Z: Drive 65

A couple of years ago I noticed that if I drove into work (about 25 miles distance) at 72 mph+ or at 65 mph, the time difference would really amount to seconds.

At about this same time, I had come across Aesop's Fable of the Tortoise and the Hare. We all know that the Tortoise won the race by going slow and steady. He never passed the Hare in the fast lane; he never switched lanes; he never worried about getting there on time; he just focused and squared up and kept his balance and was steadily working towards the finish line.

This got me thinking about my driving. I decided that I would drive 65 - or whatever the posted speed limit - and never any faster. (Now, I do naturally have a lead foot so I have not been a 100%'r at this, but probably a 99%'r).

One of the interesting things about consistently driving 65 mph is how many cars I pass up! And I am not discourteous if someone wants to go faster. I will speed up or move over. BUT - I drive 65. And I have tried to apply this to every area of my life.

Relax. Square up. Be slow and steady. Keep your balance. Think. Focus. There is simply no need to be rushed or hurried or frantic. Of course, there are times that necessitate haste, but these occasions are few and far between.

Drive 65 in all you do. Sell that way. Plan that way. Prepare that way. Communicate that way. And although it will take patience and some adjustment, it will be vital to you long-term, consistent success.

TI: Asking Questions

One rule of thumb to remember when asking questions in the Initial is: shallow to deep.

Always start with a very easy, simple question, usually about their business - "what do you do here?", then naturally move into deeper questions - "why did you choose Qwest?".

A focused effort to do this will yield great results. You will find that the conversation flows much better and the customer is much more at ease. This enables you to maintain control of the meeting instead of having it taken right out of your hands by the customer who just wants to feel comfortable.

Ask easy, simple questions first, then move into more thoughtful, complex questions. Every customer will appreciate it and respond more favorably to you.

P: Find to Close, then Close to Find!

Don't just find for finding's sake - don't find, to find.

In other words, don't prospect, or find, just to pat yourself on the back that you did your 30 calls. Find to close. Every call you make, every door you knock on, every person you talk to should be with the intention of closing the deal. This perspective helps you to be diligent, with the right focus, while prospecting.

Then, once you've closed a deal, find! Use that new customer for referrals. You can let them know from the very beginning that you intend to take such good care of them and provide such a valuable service that they would be happy to refer other businesses to you. During the sales process and after the close, ask for referrals - when the time and opportunity is right.

Don't find to find. Find to close, then close to find!

O: Plan the Night Before

I've tried planning the morning of.
I've tried not planning at all.
I've even tried the "plan-as-you-go" formula.
Nothing really worked until I planned the night before.

Yes, you will be tired. But, you will also wake the next morning with an incredible peace that you know exactly what you're scheduled to do.

Plan the night before. Plan each hour of your day. Know before you go. And not only will you have peace and confidence, but you'll actually be productive!

Planning, when done with the right focus, is absolutely essential to consistent success. DO NOT try to fake it or skip it. As Nike tells us: Just do it!

Z: Did You Give it Your All Today?

As your driving home, ask yourself: Did I give it my all today?

There is nothing quite as sweet as being able to answer yourself with a confident: Yes! I really did.

This confidence is absolutely necessary to consistent success.

Z: The Will to Prepare

It's been said that in order to "win", the will to prepare must outweigh the will to win.

What are some ways we can prepare:

1. Plan your day the night before
2. Know where you are going to find before it's time to find
3. Always have paperwork ready and with you
4. Take time to think before an appointment what objections could arise
5. Have a plan B - what to do with your time - if an appointment falls through
6. KNOW your pricing
7. Always have business cards on your person at all times!
8. KNOW the processes of office work so it's easy work
9. Find another deal to back up a big one in case it falls through
10. Regroup from time to time - for a few minutes throughout the day - so you are ready and rejuvenated to tackle the next part of your day
11. Actively maintain a desire to be prepared

TI: The Most Important Question

At the end of your first appointment with a propsective customer, there is one question that you cannot leave without asking. In fact, you must be preparing through the entire meeting to ask it. You can ask it in a variety of ways. Although you will usually ask it at the end of your discovery, you can really ask it anytime. But this question will determine how you proceed. The question is:
What will be the most important thing to you in deciding if it makes sense to switch to our service?

Here's a big secret - they will not always say price!

Once they give you an answer, it is very important to qualify and/or quantify it. For example, if they simple say: "service." You would then ask: "What do you mean by service?" When they say: "I just want to be sure that the service is reliable." You would say: "So if I can show you some ways that our service is reliable, is that what you're interested in?"

If they say: "price." Then you should always start high: "When you say price, would you say that if our price is 10 -15% higher but we're able to provide you with some of the extra benefits we spoke about today, would that be worth it to you?" Or you might say: "What kind of price would be worth it to you?"

After you get 1 or 2 repsonses, try to get one more. The when you leave with 2-3 responses of what is going to be the deciding factors in them making a decision to go with you, you can ask, in whatever way is comfortable for you: "If I'm able to address "1, 2, and 3" (restate in their words what these were), is there any reason we wouldn't be able to do business?"

By asking this question, you will, with almost perfect certainty, be able to know if this is prospective customer will become a new customer.