[FREE Training] "How To Start Selling"

22 replies
Did you know that the vast majority of people who sell—even those with years and years of experience—“fly by the seat of their pants” when it comes to selling?

“I know what I’m doing…I can handle it.”

Oh yeah? What happens when they:

Q: Try to make prospecting calls?
A: They have the wrong expectations, beat themselves up and quit. They expect that because they are putting in the effort, the prospect should too. But prospects don’t answer and talk to us as we want them to. So you get frustrated, believe you’re doing one or one hundred things wrong, and quit.

Q: Want to get a decision maker on the line?
A: Many, many so-called experienced salespeople don’t know how to accomplish this straightforward-sounding task. They don’t sound and behave like their target, so they don’t get connected.

Q: Start a conversation with a prospect?
A: They believe that features and benefits sell, so they immediately begin bombarding the prospect with their product knowledge. Without even qualifying to discover whether this person even has a need for this product or service, they jump into a 10-minute oratory about its bells and whistles—not leaving a moment’s gap for the bewildered prospect to say a word. Most sales calls begin this way, and prospects are on to it. They’re terrified of it…that they’re going to get stuck on this call with no end in sight, listening to some salesperson talk on and on about a topic they have no interest in. And so they shut your call down immediately. “I’m not interested,” before they hear why you’re calling. Most calls begin so badly, this way, that there IS no rest of the call. And that’s why it takes you 400 or 500 dials to make a sale.

Q: Get someone who’s actually interested and listening?
A: Again without pause, they never take the time to find out exactly what about their awful “pitch” resonated: the feature or benefit that could fix the symptom or problem the prospect is aware of. Instead, they puff out their chests, confident that their product expert role is paying off, and expound further on features and benefits. The prospect’s eyes glaze over as they lose interest and end the call.


At every major step here is the opportunity for the conversation to come to an abrupt end. There is no sales process, just a constant barrage of features and benefits if the salesperson can accidentally get a decision maker on the line. The salesperson is thinking 100% from their own selfish point of view (“How can I make a sale and get money”) and 0% from an understanding point of view (“Does this person need my product or service? Does it make sense for them to afford it? Can I work with them on a personal basis?“) Crash and burn.

“Selling by phone or in person doesn’t work,” these unfortunate people end up exclaiming, sooner or later.

Oh.

Sales, you know, is a very strange field. It’s one you can get into with absolutely zero training. Can you imagine an accountant being sent out there to work without any training? An engineer? A doctor? And what would you think their results would be?

Why is this okay in our world? If we sent an engineer with no training out to build a bridge, what would our expectations of the bridge be? That it would fall down, right?

No difference with selling.

We need a consistent sales process if we are going to be successful with selling. We need to know where we are, and what to do next—before the prospect knows. Otherwise, they’re in change, not us. And they know more about traditional selling than we do. I took courses as a buyer in my operations management program designed to unravel traditional selling. A different approach is required.

A consistent sales process leads you through the steps:
  • You understand the correct expectations for the activity you’re about to do, so you don’t beat yourself up and can persist
  • You know how to get decision makers on the line
  • You know how to start a conversation so that there IS a rest of the call
  • You know how to uncover symptoms or problems the prospect may be experiencing that you can solve.

Now THAT will lead you a long way towards the sale—and much, much farther than flying by the seat of your pants with traditional features-and-benefits selling.

Funny thing. I’ve already shared for FREE how to do all these things:

http://www.warriorforum.com/offline-...beginners.html
(Expectations)

http://www.warriorforum.com/offline-...ml#post5922488
(Post #5 – The Little Unsure Technique)

http://www.warriorforum.com/offline-...ml#post5922258
(Post #1 – How To Start Your Calls)

Basic Sales Script
(Look for how I Monetize the Problem in that post—it’s a great qualifying tool for both you and the prospect, and leads easily to how much you should charge)

And most of all, the PLAN:
http://www.warriorforum.com/offline-...need-make.html

USE this stuff. It's the core of a consistent sales process. Your money is out there, waiting for you to claim it. You don’t need to create it, pull it away from someone or get them to give it to you. It’s yours, and it already exists.

