day every day!

    They have been around since the 90s and now are online.
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  • Profile picture of the author eccj
    I would Google Harry Brown "How to sell anything" on top of getting Claude's book on prospecting.

    Brown's book is in the public domain I believe.
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    • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
      Originally Posted by eccj View Post

      I would Google Harry Brown "How to sell anything" on top of getting Claude's book on prospecting.

      Brown's book is in the public domain I believe.
      That's an amazing book that had insights I hadn't seen from a sales author before.


      To the OP;

      The good news about sales is that the methods are pretty evergreen. Human nature changes little, and appeals stay pretty much the same.

      But do you want to be the best rep in your company?

      Find out what the best rep is doing now. how did they build their business? Who did they prospect? Try to ride with a top rep for a few days, do him favors, carry his stuff....learn from the masters. See sales being made.

      That may be the biggest thing, you need to see lots of sales being made, right in front of you. See that buying is the expected result, that buying is natural...

      Even the top reps are doing a few things right..and lots of things wrong. Learn from a few different reps. I used to go along with a rep in other industries (always the best I could find) to see what they did....and they wanted to see what I did....and a few hours with a top rep...in a real selling environment, can cause you to leap to a higher sales plateau.

      But the essential to being the best rep....is a concentration on that fixed point...getting the sale. When I sell, it may look like I'm dancing around the subject...letting the prospect talk on and on....but I always have a laser focus on the end result, no matter what it looks like.

      "how can I further the sale?"
      "How is this to my advantage in getting a sale?"
      "how is this a reason for them to buy?"

      I gently steer the prospect to the obvious comfortable inevitable conclusion that they should buy from me. It may look gentle,even barely a touch, to the uninitiated. But it is never let up, never released.......like a gentle slope that barely moves you...but it's always pulling, in the direction I want.

      I've heard it called "Killer instinct", but that isn't quite right. It's isn't adversarial. Your motives are pure...help the customer....but in nearly 100% of the cases, the best way to help your customer is if they own what you are selling.

      In fact, the only way you are not wasting their time, is if they buy.

      But deep down in that brain stem of yours, you have to have the instinctual drive that makes you want that sale, as much as you want water when you are thirsty. The thirst never goes away, and it never leaves your mind.

      All top salespeople have this.

      When I sold life insurance (forever ago), I would see the production results for the office, with the office rankings. My first need was to be the best in the office. That wasn't hard, most there did as little as possible to survive...but then I saw the company production..the company rankings...and that made me work harder.

      In a year, I got to #3 (for the year)....not quite #1. But I was young and stupid then.
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  • Profile picture of the author Yvon Boulianne
    that`s about relations, once you have a good relation you have 99% of getting the sales.
    Empathie is very important
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  • Profile picture of the author socialentry
    Banned
    The first thing is selling and having a system to correct your faults. You can read all you want but only so much can be conveyed through words.

    Most importantly, if you don't do, you won't have any idea if what you are reading is at least plausible.
    It's like trying to learn how to swim without access to a body of water.
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  • Profile picture of the author SalesGod
    Not sure what books would be good. Most of them will tell you stuff that sounds good on paper but doesn't work in live sales situations. I personally leanered just from working with phone sales pros at organizations. Kenny cannon has some solid sales advice. We learned from the same group people in the same era and sell exact ally the same. I just don't make videos and he does.
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  • Profile picture of the author nguyennguyenhung
    that`s concerning relations, once you have got an honest relation you have got ninety nine of obtaining the sales.
    Empathie is extremely vital
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  • Profile picture of the author innn
    The most important features of the seller:
    1. The ability to speak easily, at ease, practically, with any person in any circumstances.
    2. Ability to tolerate failures.
    3. Ability to manage the emotional state of the interlocutor.
    4. Ability to talk the interlocutor and "deduce" him on personal topics.
    5. Ability to support conversations in an unknown or uninteresting topic for you.
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  • Profile picture of the author misterme
    I've read so many books over the years but use very little of what I've learned. And the reason is because it's either obvious hard pressure (which creates resistance and turns people off) or takes a mouthful to say (which signals you're trying to convince them) or they heard the same lines from the last three salespeople they saw so they know they're being boxed into a corner. Plus a lot of it will let you down, for example, when you realize getting them to say fifteen little yesses in a row still doesn't get them to give you the one big yes for the order.

