"Proactive Selling: The One Skill You Need To Succeed"

By Randy Gilbert (c)2002

"Summertime and the livin' is easy ..." is a Cole Porter tune that floats into my mind when school gets out. However, it won't be so easy for our daughter Deborah, who just finished her junior year in college. You see, she is a high-achiever (like her Dad) and she has decided to use this summer to master the highly prized skill of selling.

I'm confident Deborah will achieve her goal, not only because I'm a proud father, but also because she has a track record of successes. At age 21, she's already mastered several significant skills. This year alone she learned to speak, read, and write Japanese; her fourth language.

Her goal during her freshman summer was to learn how to write and edit books. If you've read my book, "Success Bound," you might recall she is the editor who really made my book come alive. It's a fun read due to her tenacious efforts.

During her sophomore summer Deborah achieved her goal of becoming a Black Belt in Karate. At her final test we were on the edge of our seats as our 5-foot tall powerhouse took on three huge men who were already Black Belts. Now we've no need to worry when she's out on a date.

How does she do it? Deborah has learned the formula for success: she writes out her goals, sets deadlines, learns what she needs to know (from the experts when possible), and overcomes problems as they arise.

Why is becoming a "Black Belt" in selling Deborah's next goal to achieve? She realized that no matter what her occupation, selling will help her to be successful.

When you think about it, your choice isn't whether or not to sell. Even a job interview is a form of selling. Your only choice is whether or not to become good at it.

I hope you choose to join Deborah in mastering this critical skill. To help you out, I've selected three proactive tips that are universal principles for being successful in selling.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tip 1 - Help Solve Other People's Problems ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

People are generally inwardly focused and motivated by pain-relieving and pleasure-giving emotions. You can help motivate your customers to want to solve their problems by pointing out the things that are causing their pains, or, by identifying what will bring them more pleasure.

You will win their hearts when you translate the features of your product or service into benefits that will solve their problems. For example, you might be selling sharp kitchen knives (features), but your customers want to buy well-sliced roasts and enjoyable cooking experiences (benefits).

The best sales people focus their attention on solving other people's problems. Make this your passion and you will be viewed as a 'trusted consultant.' Then, people will seek you out for assistance and will refer you to their friends.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tip 2 - Help Your Customers Make Logical Decisions ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Emotion is the motivator that makes people want to solve their problems, but it's logic that helps them choose the best solution.

You should systematically demonstrate how the features and benefits of your product make it the absolute best choice. You do this by showing how it satisfies your customer's objectives. For example, if safety is important, then show how your product is safer and back it up with testimonials or statistics.

People love to know they are getting a "good deal," so give more than you promised. People will often justify a purchase in order to receive your **free** bonus gift. When an unexpected gift is delivered with the product along with a note thanking them for making a wise decision, your customers will remain loyal to you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tip 3 - Help Customers Take Action On Their Decisions ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The closing of a sale should be a natural progression that starts at the beginning of the presentation process. Ask lots of questions to get your customers used to making decisions that will solve their problems. "Which would look best in your kitchen, the black handles or the white?"

Remove objections during the presentation by giving your customers yes-or-yes choices. For example, "Payment plans make this easier for most people to afford, would you prefer four or five installments?"

Complete the selling process with a follow-up plan. For example, "I'll call you next week after your order arrives so we can make sure you've received everything and you know how to use them." Use the follow-up session to review the benefits and to encourage your satisfied customer to tell their friends of your expertise.

When you are passionate about helping your customers solve their problems and empower them to make good decisions and take action on their decisions, you will viewed as a trusted consultant. Then you will know that you have mastered the highly prized skill of selling.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Randy (Dr. Proactive) Gilbert, is the author of "Success Bound: Breaking Free of Mediocrity." Help make it number 1 on Amazon.com by purchasing it and sending the receipt to him at Randy@RandyGilbert.com and he will send you $297 in bonus gifts. Go to: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0970751702 Copyright 2002 Randy Gilbert. All rights reserved. Feel free to pass the above in its entirety to anyone you wish. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~