Are you going to be lazy, or are you going to invest the hour to pick up this valuable plan I've laid out for you?
#free #training
  • Profile picture of the author digichik
    Fabulous FREE information, and now it's all in one place so they don't have to search for it. No More Excuses.
    Signature



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  • Profile picture of the author SashaLee
    Hi there,

    Great collection of action items! Thank you

    Sasha
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  • Profile picture of the author JonBird
    Thanks Jason... I just came across this and I appreciate all the links in one place.. great informaiton too.
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  • Profile picture of the author D37
    Thanks so much Jason! Your material is really great.
    Signature

    Thank you to everyone on WF for all the great information, help, support, and kindness you have all shared!

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  • Profile picture of the author samrand
    You know there's an old thread on another section of the forum where people talk
    about how to make money as quickly as possible if you're in a rut. That thread
    has got to be over 100 pages by now. There's all kinds of theory and some creative
    stuff people came up with on what they would do if rent was in five days or whatever.

    I thank god for the offline section off the Warrior Forum because I use to just browse
    wsos all day. This thread by Jason isn't theory stuff. This really is something anybody
    can do (for the most part) for free and drum up some business in a few days or less.

    The fact that Jason is putting out this free info to avoid possibly a huge learning curve
    for beginners is really generous. Some people might scoff at that but it's true.

    I thought cold calling was where the really good people were something out of the
    movie "boiler room". Jason's techniques seem to be a lot more plausible in the real
    world and it really does take a lot of pressure off of the cold caller when you have the correct
    expectations and take the numbers for what they are.

    Thank you Jason for the contribution.

    Sam
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  • Profile picture of the author Scott Stevens
    Originally Posted by Jason Kanigan View Post

    Did you know that the vast majority of people who sell--even those with years and years of experience--"fly by the seat of their pants" when it comes to selling?

    "I know what I'm doing...I can handle it."

    Oh yeah? What happens when they:

    Q: Try to make prospecting calls?
    A: They have the wrong expectations, beat themselves up and quit. They expect that because they are putting in the effort, the prospect should too. But prospects don't answer and talk to us as we want them to. So you get frustrated, believe you're doing one or one hundred things wrong, and quit.

    Q: Want to get a decision maker on the line?
    A: Many, many so-called experienced salespeople don't know how to accomplish this straightforward-sounding task. They don't sound and behave like their target, so they don't get connected.

    Q: Start a conversation with a prospect?
    A: They believe that features and benefits sell, so they immediately begin bombarding the prospect with their product knowledge. Without even qualifying to discover whether this person even has a need for this product or service, they jump into a 10-minute oratory about its bells and whistles--not leaving a moment's gap for the bewildered prospect to say a word. Most sales calls begin this way, and prospects are on to it. They're terrified of it...that they're going to get stuck on this call with no end in sight, listening to some salesperson talk on and on about a topic they have no interest in. And so they shut your call down immediately. "I'm not interested," before they hear why you're calling. Most calls begin so badly, this way, that there IS no rest of the call. And that's why it takes you 400 or 500 dials to make a sale.

    Q: Get someone who's actually interested and listening?
    A: Again without pause, they never take the time to find out exactly what about their awful "pitch" resonated: the feature or benefit that could fix the symptom or problem the prospect is aware of. Instead, they puff out their chests, confident that their product expert role is paying off, and expound further on features and benefits. The prospect's eyes glaze over as they lose interest and end the call.


    At every major step here is the opportunity for the conversation to come to an abrupt end. There is no sales process, just a constant barrage of features and benefits if the salesperson can accidentally get a decision maker on the line. The salesperson is thinking 100% from their own selfish point of view ("How can I make a sale and get money") and 0% from an understanding point of view ("Does this person need my product or service? Does it make sense for them to afford it? Can I work with them on a personal basis?") Crash and burn.