    But the main reason why I disregard a lot of it is because I favor the kind of selling that actually is about helping and guiding the customer to sell themselves, because I believe that's the most powerful way to do it. It leverages the customer rather than you trying to convince or persuade. And you know, if they convince themselves they want something then it's going to be pretty hard to stop them from buying, am I right?
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    • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
      Originally Posted by misterme View Post

      for example, when you realize getting them to say fifteen little yesses in a row still doesn't get them to give you the one big yes for the order.
      That's an example of a sales myth that has been said in a book, maybe 50 years ago, and it sounds good, so it gets repeated...and eventually becomes gospel.
      It's right up there with "It takes five closing attempts to make a sale" and "You have to run an ad 5 (or 7) times before someone will buy from the ad"

      Wait...wait...."Every No brings you closer to a Yes".....
      or "Every No is just a request for more information"

      I've got a million of em....


      People who can't sell, teaching their inability to sell to others.

      PS I have to agree on SPIN Selling. It's right up there with Influence.
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  • Profile picture of the author quadagon
    Misterme, if you haven't you should check out SPIN selling by Neil Rackham.

    It should be right up your street.
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    • Profile picture of the author misterme
      Thank you. That's certainly a book I've read many times over. Good pick!
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      • Profile picture of the author PirateBarnabus
        Guys,
        Listen up. You need to read :
        "The Perfect Close"
        By James Muir.
        Instead of wasting time with all these old methods.
        I'm not saying that SPIN selling doesn't work, it's just that you could read the crux of this book in 15 minutes (as James says that you can) and put it into effect immediately.

        I did and it works.
        It's a 100% foolproof.
        No risk of losing the sale either.
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        • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
          Originally Posted by PirateBarnabus View Post

          I did and it works.
          It's a 100% foolproof.
          No risk of losing the sale either.
          It's a fine book, and a great 2 question close. But it doesn't always work. Nothing does.

          Use it 100 times and then get back to us.

          Added a tad later...
          The close will work..if the prospect is already ready to buy....it doesn't make people want to buy.

          The problem with just about any close you read about...is that it irritates some of the people you sell with it. Sometimes the buyer feels threatened..pressured by the close...sometimes the close will start an argument...it will create objections. In other words, most closes actually hurt the sale..they keep people from buying.

          And the two questions in the book don't do any of that. They are non-threatening, conversational questions that don't bring up the customer's guard.. And that's why they are good.

          Thy aren't magic. And not everyone will buy after they hear these questions. There is no magic close. The sale is made before you ever get to the close. The closing questions just let you know what that decision is.
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        • Profile picture of the author misterme
          It's the close, not the selling process, so for those two questions to lead to the desired conclusion, the prospect has to be sufficiently sold where he doesn't just say no thanks and walks... and so all that sales happens with everything else leading up to that point in time.
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          • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
            Originally Posted by misterme View Post

            It's the close, not the selling process, so for those two questions to lead to the desired conclusion, the prospect has to be sufficiently sold where he doesn't just say no thanks and walks... and so all that sales happens with everything else leading up to that point in time.

            Misterme; Yes. In fact, that should be understood by everyone. The book gives some information about the entire presentation process...but the two questions in The Perfect Close are simply great questions to ask at the end of a presentation. If the people are already sold, almost any closing question will work. If they have decided not to buy...no closing question will work.

            The book just outlines a seamless way to ask for the order, without triggering an objection.

            For some reason, newbie salespeople think that there is a magic close that will make up for a terrible presentation...given to a prospect with no interest in the offer. And there is no such beast.
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  • Profile picture of the author quadagon
    I wonder what Claude thinks of the book
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  • Profile picture of the author Rosca
    You seem to have a good brain of a salesman, but you're going to need more than that if you actually want to make a killing off of it. Get out there and talk to your clients and get ready to face rejection.

