Are You Giving Customers The 3rd Degree?

It used to be that salespeople were trained to walk into anybody’s office or home and give a presentation about why the prospect should choose their product. It didn’t matter if the customer actually needed the product, just that they bought the product. After decades of high-pressure sales tactics with less-than-desirable results, somebody came up with the idea of using questions …

Do You Have Vision?

You’ve probably never heard of Erik Weihenmayer. He was the first blind person to reach the summit of Mt. Everest, the world’s tallest mountain. He no doubt envisioned himself scaling the mountain hundreds of times, feeling every foothold. Even thought Weihenmayer had no sight, he was able to climb the mountain because he had vision. Prior to your next customer …

Sales Bil of Rights

First Amendment: Free Speech You have the right to free speech… and customers have the right to think you’re an idiot. Quit sounding salesy. Quit reading from a script. It’s okay to script things but memorize it and be agile enough to change what isn’t working. Work on your presentation skills. If you don’t have presentation skills, get them. Second Amendment: Right …

You’re Right

Now where did that get you? One Moore Thing: Salespeople are famous for wanting to be right, and by proving they’re right they have to prove somebody else is wrong. Try admitting you were wrong. Nobody wins if the customer feels they lost.

Why Do Customers Lie?

One of the most frustrating aspects of being in sales is being lied to by prospects or customers. “We’re going to sign with you” or “if you can meet this demand, we will choose your firm” is many times followed by unanswered calls or news that they went with your competitor. Why do customers do this? Because salespeople have trained …

What Drives You? (Hint: It’s Not Money)

Most people think salespeople are driven by money. Hell, most salespeople say they are driven by money. While it may be a short-term incentive, it won’t motivate you forever. To become an effective seller, you have to dig deep into yourself and determine what really drives you. Ask yourself the following questions: Do I truly believe my product helps my …

Why You Hate Salespeople

You’ve been trained to hate salespeople since you you were a kid. If somebody showed up at the door, your mom would make you be quiet and tell you to not move to pretend nobody was home. When you started working, the problem became even more amplified. The boss wouldn’t take calls from salespeople and your peers would piss and …

Don Draper Wisdom

Don Draper from Mad Men is the new hero of many salespeople. Partly because he is full of machismo, but mostly because he’s not afraid to tell customers the bold truth… usually because he’s been drinking since 9:00 a.m. Here are some of my favorite Don Draper quotes: “Advertising is based on one thing, happiness. And you know what happiness …

Shhhhh…

The loudest person in the room garners attention for a few seconds, but the person quietly engaging people attracts people for a lifetime. One Moore Thing: At your next networking event, stop broadcasting a stale, tired message and instead focus on listening to the people you talk to.

Scared of Clowns?

I always thought a fear of clowns was amusing. Why would anybody be scared of something that looks like a real-life cartoon and whose only mission is to make you laugh? Obviously I’m not scared of clowns… and you might not be scared of clowns… but your prospect may be! Why does it matter what your potential customers are scared …