    "Selling by phone or in person doesn't work," these unfortunate people end up exclaiming, sooner or later.

    Oh.

    Sales, you know, is a very strange field. It's one you can get into with absolutely zero training. Can you imagine an accountant being sent out there to work without any training? An engineer? A doctor? And what would you think their results would be?

    Why is this okay in our world? If we sent an engineer with no training out to build a bridge, what would our expectations of the bridge be? That it would fall down, right?

    No difference with selling.

    We need a consistent sales process if we are going to be successful with selling. We need to know where we are, and what to do next--before the prospect knows. Otherwise, they're in change, not us. And they know more about traditional selling than we do. I took courses as a buyer in my operations management program designed to unravel traditional selling. A different approach is required.

    A consistent sales process leads you through the steps:
    • You understand the correct expectations for the activity you're about to do, so you don't beat yourself up and can persist
    • You know how to get decision makers on the line
    • You know how to start a conversation so that there IS a rest of the call
    • You know how to uncover symptoms or problems the prospect may be experiencing that you can solve.

    Now THAT will lead you a long way towards the sale--and much, much farther than flying by the seat of your pants with traditional features-and-benefits selling.

    Funny thing. I've already shared for FREE how to do all these things:

    http://www.warriorforum.com/offline-...beginners.html
    (Expectations)

    http://www.warriorforum.com/offline-...ml#post5922488
    (Post #5 - The Little Unsure Technique)

    http://www.warriorforum.com/offline-...ml#post5922258
    (Post #1 - How To Start Your Calls)

    The Telemarketing Forum*.:.*What Should I Really Expect? Selling Websites over the Phone. I need a closer.
    (Look for how I Monetize the Problem in that post--it's a great qualifying tool for both you and the prospect, and leads easily to how much you should charge)

    And most of all, the PLAN:
    http://www.warriorforum.com/offline-...need-make.html

    USE this stuff. It's the core of a consistent sales process. Your money is out there, waiting for you to claim it. You don't need to create it, pull it away from someone or get them to give it to you. It's yours, and it already exists.

    Are you going to be lazy, or are you going to invest the hour to pick up this valuable plan I've laid out for you?
    Thanks, as usual, Jason.
    Signature

    Yours in prosperity,
    Skochy - The Musical Salesman

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  • Profile picture of the author daniyal100
    Originally Posted by Jason Kanigan View Post

    Did you know that the vast majority of people who sell—even those with years and years of experience—“fly by the seat of their pants” when it comes to selling?

    “I know what I’m doing…I can handle it.”

    Oh yeah? What happens when they:

    Q: Try to make prospecting calls?
    A: They have the wrong expectations, beat themselves up and quit. They expect that because they are putting in the effort, the prospect should too. But prospects don’t answer and talk to us as we want them to. So you get frustrated, believe you’re doing one or one hundred things wrong, and quit.

    Q: Want to get a decision maker on the line?
    A: Many, many so-called experienced salespeople don’t know how to accomplish this straightforward-sounding task. They don’t sound and behave like their target, so they don’t get connected.

    Q: Start a conversation with a prospect?
    A: They believe that features and benefits sell, so they immediately begin bombarding the prospect with their product knowledge. Without even qualifying to discover whether this person even has a need for this product or service, they jump into a 10-minute oratory about its bells and whistles—not leaving a moment’s gap for the bewildered prospect to say a word. Most sales calls begin this way, and prospects are on to it. They’re terrified of it…that they’re going to get stuck on this call with no end in sight, listening to some salesperson talk on and on about a topic they have no interest in. And so they shut your call down immediately. “I’m not interested,” before they hear why you’re calling. Most calls begin so badly, this way, that there IS no rest of the call. And that’s why it takes you 400 or 500 dials to make a sale.