    Remember that at the end of the day, reading books on sales isn't going to help you unless you actually go out of your way to talk to people and convert them into sales.

    Speak to maybe four new leads a week and you'll see an improvement on how you sell t them.
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  • Profile picture of the author GTC1187
    I was in a similar situation...I had some sales experience and had done a lot of reading but had never been successful in a full time sales

    This January I got a full time sales job with base salary, benefits, and commission. I beat all of the other new hires and made some good commissions too. I can assure you that without getting a full time job in sales with a good sales manager to nurture and push you, you will never truly "get" it. Big shout out to Claude btw, his books are excellent.
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  • Profile picture of the author Pooosia
    You have to born as a salesman
    I heard this many times, no matter how good I was at it.

    So , I can just wish you good luck
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    • Profile picture of the author Ron Lafuddy
      Originally Posted by Pooosia View Post

      You have to born as a salesman
      Would that information be on the birth certificate?
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  • Profile picture of the author Elizabethlim
    Hi, a star salesman is someone who knows how to sell a product or services to sincerely help a customer to solve problem instead of selling for the sake of getting commission without care. If you really provide solution then there will be more recurring sales through words of mouth and trust built.
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  • Profile picture of the author cearion
    Banned
    Listen to Les Brown, you will learn a thing or two. He was also a salesman before he became a motivational speaker.
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  • Profile picture of the author helisell
    I've been a star salesman almost all of my adult working life.

    In all those years it never occurred to me to ask anyone how
    to become a star salesman.

    Just read a lot and work hard to become a 'salesman' and
    see this as a worthwhile pursuit.

    If you have some talent for it and you work hard.....who knows
    you may one day be a star...but to be honest....who gives a toss?

    If you get good and you make a great living, who's to judge whether you're a 'star' or not?
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    • Profile picture of the author Ron Lafuddy
      Someone else's idea of a "star salesman" is probably totally different from yours.

      One guy I worked with always had a large amount of sales. He was always in the top 3 in the office. But, he also had the most customer complaints, as well.

      He offered no customer service or support. His follow up, after the sale, was non existent. He did one thing well, contacting and selling to new prospects.

      Everything else, including his paperwork, was a disaster.

      From a distance, he looked like a star. Up close, not so much.
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      • Profile picture of the author helisell
        Originally Posted by Ron Lafuddy View Post

        Someone else's idea of a "star salesman" is probably totally different from yours.

        One guy I worked with always had a large amount of sales. He was always in the top 3 in the office. But, he also had the most customer complaints, as well.

        He offered no customer service or support. His follow up, after the sale, was non existent. He did one thing well, contacting and selling to new prospects.

        Everything else, including his paperwork, was a disaster.

        From a distance, he looked like a star. Up close, not so much.
        No, I think anyone else's true definition will be the same as mine.

        High conversion, high activity, high retention, low cancel rates, lots of repeats, well liked by customers, helpful to peers, responsive to management.

        Anything less than that is not in the 'Star' category as far as I'm concerned.
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        • Profile picture of the author Ron Lafuddy
          Originally Posted by helisell View Post

          No, I think anyone else's true definition will be the same as mine.

          High conversion, high activity, high retention, low cancel rates, lots of repeats, well liked by customers, helpful to peers, responsive to management.

          Anything less than that is not in the 'Star' category as far as I'm concerned.
          Right! As far as YOU are concerned.

          But, as you can see from the posts in this thread, your concerns are not everybody else's. They have their own thoughts about what constitutes a "star salesman".

          And, as I pointed out, even a guy who is on the "top dog" list of producers in a sales organization, can really be a lot less of a star, when examined closely.

          So, whatever description you come up with for a "star", there will always be others who have something different in mind.

          Ron
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  • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
    I can only describe a "Star salesman" from my experience hiring and training salespeople.

    They expect to sell. They expect people to buy. That's one of the biggest differences.

    And I've had (out of hundreds) only two people I would call "Star salespeople". Both of them were really bright, and they studied how to sell.

    Most...almost all...salespeople learn enough to get by, and they think the learning process is over. Most never read a book on selling. Most never talk to the top salespeople in other companies, to learn what they do.

    But even a person who has no natural talent....no social skills, with consistent effort and continuous learning...can be a top salesperson in just a few years...and an industry legend in ten years. I speak from experience.

    Originally Posted by Ron Lafuddy View Post

    Right! As far as YOU are concerned.

    But, as you can see from the posts in this thread, your concerns are not everybody else's. They have their own thoughts about what constitutes a "star salesman".
    I don't think Helisel said anything that was different from what you said.

    Even a top producer can destroy their own production with poor customer service and poor follow up. Eventually you can't create new business as fast as you have to put out fires.

    But a Star salesperson? That person is in a class by themselves. Usually the company's top person isn't just 1% better than #2, they are miles ahead of #2. And selling isn't just getting orders, it's building a business. And that means taking care of your customers.

    The guys that close close close, but never take care of their customers? They burn out fast. And they never build a lasting business.
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    • Profile picture of the author Ron Lafuddy
      Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

      I can only describe a "Star salesman" from my experience hiring and training salespeople.

      They expect to sell. They expect people to buy. That's one of the biggest differences.

      And I've had (out of hundreds) only two people I would call "Star salespeople". Both of them were really bright, and they studied how to sell.

      Most...almost all...salespeople learn enough to get by, and they think the learning process is over. Most never read a book on selling. Most never talk to the top salespeople in other companies, to learn what they do.

      But even a person who has no natural talent....no social skills, with consistent effort and continuous learning...can be a top salesperson in just a few years...and an industry legend in ten years. I speak from experience.



      I don't think Helisel said anything that was different from what you said.

      Even a top producer can destroy their own production with poor customer service and poor follow up. Eventually you can't create new business as fast as you have to put out fires.

      But a Star salesperson? That person is in a class by themselves. Usually the company's top person isn't just 1% better than #2, they are miles ahead of #2. And selling isn't just getting orders, it's building a business. And that means taking care of your customers.

      The guys that close close close, but never take care of their customers? They burn out fast. And they never build a lasting business.
      Yeah, I speak from experience, too. A lot of experience. And in some organizations, the sales quota is what matters. Period. "Building a business" to them is simply going out there and killing fresh meat. Every day.

      In that kind of environment, my example of the slob star salesperson is often put on a pedestal and held in high regard, unless and until he/she brings down too much heat, for example, a potential lawsuit. Then, and only then, are they prompted to leave quietly...no hard feelings.

      And my point wasn't about "burning out fast" or "building lasting businesses". It was about the differences in perception, regarding a star salesman. Something that is obvious, just from reading the posts in this thread.
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  • Profile picture of the author hometutor
    Saw a lecture from the CEO of Success Magazine

    When I was selling real estate he made NO a positive. He couldn't go home till he had a certain number of No's. So he went to all the places other real estate people wouldn't go to get his No's. He sold more real estate than anyone in the company that year.

    Rick
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    • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
      Originally Posted by hometutor View Post

      Saw a lecture from the CEO of Success Magazine

      When I was selling real estate he made NO a positive. He couldn't go home till he had a certain number of No's. So he went to all the places other real estate people wouldn't go to get his No's. He sold more real estate than anyone in the company that year.

      Rick
      That's a great story that appeals to many.

      "Going for the No'" is great when speaking about selling.

      But when you go home at night to your wife (or husband) without a sales, saying "I'm one step closer to a Yes" somehow falls flat.

      The truth is, every "No" doesn't take you closer to a "Yes" it takes you closer to your next "No". Why? Because you are either talking to the wrong people, or you are saying things that generate a "No" from the prospect.

      The only truth I get out of the story is that a "No" shouldn't bother you. In other words, it shouldn't affect your confidence.

      But getting a "No" should never be expected...never be comfortable. If you get used to people saying "No" to you, you'll cultivate the "No"s. You'll actually condition people to say "No".

      I've seen it happen dozens of times. It's really hard to snap a salesperson out of that.