    Q: Get someone who’s actually interested and listening?
    A: Again without pause, they never take the time to find out exactly what about their awful “pitch” resonated: the feature or benefit that could fix the symptom or problem the prospect is aware of. Instead, they puff out their chests, confident that their product expert role is paying off, and expound further on features and benefits. The prospect’s eyes glaze over as they lose interest and end the call.


    At every major step here is the opportunity for the conversation to come to an abrupt end. There is no sales process, just a constant barrage of features and benefits if the salesperson can accidentally get a decision maker on the line. The salesperson is thinking 100% from their own selfish point of view (“How can I make a sale and get money”) and 0% from an understanding point of view (“Does this person need my product or service? Does it make sense for them to afford it? Can I work with them on a personal basis?“) Crash and burn.

    “Selling by phone or in person doesn’t work,” these unfortunate people end up exclaiming, sooner or later.

    Oh.

    Sales, you know, is a very strange field. It’s one you can get into with absolutely zero training. Can you imagine an accountant being sent out there to work without any training? An engineer? A doctor? And what would you think their results would be?

    Why is this okay in our world? If we sent an engineer with no training out to build a bridge, what would our expectations of the bridge be? That it would fall down, right?

    No difference with selling.

    We need a consistent sales process if we are going to be successful with selling. We need to know where we are, and what to do next—before the prospect knows. Otherwise, they’re in change, not us. And they know more about traditional selling than we do. I took courses as a buyer in my operations management program designed to unravel traditional selling. A different approach is required.

    A consistent sales process leads you through the steps:
    • You understand the correct expectations for the activity you’re about to do, so you don’t beat yourself up and can persist
    • You know how to get decision makers on the line
    • You know how to start a conversation so that there IS a rest of the call
    • You know how to uncover symptoms or problems the prospect may be experiencing that you can solve.

    Now THAT will lead you a long way towards the sale—and much, much farther than flying by the seat of your pants with traditional features-and-benefits selling.

    Funny thing. I’ve already shared for FREE how to do all these things:

    http://www.warriorforum.com/offline-...beginners.html
    (Expectations)

    http://www.warriorforum.com/offline-...ml#post5922488
    (Post #5 – The Little Unsure Technique)

    http://www.warriorforum.com/offline-...ml#post5922258
    (Post #1 – How To Start Your Calls)

    The Telemarketing Forum*.:.*What Should I Really Expect? Selling Websites over the Phone. I need a closer.
    (Look for how I Monetize the Problem in that post—it’s a great qualifying tool for both you and the prospect, and leads easily to how much you should charge)

    And most of all, the PLAN:
    http://www.warriorforum.com/offline-...need-make.html

    USE this stuff. It's the core of a consistent sales process. Your money is out there, waiting for you to claim it. You don’t need to create it, pull it away from someone or get them to give it to you. It’s yours, and it already exists.

    Are you going to be lazy, or are you going to invest the hour to pick up this valuable plan I've laid out for you?

    Valuable information Jason, I am new here but I've been reading your posts since almost 6 months.
    There are really very few people who actually here to help and Jason is one of them.
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  • Profile picture of the author D37
    Great info thanks so much

    How do you make sure you aren't calling back the same phone number after someone said they aren't interested? Do you use a tool to compare the numbers you're about to call to the ones you already called to see if there are duplicates?
    Signature

    Thank you to everyone on WF for all the great information, help, support, and kindness you have all shared!

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    • Profile picture of the author Jason Kanigan
      Originally Posted by D37 View Post

      Great info thanks so much

      How do you make sure you aren't calling back the same phone number after someone said they aren't interested? Do you use a tool to compare the numbers you're about to call to the ones you already called to see if there are duplicates?
      This is one of the most basic tools in prospecting work. You need some kind of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system. It could be a complicated piece of software, like ACT! or Microsoft CRM or many others. Or it could be as simple as what I use, which is a conditional-formatted Excel spreadsheet. Use what you'll actually use! Many find the software programs too complicated and requiring unnecessary levels of detail in the records.