      Maybe the single most important thing I ever learned in selling, and training my salespeople, is to expect the people to buy. Buying is natural. Buying is expected. It's never the exception. You can never think of it that way, or you'll behave like a person that people expect to buy from.

      And if you want to think of it from the prospect's point of view, every time you talk to a prospect...and they don't buy from you...you have wasted their time.



      Imagine a heart surgeon that had the attitude "I count the number of patients that die. Every death takes me closer to a successful surgery". Would you want him/her working on you?

      No. You would want that surgeon to do all they can to make every surgery a successful one. And salespeople should work to make every presentation a successful one as well.

      A fellow salesperson once said to me "Claude, you know the difference between you and me? I'll do ten presentations in a week...sell two...and be happy with the two. You'll do five presentations in a week, sell four, and then agonize about why you missed the fourth one".

      She was right. Getting a "No" ruined my day. Why? Because I knew it could have been avoided...I knew it was my fault...and I wasted my time. So I studied sales, practiced what I said...studied customer's reactions...until I get very few "No"s. Because "No" is nature's way of telling you that you screwed up.
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    • Profile picture of the author Ron Lafuddy
      Originally Posted by hometutor View Post

      Saw a lecture from the CEO of Success Magazine

      When I was selling real estate he made NO a positive. He couldn't go home till he had a certain number of No's. So he went to all the places other real estate people wouldn't go to get his No's. He sold more real estate than anyone in the company that year.

      Rick
      I heard Darren's talk some time ago. And of course he is correct, you are going to hear a lot of "no's" when cold calling for real estate listings....because....

      most people are not looking to sell their house today.

      But Darren found that if he asked enough times, every day, he would eventually find someone who would say "yes". That consistency took him to number one in his office. Simply put, he out-worked and out-hustled the other agents.
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      • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
        Originally Posted by Ron Lafuddy View Post

        I heard Darren's talk some time ago. And of course he is correct, you are going to hear a lot of "no's" when cold calling for real estate listings....because....

        most people are not looking to sell their house today.

        But Darren found that if he asked enough times, every day, he would eventually find someone who would say "yes". That consistency took him to number one in his office. Simply put, he out-worked and out-hustled the other agents.
        I should clarify what I said earlier.

        Real estate cold calling is a tad different from most sales. You don't know who is ready to list their house. You don't know who just got a promotion, or is ready to move. It's one of those types of sales where you just call until you find someone in the situation where they are a prospect.

        There are ways to get names of people ready to buy (or sell) a home; referrals from past clients, advertising, and direct mail being three ways.

        I don't really consider these people who are not in the market "No's. I think of a "No" as someone that could buy, but doesn't. So.....maybe I spoke out of turn.

        When I used to cold knock on doors to sell vacuums, I was just looking for that nice guy at the end of the day. Sometimes he was at the first door I knocked on, sometimes the tenth door. But he was always there, waiting to be found.

        It was extremely rare that I didn't find him within the hour. I never counted the "I'm not interested"s.

        I considered a "No" to be someone I actually presented to, that rejected the offer.
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    • Profile picture of the author Ron Lafuddy
      Originally Posted by hometutor View Post

      Saw a lecture from the CEO of Success Magazine

      When I was selling real estate he made NO a positive. He couldn't go home till he had a certain number of No's. So he went to all the places other real estate people wouldn't go to get his No's. He sold more real estate than anyone in the company that year.

      Rick
      Another thing that comes to mind about Darren Hardy is, he was just 20 years old when he figured out his real estate listing system. Yes, he could have added a hundred other things to his prospecting and been even more successful. We all know that.

      But, he did the one thing that made all the difference. He took action on his idea. More powerful than any book he might have read or seminar he might have taken. It changed his life.

      I'm glad he came up in the discussion.

      Ron
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  • Profile picture of the author jlwilliams
    I'm not a "star salesman" so take that into account, but I have been questing for the same Holy Grail of salesmanship too. Here is what I'm finding.

    There is no magic button or switch that will turn you into a rainmaker but there is a replicable process. Even that isn't truly one size fits all but it's workable. In short, you dedicate yourself to the path and you follow it.

    Which books do you read? Any and every one that someone you respect recommends. The important thing is that you keep reading and that you focus your reading on personal growth. Grow your knowledge of sales, of psychology, general knowledge, anything but the news. Turn that crap off. You have only so much brain space, so don't fill it with negativity that you can't make better. Can you fix Washington DC? Can you fix the Middle East? No. You can fix your mindset, you can fix your life, you CAN NOT fix other people.

    Work on your physical self. Exercise and eat right and get plenty of good sleep because being physically healthy will help you keep your mind right and it will help you keep working. Pay attention to how you present yourself. How you dress, how you groom yourself. Do you look like a guy you would trust? Do you look like an adult or are you clinging to a teen age version of yourself? If you need a hair cut and some clothes that fit then get on those details. Being a slob is a flaw. It's a flaw that is easily addressed.

    Make a plan, work the plan. Re evaluate your plan regularly. Adjust the plan as needed. Repeat and repeat and repeat.

    The best sales professionals I know have all changed over time. (This is true of the highest performers I have known in many fields.) They continue to learn and to grow. One of my favorite quotes (attributed to Mohammed Ali, but I may be mistaken) is "A man who sees things the same at 50 as he did at 20 just got done wasting thirty years." Just keep filling your head with the good stuff and trust in the process.

    "Free your mind and your a** will follow"
    -Funkadelic
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    • Profile picture of the author Ron Lafuddy
      Originally Posted by jlwilliams View Post

      I'm not a "star salesman" so take that into account, but I have been questing for the same Holy Grail of salesmanship too. Here is what I'm finding.

      There is no magic button or switch that will turn you into a rainmaker but there is a replicable process. Even that isn't truly one size fits all but it's workable. In short, you dedicate yourself to the path and you follow it.

      Which books do you read? Any and every one that someone you respect recommends. The important thing is that you keep reading and that you focus your reading on personal growth. Grow your knowledge of sales, of psychology, general knowledge, anything but the news. Turn that crap off. You have only so much brain space, so don't fill it with negativity that you can't make better. Can you fix Washington DC? Can you fix the Middle East? No. You can fix your mindset, you can fix your life, you CAN NOT fix other people.

      Work on your physical self. Exercise and eat right and get plenty of good sleep because being physically healthy will help you keep your mind right and it will help you keep working. Pay attention to how you present yourself. How you dress, how you groom yourself. Do you look like a guy you would trust? Do you look like an adult or are you clinging to a teen age version of yourself? If you need a hair cut and some clothes that fit then get on those details. Being a slob is a flaw. It's a flaw that is easily addressed.

      Make a plan, work the plan. Re evaluate your plan regularly. Adjust the plan as needed. Repeat and repeat and repeat.

      The best sales professionals I know have all changed over time. (This is true of the highest performers I have known in many fields.) They continue to learn and to grow. One of my favorite quotes (attributed to Mohammed Ali, but I may be mistaken) is "A man who sees things the same at 50 as he did at 20 just got done wasting thirty years." Just keep filling your head with the good stuff and trust in the process.

      "Free your mind and your a** will follow"
      -Funkadelic
      All of that is nice, but the most important thing is to take action.

      The real lesson from this thread is there is always more than one way to do things. And any of those ways can get you where YOU want to go, but, you have to take consistent action.

      Best of Luck,
      Ron
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  • Profile picture of the author max5ty
    You don't need to read books or attend webinars or study the stars or meditate...

    ...just find something to sell...even if you have to go to Odd Lots or even a junk store and buy a bunch of crap and then go door to door selling it.

    You'll learn more by doing this then you'll ever learn by reading books.

    Maybe after you've got your feet wet in sales and you're figuring out what works for you and what doesn't, you can start reading a couple books for motivation.

    I've been a top salesman and I've hired top salespeople. I've found that most who read and read end up just as shy and unable to sell as someone who hasn't read a lick about selling.