      With the spreadsheet, you can conditional format to tell you about duplicate numbers, when to call someone back, etc. I use as few columns as possible, and put all my notes in one cell (with the alt-Enter command for a new date/line).
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    • Profile picture of the author Brian Arthur
      Originally Posted by D37 View Post

      Great info thanks so much

      How do you make sure you aren't calling back the same phone number after someone said they aren't interested? Do you use a tool to compare the numbers you're about to call to the ones you already called to see if there are duplicates?
      I have used Microsoft's CRM to track calls BUT Personally I found it better suited me to create a simple spreadsheet where I could keep track of the calls and add any info I felt was pertinent to me getting the sale.

      CRM just seemed to want store info all over the place, this I felt was just too complicated with different pages for certain things while trying to talk to someone - when it's better to be all on the one sheet in front of you.

      I'm a firm believer in K.I.S.S ( Keep It Stupidly Simple) just check you can have what you need and don't over complicate things.

      But everyone to their own. First thing I would say is make sure you can record all the info you will need.
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  • Profile picture of the author ElijahsChronicles
    UPDATE: So,I coldcalled two offline businesses who have websites but needed leads and used the tips Jason shared(both the unsure technique and bad time to talk technique) which really works!

    Am not sure if this was the next step I ought to take but I went ahead and shared a technique with them. Told them to put in and opt in form on their website to capture the name and emails of visitors. I didn't say more than that. They were interested to meet me and discuss next year!

    I'd be taking my questionnaire along to properly qualify the business owners. From the tone of their voices, they seem interested to know more about the lead generation(social media and SEO) though am feeling they are tire kickers and cheapskates.

    One will like to meet me over skype. How do I ensure I don't share my secrets totally all for FREE?

    P.S Thank you Jason for sharing. You are blessing!
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  • Profile picture of the author ElijahsChronicles
    UPDATE: So,I coldcalled two offline businesses who have websites but needed leads and used the tips Jason shared(both the unsure technique and bad time to talk technique) which really works!

    Am not sure if this was the next step I ought to take but I went ahead and shared a technique with them. Told them to put in and opt in form on their website to capture the name and emails of visitors. I didn't say more than that. They were interested to meet me and discuss next year!

    I'd be taking my questionnaire along to properly qualify the business owners. From the tone of their voices, they seem interested to know more about the lead generation(social media and SEO) though am feeling they are tire kickers and cheapskates.

    One will like to meet me over skype. How do I ensure I don't share my secrets totally all for FREE?

    P.S Thank you Jason for sharing. You are blessing!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8827547].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author JacqueP
    Originally Posted by Jason Kanigan View Post

    Did you know that the vast majority of people who sell--even those with years and years of experience--"fly by the seat of their pants" when it comes to selling?


    USE this stuff. It's the core of a consistent sales process. Your money is out there, waiting for you to claim it. You don't need to create it, pull it away from someone or get them to give it to you. It's yours, and it already exists.

    Are you going to be lazy, or are you going to invest the hour to pick up this valuable plan I've laid out for you?
    Lovely Thanks for some motivation to go with my coffee. Its much appreciated.
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  • Profile picture of the author cookie1979
    Hi Jason, am going over these wonderful post as I am about to start my cold calling career in the next few days. Amazing amount of information you share here.

    I'll be jumping on your training once I'm in a financial position to do so.

    My question is though, do you have a link to your the vid in your 3000th post?

    Cheers
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  • Profile picture of the author pertick
    Hi Jason, thanks for great links placed all at one place, much appriciated. I really know new tips for selling business. Thanks

    Pertick
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  • Profile picture of the author LumiSmoke
    So I have to share my excitement. I have been struggling with cold calling. Maybe 1 out of 20 people would confirm meetings with me. I did run through all your posts and one or two videos online. I set up a script based on your recommendations. I just made 5 calls and booked 5 meetings. Thank you man. You might have saved my career!!
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  • Profile picture of the author EvonNg
    thanks Jason!
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  • Profile picture of the author squidface
    Banned
    [DELETED]
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