    Quit procrastinating and quit looking for a magic potion that turns you into a super salesman or one that gets rid of your heebie jeebies and get out there today and start selling something. Yes, I said today. You'll probably fall flat on your inexperienced face, but you'll truly begin to understand how to sell.
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    • Profile picture of the author hometutor
      Originally Posted by max5ty View Post

      You don't need to read books or attend webinars or study the stars or meditate...

      ...just find something to sell...even if you have to go to Odd Lots or even a junk store and buy a bunch of crap and then go door to door selling it..
      Sorry, take action yes, but don't study THE MOST important aspect of your business? That is completely wrong unless I misinterpreted what you are stating.

      Rick
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      • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
        Originally Posted by hometutor View Post

        Sorry, take action yes, but don't study THE MOST important aspect of your business? That is completely wrong unless I misinterpreted what you are stating.

        Rick
        I can't speak for MAX, but I think that selling is more important than reading great sales books. You go on calls and sell first, then read about it. You have to be able to connect what you get out of books to something, and real sales experience is that something.

        I've read about 1,000 books on some aspect of selling, but without real experience actually making sales calls, what you would get out of these books is worthless. But if you are reading..studying while also selling, these principles and techniques really start to mean something, because you can test them in the field.

        Depending on your field of sales, there may only be a book or two that will dramatically shorten your learning curve.

        And I hate to say this, but out of the thousand books on selling I've read? Maybe 25 were really teaching me something and maybe 10 were required reading. Even the selling books that are out of your field will teach you one or two ideas...but if you are selling when you learn these ideas, that can translate to real money. But you have to be currently selling to get any benefit.

        It's like reading books on exercise. You can learn from books, but without actually sweating and putting effort into it..it's meaningless.

        Added a tad later; Marketing is different. Learning marketing just from marketing will bankrupt you. Nearly everything I learned about marketing came from the classic books on marketing and advertising. That, and serious study of ads...and testing hundreds of ads until they started to pay.

        Seriously, it took a couple of years of serious study and testing before I started consistently making money with my marketing. But selling? You can start making money now, because there is no investment in ads and offers that went nowhere.
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  • Profile picture of the author Sean Lathsm
    Sales champions is supposed to offer real high quality training. The mentor coach writes telesales books for wiley.
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  • Profile picture of the author tryinhere
    Originally Posted by CFamm View Post

    I have excuses but what does that matter?
    you will find most top salespeople do not make them.

    If you were to start over what would you do to get yourself back to your level of selling ability today?
    you do not get yourself back to your level of selling ability, you learn to ride a bike, you always ride a bike, if anything you may need to learn about a a new product your selling / the type of customer but the mechanics stay the same.

    what jobs would you take
    the ones where the product and or service are in high demand and has a high return for effort.

    what would you listen to, watch, and what would you do each and every day in order to build your skills as quickly and as completely as possible.
    I would listen to the top 1 or 2 sales people currently operating, I would watch the top 1 or 2 sales people and what I would be doing everyday is learning to replicate what they do and understand why they are doing it that way.

    Which materials offer the most bang for your buck?
    real life hands on learning.

    And most importantly, what habits need to be formed to build powerful selling abilities?
    and mindset that you are one of the best.

    What advice can you give to me and everybody else who comes to this thread on the best ways to build yourself into a star salesman?
    re read this and all other posts made by some very good sales people here again until you drop your penny.

    Edit: Just want to add most people have a different definition of a "Star Salesman" and many people profess to be one, for me a star salesperson is the one with the most money in their pocket at weeks end as a result of their work, not the total number of sales.
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    | > Choosing to go off the grid for a while to focus on family, work and life in general. Have a great 2020 < |
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    • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
      Originally Posted by tryinhere View Post

      real life hands on learning.
      The added advantage of this kind of learning is that it really sticks in your brain. The pain and frustration of screwing up cements the lesson in your mind.
      And.....

      Maybe the biggest advantage of learning how to sell by actually selling...is that you may find out you hate selling. Wouldn't you want to find that out as soon as possible?
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  • Profile picture of the author Sean Lathsm
    Watching sales stars spiels on YouTube Is a good idea. Something I'm thinking of posting a thread on myself.
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